MELLOW YELLOW

LIVING by water has a great appeal to many people; the sea, a canal or a marina - the thought of waking up with a view of water that can instantly create a calming feeling to set you up for the day ahead sounds perfect for many buyers hunting for a new home.

Wales, of course, has a vast amount of coast, canals, and rivers that can provide that view but maybe less available is the view of a posh marina from some of your windows.

According to website Navily, there are 31 marinas in our nation, and surely one of the best located is Penarth Marina, nestled between Cardiff and Penarth and occupying one side of the now bustling Cardiff Bay.

Now a sought-after place to call home, according to website History Points, Penarth Marina had a less glamorous aesthetic over 150 years ago. It opened in 1865 for the export of coal from the valleys’ mines as an alternative to the busy Cardiff docks just a few miles up the coastline.

The dock was taken over by the Great Western Railway in the 1920s but closed in 1936 due to The Great Depression.

During World War II, the dock was upgraded to be able to handle naval ships and equipment and coal once again was exported from the site until it closed to commercial shipping in 1963 and was bought by

Associated British Ports in 1971.

Then began a slow and sorry decline into dereliction until 1985, when Crest Nicholson began constructing the fabulous marina and complex of properties that is now a delightful place to call home, with the main lagoon and locks opened fully by 2000.

The importance and affluence of the marina is easily illustrated by the two period buildings found at its gateway to the Bristol Channel, one now operating as the popular Custom House restaurant and the other called Marine Buildings that is sadly falling into dereliction after over 40 years of being empty.

Arguably the prime location to call home within the marina is Penarth Portway, a distinctive row of pretty pastel townhouses that looks out over

the bobbing boats and yachts of the inner waterway of Portway Marina.

These large, landmark homes, occupying one of the prime locations of any marina in Wales, are rarely for sale – there has only been one house for sale in this row of homes built in 1999 within the last seven years, according to property portal Rightmove.

Now one of the pretty primrose yellow houses is on the market with the current owner having enjoyed waking up to that special marina view for almost 10 years.

The house effortlessly flows over three-storeys of accommodation that includes an open-plan kitchen diner with garden terrace, first floor lounge, with a distinctive arch window feature, utility room, off-road parking, front garden terrace, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.

It’s on the market for £875,000 with Watts & Morgan, Penarth, call 029 2071 2266 to find out more.