Town house for sale in Somerset Street, Kingsdown, Bristol BS2

An elegant and quite outstanding grade II listed Georgian house dating from circa 1780 with excellent gardens and double garage.

Rich in atmosphere and character with handsome principal rooms and a wealth of classic period features

Extensive accommodation (over 5,500 sq ft) comprising at least 6 bedrooms plus a flexible use lower floor of rooms.

Enjoys an elevated position with city views within a neighbourly community who cherish the ambience of this historic Georgian quarter.

Wonderfully adaptable accommodation for evolving families: Well suited for multi-generational living, for those with independent relatives or teenagers or those seeking a home office, consulting rooms or for income.

Central location with easy access to the city centre, hospital/university areas together with good schools: Cotham Gardens Primary School, Cotham School and Bristol Grammar School are all within circa 0.5 miles.

Delightful rear garden (circa 90ft x 32ft) with southerly aspects, and an exquisite ornamental garden to the front just across the beautiful cobbled street.

Valuable and generous double garage.

Refined and sophisticated - this is a rather special home.

Inside

From the moment the front door is opened into the impressive reception hall, one is struck by the grace and presence of this charming family home. Pass under the beautiful arches to a fine period staircase with polished wooden handrail and dado rails that rise to first floor landing and descend to the lower ground floor. Doors radiate from the reception hall and lead into the grand drawing room with wide bay and three large sash windows with far reaching city views. A most civilised atmosphere with high ceilings, ornate mouldings, period marble fireplace with woodburning stove and exposed floorboards. Two doorways lead through to kitchen/breakfast room with hand-built units with Iroko worksurface and an island unit and space for a large table with city views to the rear. At the front of the house the large study/dining room has a fireplace with marble surround and enjoys the green outlook of the beautiful walled gardens, across the cobbled street. There is a large Butler’s Pantry with extensive shelving and storage accommodation, and cloakroom/wc with plumbing for washing machine and a distinctly nautical feel.

At first floor level there are four generous bedrooms, with bedrooms 1 & 2 benefitting from city views to the rear and bedrooms 3 & 4 enjoying views across to the gardens at the front. Also on this floor is a family bathroom/wc with wonderful period bath tub, a further walk-in wet room with full wall and floor tiling, and an en-suite shower room/wc to bedroom 1.

The fine staircase continues to rise to the second floor landing and so to two further double bedrooms and a second family bathroom/wc. Bedroom 5 again enjoys far reaching city views that are increasingly breathtaking as one continues up the house and bedroom 6 is located at the front. Further door off the landing and staircase leads into the roof space; an open attic area which has four large Velux skylights plus double glazed windows which open onto a flat section of the roof with parapet wall, beyond which one can see across the city rooftops to Dundry and Lansdown in the far distance. There is an additional large walk-in storage area to the rear.

Lower Ground Floor Rooms:

Accessed off the rear of the reception hall via a short flight of stairs, is a further versatile floor of generously proportioned rooms which enjoy wooden flooring throughout and are accessed off a central hallway. The sitting room to the rear has a galley kitchen and there are three further rooms (currently used as bedrooms), a bathroom/wc and a sizeable workshop room. There is a further staircase which descends to a large vaulted cellar which provides for excellent storage accommodation with power and light. From the lower ground floor hall, glazed doors lead onto the rear garden.

Heating:

Two boilers provide domestic hot water and heating, (via radiators) to 4 floors (the boiler located on the first floor services the lower ground floor, ground floor and first floor, and the second floor boiler services the second floor) – there is no service to the attic area.

Outside

Double Garage: ((21' 10'' max x 18' 9'') (6.65m x 5.71m))

[located at the far end of the garden] electric power and light installed, remote control electronic roller shutter door opening onto Dove Street and side personal door and steps up to garden.

Rear Garden: ((approx. 90' 0'' x 32' 0'') (27.41m x 9.75m))

Steps down from the house, leading onto a large flagstone patio/sitting out area with prolific Wisteria, espaliered William Pear and Greengage trees and Victoria Plum. Greenhouse, brick and stone boundary walls and steps lead down to a lower lawned section of the garden with inbuilt trampoline and South Cerney stone pathway which leads down to further section of garden with deep beds, shrubs, bushes and trees (including a banana tree, olive tree, photinia red robin and grape vine). Side steps down to the side personal door into the double garage and a wooden garden door which gives separate access onto Dove Street.

Front Garden:

(accessed across the other side of the cobbled street), a delightful ornamental garden with stone boundary walls, flagstone paths and patio area, square pond with surrounding Chamomile lawn and deep beds containing a plethora of specimen bushes, shrubs and trees including tulip, loquat, Chinese witch hazel espaliered apple trees, plus raspberries, gooseberries and rhubarb. An elevated 'display' garden - harmoniously and sensitively landscaped to create a peaceful and unexpectedly green haven.

Important Remarks

Viewing & Further Information:

Available exclusively through the sole agents, Richard Harding Estate Agents, contact us on:

Fixtures & Fittings:

Only items mentioned in these particulars are included in the sale. Any other items are not included but may be available by separate arrangement.

Tenure:

It is understood that the property is Freehold. This information should be checked by your legal adviser.

Local Authority Information:

Bristol City Council. Council Tax Band: G.

Front Garden Recent History - Vendors' Note:

When we bought the house in late 2009, all the land and gardens opposite were owned by a former resident of the street. There was a ramshackle wooden garage on the garden opposite No.23, and the rest of the gardens were overgrown with wild hazel, brambles and ivy. The owner had made several attempts to get planning permission for seven townhouses, most recently in 2007, but had withdrawn the application after complaints, including a petition signed by hundreds of local residents. In 2012, just as urban planning rules were changing, we heard that the owner planned to sell the land as a development opportunity by auction. We got together with willing neighbours and approached the owner to buy the land before the auction was to take place.

Along with the owners of number 23,25 and 26 Somerset Street and Somerset Villas we raised funds to meet our agreed portion of the purchase price. The gardens opposite 23 and 24 are now part of the land title of those houses; while the third and larger part of the gardens is owned jointly by No.26 and Somerset Villas. On purchase of the land, we all signed a covenant undertaking to seek permission from the other owners prior to seeking planning permission or putting up temporary structures (eg sheds). This in effect means that the land will never be built on, but will remain an enjoyable resource for ourselves and the neighbourhood.

We uncovered the York stone paving and pond area during the restoration, and rebuilt many of the stone walls (including extensive repairs to the high back wall). The neighbours at 23 tore down the old garage and created a stunning new formal parterre garden with landscaping to match the other gardens. While being privately owned, we have used the gardens for neighbourhood events, including the anniversaries of buying the gardens, and opening to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme in 2019,2021 and 2022. Other events, such as a neighbours' 90th birthday, a choir event and other celebrations have also taken place with all neighbours involved. We appreciate the gardens everyday, and frequently see passers-by stop to take them in, surprised to come across a quiet and abundant space in the centre of the city.