Brankesmere House, Queens Crescent, Southsea, Hampshire

Originally Brankesmere House was built and became the family home for Sir John Brickwood, proprietor of the Brickwoods brewing business, and would have been about 10,000 sqft (900sqm) in floor area with extensive grounds. Built in Victorian times but heavily influenced by Jacobean, Tyrolean and French architectural styles it would have been one of the significant homes within Southsea, with high quality and skilled workmanship typical of the era and displayed in splendour externally and internally. Subsequently, it became a girls’ boarding school, a Police HQ and a social services office before being vertically divided into 3 dwellings, being a Portsmouth Society best restoration finalist. The whole property is listed as Grade 2 and is located in the Owen Conservation Area, the prime residential area of Southsea master planned and developed by Thomas Ellis Owen (1805-1862). This is truly an exceptional property with history, style and location providing unique features and benefits.

Our client owns the southwest wing of the divided home, known as No 2 Brankesmere House, but also owns Brankesmere House, the central part, and this too is for sale. So, a purchaser has a choice to purchase one or both properties with the opportunity to reinstate into one residence or other use, possibly commercial, leisure or mixed-use, subject to planning permission. For more details on Brankesmere House please view the separate details.

This home has been extensively restored by the current owner and provides ample and flexible accommodation spread over the ground floor, lower ground floor with good natural light in part and the first floor. Upon entering from the terrace through double doors you cannot over estimate the beauty and attention to detail that is evident in this principal reception room, making it an ideal centre for family living and entertaining. Leading off this room is a further reception room used as a dining room and a kitchen that is fully fitted with quality floor and wall units and appliances. A small cloakroom is to the side and a staircase from the rear of the kitchen leads to the first floor.

The first floor comprises three double bedrooms, an en suite bath/shower room and a family shower room. An interesting feature of this property is that there are two staircases leading from the ground floor to the lower ground floor - each located at opposing ends to the property. At mezzanine level there is a doorway leading to the orangery, and at the lower ground floor, there are a number of rooms offering flexible use according to the owner’s needs. Currently, there is a cinema room with natural light, a gym with a bedroom leading off with natural light and additionally a shower room. Further, there is a utility room, boiler room, a store room and a large home office. However, this floor level could be configured in a number of different ways according to need.

For instance, it could be partially blocked off and each part accessed from each staircase to provide privacy and two separate spaces - for instance a cinema room/office in one part and a self-contained bedroom/shower room and reception room for a relative, teenage child or live-in domestic help.

The garden is a real feature of this home being southwest-facing and offering space and privacy behind its high boundary wall. It has to be one of the largest private gardens in Southsea, if not the largest. Leading from the terrace down some steps there is a large lawn area, attractive mature landscaped borders, a timber bridge leading over the water to a summer house and the large natural water bathing pool centred in front of the house.

From the terrace looking back to the house your attention is drawn to the magnificent architecture and quality of workmanship - looking closely you can see the carved faces of the original proprietors in the timber detail.

Location:
Southsea is a seaside resort within the geographic area of Portsmouth and Portsea Island. The town is located 1.8 miles (2.8 km) to the south of Portsmouth's inner city centre. Southsea began as a fashionable 19th-century Victorian seaside resort named Croxton Town, after a Mr Croxton who owned much of the land. As the resort grew, it adopted the name ‘Southsea’ from nearby Southsea Castle, a seafront fort constructed in 1544 to help defend the Solent and approaches to Portsmouth Harbour.

Steeped in history, there is always something to see and do in Southsea. The pier is a popular location for a spot of fishing or entertainment with its gaming arcades, and extensive pebble beach. Clarence Pier has a seasonal fairground and a lovely seafront walk along the seawall towards historic Old Portsmouth, Spice Island, Gunwharf Quays, the naval dockyards and the Mary Rose Museum. Southsea Common is home to the multi-award-winning Victorious Festival, an annual music festival attracting top-name music artists and comedy stars. Fancy a spot of shopping? Albert Road and Palmerston Road boast a selection of independent retail shops and restaurants/bars providing a lively social scene. And there is a wide choice of good local schools.
Council tax band: G