Gerry Evans lives in an imposing Victorian home in one of the very best areas of Shrewsbury, neighbouring Shrewsbury School, yet its charm and peaceful atmosphere makes it also perfect for family life.
After living at St Milburgas, 29 Kennedy Road, for 11 years, Gerry, who buys and sells art, has decided to downsize from the stunning seven-bedroom residence. It is therefore up for sale through Halls of Shrewsbury for £875,000 (Details correct at time of publication - November 2006).
Built in 1860 in red brick, its distinctive architecture includes many different roofs and even a tower. The well known building company Treasures built many homes along Kennedy Road - individually designed to the owner’s specifications - including St Milburgas.
The reason why number 29 has such a unique central staircase is because it was built for a bacteriologist who did not want sticky fingers on stairway walls.
The tower was designed to keep the toilets away from the rest of the house, and has its own separate water system.
Originally the home would have been maintained by a team of servants. The servants’ quarters and two servants’ staircases still form part of the house.
The main reception hall features as an original encaustic floor - tiles inlaid with different coloured clays.
“People come and photograph the floor every now and again,” said Gerry.
Other original features include terracotta floor tiles in the kitchen, windows, original cupboards, fireplaces, doors, floorboards and stained glass detail in the inner entrance hall door. The drawing room has arris rails which would have been used to hang pictures.
The staircase is particularly impressive and leads to a surrounding galleried landing with high ceiling and skylight window.
St Milburgas has a large reception hall, an impressive inner hall with central staircase, cellar with two chambers, wine store and apple racks and laundry area, music room, lobby, cloakroom with period vanity unit, drawing room, grand dining room, study, breakfast/living room, kitchen, galleried first floor landing, bedroom one, en suite bathroom, bedroom two, wash room, separate wc, bathroom two, bedroom three, bedroom four, bedroom five, second floor landing, bedroom six and bedroom seven.
The house is in a popular location within the Kingsland conservation area.
An original double wooden entrance door opens to the entrance hall. It comes as a surprise to then walk into such a large further entrance hall, with the hardwood central staircase dominating the space.
To the right of the smaller entrance hall is the twin garage. To the left is a breakfast/living room with kitchen adjoining.
The kitchen has been recently redone and has a built-in gas five-ring hob unit and a stainless steel extractor hood over a cooker range. It also has a display cabinet, integrated fridge and freezer units with pull out larder store to the side. The original servants’ staircase rises to the first and second floors.
Both the kitchen and the breakfast/living room face the front. Directly behind the garage block is the music room. This space once formed the original entrance. Behind the music room is the cloakroom.
Behind the larger entrance hall, facing out towards the rear gardens is a door to the garden, plus the drawing room and impressive dining room. Continuing back towards the front of the house a study links the rear facing dining room and front facing kitchen.
The bedrooms, shower room and principal bathroom are arranged over the first and second floors.The house is like a tardis. There seems to be a never-ending list of rooms and it is a property where you need to get your bearings at first.
Its high ceilings and period features add to the charm and the entire property has a peaceful, established, mature and welcoming atmosphere.
Outside a gravelled driveway sweeps the front of the property. The front garden is attractive and easy to manage with a lawn, well stocked bed and a tall privet hedge. Flanking the house are wrought iron gates.
Behind the house is an upper terrace garden with an extensive flagged sun terrace. It has a central circular stone flower bed and neat lawn to one flank with crab apple tree. There are borders with shrubs. From the terrace you get superb views across the garden and on to Kingsland Valley and woodland.
The main garden leads off from the upper terrace with steps flanked by walling descending to the substantial and sloping garden.
This has a huge variety of shrubs and trees including privet, silver birch spruce and fruit trees. It extends to a natural coppice area, bordering a stream.
Gerry said: “It was originally one large house with a stable block. The people I bought the house off did the stable block up, making it into a house and then sold this off.”
Since living there Gerry has had the new kitchen installed and created the music room. She bought St Milburgas specifically because of its position and charm.
She said: “I didn’t contemplate anywhere else. I knew the proximity I wanted to be in because of the school, and everybody likes this road. This is a great family house because there’s always somewhere for somebody to go to if they don’t want to be in the one room.”
By Cathy Stanworth
- Further details are available from Halls of Shrewsbury on 01743 236444
- Details correct at time of publication - November 2006
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