House For Sale £1,450,000
Just how do you describe this unique family house, built on a magnificent site in what still feels like a parkland setting, with all the tranquillity you might expect from a Country House yet located just over 2 miles from Norwich Station? The country home that was High House was split into more manageable but still fine, large houses in the 1930’s; it is too easy to over-use superlatives to describe 1 High House which forms the west length of the building, but this is not a property which can easily be over-stated, it really is that special. Built with a traditional slate roof and red-brick walls, 1 High House has in more recent years been enlarged and modernised and amongst other notable features it benefits from solar pv panels and air-source heat pump heating.
History
1 High House forms one end of a house originally built within a country estate in Thorpe St Andrew, to the east of Norwich. In those days, Thorpe-next-Norwich was nicknamed the Richmond of Norfolk reflecting the affluence of its residents and the closeness to the river, and it was noted that the village “may vie with the most admired summer retreats in all England”. Whilst the area is no longer just the domain of the great and the good of Norwich, it does feel a privilege to live in a house of this nature standing in a conservation area and at the top of Thorpe Ridge, on the crest of the hill rising up from the Yare valley.
High House was built in 1825 for the Birkbeck family, part of a wealthy Norwich banking dynasty, and it was extended in the 1870’s when the accomplished ‘Arts and Crafts’ architect Thomas Jeckyll was appointed as the architect. This involvement accounts for the scaled and ornate detailing which are features of the structure which now forms 1 High House. The grand front door and canopy, ‘Costessey-ware’ patterned brickwork panels on the north wall and several aspects of the internal joinery all help to impose a sense of coherence in the design in addition to areas of technical detail which were ahead of their time.
When around 1930 High House was split into separate and still grand houses after a change of ownership, each property has an individual character and enjoys a degree of seclusion beyond what might be expected from a small grouping. The adjoining owners to this day informally leave the main gardens unfenced to create a parkland feel; wildlife can often be seen or heard and it just doesn’t feel as close to the city as it really is.
It is over 50 years since the renowned Norwich Architect, Michael Innes, bought the property and carried out a number of sympathetic changes and alterations to include a garden room and studio extension and an open air swimming pool, together with internal work to recover the original spirit of Jeckyll’s intentions. Solar panels and air source heat pumps are a contemporary addition which fit well with the philosophy of creating a home with room for modern ideas without loss of character.
It is fair to say that further sympathetic updating and improvement is possible and in some areas advantageous. With the family dissipated, and new challenges on the horizon, the time has come to pass this prestigious home to a new owner who can introduce their own vision for what to do next.
Accommodation
The layout of the accommodation is shown on the floorplans, which is for indicative purposes only, and individual room sizes can be supplied to interested parties upon application.
With two reception rooms, a downstairs office and a studio, kitchen and garden room, the ground floor accommodation is set off by a large entrance hall and modern but period style staircase. An Aga provides background warmth in both ambience and temperature and is presently the sole means of cooking, the gardens room has a part double-glazed roof, and bi-fold doors opening to a canopy walkway and terraced seating area with a pool and pool house nearby.
Upstairs the four bedrooms are set off a wide landing corridor, the bathroom has a separate w.c. And there is a first floor laundry room. The master bedroom has a shower and wash basin, with wash basins in two other bedrooms.
Parking for several cars is available in front of the house, with a separate parking bay as a potential garage or cart port space.
The gardens are predominantly to the south and west and slope away quite steeply to the rear (which enable tobogganing in the snow), well planted and tended with lawned areas the gardens are a feature which help to set off the house.
The pool is set on a levelled area to the west of the house and has an electrically operated cover and the benefit of top-up heating from the heat pumps.
Features
High House is not a Listed Building on the statutory list, but it is recorded by the District Council as being of special interest. The approach is to the north side of the property, which has plenty of visual interest, but the principal elevations face the light and the south and west aspect is nothing short of a visual delight, setting the house apart from most – the interior is equally a delight.
The proportions of the principal rooms in the property show the care of the original design; tall headrooms including raised half-vaulted ceilings for two bedrooms are complemented by pleasing detailing. Large double doors open out from the dining room into the sitting room, which was surely an area designed for entertaining: The amount of space is surprising; the room swallows a concert grand piano and masses of furniture. The ceiling has a double joisted separation to the floor above with a middle section including a bed of sand for sound reduction. The ornate, decorative plaster moulding to the ceiling would not be out of place in a stately home. French doors open out onto the terrace and it is still a terrific setting for genteel social gatherings- or perhaps a party.
The house retains many period features including sash windows and folding shutters, tall and ornate skirting boards and some dado rails; with contemporary built in fittings also mirroring the principle of the original design. Both the two storey and single storey sections have areas of flat roofing which blend later to the earlier work, and modern cavity walls are of course used for the more recent areas and incorporate insulation latterly introduced into the cavities.
In part of the earlier section an early cavity wall style with internal lining help to control heat loss and gain, and the effects of this summer’s heat wave were reduced by the sliding external venetian blinds to parts of the first floor which are functional rather than just decorative. Michael Innes was an early convert to solar pv and had panels installed on the roof (the remainder of the feed in tariff payment term should apply, paying for generated power supplied into the national grid), and more recently the heating has been converted to an air source heat pump system.
The Scandinavian style kitchen doubles as a breakfast room, or you can dine in the garden room and let the air in. Michael’s studio features a pyramid shaped roof with a timber boarded ceiling and a central roof light, it makes a superb home office or studio or even a music room or quiet area, and there is the second study which also keeps the office use away from the family space.
The approach to High House is from South Avenue and then along a snaking shared private lane carved into the hill and shaded by a tree canopy, opening out into a courtyard area part used collectively with other properties and allowing car turning and dedicated parking, delivery and refuse lorries can easily get here too but there is no through route.
The gardens are an undoubted feature and are maturely planted, and trees abound in the area to provide screening and a sense of separation from any urban environment, the setting at the top of a hill allows more distant winter views after leaf fall.
A sheltered terrace area, and the lawn adjacent to the pool, both offer areas to sit and relax. The open air pool has a recently replaced, electrically operated pool cover, this is an exercise as well as leisure pool which is served by a pool house with filtration plant.
This is an ideal property for home working, but it also has easy access to Norwich or the A47 and trunk road system for those who need to travel, it is less than two miles from the expanding Broadland business hub. This is a setting where owners choose to stay, and 1 High House has been the residence and an inspiration for its accomplished and well respected owner for the past 50 years, during which time it has been enjoyed as a bustling family home.
Described by the sellers as a lovely place in which to live both as a house and as a location, and having been a wonderful and rewarding home, there is so much to say that to tell the full story is beyond the scope of any brochure. A house and gardens of this size and calibre does need to be cared for but in return delivers an ambience and sense of contentment which is rarely available from a modern building.
Local context
The River Yare runs from Norwich in an easterly direction to Great Yarmouth, and has been a route for commercial trading for millennia, its limits of effective navigation helped decide the site for Norwich which was for a time England’s second city. The Yare valley east of Norwich was carved out by glaciation and river erosion, which has created the steep slope on the north side of the river which was a densely wooded area before development, trees are still a significant feature of the village. Sands and gravels laid down by glaciation have historically been extracted in the area.
Thorpe St Andrew grew along the road on the north side of the river when it became a favoured address for wealthy landowners, and it remains popular to this day with many preferring its more open feel to the urban environment of the Golden Triangle in Norwich. The river is accessible at River Green and has a nature walk at Thorpe Marshes (managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust) and both areas stand within the Broads National Park, the local rowing club and a foot ferry can get you on the river, there is also a small slipway for use of local residents.
Whilst it does in the modern day act as a suburb of Norwich, Thorpe St Andrew retains its individuality and has an active local community, it is well served with local shops, supermarkets and amenities, yet is within easy reach of the city centre (which can walked to using by-lanes and paths mostly avoiding the roads). St Andrew’s Church near the river green retains the ruins of its mediaeval predecessor as its gate house.
At the eastern edge of the village the interchange linking the Norwich north distributor road with the A47 southern by-pass has become the site of the Broadland business park, beyond this to the east the area becomes decidedly rural and Great Yarmouth and the coast are less than 20 miles away.
Norwich itself is the regional centre and is rightly famous for its arts and culture, it was England’s first ever City of Literature and is known for the vibrant night-life with night-clubs, cinema and theatre; bars, cafés, antique shops and riverside walks figure locally, and flint churches abound. Around the city centre there are a wealth of historic and nationally important buildings; from the majestic Norman Cathedral and its magnificent counterpart of the Castle to the Medieval streets of which Elm Hill and King Street are prime examples, the latter boasting the beautifully restored merchants house known as Dragon Hall.
As well as being a centre of science and research, and with two well regarded universities, Norwich exudes a sense of history and place which few other cities can match; it is regarded to be the most complete medieval city in Britain and offers a rare blend of history and sophistication, with a modern outlook. The Forum, containing the Millennium Library Forum
Gallery and the bbc studio, is adjacent to the imposing City Hall and the ancient Guildhall. Norwich retains much of its medieval street pattern and there are hidden gems and specialist shops to discover and as a major retailing centre, shopping in Norwich is about as good as it gets, with major stores, two shopping malls, specialist shops and local retailers there should be enough to satisfy everyone. The famous open market with over 190 stalls selling a wide selection of staple and specialist items is regularly complimented by specialist markets set up in and around the city centre, and regular events including the annual Norfolk & Norwich Festival and fairs which give a strong sense of vibrancy. The Castle Quarter (formerly Castle Mall) and the modern market stalls and layout have a closer connection, being that Michael Innes was the architect for both schemes whilst he lived at High House.
Thorpe Station in Norwich has national rail links including direct trains to London, Cambridge and Stansted airport, Norwich international airport has both internal and international flights
General Details:
The floorplans show the general arrangement of the accommodation and are for illustrative purposes only. Approximate room sizes are available upon request.
The access road is private (unadopted) and has a right of way for the houses approached along it.
The property is of Freehold tenure. It is to be sold with the benefit of vacant possession upon completion of the sale.
Some items of fitted furniture such as book cases can be included with the sale, further details of which can be made available.
The EPC rating for the property is Band D
The local authority is Broadland Norfolk District Council. Council Tax Band G
The house is connected to mains water, gas and electricity. It is served by a shared drainage arrangement with a right of use across some neighbouring land before connecting into the public sewer.
There is an electric heat pump, air to water radiator central heating system which it is understood can alternatively be diverted to serve the swimming pool.
Photo Voltaic electricity panels are understood to have been fitted under the micro-generation certification scheme giving rise to payments paid to the owners under the government’s Feed In Tarrif scheme.
The house stands within the Thorpe St Andrew conservation area and trees on the site will have statutory levels of protection.
A right of way along the east boundary may exist for pedestrian use of neighbouring properties.
Directions:
Leave Norwich in an easterly direction taking Thorpe Road (past the station on your right hand side), this becomes Yarmouth Road. When you see the river green look for South Avenue on the left, just past the café on the left side and after the zebra crossing. Follow to the top of the road where it divides and continue straight on up the winding driveway, as it opens out at the crest of the hill there is parking on the right hand side, near the red door.
Viewing
Viewing is by appointment only, and must be arranged through the sole selling agents, Allgood & Davey
Price
£1,450,000
History
1 High House forms one end of a house originally built within a country estate in Thorpe St Andrew, to the east of Norwich. In those days, Thorpe-next-Norwich was nicknamed the Richmond of Norfolk reflecting the affluence of its residents and the closeness to the river, and it was noted that the village “may vie with the most admired summer retreats in all England”. Whilst the area is no longer just the domain of the great and the good of Norwich, it does feel a privilege to live in a house of this nature standing in a conservation area and at the top of Thorpe Ridge, on the crest of the hill rising up from the Yare valley.
High House was built in 1825 for the Birkbeck family, part of a wealthy Norwich banking dynasty, and it was extended in the 1870’s when the accomplished ‘Arts and Crafts’ architect Thomas Jeckyll was appointed as the architect. This involvement accounts for the scaled and ornate detailing which are features of the structure which now forms 1 High House. The grand front door and canopy, ‘Costessey-ware’ patterned brickwork panels on the north wall and several aspects of the internal joinery all help to impose a sense of coherence in the design in addition to areas of technical detail which were ahead of their time.
When around 1930 High House was split into separate and still grand houses after a change of ownership, each property has an individual character and enjoys a degree of seclusion beyond what might be expected from a small grouping. The adjoining owners to this day informally leave the main gardens unfenced to create a parkland feel; wildlife can often be seen or heard and it just doesn’t feel as close to the city as it really is.
It is over 50 years since the renowned Norwich Architect, Michael Innes, bought the property and carried out a number of sympathetic changes and alterations to include a garden room and studio extension and an open air swimming pool, together with internal work to recover the original spirit of Jeckyll’s intentions. Solar panels and air source heat pumps are a contemporary addition which fit well with the philosophy of creating a home with room for modern ideas without loss of character.
It is fair to say that further sympathetic updating and improvement is possible and in some areas advantageous. With the family dissipated, and new challenges on the horizon, the time has come to pass this prestigious home to a new owner who can introduce their own vision for what to do next.
Accommodation
The layout of the accommodation is shown on the floorplans, which is for indicative purposes only, and individual room sizes can be supplied to interested parties upon application.
With two reception rooms, a downstairs office and a studio, kitchen and garden room, the ground floor accommodation is set off by a large entrance hall and modern but period style staircase. An Aga provides background warmth in both ambience and temperature and is presently the sole means of cooking, the gardens room has a part double-glazed roof, and bi-fold doors opening to a canopy walkway and terraced seating area with a pool and pool house nearby.
Upstairs the four bedrooms are set off a wide landing corridor, the bathroom has a separate w.c. And there is a first floor laundry room. The master bedroom has a shower and wash basin, with wash basins in two other bedrooms.
Parking for several cars is available in front of the house, with a separate parking bay as a potential garage or cart port space.
The gardens are predominantly to the south and west and slope away quite steeply to the rear (which enable tobogganing in the snow), well planted and tended with lawned areas the gardens are a feature which help to set off the house.
The pool is set on a levelled area to the west of the house and has an electrically operated cover and the benefit of top-up heating from the heat pumps.
Features
High House is not a Listed Building on the statutory list, but it is recorded by the District Council as being of special interest. The approach is to the north side of the property, which has plenty of visual interest, but the principal elevations face the light and the south and west aspect is nothing short of a visual delight, setting the house apart from most – the interior is equally a delight.
The proportions of the principal rooms in the property show the care of the original design; tall headrooms including raised half-vaulted ceilings for two bedrooms are complemented by pleasing detailing. Large double doors open out from the dining room into the sitting room, which was surely an area designed for entertaining: The amount of space is surprising; the room swallows a concert grand piano and masses of furniture. The ceiling has a double joisted separation to the floor above with a middle section including a bed of sand for sound reduction. The ornate, decorative plaster moulding to the ceiling would not be out of place in a stately home. French doors open out onto the terrace and it is still a terrific setting for genteel social gatherings- or perhaps a party.
The house retains many period features including sash windows and folding shutters, tall and ornate skirting boards and some dado rails; with contemporary built in fittings also mirroring the principle of the original design. Both the two storey and single storey sections have areas of flat roofing which blend later to the earlier work, and modern cavity walls are of course used for the more recent areas and incorporate insulation latterly introduced into the cavities.
In part of the earlier section an early cavity wall style with internal lining help to control heat loss and gain, and the effects of this summer’s heat wave were reduced by the sliding external venetian blinds to parts of the first floor which are functional rather than just decorative. Michael Innes was an early convert to solar pv and had panels installed on the roof (the remainder of the feed in tariff payment term should apply, paying for generated power supplied into the national grid), and more recently the heating has been converted to an air source heat pump system.
The Scandinavian style kitchen doubles as a breakfast room, or you can dine in the garden room and let the air in. Michael’s studio features a pyramid shaped roof with a timber boarded ceiling and a central roof light, it makes a superb home office or studio or even a music room or quiet area, and there is the second study which also keeps the office use away from the family space.
The approach to High House is from South Avenue and then along a snaking shared private lane carved into the hill and shaded by a tree canopy, opening out into a courtyard area part used collectively with other properties and allowing car turning and dedicated parking, delivery and refuse lorries can easily get here too but there is no through route.
The gardens are an undoubted feature and are maturely planted, and trees abound in the area to provide screening and a sense of separation from any urban environment, the setting at the top of a hill allows more distant winter views after leaf fall.
A sheltered terrace area, and the lawn adjacent to the pool, both offer areas to sit and relax. The open air pool has a recently replaced, electrically operated pool cover, this is an exercise as well as leisure pool which is served by a pool house with filtration plant.
This is an ideal property for home working, but it also has easy access to Norwich or the A47 and trunk road system for those who need to travel, it is less than two miles from the expanding Broadland business hub. This is a setting where owners choose to stay, and 1 High House has been the residence and an inspiration for its accomplished and well respected owner for the past 50 years, during which time it has been enjoyed as a bustling family home.
Described by the sellers as a lovely place in which to live both as a house and as a location, and having been a wonderful and rewarding home, there is so much to say that to tell the full story is beyond the scope of any brochure. A house and gardens of this size and calibre does need to be cared for but in return delivers an ambience and sense of contentment which is rarely available from a modern building.
Local context
The River Yare runs from Norwich in an easterly direction to Great Yarmouth, and has been a route for commercial trading for millennia, its limits of effective navigation helped decide the site for Norwich which was for a time England’s second city. The Yare valley east of Norwich was carved out by glaciation and river erosion, which has created the steep slope on the north side of the river which was a densely wooded area before development, trees are still a significant feature of the village. Sands and gravels laid down by glaciation have historically been extracted in the area.
Thorpe St Andrew grew along the road on the north side of the river when it became a favoured address for wealthy landowners, and it remains popular to this day with many preferring its more open feel to the urban environment of the Golden Triangle in Norwich. The river is accessible at River Green and has a nature walk at Thorpe Marshes (managed by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust) and both areas stand within the Broads National Park, the local rowing club and a foot ferry can get you on the river, there is also a small slipway for use of local residents.
Whilst it does in the modern day act as a suburb of Norwich, Thorpe St Andrew retains its individuality and has an active local community, it is well served with local shops, supermarkets and amenities, yet is within easy reach of the city centre (which can walked to using by-lanes and paths mostly avoiding the roads). St Andrew’s Church near the river green retains the ruins of its mediaeval predecessor as its gate house.
At the eastern edge of the village the interchange linking the Norwich north distributor road with the A47 southern by-pass has become the site of the Broadland business park, beyond this to the east the area becomes decidedly rural and Great Yarmouth and the coast are less than 20 miles away.
Norwich itself is the regional centre and is rightly famous for its arts and culture, it was England’s first ever City of Literature and is known for the vibrant night-life with night-clubs, cinema and theatre; bars, cafés, antique shops and riverside walks figure locally, and flint churches abound. Around the city centre there are a wealth of historic and nationally important buildings; from the majestic Norman Cathedral and its magnificent counterpart of the Castle to the Medieval streets of which Elm Hill and King Street are prime examples, the latter boasting the beautifully restored merchants house known as Dragon Hall.
As well as being a centre of science and research, and with two well regarded universities, Norwich exudes a sense of history and place which few other cities can match; it is regarded to be the most complete medieval city in Britain and offers a rare blend of history and sophistication, with a modern outlook. The Forum, containing the Millennium Library Forum
Gallery and the bbc studio, is adjacent to the imposing City Hall and the ancient Guildhall. Norwich retains much of its medieval street pattern and there are hidden gems and specialist shops to discover and as a major retailing centre, shopping in Norwich is about as good as it gets, with major stores, two shopping malls, specialist shops and local retailers there should be enough to satisfy everyone. The famous open market with over 190 stalls selling a wide selection of staple and specialist items is regularly complimented by specialist markets set up in and around the city centre, and regular events including the annual Norfolk & Norwich Festival and fairs which give a strong sense of vibrancy. The Castle Quarter (formerly Castle Mall) and the modern market stalls and layout have a closer connection, being that Michael Innes was the architect for both schemes whilst he lived at High House.
Thorpe Station in Norwich has national rail links including direct trains to London, Cambridge and Stansted airport, Norwich international airport has both internal and international flights
General Details:
The floorplans show the general arrangement of the accommodation and are for illustrative purposes only. Approximate room sizes are available upon request.
The access road is private (unadopted) and has a right of way for the houses approached along it.
The property is of Freehold tenure. It is to be sold with the benefit of vacant possession upon completion of the sale.
Some items of fitted furniture such as book cases can be included with the sale, further details of which can be made available.
The EPC rating for the property is Band D
The local authority is Broadland Norfolk District Council. Council Tax Band G
The house is connected to mains water, gas and electricity. It is served by a shared drainage arrangement with a right of use across some neighbouring land before connecting into the public sewer.
There is an electric heat pump, air to water radiator central heating system which it is understood can alternatively be diverted to serve the swimming pool.
Photo Voltaic electricity panels are understood to have been fitted under the micro-generation certification scheme giving rise to payments paid to the owners under the government’s Feed In Tarrif scheme.
The house stands within the Thorpe St Andrew conservation area and trees on the site will have statutory levels of protection.
A right of way along the east boundary may exist for pedestrian use of neighbouring properties.
Directions:
Leave Norwich in an easterly direction taking Thorpe Road (past the station on your right hand side), this becomes Yarmouth Road. When you see the river green look for South Avenue on the left, just past the café on the left side and after the zebra crossing. Follow to the top of the road where it divides and continue straight on up the winding driveway, as it opens out at the crest of the hill there is parking on the right hand side, near the red door.
Viewing
Viewing is by appointment only, and must be arranged through the sole selling agents, Allgood & Davey
Price
£1,450,000
