Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk

Substantial townhouse with walled garden, driveway and parking - Bury St Edmunds

South Hill House stands prominently on the eastern side of Southgate Street, the larger of two halves of a substantial townhouse former home to the Gage family of Hengrave Hall and Greengage fame. With an elegant mellow red brick three-storey façade with Georgian sash windows under a slate roof. South Hill and the adjoining South Hill House served as both girls and boys boarding schools, some say Dickens used to visit the school to read to the children and reputedly inspired him during his visit to Bury ‘Now where is this boarding school, it is a large old red brick house just outside the town … so replied Robert Trotter’ Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers.
South Hill House now provides exceptional three-storey accommodation, off-street parking, with a private gated driveway and cart lodge. It retains much of its original charm and character, and provides versatile accommodation easily adapted to accommodate a large family or that of a downsizer.
Briefly the accommodation comprises:
RECEPTION HALL – with corner fireplace, cast-iron fire grate and mantelpiece over.
CLOAKROOM - with ceramic tiled floor, tongue-and-groove panelling, WC and wash basin.

SNUG – with Georgian shuttered sash windows with window seats, built-in storage cupboard, shelving and open fireplace.
FAMILY ROOM - the original kitchen a double-aspect room with high ceiling and terracotta pamment floor. A substantial chimney breast provides the focal feature of this versatile room, with open red brick fireplace with original pine over-mantel and spit-rack, fitted with wood-burning stove, and original school boy graffiti carved into the fire surround saying 1796 along with various initials.
HOME OFFICE - with shelved storage and built-in work space.
KITCHEN - a vaulted double-aspect room with roof lights and glazed door to garden, tongue-and-groove panelling and fire place with shelving, four oven gas-fired Aga, Iroko worksurfaces with storage and shelving over, ceramic glazed butler sink.
REAR HALL - with shelved recess and shelved storage cupboard. Door to garden, and stairs to first-floor.
CELLAR - currently providing an excellent work space for workshop with separate partially sound-proofed studio.

FIRST-FLOOR
LANDING split-level with shelved storage cupboard.
DRAWING ROOM – an elegant well-proportioned double-aspect room with Georgian sash window, panelled walls, high ceiling with moulded cornicing and open fireplace with cast-iron fire grate with moulded surround and mantelpiece.
STUDY - with deep bay window providing a commanding view over the courtyard and garden beyond, with open fireplace, moulded fire surround and mantelpiece over.
Inner landing - with shelved storage cupboard.
PRINCIPAL BEDROOM - with original floorboards, exposed beams and shuttered sash windows, cast-iron fire grate with moulded fire surround, built in wardrobe and EN SUITE with tongue-and-groove panelling, panelled bath with mixer tap and shower attachment over, wash basin, WC, and shuttered sash window with window seat.
BEDROOM TWO - with shuttered sash window, fire surround and mantelpiece with shelved alcove, EN SUITE with shower cubicle, low-level WC and wash basin.

SECOND-FLOOR
LANDING split-level and shelved alcove.
BEDROOM THREE - with dado rail, twin sash windows, fire surround and mantelpiece.
BEDROOM FOUR - a double-aspect room with cast-iron fire grate with surround and mantelpiece over.
BEDROOM FIVE - an irregular shaped room with double-aspect, a substantial chimney breast with fire surround and mantelpiece.
FAMILY BATHROOM - with tongue-and-grove panelling, freestanding ball-and-claw foot roll-top bath, with mixer and shower attachment over, large pedestal wash hand basin, and towel rail.
BEDROOM SIX
OUTSIDE
To the rear of the house approached from both the rear hall and kitchen is a charming courtyard under the original school bell tower. The courtyard is served by the SUMMER KITCHEN with tongue-and-groove panelling built-in worksurface and kitchen units with inset butler sink, space and plumbing for washing machine.

The garden leads on from the courtyard with a meandering pathway with rope twist edging past flower borders and a variety of mature shrubs and bushes, a central terraced area overhung with hydrangea, climbing rose and lilac, a built-in log-store, and a small lawn with a flower border and fig trees. Beyond this is a gravelled parking area approached through double-gates with further parking and former cart-lodge, currently enclosed to provide versatile and useful storage area, but with potential to provide undercover parking for approximately three cars, or perhaps, after planning, additional living or office accommodation. Behind the cart lodge is a small courtyard with two brick sheds, requiring attention. To the front of the property is a deep pavement which also appears to provide unofficial parking for at least one car, we understand a permit is also available.

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Mains water, drainage and electricity. Gas heating.
• Grade II listed
• Within a conservation area
• Council Tax – West Suffolk – Band G - £3,477.32
• Ofcom states Ultrafast broadband is available
• Ofcom states mobile signal is available
• Parking Zone F – Southgate corridor
• What3words: tramps.crumb.begins