9 Manchester Street, Chewton, Vic 3451

A private stone cottage with an octagonal studio, bathhouse and park-like gardens on 1692sqm (approx.) in Chewton. Six minutes to Castlemaine.

Some places ask you to slow down the moment you arrive. Tucked away and private in Chewton, this is one of them. A stone pathway leads you in, the street falls away behind you, and the garden begins to unfold. Castlemaine is only six minutes away. You will find it hard to believe.

At the centre of 1692sqm (approx.) sits a stone-clad cottage, softened by years of careful planting. Japanese maples colour the garden in autumn, silver birches catch the light, and a Chinese elm and poplars add height and shade. A sweeping green lawn rolls out beneath them, edged with native plantings and crushed stone and stone pathways that invite you to wander. A fountain trickles quietly nearby. Benches and sitting areas are placed where the morning sun or the afternoon shade is best, and multiple water tanks keep it all green through summer.

Beyond the back fence, the landscape carries on. The Leanganook Track winds past, heading one way towards Castlemaine and the other towards Expedition Pass Reservoir. It feels like the garden simply keeps going.

Inside, the 80sqm (approx.) cottage is warm, textured and easy to love. Timber-lined walls meet stone and brick, and decorative cornices add a gentle period charm. In the living room, a solid wood look gas fireplace with a stone surround glows against a brick feature wall, with a stained glass panel, built-in shelving and a split system close at hand. The dining space sits between the living room and the kitchen, so meals and conversation move easily from one room to the next. The kitchen has stone flooring, a freestanding gas cooktop with oven, a dishwasher and a solid timber bench. The old brick fireplace has found a second life as additional storage.

Both bedrooms look out onto the garden. The main bedroom has built-in robes and a Japanese maple outside the window. The bathroom has a shower and vanity, with a separate toilet.

A few steps along the path, an octagonal studio rests among the trees. Its pitched timber ceiling and split system make it comfortable all year, and it is currently set up as an additional bedroom. It could just as easily be a place to paint, write or work. Close by, the external laundry opens to a bathhouse with a freestanding clawfoot bath, a shower, a vanity and a toilet. Corrugated iron walls, timber floors and windows to the lawn make a long soak feel like a small occasion.

Solar panels keep things practical. A double carport with attached shed and a single carport give you room for cars, tools and projects.

Some properties are best understood in person. Here, it happens a few steps in, as the trees close behind you. The day slows, the stone cottage settles into its surroundings, and the town you left six minutes ago feels a long way off. It suits a weekend retreat as well as a full-time home. Either way, it is a place to arrive at and stay a while.