House fit for
THE Thatch is such a fairytale property that it is widely thought it formed the basis of the design of a little thatched garden cottage called Y Bwthyn Bach that was built for the young princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
The wendy house fit for the future Queen was a Welsh-built miniature cottage, and after being transported to London, was installed in the grounds at Royal Lodge in Windsor as a gift from the people of Wales in 1932.
And the Welsh-built miniature cottage, translated to The Little House and recently refurbished by Princess Beatrice, was probably designed as a tiny version of this perfect pink home in Radyr on the outskirts of Cardiff.
Current owner Eve Read remembers her parents relating the story of the princesses’ wendy house.
She says: “The Thatch was built at about the same time and there is a striking resemblance, and this link to the royal doll’s house is also mentioned in the official documentation on the property’s Grade II listing.”
And now The Thatch is on the market for only the second time.
This distinctive house was built between 1929 and 1932 for a solicitor called Paul Mathias and designed to be thatched and reflect a Cotswold style to please Mrs Mathias.
Eve Read’s mother was captivated by the property as it reminded her of her childhood home in Devon.
The family from Caerphilly bought the home in 1970 and have owned it ever since.
Eve has many fond memories of the family home. She says: “We spent many happy Christmases here, decking the house with holly from the garden and enjoying roasting chestnuts on the open fires in the reception rooms. Father Christmas had a choice of six chimney pots!”
And the distinctive and historic nature of the property, plus the fact it has hardly changed since it was built, led to it being Grade II listed in February 2000.
Eve says: “Virtually all of the rooms have retained their original features. For example, there are Canadian pine floors throughout, beautiful fireplaces in most rooms, including the bedrooms, attractive leaded windows and I particularly like the doors which are all original.