Flat C 30 Spencer Place, Leeds

OPEN TO VIEW SATURDAY THE 14th JUNE FROM 12:30 pm. PLEASE BOOK ONLINE OR CALL 24/7 TO RESERVE YOUR VIEWING APPOINTMENT.

Well...Life is full of surprises... I have driven up and down Spencer Place for many years and never even noticed this house. What a hidden gem! Tucked away from view and standing in sizeable, enclosed, private grounds. What could be better?

I just love it...I hope you will too. It certainly is quirky, but in a very nice way, as they say. So...what's so quirky about it...Well...To start with, being part of a sizeable early Victorian detached house, with spacious accommodation set over 2 floors, it is as far removed from a traditional apartment as one could imagine. With a sumptuous 5 metre living room and bursting with characteristic features...such as a ceiling rose, ornate covings, high ceilings and shuttered windows...typical for a Victorian house. A spacious open plan dining kitchen, 2 double bedrooms, an artist's studio with a mezzanine and office, and a family bathroom...What more could you wish for? How about spacious private gardens and car parking!!

Take a look at Google Earth, put the postcode in, and you will get a great bird's eye view of what I am talking about. You will be impressed.

So, having parked outside the property on the return driveway or parking area, the entrance to this beautiful apartment is by ascending a short stone staircase and entering into your very own sumptuous reception hall...almost a room in itself, it simply oozes character and charm, with a great feeling of light and spaciousness...and what a beautiful staircase too...a great start to your viewing experience. On the left, you will enter a rather elegant 5 metre living room, certainly not outdone by the reception hall. From here, large dual aspect (shuttered) windows provide lovely private views over the front and rear gardens and lots of natural light too. Beyond this room is a sizeable laundry room, a guest cloakroom and access to the back garden. Back to the hallway and by turning right, you will enter the open plan dining kitchen, which again, enjoys lovely views over the secluded front garden (check out the photo). From the hallway, the period staircase with its' beautiful balustrading will whisk you effortlessly up to the first floor split-level landing, where a beautiful arched window awaits you. WOW. The master bedroom is located at the front of the house (adjacent to the bathroom), and again has those marvellous views of the front through beautiful period windows...The bathroom has a lovely 4-piece suite...take time to enjoy the character of the bay window, which is mirrored by the reception hall below! From the split-level landing, at the back of the house, is an impressive studio, office, mezzanine and double bedroom.

And so to the outside...The Beech tree at the front is so nice...beautiful at all times of the year. Set back from the house, it would hold its own in Roundhay Park, but I am so glad it is here! There is a nice lawned area, car parking space and a return (in-out) driveway...all shared by the 3 apartment owners. There is a pathway around the left-hand side of the property that leads to a sizeable, enclosed, private and sunny back garden and access to the service road beyond. The back garden is mostly shared...I have taken lots of photos for you to look at.

Some history for you...The house is understood to have been built in 1840 for the Coroner of Leeds and was one of the first in "New Leeds." The grounds are bounded on one side by an early Georgian wall, against which, stand the remains of, reputedly, the first Chapel in Chapeltown. The Jameson family lived in the house for a century. In 1876, Jameson extended the house. A coach house became a billiard room, illuminated by an ornate rooftop lantern light. At that time, state-of-the-art ceiling roses and breathtaking mouldings and cornices were added. (Check out the photos)

We understand the next owners were an exotic couple...Doreen Henry, acclaimed blues singer, and, Dick Auty, an English National Rugby player, wool merchant, and record producer. Doreen sang with, amongst others, George Shearing, Stephan Grappelli, Jack Teagarden, Wild Bill Davison, and Kenny Ball. She performed on the radio in America and Britain. Dick founded Harmony Records...one of its first hits being Frankie Howard's Three Little Fishes. Together Dick and Doreen offered lodgings for touring entertainers such as comedian/actor Terry Scott (Carry On films, June and Terry) and John Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge and Dr Who.)...formerly an electrician, who served in the Merchant Navy...he is understood to have re-wired the house for them. A house re-wired by Dr Who!? It was an arty house, and a regular Sunday lunch visitor was the bohemian painter, Jacob Kramer.

The house later passed through a number of owners and architecturally, Spencer Place has remained an attractive tree-lined street.

In the mid-eighties, five young architects/builders bought the run-down house and transformed it. Their apartments (A, B, and C) were centrally heated, with insulation, lighting and sound-proofing added. Between them, they had four children who enjoyed the gardens and outdoor living.

The current owners bought 30C in April 2003. With it's idyllic setting, privacy, gardens and superb Victorian features, I can see why they have enjoyed living here for over 20 years. They hope that whoever buys their home will be very happy to look after it and get as much enjoyment from living in it, during its' next new chapter, as they have done.

So there you have it...an exceptional property that should be added to the very top of your house-hunting shopping list. Rarely does a property as nice as this come to the market. I look forward to seeing you at the Open Day viewing.

Tenure: Leasehold...999 years. Lease start date 11/2/1986. Lease End Date: 10/2/2986. 960 years remaining. As one of the owners of the 3 apartments, you will jointly own the freehold.

The service charge is £90 p.c.m. There is no ground rent. The maintenance is run by a limited company called Jadim, which is owned by the residents. 

The Council Tax Band is B. The EPC is currently being assessed. The property has a gas-fired central heating system and partial double glazing.

Viewers are accompanied by EweMove's business owners. This ensures a good, in-depth viewing experience with the property professional. Afterwards, you will receive a short video of the property to remember us by, so that you can show your friends and family. (EweMove's business owners are normally contactable mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends, including Sundays.)

Reception Hall

6.25m x 2.57m - 20'6" x 8'5"
Almost a room in itself. I felt like royalty when I first visited...what a superb reception hall! Take a note of the entranceway itself, what a lovely start to your viewing...simply the best. I love the wood flooring and magnificent staircase winding its way up to the first floor, too.

Living Room

5.17m x 3.96m - 16'12" x 12'12"
A rather elegant room enjoying lovey views over the front and rear gardens through large dual aspect windows. What a great feeling of space and natural light. Here we have a feature marble fireplace with a working open fire. It is great to see that so many characteristic features have been retained...what fine examples of ornate coving, a ceiling rose, high ceilings, deep skirtings and shuttered windows.

Open Plan Dining / Kitchen

5.1m x 3.76m - 16'9" x 12'4"
(Maximum measurements overall.) Being semi-open plan and having kitchen and dining areas, this is a great room in which to dine with friends and family.

Dining Area

3.76m x 2.81m - 12'4" x 9'3"
A room with a view...and I know why it is one of the owner's favourite places from which to sit and look out over the front garden...so nice, that I have shared a photo of it for you all to enjoy. Lovely wood flooring and a great feeling of light and space. Great for entertaining and plenty of space for a table and 6 chairs.

Kitchen Area

3.76m x 2.29m - 12'4" x 7'6"
There is a good range of wall and floor units complemented by solid wood worktops. Enhancements include split-level cooking comprising a Hotpoint fan-assisted oven and a 5 ring gas hob. There is plumbing for a dishwasher, a freezer and additional space for a free-standing fridge/freezer.

Laundry Room

5.08m x 2.5m - 16'8" x 8'2"
Accessed from the living room and the back garden. Every property could do with a room like this! What a brilliant space. Here we have dual aspect sash windows, plumbing for a washer, space for a tumble dryer, a sink unit with mixer taps and a wall-mounted Ideal gas-fired central heating boiler. There is also access to the smallest room in the house (guest W.C.) and the back garden.

Guest WC

Low-level W.C. and a pedestal hand wash basin. Sash window, down lighting, an extractor fan and a ladder-style radiator.

First Floor Landing

3.89m x 2.78m - 12'9" x 9'1"
(maximum measurements) Well, the Victorians certainly knew how to create a lovely feature arched window, combining beautifully with the staircase, ballustrading and split-level landings...a fine example of beauty.

Bedroom 1

5.17m x 3.9m - 16'12" x 12'10"
Not to be outdone by the living room, this is a bedroom to die for. With large dual aspect windows, it has a light and bright feel to it. Elegance abounds...the privacy and views are wonderful. (I think I would not want to rush to get out of bed in the morning if I lived here.)

Studio

4.75m x 2.25m - 15'7" x 7'5"
( "L" shaped and with maximum measurements) For the artists amongst you, this room is perfect. It could also make a great study/office, should you choose to work from home. Great light, storage, a sink unit and sash windows....and with part of it used as an office and a mezzanine level above.

Office

2.61m x 1.5m - 8'7" x 4'11"
Fitted floor-to-ceiling bookcase to one wall and downlighting.

Mezzanine

4.75m x 1.61m - 15'7" x 5'3"
Access from the studio via an "open tread" staircase, this is a great way of maximising the use of space. There is a beamed ceiling and a double-glazed Velux window.

Bedroom 2

3.12m x 2.74m - 10'3" x 8'12"
Accessed from the studio. Picture rail. Sash windows provide views over part of the back garden.

Bathroom

4.6m x 2.8m - 15'1" x 9'2"
What a super bay window (to match that of the reception hall). There is a 4-piece white suite comprising a rectangular style bath, a hand wash basin and a low-level W.C. There is a corner shower unit which has curved glass screening and an electric shower unit. There is a ladder-style radiator and down-lighting. With no houses opposite and the gorgeous views over the trees and front garden, privacy is assured.

Exterior

The front of the property is accessed from Spencer Place via a circular gravelled driveway. Within the middle of the driveway is a lawned area and a rather nice mature tree, which conveniently provided privacy and seclusion for the house from the roadside. There are herbaceous borders and further mature trees. At the front of the house, there are car parking spaces available.

Exterior

Proceeding down the left-hand side of the property will lead you into a generously proportioned rear garden. The majority of the gardens are shared by the 3 owner-occupiers of the apartments. There is also an individual private garden area allocated to each apartment. During your viewing, I will explain the arrangements in further detail. The garden can also be accessed from the Laundry room, located at the back of the property.For me, the gardens are superb for those who enjoy outdoor living and entertaining with friends and family. With the front and rear gardens being so spacious, there is plenty of space for everyone.There is also gated access from the back garden to an access road, if required.