Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
Lifestyle
Joanne Ridout

Four-storey dream home with jetty to natural pool so you can go wild swimming in your garden

Many house hunters dream about finding a house with a pool in the garden, somewhere to relax on a lounger, under a sun umbrella with hopefully a cooling breeze drifting across the water and wafting its way over to you to cool you down.

Dangling your feet into the water helps too, as does a cold drink sitting on the banks of a body of water, and maybe even the promise of a total refresh if you amble into the water and gently paddle from one end of your pool to the other.

Even though Wales has such changeable weather, many people still lust after a pool, but it's not a surprise to find that so many are indoor or outdoor and heated. But how many people can claim that their garden pool is a wild pool?

READ MORE: Designer glass-fronted home inside exclusive development with a hidden corridor to bonus annexe

Trio of contemporary homes in a quiet Powys village (Google maps)
Look over the lane's hedgerow to spot a surprise in one of the gardens (Google maps)

This modern, four-storey house is one of a trio that overlooks a beautiful swim pool that has had a bridge, pontoon and decking added to ensure that even if you don't fancy a dip, you can immerse yourself in the watery, natural surroundings lounging on a chair on one of the jetties that jut out into the water.

And if you can be bothered to raise your head a little, the reward is a view of the surrounding countryside that can rightly claim to be breath-taking.

This surprise garden addition at the rear of this home is part of an exclusive village development of three houses in the heart of the tiny Powys hamlet of Dolanog, but this particular home has a bonus that surely most people would be thrilled to discover, a wild pool at the end of the garden that used to be an empty field.

The pool is such an important feature for this home that it has its own name - Lyn Dolanog - and is fully stocked with trout and carp with water lilies around the edge along with specimen trees. A condition of the planning permission at Tan Yr Allt is that the pool cannot be used as a standalone fishery and is only used by owners and guests of the property. That sounds perfect for fish and humans.

From field to wild swimming pool (Savills, Telford)
Pantoon is calling you for a day by the water (Savills, Telford)
And relax... (Savills, Telford)

There is also a pontoon bridge allowing access to a decked sunbathing area, which can also be used for alfresco dining, along with three decked jetties. The current owners say that the pool is frequently visited by an otter, a heron and a pine marten - and that's the obvious local wildlife inhabitants who hang out by the water, having their own pool party.

And the house itself has been frequently visited by many humans too as, according to the estate agent selling this four-storey family home, it once operated as a B&B. And it would surely be classed by guests as a bed and breakfast house with a difference, offering access to the stunning wild swimming pool at the end of the garden.

Huge house that actually spans four floors and has an annexe too (Savills, Telford)
First floor elevated deck is the prime spot to see the pool and the rural landscape just a step away from the house (Savills, Telford)

Called Tan Yr Allt, the house is a six bedroom property that has undergone a number of improvements by the current owners – including oak interiors and a wrought iron balustrade to the staircase. The property’s living space is arranged over four floors, with a first floor annexe and lower ground space - currently used as a games room and workshop - providing a potential revenue stream for its new owners.

You could rent it out or as a holiday home, subject to planning consent, or granny or one of the kids could bag either or both spaces as places to call their own. In between and around these extra and welcome versatile spaces is the main body of the home, which sprawls across two floors.

Welcoming, inviting and full of versatile spaces (Savills, Telford)
House has two kitchens - this one for the main house, plus a second one in the annexe (Savills, Telford)
Comfortable lounge with dual aspect of the wild swimming pool (Savills, Telford)

Allowing plenty of natural light, Tan Yr Allt comprises a welcoming, central entrance hall which leads to the main reception spaces that have views of the pool and the rolling countryside behind. The master bedroom and ensuite can be found on the ground floor too, looking out over the elevated deck which is the home-hugging prime spot for the best water and landscape views.

The central dining room offers a fabulous dining experience when the weather is not tempting you to go alfresco, with a wall of floor-to-ceiling glass to provide waves of sunlight or even moonlight.

But it's not a standard, boring run of glass, not in this remarkable home, it's a wall of glass that cleverly turns the corner to provide a more encompassing connection to the panoramic vista outside - a mesmerising natural backdrop to accompany your meal.

The dining room is not the only space to boast unusual window design, with the first floor annex above having a lounge with glass that has also been used to great effect, this time it turns a corner upwards to allow the sky to join the view party.

Dining room has the best natural, living artwork as its backdrop at meal time (Savills, Telford)
Annexe living room can boast unusual windows that invite even more light in as well as pool views (Savills, Telford)

In the sitting room there's a multifuel wood burner to create toasty and warm winter evenings, maybe watching the pool as it freezes over. And if the six bed house has enough slumber zones, the bedroom on this ground floor could become a second sitting room or a home office to make all Zoom call participants very jealous.

As well as a family kitchen with oak-topped breakfast bar and dual aspect views of the surrounding rural landscape, there is a second kitchen on the first floor within the annexe section of the house.

Included in the sale is a glazed summer house which is currently used as a workshop but would make a fantastic studio and also has a wood burning stove so the hobby or the creative building work can continue on into the winter months.

The house is located on the Welsh border, with nearby Welshpool and Llanfyllin offering a selection of shops, schools and supermarkets, plus a medical centre and dentists. Further afield will get you to Llangollen and Newtown and hop over the border to visit Shrewsbury and Birmingham.

There are six bedrooms in total if you include the annexe (Savills, Telford)
Master bedroom on the ground floor has dual aspect views of the pool and hills on the horizon (Savills, Telford)
Five bathrooms in total, reminding a visitor the house used to be a B&B (Savills, Telford)

But who would want to leave this idyllic spot too often? Peter Daborn, director in the residential sales team at Savills in Telford, says: "At a time when temperatures have been soaring and we've all been looking at ways to keep cool, this beautiful family home has just the answer – its very own wildlife and swim pool!" Who would argue with that?

Tan Yr Allt is for sale with a guide price of £750,000 with Savills, Telford, call them on 01952 239500 to find out more. And don't miss the best dream homes in Wales, renovation stories and interiors, join the Amazing Welsh Homes newsletter, sent to your inbox twice a week.

READ NEXT:

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.