Why No.1 William St?
No. 1 William St has been restored with care to retain its historical atmosphere and character while offering modern comforts. The cottage and William St itself are recorded by the National Trust and are the located in Port Fairy’s historic precinct
Cottages of the 1800s were built to protect. In the warmer months shelter from the heat in the cool of the stone walls and when the weather turns cooler put your feet up in front of the fire and listen to the wind whistle off the Southern Ocean through the Norfolk pines and imagine how the Bowyer family lived in the rooms 165 years ago.
Ideal for a romantic retreat or family holiday .… this self contained cottage is all yours!
To say Thanks...
This year has been a challenging one. Our 2025 restoration work has been both more extensive and slower than anticipated. The quality of the stonework being uncovered is of very poor quality and the weather (both rain and wind coming off the Southern Ocean) was more challenging than the previous 2 years. While the work has been on the exterior of the cottage, on the whole the interior of the cottage and the garden have been unaffected. The extensive work on the north wall has however had an impact on the 3rd single bedroom. We have made the decision to reduce our occupancy to 4 which enables us to continue to present the cottage as we feel it deserves. The room is not closed and inquisitive guests are welcome to investigate.
We hope to be able to have this room open again for guests next autumn.
We have also had the introduction of the state government Short Term Stay tax in January. This is built into the tariff on our website and for direct bookings – not added when you make your booking. The costs for us in receiving a booking are constantly on the rise. Web and direct bookings are helping us keep our costs down so for all guests who book either directly or through our website will find a bottle of wine from our local Basalt winery waiting on their arrival.
This a token of our thanks for booking directly and for your understanding of the restoration we are undertaking.
Beautiful stone
The stone restoration work at No1 continues to be extensive and ongoing.
We have just finished our 3rd winter of closure and are not as advanced as we had hoped, although the cottage internally is still beautifully cozy and inviting and the garden is looking a treat. The front of the cottage is all but finished with a little bit of detailing to be done. We have been able to plant half our new front garden and are hoping to plant the rest this Spring. And the front door has just had another new coat of paint.
This year we have moved round to the north wall. The one you see as come up the street. Once the cement patches started to be removed it was apparent that this wall was in very poor condition and had been badly rebuilt some decades ago. This had also compromised the next section of the wall and my stone man is now building a complex network of corner stones from old blue stone that will knit these two walls together.
I have had a policy of not showing works in progress but this is a little different. We have also gathered further insight into the cottage’s history and perhaps regular, and new, guests might like to join us on the journey.
“Bronwen’s cottage is just as pictured – cozy, warm and filled with character. The open fire was perfect for our winter stay, as well as the wood heater in the kitchen. Very clean, a generous supply of goodies in the kitchen and a comfy bed! The cottage is a short walk to the shops for a morning coffee and an easy stroll back after dinner from the pubs and restaurants. The perfect winter getaway.”
“Lovely historic cottage, with a gorgeous sun trapped garden, a lovely place to unwind. Everything you need and want within walking distance. Gorgeous beaches and fabulous eateries all within a short walk. Thank you Bronwen for your help and communication as we came out of lockdown and were able to finally stay.”
“Gorgeous, comfortable, roomy cottage, full of character and on a beautiful street lined with Norfolk Pines. Easy walking distance to great coffee and food, but incredibly quiet; we could hear the ocean at night. We particularly enjoyed the snug front room, complete with crackling fire and a warming glass of port. In summer, the lovely back garden would be perfect to enjoy with an afternoon drink…. Would highly recommend.”
“No1 William Street is enchanting. When we arrived we wandered from room to room delighting in the charming décor taking in the details…But as we settled in we realized this is no colonial museum but a superbly comfortable place to stay… We’ll take away memories of cosy evenings and playing scrabble by wood fires.” RF – Waikanae NZ
“A lovely stay in the home of my great great grandparents. We have four generations here … We all love the house and felt comfortable as soon as we arrived. Love all the extras that make the house so easy to be in. We came for a funeral and thought our connection with Port Fairy was over, however it will live on in this very special home.”
“Stepping back in time – a stopover at One William St was a total pleasure. Your Port Fairy haven has been lovingly restored and your thoughtful appointments were truly appreciated. A twilight walk to the lighthouse is a memorable experience – as were fresh oysters in front of the wood burning stove. Many Thanks!” C,J,J,L&S – New Jersey USA
“Warm, inviting, stunning. An impeccable location. All the joys and quirks of an old house (tasseled light switches) with some modern touches (heated towel rack!) Thank you so much for extending your lovely house to us. We were in awe of its beauty from the moment we pulled up in front! The whole weekend we just kept repeating how lucky we were to stay in such a gorgeous spot. We look forward to staying here again some day!”
“Step back in time to a beautiful quaint cottage, nestled in the heart of Port Fairy township. If you’re looking for an escape that is not ordinary than this is the place for you!”
