But a 100-year-old homestead, which had survived a 150km trek to its new home atop a picturesque part of the Coalfields nearly 30 years ago, was in ruins on Tuesday after a fire ripped through it.

Owner Suzi Whitehead-Pope stayed at the cottage on Monday night, but had left with her two dogs for a 9am appointment in Cessnock.

Within minutes, neighbours saw thick smoke and went to investigate.

But the residence, which had been moved from Balgowlah in the 1980s, was already engulfed in flames.

It had sat pride of place at the Bellbird and Swallows Cottages property in Lewis Road.

Two cottages on the property that house guests were not damaged and remain intact.

“I saw some smoke and I just thought Suzi was burning something off,” neighbour Ann Hollingshed said.

“I went up for a look and it was well alight, that’s when we rang for help.”

Fire crews worked to extinguish the blaze, but the home was razed.

Ms Whitehead-Pope, who lives in Sydney, returned to find the devastation.

She said the home was built in 1915 and she had been organising a centenary party in the spring to celebrate the milestone.

Fire and Rescue NSW crews from Bellbird and Cessnock were forced out of the building as the fire tore through, making nearby power lines unstable and the building potentially dangerous.

They were assisted in extinguishing the fire by volunteers from the Millfield branch of the NSW Rural Fire Service.

There is not believed to be any suspicious circumstances in the blaze.