This Elegant House in Bath, in idyllic gardens on the banks of the Avon, is a story enriched by every retelling. Once a Tudor manor belonging to the godson of Elizabeth I, upgraded by a wealthy heir to an English Baroque masterpiece, then enhanced with a glorious, Victorian greenhouse. And now, restored to the highest contemporary standard by an award-winning architect. You could begin 2025 with a fresh chapter of your own in this spectacular Queen Anne House.
In 1712, the then High Sheriff of Somerset, commissioned this Elegant House of Bath Stone to adequately reflect his status and, over three centuries later, it still exudes a timeless grandeur designed to elevate. Wake up in this principal bedroom for a distinguished start to the day among four floors of period splendour in a black iron, four poster bed–a central island in a sea of woven sisal. Dark wood and baby blue complement cream walls and uplifting natural light.
Polished floorboards lead downstairs, past rows of spiralled spindles and an ornate window, to this characterful Tudor basement. Handsome masonry even bears protective markings, to ward away evil, and graffiti by the wealthy Blanchard family dating back to 1636. Original flagstones underfoot in the kitchen and pantry, a rare 16th century stove and gleaming Electrickit aga, sit harmoniously with Miele and Neff appliances in cabinets of solid tulipwood and limewashed oak.
Recline on a striped chaise in the garden room, French doors thrown wide to reveal a romantic courtyard where a hidden stone fountain babbles in a dressed wall, flanked by carefully spiralled yew trees. Bespoke bookshelves slide open to reveal a secret kitchen, where you brew hot coffee to accompany you to the south-facing, stone terrace. At an ornate steel table and chairs, soak in the serenity of an ornamental garden of bay topiary and box hedges with woodland borders.
Period planting gives way to a lush lawn that extends all the way to the River Avon, where beavers busy themselves at dawn and bats flit at dusk. On the far bank, tranquil walkways through National Trust owned water meadows link the villages of Beatheaston and Bathampton to the city of Bath via a Grade II listed toll bridge. Wander the gardens before resting in this picture-perfect spot, on a stone bench in a carpet of ivy, under the arch of a twisted tree trunk.
Walk the gravel path through the kitchen garden with a trug underarm, to collect hydrangea, multi-coloured dahlia blooms and a variety of herbs growing in pots and raised beds. This modernised Victorian Greenhouse, the era’s cherished status symbol for cultivating exotic plants, is a temperate ‘garden under glass’ and the perfect place to find mid winter warmth. Shelves and benches painted heritage taupe hold all you need for potting and pruning success.
In a stately south-facing lounge, decorative wooden wall panels and coving add period charm, while railed, stone steps offer direct access to the garden. Deep set sash windows, framed with immaculate shutters, bring the beauty of the grounds inside, as you disappear among the cushions of a plump, cream sofa. Upstairs watch night fall from beneath a blanket of bubbles in a luxurious, marble-topped bath as chrome rails heat up white towels, in this house that defines refined.
So, for your chance to win this Elegant House worth £4,000,000, along with £250,000 in cash to help you settle in, enter the Bath House Draw now. And here’s the best part, just by entering the Bath House Draw you’ll be supporting British Heart Foundation. Helping to ensure more defibrillators are available in communities across the UK. You could help keep more hearts beating.
So, why wait?
