Mayfair Avenue, Nailsea Guide Price £595,000 - £650,000

We are delighted to offer this beautiful Grade II listed 3 double bedroom period home, one of a group of five Sir Edwin Lutyens inspired Arts and Crafts 'cottages' that date from about 1935. This property has been meticulously maintained and tastefully improved, while this cottage and its neighbours are remarkably complete having been preserved well with many charming original features intact. The property offers very attractive living space and the large garden is a further feature with views to the rear beyond the playing fields of Nailsea School to the wooded hillsides of Wraxall.

The five properties here were designed by Robert Maclaren Love, an associate of Sir Edwin Lutyens. The cottages feature some lovely architectural details of the period that were very much integral to the Arts and Crafts design philosophy. These include unusually good pine parquet block flooring, continuous skirting boards and picture rails, high ceilings, fireplaces with keystone motifs, marble surrounds and bolection moulded frames, together with original internal doors that have Douglas Fir vertical panels.

These details were specified by Mr Love for his client, the landowner and stonemason H. W. Pippett, who retained ownership of all five houses well into the 1970’s, which probably explains the remarkable preservation of the group that were first originally known as The Close.

The architect Robert Maclaren Love was born in 1897 and educated in Bath. After returning from the Great War he became Chief Assistant Architect to Cecil Howitt in Nottingham on the Homes for Heroes program. Later, in 1928 he joined Sir Edwin Lutyens in New Delhi as Chief Architect in his department designing a number of civic buildings in and around the new capital of India.

In 1932 Love was elected a Fellow of RIBA and a year later he designed the properties here in Nailsea, his only known private commission and so these cottages are unique to this avenue.

The convenience of Mayfair Avenue (a cul dec sac not a through road), is hard to beat with the town centre an easy 10 minute walk away. The local outstanding infant and junior schools, Golden Valley and St. Francis and Nailsea School are almost on the doorstep. The parkland of Golden Valley and Nowhere Wood are close by and Backwell Lake is also within easy walking distance and almost adjoining the lake there is the station that offers direct trains to London – Paddington. There is good road access to the larger centres in the area including Clevedon, Portishead and Weston-Super-Mare with Bristol just 8 miles distant and 2 junctions of the M5 within 6 miles.

The Accommodation:
An arched porch shelters the Love designed circle over a square part glazed panel front door with quarry tiled floor that leads in turn to the very attractive reception hall that is illuminated by a deep window over the stairwell that combines with the high ceiling to add great volume to the room. A ½ return panelled staircase rises to the first floor with Saturn and Moons carved baluster, there is exposed original pine block parquet flooring, moulded picture rails and skirting, a radiator, a built in under stairs cupboard and original Douglas fir panelled doors leading to each room.

As the house is currently arranged the very appealing living room overlooks the rear gardens. Here, the marble fireplace has a keystone detail, moulded surround, a quarry tiled hearth and a square niche above.

Currently an electric fire is set into the fireplace, but the chimney is swept ready for an open fire. There is a built in storage cupboard to the side, picture rails, a TV point and a radiator. The room is carpeted, however beneath the carpet, the original parquet flooring which has been professionally sanded and sealed could be uncovered if preferred.

The dining room that is actually larger than the sitting room overlooks the garden at the front which itself, is also a pretty outlook. There is a further original marble fireplace with moulded surround and niche, moulded picture rails and a radiator.

The kitchen was fully refurbished in 2020 with a range of classic Shaker style wall and floor cupboards with hardwood work surfaces and a matching breakfast bar. There is over work top LED lighting, an inset ceramic sink and mixer tap over, ceramic tiled surrounds, an inset induction hob above a built in double oven and grill with a concealed cooker hood above. A dishwasher is integrated and there is a space for an upright fridge freezer. The quarry tiled floor continues through to a utility room with plumbing for a washing machine, space for a tumble drier and additional cupboard space.

A cloakroom off the hall has a quarry tiled floor and W.C, a wash hand basin and an obscure glazed window.

On the first floor the spacious landing is part galleried over the stairwell. The enormous, boarded attic space is accessed via a hatch with a high quality pull down ladder. The attic offers great potential for conversion if required, subject to the usual consents including Listed Building Consent.

The bedrooms are all generously proportioned, and each enjoys a lovely outlook. There are original built in wardrobes and high ceilings that add real character.

The bathroom is tiled to complement the classic white suite comprising a close coupled WC, a pedestal wash hand basin, an enamel bath and a separate shower enclosure with a thermostatically controlled shower.

A surprise is concealed behind the outwardly conventional timber garage doors. Once opened they reveal a narrow porch area suitable for storage that leads through a door to an excellent study beyond.

The present owners had the garage converted to provide a vital home office space that is fully insulated. The original window to the side aspect floods the room with natural light. There is a loft hatch for access to the L-shaped roof space above.

Outside:
A low stone wall bounds the front garden with the long lawn setting the house well back in the close. A path leads to the front door and the garden is bordered by a lovely beech hedge to one side. The garden is both level and mature.

The rear garden is an absolute delight, divided into 3 distinct areas creating the prettiest of cottage gardens.

The section nearest to the house is mainly laid to lawn with a good range of mature shrubs and trees including a splendid apple tree which was planted when the property was built.

Wandering through an arch with a stunning rambling rose, you arrive at the middle section of the garden which is a tranquil shaded area, again offering a beautiful display of mature shrubs and trees, a small circular pond and an arbour to sit and enjoy the gardens.

Another pretty arch leads to the final third of the garden with raised vegetable beds, fruit trees and bushes and a patio area at the far end to enjoy the sunshine at the end of the day. An integral storeroom is arranged to the rear of the house with further appliance space and a wall mounted high efficiency gas fired boiler supplying hot water and central heating.

Services & Outgoings:
All mains’ services are connected. Full gas central heating through radiators. Partial secondary double glazing. High speed broadband services are available including Superfast cable broadband with 1gb downloads. Council Tax Band E. £2,407.45 payable 2022/2023 before any discounts are applied.