House For Sale £375,000
Sellers' Insight
"Our dream was always to create a fabulous social hub at the heart of the Warwickshire countryside with its abundance of nature walk trails, but we had to wait until the right property came onto the market, one that met our criteria of having massive kerb appeal. Quite simply, our dream was to own a home with a wealth of character and history and fantastic village views together with superb commuter links and a space to create a tranquil home study to facilitate home working. When we found The Bank, we knew it was the property for us. We set about modernising it in a sensitive way, combining the amenities of modern living while retaining character features including its stone spiral staircase and stone-formed windows with leaded glazing, which add a real touch of character on both the outside and inside of the property. We loved the flexibility of the formal reception room for quiet downtime, the high ceiling giving us the opportunity to be creative when designing bespoke light fittings, now centre points of every room, while also giving us opportunities for informal inside-and-out entertaining in the fabulous kitchen and rear garden, a major plus to match our lifestyle. Upstairs, the principal bedroom has great views over the village and adjacent fields - we can see where the sandstone used to build the house was quarried. It's so nice to have amenities so close without them intruding on the ability to shut out the world when needed. We love it when friends, family and other visitors comment on how beautiful the house is. We'll miss it, but now is the time for it to be handed over to its next custodians."
Property description
Set at the end of a 16th-century row of Grade II Listed Tudor cottages overlooking the village green, 10 The Bank is a surprisingly unlisted stunning and characterful family home, built around 1856 and sensitively modernised and tastefully decorated with the amenities of modern living including feature Centrepoint light fittings throughout to provide a fabulous contemporary family and entertaining space arranged over two floors.
The ground floor accommodation flows from a welcoming turreted entrance hall with a feature stone spiral staircase rising to the first floor and briefly comprises a lovely spacious front aspect sitting room with high ceiling, exposed oak flooring, feature stone-formed bay window and stone fireplace with log burning stove together with a recently-fitted kitchen with feature flagstone flooring, a range of bespoke contemporary units, modern integrated appliances and a door to the rear garden.
Mirroring the beautifully-presented ground floor accommodation, the first floor features an impressive front aspect principal bedroom with bespoke fitted wardrobes and stunning views over adjacent fields, one the source of the sandstone from which the house is constructed, an additional rear aspect double bedroom with built-in storage and a contemporary fully-tiled family shower room.
Garden and Grounds
Having plenty of kerb appeal, the property is approached over a tiered front garden with mature planting and steps rising to the front door, affording lovely views over the village. Providing an oasis of calm and screened by mature hedging, the well-maintained garden to the rear is laid mainly to raised level lawn bordered by shrub and flower beds and provides a paved terrace, ideal for entertaining and al fresco dining, as well as giving access to a detached outbuilding incorporating a garden study with a separate decked terrace and an internal door to the garage, also accessible over a driveway to the rear of the property which offers off-road parking and a pedestrian gate to the property's rear garden.
History
10 The Bank was once an almshouse, traditionally charity-run residential accommodation designed to provide relief of financial hardship by the provision of housing and associated services or benefits. The original almshouses in Stoneleigh were built to provide unmarried parishioners suffering financial hardship with a home and (for the time) generous income, subject to regular church attendance.
The row of Grade II Listed almshouses nearby were founded in 1576 to provide homes for the poor by Sir Thomas and Lady Alice Leigh of Stoneleigh Abbey. The original inhabitants were all unmarried parishioners and comprised five men and five women, all of whom had to attend church each Saturday, Sunday and holy day as well as quarterly sermons given by the local vicar in return for a roof over their heads and a weekly allowance of a shilling, quite generous for the time.
Surprisingly unlisted, 10 The Bank was a later addition to the range of almshouses, one of four properties built at the instigation of Margaret, Dowager Lady Leigh, a later denizen of Stoneleigh Abbey, to commemorate the death of her husband, Lord Chandos Leigh on 27 September 1850, a date immortalised in stone over the door of the property.
About Stoneleigh
Regarded as one of the most sought-after addresses in the area, The Bank is situated directly off the Birmingham Road at the heart of the historic and picturesque village of Stoneleigh, which lies on the River Sowe to the north-east of the river's confluence with the River Avon and is surrounded on all sides by stunning Warwickshire countryside. Located overlooking the village green with its central Old Forge, the property lies within walking distance of the centre of the village which has a thriving community spirit and a good range of day-to-day amenities including a church, village hall, local shopping, playing field and a popular social club as well as being home to the historic Stoneleigh Abbey and Stoneleigh Park, home to the annual royal Show. The towns of Kenilworth and Leamington Spa are easily accessible via the A46, both offering a wider range of shopping, leisure and recreational amenities. Coventry city centre, named the UK City of Culture for 2021, offers extensive mainstream and boutique shopping, services, leisure and recreational amenities. Communications links are excellent: The city is surrounded by a network of motorways including the M1, M6, M40, M45 and M69, giving access to major regional centres and the north and south of the UK, making the property ideally situated for easy commuting into Rugby, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Warwick and Banbury. In addition, Kenilworth station offers regular links to Coventry train station which provides regular local services to Nuneaton and Leamington Spa as well as Intercity services to Birmingham, Wolverhampton, London and Scotland.
The area is served by a good selection of state schooling including Thorns Community Infant School, Park Hill Junior School, Kenilworth School and Sixth Form and Finham Park School (rated Outstanding by Ofsted) together with a wide range of highly-regarded independent schools including Crackley Hall, King Henry VIII, The National Mathematics and Science College, Arnold Lodge, Pattison College, The Kingsley and Princethorpe College.
Conservation Area
Conservation Areas are areas of "special architectural historic interest, character or appearance of which it is desired to preserve or enhance", per the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Designated in 1969 and extended in 2001, the Conservation Area in Stoneleigh is designed to protect the character of the village for inhabitants and visitors alike and includes a requirement for most properties, whether listed or not, to seek planning permission for any planned property alterations. In addition to Stoneleigh Bridge at the entrance to the village, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, Stoneleigh Abbey grounds and its deer park are listed Grade II in the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, while numerous village properties are also listed. Stoneleigh's historic interest stems from its origins as part of the Forest of Arden, immortalised by Shakespeare, and from Stoneleigh Abbey, whose mediaeval remains are incorporated into the western portion of the current country house, now run by a trust established for the building's preservation. The Abbey was acquired by the Leigh family, founders of the almshouses, in 1561. The wider Conservation Area is a series of distinctive open spaces following the line of the river, important for the views both out of and into the village, and are designated to remain as open agricultural land.
"Our dream was always to create a fabulous social hub at the heart of the Warwickshire countryside with its abundance of nature walk trails, but we had to wait until the right property came onto the market, one that met our criteria of having massive kerb appeal. Quite simply, our dream was to own a home with a wealth of character and history and fantastic village views together with superb commuter links and a space to create a tranquil home study to facilitate home working. When we found The Bank, we knew it was the property for us. We set about modernising it in a sensitive way, combining the amenities of modern living while retaining character features including its stone spiral staircase and stone-formed windows with leaded glazing, which add a real touch of character on both the outside and inside of the property. We loved the flexibility of the formal reception room for quiet downtime, the high ceiling giving us the opportunity to be creative when designing bespoke light fittings, now centre points of every room, while also giving us opportunities for informal inside-and-out entertaining in the fabulous kitchen and rear garden, a major plus to match our lifestyle. Upstairs, the principal bedroom has great views over the village and adjacent fields - we can see where the sandstone used to build the house was quarried. It's so nice to have amenities so close without them intruding on the ability to shut out the world when needed. We love it when friends, family and other visitors comment on how beautiful the house is. We'll miss it, but now is the time for it to be handed over to its next custodians."
Property description
Set at the end of a 16th-century row of Grade II Listed Tudor cottages overlooking the village green, 10 The Bank is a surprisingly unlisted stunning and characterful family home, built around 1856 and sensitively modernised and tastefully decorated with the amenities of modern living including feature Centrepoint light fittings throughout to provide a fabulous contemporary family and entertaining space arranged over two floors.
The ground floor accommodation flows from a welcoming turreted entrance hall with a feature stone spiral staircase rising to the first floor and briefly comprises a lovely spacious front aspect sitting room with high ceiling, exposed oak flooring, feature stone-formed bay window and stone fireplace with log burning stove together with a recently-fitted kitchen with feature flagstone flooring, a range of bespoke contemporary units, modern integrated appliances and a door to the rear garden.
Mirroring the beautifully-presented ground floor accommodation, the first floor features an impressive front aspect principal bedroom with bespoke fitted wardrobes and stunning views over adjacent fields, one the source of the sandstone from which the house is constructed, an additional rear aspect double bedroom with built-in storage and a contemporary fully-tiled family shower room.
Garden and Grounds
Having plenty of kerb appeal, the property is approached over a tiered front garden with mature planting and steps rising to the front door, affording lovely views over the village. Providing an oasis of calm and screened by mature hedging, the well-maintained garden to the rear is laid mainly to raised level lawn bordered by shrub and flower beds and provides a paved terrace, ideal for entertaining and al fresco dining, as well as giving access to a detached outbuilding incorporating a garden study with a separate decked terrace and an internal door to the garage, also accessible over a driveway to the rear of the property which offers off-road parking and a pedestrian gate to the property's rear garden.
History
10 The Bank was once an almshouse, traditionally charity-run residential accommodation designed to provide relief of financial hardship by the provision of housing and associated services or benefits. The original almshouses in Stoneleigh were built to provide unmarried parishioners suffering financial hardship with a home and (for the time) generous income, subject to regular church attendance.
The row of Grade II Listed almshouses nearby were founded in 1576 to provide homes for the poor by Sir Thomas and Lady Alice Leigh of Stoneleigh Abbey. The original inhabitants were all unmarried parishioners and comprised five men and five women, all of whom had to attend church each Saturday, Sunday and holy day as well as quarterly sermons given by the local vicar in return for a roof over their heads and a weekly allowance of a shilling, quite generous for the time.
Surprisingly unlisted, 10 The Bank was a later addition to the range of almshouses, one of four properties built at the instigation of Margaret, Dowager Lady Leigh, a later denizen of Stoneleigh Abbey, to commemorate the death of her husband, Lord Chandos Leigh on 27 September 1850, a date immortalised in stone over the door of the property.
About Stoneleigh
Regarded as one of the most sought-after addresses in the area, The Bank is situated directly off the Birmingham Road at the heart of the historic and picturesque village of Stoneleigh, which lies on the River Sowe to the north-east of the river's confluence with the River Avon and is surrounded on all sides by stunning Warwickshire countryside. Located overlooking the village green with its central Old Forge, the property lies within walking distance of the centre of the village which has a thriving community spirit and a good range of day-to-day amenities including a church, village hall, local shopping, playing field and a popular social club as well as being home to the historic Stoneleigh Abbey and Stoneleigh Park, home to the annual royal Show. The towns of Kenilworth and Leamington Spa are easily accessible via the A46, both offering a wider range of shopping, leisure and recreational amenities. Coventry city centre, named the UK City of Culture for 2021, offers extensive mainstream and boutique shopping, services, leisure and recreational amenities. Communications links are excellent: The city is surrounded by a network of motorways including the M1, M6, M40, M45 and M69, giving access to major regional centres and the north and south of the UK, making the property ideally situated for easy commuting into Rugby, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Warwick and Banbury. In addition, Kenilworth station offers regular links to Coventry train station which provides regular local services to Nuneaton and Leamington Spa as well as Intercity services to Birmingham, Wolverhampton, London and Scotland.
The area is served by a good selection of state schooling including Thorns Community Infant School, Park Hill Junior School, Kenilworth School and Sixth Form and Finham Park School (rated Outstanding by Ofsted) together with a wide range of highly-regarded independent schools including Crackley Hall, King Henry VIII, The National Mathematics and Science College, Arnold Lodge, Pattison College, The Kingsley and Princethorpe College.
Conservation Area
Conservation Areas are areas of "special architectural historic interest, character or appearance of which it is desired to preserve or enhance", per the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Designated in 1969 and extended in 2001, the Conservation Area in Stoneleigh is designed to protect the character of the village for inhabitants and visitors alike and includes a requirement for most properties, whether listed or not, to seek planning permission for any planned property alterations. In addition to Stoneleigh Bridge at the entrance to the village, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, Stoneleigh Abbey grounds and its deer park are listed Grade II in the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, while numerous village properties are also listed. Stoneleigh's historic interest stems from its origins as part of the Forest of Arden, immortalised by Shakespeare, and from Stoneleigh Abbey, whose mediaeval remains are incorporated into the western portion of the current country house, now run by a trust established for the building's preservation. The Abbey was acquired by the Leigh family, founders of the almshouses, in 1561. The wider Conservation Area is a series of distinctive open spaces following the line of the river, important for the views both out of and into the village, and are designated to remain as open agricultural land.
