A Jewel in the Valley

If you long for a weekend of seclusion, Lansallos at Bogee in the Capertee Valley is the perfect destination.

By Brent Barlow

Located in the isolated locality of Bogee, arriving at Lansallos is a big surprise. The anticipation and curiosity on reaching its doorstep is great.

This house is a four-bedroom elegant bed and breakfast accommodation oozing with modern elegance equalled by the majesty of the surrounding escarpment of the Capertee Valley — one of the largest enclosed valleys in the world.

Named after a small village on the south coast of Cornwall in England, Lansallos means “Church site of unknown name”. Guests who walked through the large double doors into the “great hall” (the lounge, dining and reading room) have said that it felt like a church inside.

These thoughts are evoked because of Lansallos’ high ceilings and large windows, its calm and peaceful setting in a remote but exhilaratingly beautiful location. The magnificent views of the valley and canyons can be seen from Lansallos even if you’re inside the bedrooms or out in the patio.

The privacy of the bedrooms suite is totally complete - private bathroom with heated towel rail and L’Occitane toiletries provided, floor heating, ceiling fan, and TV/DVD and clock radio for your own use.

A good night’s sleep is assured with the crisp white linen on the cosy Queen bed. The rooms are sound- proofed from the adjoining rooms.  A full cooked breakfast is a treat to be remembered.

One of the bedrooms with a bathroom has wheelchair access.

This spacious contemporary home certainly offers privacy, high level of comfort and enough room to unwind, relax and forget the cares of the world.

Owners Bruce and Donna Upton bought the property in 1998. Bruce was a project manager with Sydney Water for 40 years while Donna was CEO of a Sydney company building an operating retirement villages and independent living homes.

This couple’s professional experiences paved the way for taking on a project — building Lansallos as their country home and attaching to it a tourist accommodation.

 “The place is so lovely that we wanted to share it to other people,” Donna says, reflecting on their change of heart.

They planted the first trees on Australia Day in 1998 but nothing of those trees survived the vagaries of the previous drought.

But perseverance, acquired gardening knowledge and support from Birds Australia volunteers, more plantings have seen a transformation of the property into an oasis of native trees and shrubs for rare birds and other wildlife frequenting the valley.

An architect was commissioned to design a purpose built bed and breakfast and because the waiting list for builders was two years, Bruce became an owner builder and the construction finally began in September 2003.

“It wasn’t until we were well down the track with construction that we realised just how big the house was going to be,” Bruce says. “The overall dimensions are approximately 31 metres long by 12 metres wide with four bedrooms with bathrooms and a combined bedroom retreat for us. Each bedroom has bathroom and a concrete patio and pergola.”

While Bruce was overseeing the construction and managing the sub-contractors on site, Donna was looking after the exterior and interior colours, purchasing white goods, commissioning bathroom and kitchen furniture, choosing lightings and looking after the purse. Everything went well for this hardworking couple.

Fiona’s Dream Gardens was commissioned to design the garden around the house and outdoor areas; the kitchen and bathrooms were designed by Elizabeth Luke; the colour scheme by Sharon Booth; the sound proofing advice by Richard Heggie and insulation advice by Max Mosher.

With all the expert help completed, everything went well for this hardworking couple who now call Lansallos their home out in the beautiful country.

Lansallos is one of the accommodations listed in the Dunns/ Capertee Valley Discovery Trail of the Greater Blue Mountains Drive.

Sydney (Homebush Bay) to Lansallos ^is a little over 3 hours driving time.

Source Mudgee Life magazine

Lansallos from the air

Even during the drought, Lansallos retained its visual appeal.

Our House

Click on plan to enlarge

Some of the Special Features of lansallos

Just a few of the features that make Lansallos special.  Each bedroom has its own hot water system to ensure quick hot water to you, floor heating to each room and bathroom, quarter turn taps in bathrooms.

The hallway has 'kick' lights to ensure night time safety, bedroom walls are sound proofed and bathrooms have heated towel rails.

Windows are insulated by Pilkington Comfort Glass and rooms are ventilated by very quiet ceiling fans.

Shaded patio at Lansallos

On a hot day there is always a cool spot in the shade of grape vines to sit and relax.  Each bedroom has its own shaded patio to sit and take happy hour.
Often the birds flitter though the greenery and the surrounding shrubs.  An occasional visitor is a bearded dragon (harmless) which sits  on the warm concrete.

Lansallos lounge and dining room

looking into the lounge and dining rooms from the patio.  In winter evenings when it is cold outside, inside is snug and warm from a big slow combustion wood fire and under floor heating.  In summer, the rooms are cooled by cool evening breezes through big sliding glass doors.

Lansallos from the air

This photo was taken in 2009 so the tress were not as advanced as they are now.  The conical peak in the background is Tyan Pic.

Bedrooms at Lansallos

Each bedroom has its own bathroom with heated floor and towel rail

Views and patio to all bedrooms, heated floors and sound proofed walls.

Tyan Room in Lansallos

Tyan Room, gathers the morning sun and a view.  This room is wheel chair friendly.  bathroom, under carpet heating and king size bed.

More Rooms