House For Sale £950,000
The Lake House is a detached family home, set in a wonderful elevated position with a view overlooking spectacular landscaped gardens of 1.87 acres with cascading ponds down to a lake in the sought-after village of Brundall. Built in 1985 by J. W. Cousins & Sons, the property is constructed of brick elevations under pantile roof over three storeys with entrance on upper ground level. Inside the property enjoys light and airy flexible accommodation with semi open plan 33ft sitting room and dining room both opening onto a south facing balcony overlooking the delightful gardens and with spiral staircase down to terrace. The kitchen and breakfast room has fitted units to base and wall level, an integrated double oven, gas hob and extractor hood and space for all the necessary appliances, while the adjoining utility room provides further space for appliances and storage. On the lower floor is the large principal bedroom suite with sliding doors out to the terrace. There are a further three bedrooms and family bathroom. On the first floor is further accommodation that could be used as a self-contained apartment with two bedrooms, separate shower room, kitchenette and roof terrace.
History
The property’s gardens come with a very rich history, which was documented in a book entitled ‘Rescue of a Garden’ written by the last occupier of The Lake House in 2015. The gardens occupy ground that was once farmland purchased by Dr Michael Beverly in 1881 who designed and built a line of three ponds separated by rockeries fed by springs that flowed down to the lake. Around the ponds Dr Beverly had great interest in specimen trees and shrubs and often returned from travels with plants to add to his collection. By 1919 the estate had been purchased by cinema magnate Frederick Holmes Cooper who set about making the gardens into a great visitor attraction by naming them “Brundall Gardens - The Switzerland of Norfolk”. Cooper built Redclyffe House to reside in and investment further in creating a Tea House, a Riverside Hotel and the Brundall Gardens Steamship Company which by 1922 was said to have helped transport 60,000 visitors to the gardens. With continued popularity, Cooper was also able to negotiate the opening of Brundall Gardens station on the Yarmouth to Norwich railway line which opened in 1924. With economic decline in the 1930s the gardens were eventually closed in 1937. Cooper developed property on the land to the west and sold the rest to the Stringer family for private use, however the army requisitioned the property as an enemy aircraft plotting station during the war. The Stringers returned in 1945 and enjoyed the property until 1968 when they sold to a property developer. Redclyffe House burned down in 1969 and after attempts to develop the area were delayed, J. W. Cousins & Sons acquired the land in 1984 and proceeded to build two properties, of which one is The Lake House.
Outside, the property has parking on a driveway at the side of the house, which leads to the integrated double garage for further parking and storage space. The gardens are spectacular with cascading ponds flanked by a magnificent array of mature specimen trees. The ponds are surrounded by rolling lawns and rockeries with various mature and established shrubs, borders leading down to the edge of a wide open lake, creating a secluded, private and peaceful environment.
The popular Norfolk village of Brundall lies in a highly desirable position, alongside the River Yare with access to the beautiful Norfolk Broads, yet just seven miles from Norwich city centre. The bustling, vibrant village offers several everyday amenities, including local shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs, as well as a primary school. Neighbouring Blofield provides further amenities, while Norwich’s city centre offers an excellent choice of shops, supermarkets, leisure and cultural facilities. Norwich also provides an extensive choice of schooling, including the outstanding-rated Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form and the independent Norwich School. The area is well connected by road, with the A47 and Northern Distributor Road creating easy access to Norwich city centre, the A11, Norwich International Airport and North Norfolk. Brundall also has a railway station serving routes to Norwich, where connections can be made to London Liverpool Street and Cambridge.
History
The property’s gardens come with a very rich history, which was documented in a book entitled ‘Rescue of a Garden’ written by the last occupier of The Lake House in 2015. The gardens occupy ground that was once farmland purchased by Dr Michael Beverly in 1881 who designed and built a line of three ponds separated by rockeries fed by springs that flowed down to the lake. Around the ponds Dr Beverly had great interest in specimen trees and shrubs and often returned from travels with plants to add to his collection. By 1919 the estate had been purchased by cinema magnate Frederick Holmes Cooper who set about making the gardens into a great visitor attraction by naming them “Brundall Gardens - The Switzerland of Norfolk”. Cooper built Redclyffe House to reside in and investment further in creating a Tea House, a Riverside Hotel and the Brundall Gardens Steamship Company which by 1922 was said to have helped transport 60,000 visitors to the gardens. With continued popularity, Cooper was also able to negotiate the opening of Brundall Gardens station on the Yarmouth to Norwich railway line which opened in 1924. With economic decline in the 1930s the gardens were eventually closed in 1937. Cooper developed property on the land to the west and sold the rest to the Stringer family for private use, however the army requisitioned the property as an enemy aircraft plotting station during the war. The Stringers returned in 1945 and enjoyed the property until 1968 when they sold to a property developer. Redclyffe House burned down in 1969 and after attempts to develop the area were delayed, J. W. Cousins & Sons acquired the land in 1984 and proceeded to build two properties, of which one is The Lake House.
Outside, the property has parking on a driveway at the side of the house, which leads to the integrated double garage for further parking and storage space. The gardens are spectacular with cascading ponds flanked by a magnificent array of mature specimen trees. The ponds are surrounded by rolling lawns and rockeries with various mature and established shrubs, borders leading down to the edge of a wide open lake, creating a secluded, private and peaceful environment.
The popular Norfolk village of Brundall lies in a highly desirable position, alongside the River Yare with access to the beautiful Norfolk Broads, yet just seven miles from Norwich city centre. The bustling, vibrant village offers several everyday amenities, including local shops, restaurants, cafés and pubs, as well as a primary school. Neighbouring Blofield provides further amenities, while Norwich’s city centre offers an excellent choice of shops, supermarkets, leisure and cultural facilities. Norwich also provides an extensive choice of schooling, including the outstanding-rated Thorpe St Andrew School and Sixth Form and the independent Norwich School. The area is well connected by road, with the A47 and Northern Distributor Road creating easy access to Norwich city centre, the A11, Norwich International Airport and North Norfolk. Brundall also has a railway station serving routes to Norwich, where connections can be made to London Liverpool Street and Cambridge.
