Historically important home for sale

It must be very satisfying to take a large historic home of faded grandeur and restore it to its former glory - and that's just what Mike and Ann Coombs did.

It took them five years of painstaking work, and boy did they do it in style! View the photo gallery below.

Woodbury, 3 School Road, Coalbrookdale is Grade II listed property which was built by the famous Darby family, originally to house the factory manager of the Coalbrookdale Company.

It was overhauled in the 1890s and in 1946 it was converted into two apartments. It stayed in the ownership of the Coalbrookdale Company until the 1970s.

It was once an imposing, and obviously historically important home, which stands in a wonderful elevated position, but by the time the Coombs bought it it was "an absolute wreck".

The solid brick home had no heating or insulation and it looked like it hadn't been touched since 1946.nextpage

The Coombs have been living in the Dale for 24 years now and Mike had always had his eye on Woodbury.

They bought it in 1993 and carried on living in their Old Rectory home nearby while working on the one apartment, and renting out the other to students.

They used the rental income to fund the renovation works and they did everything a bit at a time.

Ann was the main project manager. She redesigned the interior layout, trying to recreate the original one as much as they could, and retain all the original features. nextpage

The work done on the house brought a few surprises, including discovering a wine cellar, which had been filled in. The couple uncovered steps down to it and had it properly restored.

The list of improvements, repairs and specialist restoration projects is very long and very impressive (including re-roofing, re-wiring and replumbing, having bespoke oak paneling fitted and installing a state of the art boiler and having all the exterior walls insulated - a very expensive job).

The couple had always intended to stay there, so no expense has been spared and only the very best trades people and materials were used.

Ann and Mike worked closely alongside local planning officials who also allowed them to add on a pretty orangery, with special building conditions, and a laundry room.

The end result of all their hard work was simply stunning and they were finally able to move in in 1999.

However, as the couple have now decided to downsize and take on another project, they have put Woodbury up for sale through Nick Tart of Ironbridge for £795,000.nextpage

The house looks down on a large private front terrace and croquet lawn (the former tennis court).

Automated gates open to a long private drive (which was done while the gardens were landscaped), and the original 1920s summerhouse and historic fountain (dating from 1893) are now fully restored.

The rear of the house has a large private sunny terrace with pond and waterfall. Steps rise to an impressive organic kitchen garden, potting shed and two greenhouses.

The front door to this five bedroomed house opens into a large entrance hall with original Victorian Maws tiled floor and wood burning stove. nextpage

There's also a family room with original shutters and Coalbrookdale fireplace, a glorious sitting room with oak panelling and original Coalbrookdale fireplace, a lovely orangery-conservatory, a downstairs shower room with original china cupboard, and a breakfast kitchen with a four oven Aga-style range.

Upstairs, just off the impressive first floor landing, is the lovely front facing master bedroom with large dressing room and bathroom off.

This is luxuriously fitted with a Jacuzzi bath and Jacuzzi steam shower. There are three further double bedrooms and a single bedroom (currently used as a study) and a large family bathroom. nextpage

Extra luxuries added to the house include having music piped through the rooms as well as Sky Plus and floodlighting the grounds.

Hidden maintenance work included using extra thick leading to re-roof part of a 170-year-old flat roof. Ann said: "Whoever buys this house has got absolutely nothing to spend their money on."

Price £795,000 through Nick Tart of Ironbridge on 01952 433422.