The Hovel in Duck Lane, Ludgershall, is about to become home to new owners.

The thatched cottage in the north Bucks village is believed to be the only original example in England of the type of housing that was common place in medieval times.

The Hovel in Ludgershall is thought to have been built in the second half of the 11th century for an advisor to William the Conqueror.

It was among the properties in the Manor of Ludgershall owned by Geoffrey de Montbray, bishop of Coutances, William I’s chum.

All these centuries later it’s still called The Hovel but it’s the opposite of what the name suggests.

It’s not a tip, quite the opposite. It’s a tasteful two bedroom thatched cottage with beamed walls and ceilings, modern comforts and lots of olde worlde character.

The quarter acre garden is wrapped round the house as it has been down the ages. Architectural historians believe it merited a mention in the Domesday Book, the list of landholdings in England with valuations following a survey carried out between 1085-86.

In modern times The Hovel has been Grade II listed to preserve its historical importance.

The original front door opens onto a vestibule leading to the sitting room where the twisted beams snake across the ceiling.

These days there are terracotta tiles on the floor and a wood burner in the fireplace.

The kitchen has a vaulted beamed ceiling, painted wood units, Welsh slate worktops, a Butlers sink, built in oven, hob, fridge, dishwasher and space for a washing machine.

The cottage being single storey, both bedrooms open on to the garden and both have beamed ceilings and walls.

The standout feature in the bathroom is the freestanding cast iron bath with central taps. Not even King William I had running water at the turn of a tap – just shows what a difference a thousand years of progress on the domestic front have made. In 2020 even the summerhouse in the garden at The Hovel has power and light.

According to the agents at Michael Graham where the cottage has been on the market with a guide price of £400,000, the successful buyer had shown serious interest in the property immediately prior to the country going into lockdown due to the virus.

“We re-opened our office on Thursday last week and contracts were exchanged on The Hovel on Friday,” confirmed the agency’s branch manager Luke Jackson on Tuesday this week.

According to agents in South Bucks, the lockdown caused by Covid-19 has triggered a re-think for many of those considering a house move.

Savills surveyed 700 registered buyers and sellers at the end of April.

Nick Pounce, head of residential sales at the Amersham office summed up: “More space inside and out has become a prerequisite for families with children who plan to increase the time they work from home.”

Forty four per cent of those questioned said a separate work area had moved up their wish list as had good access to Wi-Fi.