Maron House, Alderley Edge
An Alderley Edge address is always sought-after, but Maron House offers an extra touch of fame, well, festive fame
If you’ve ever spotted a large glowing reindeer grazing the lawn of an Alderley Edge home, it’s quite likely you’re already familiar with the prestige residence that is Maron House.
‘We’re quite well known locally for our Christmas reindeer,” owner Sharon Welsh says. “I bring them out every year and I’ve been told they form an important part of Christmas for many local children. I even had one lady and her son ask if they could come in and take some photos, as he adored them so much.”
Christmas festivities, and indeed entertaining of all kinds, has brought light and love and laughter to this beautiful home throughout Sharon’s time here, and is just one of the things she will miss when she moves on.
“When I bought the house I wanted to create somewhere for us to enjoy life,” she says. “Both inside and outside were designed with entertaining and celebrations in mind, as well as the more practical aspects of life. We have hosted two major birthdays and a wedding in our garden, in a beautiful marquee, and the inside space was designed with comfort in style in mind.”
Sharon bought her home in summer 2011, but it was nine months before she eventually moved in.
“I fully renovated the property before we moved in,” she says. “It was very cottagey, with little windows and small boxy rooms. I knocked it around inside a lot, to reconfigure the layout to make it more suitable for contemporary living, and added an orangery at the rear, to take advantage of the lovely calming view of the gardens.
“I created four family bedrooms, one en suite in the master suite, and one large bathroom to support the three other bedrooms. Downstairs the kitchen is just stunning, completely custom-built, and next to that perhaps one of my favourite rooms – a really generous utility room, with a distinct laundry room, a utility room and a WC, one of two downstairs. I had a fantastic joiner who made everything to my own design, so it was really a labour of love for me.
At the rear of the property Sharon replaced a somewhat old-fashioned conservatory with a very beautiful contemporary orangery, or garden room, which is access from the kitchen and leads directly to the extensive garden.
“We spend so much time in here,” she says. “It’s definitely one of the things I shall miss most. It’s an informal dining space and a living room. On the other side of the house is a more formal sitting room, with a really beautiful fireplace. We call that one the Christmas room, as this is where we all gather for Christmas and it’s filled with decorations. I also designed in a snug, for the boys, which is a really cosy space for watching TV or gaming.”
The house is very close to the village, so residents can be fully immersed in all the Alderley Edge action, yet offers a degree of privacy many seek yet few achieve.
“It’s incredibly secluded, not overlooked at all. There’s a riding school behind and a working farm across the road. It’s just beautiful and so very quiet. It feel like you’re right out in the country but we’re really close the village. I worked hard on making the garden a really private space, using hedging in three layers to create both privacy and interest. It’s very, very safe, so was perfect to just let the boys run about in there and play all their sports.
“Every summer it comes into its own, but then it does in winter, too, and the colours in autumn are wonderful.”
It seems Sharon will miss Maron House.
“I do love it,” she says, “I’m just ready for my next adventure. I have my eye on something and like a project I can refurb myself. I am an empty nester now, my two boys have flown the nest, so I am free to do something new now. It would be very easy to stay here, as I have so many happy memories, but I want to move while I still have the youth and energy to really go for it.
“I would be so happy if a family moved in here. It’s just perfect for children, with the garden and the privacy you can experience.
“I’m not sad; it’s the longest I have been in any house and the fifth one I have renovated, so I had to decide whether to stay or have one more go.”
Maron House is for sale for £1,595,000, from Gascoigne Halman, Alderley Edge
Gascoignehalman.co.uk, 01625 590 373
