2 Browns Houses, Jenny Browns Point, Silverdale, LA5 0UA

Living here is very much a way of life. Captivating panoramic views sweep wide across Morecambe Bay and the daily tides. Ever changing, always fascinating, this is a property for those that love nature and wildlife as it offers a wonderful blend of both coast and country.

2 Browns Houses has an exclusive setting at Jenny Brown’s Point, indeed, the house has a direct connection to Jenny Brown herself. This unique cottage has been in the same hands since 1980 and been a much-loved family home. It was bought as a shell, derelict and lovingly brought back to life with the retention of as much character as possible, introducing modern conveniences sparingly and with sensitivity. It is now ready for the next generation to update, make it their own and enjoy coastal life here. Besides any renovation, it will also call for the practically minded as there is no mains water, gas or drainage. The only concession being mains electricity.

The accommodation spans three floors and briefly comprises a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, versatile utility/storage/hobbies room, two double bedrooms (one of which was previously two doubles), a third single bedroom and a bathroom. On the second floor is a further double bedroom and a study/studio and cloakroom. The ‘secret’ woodland garden is an absolute delight with outhouses and a shed. There is private parking for two, possibly three.

This is a rare opportunity. A gem of a property in a unique location, commanding extraordinary views.

"Our parents bought the house in 1980. It was an idyllic place to grow up; we’d spend long days, having adventures, exploring the coast and the woods, back in time for tea. All very ‘Enid Blyton’. Living here meant freedom to us and it still does. We always know the tide timetable so that we don’t venture out and get cut off. It’s a flourishing habitat for wildlife, flocks of oyster catchers, egrets, herons, cormorants, mallards as well as pheasants and partridges. Red and fallow deer often run across the front garden and foxes occasionally come out from the woods. In the skies over head we see jets, transport carriers, helicopters; it’s like having our own personal airshow.”

Location
Jenny Browns Point is a local landmark, situated within the protected National Landscape of Arnside and Silverdale (the former AONB). Silverdale itself is a charming and picturesque village occupying a highly scenic coastal setting offering sheltered walks over limestone pavements, cliff top paths and natural woodland, leading to panoramic views across Morecambe Bay. The area is renowned for its flora and fauna, historic buildings and interesting geological features. Within the heart of the village is choice of places to eat and drink, a Co-op for everyday supplies, a post office, primary school, church and traditional butcher.

From this prime location, No.2’s view over the bay is unobstructed and truly breathtaking, the wildlife is abundant and all around, it’s also an excellent place to see the Arnside tidal bore, a rare phenomenon where the incoming tide is forced through a narrow bay against the direction of the bay’s current, the push and pull of the tide and current causing a tidal wave.

"A restful and quiet place to live, with no streetlights we have wonderful starry nights and big, atmospheric moons.”

Step inside
Most of the rooms face the bay, the openness of the aspect is extraordinary. The panoramic view is big, wide, open sweeps across the bay including Warton Crag, Claughton Moor, Bolton le Sands and over to Heysham Power Station. The views are enjoyed from most of the house, they change subtly with the seasons, the time of day and the weather; the annual Morecambe Baylight Festival is a dramatic sight to behold from the house.

Whilst fixtures and fittings would now benefit from replacement, everything is serviceable to ‘set you on’ as you contemplate future plans. The abundant character features are a great starting place; a large stone fire surround, exposed beams, sash and stone mullion windows, boarded doors and paneled walls, along with plenty of nooks and crannies.

A walking tour of the house starts from the porch and in through the part glazed door (another opportunity for the view to be captured) to the sitting room, the oldest part of the property, a generous and welcoming room. The adjacent dining room runs front to back with a dual aspect and a handy cupboard for coats. It’s through the dining room to the unfitted kitchen (the old pine dressers are available separately), it too has a dual aspect with doors front and rear as well. Stairs lead up to a half landing, each step being slightly different in dimensions adding to the quirky characteristics of the house. From the half landing, a short flight of stairs lead down into the light filled utility/store/hobbies room. A versatile room depending on your requirements with a door into the back garden.

The main landing provides access to the spacious L shaped main bedroom (formerly two rooms and could easily be reinstated as such), a second double bedroom, a third single bedroom and a bathroom. Stairs to the second floor arrive straight into a further double bedroom beyond which is a studio, study or den. There is also a cloakroom on this floor. All together they make a super suite, ideal for a teenager or as the principal bedroom. The ceilings rise into the apex of the room with exposed trusses and purlins. It’s a very atmospheric space, possessing amazing light quality with a soundtrack of birds, rain on the skylights or winds rustling through the trees.

"Our mother wrote an account of the history of the house which details that Jenny Walling was the daughter of Dyke House Farm, next door. In the 1600s, she married Mr Brown, her neighbour who lived in what is now Browns Houses. It was all originally one property, a house in the middle with barns either side. By 1878 the property had become a lodging house for workmen at a local quarry, the building had been subdivided into 40 bedrooms to accommodate them. During the war, the RAF took over part of the property to maintain the bombing range on the marsh. When our parents bought the house in 1980 it was derelict, a shell. There was no electric and no indoor plumbing. There was an outside loo, a soil closet at the top of the garden."

Step outside
The perfect mix of country and coast. Woodland gardens wrap around two sides of the house and create a private, leafy enclave. Paths meander between mature trees, rhododendrons, azaleas and acers, with pockets of lawn and rocky limestone outcrops, cottage garden style planting being well established and adding a nostalgic air. A shady garden where bluebells and wild garlic flourish. For children, it’s the perfect place for making dens, a treasure hunt or game of hide and seek. For grownups it makes an idyllic setting for a candlelit evening. In terms of outbuildings, there is a small collection of outside stores; a stone outhouse with an outside WC, two wooden sheds, a log store and the remains of a stone built former privvy.

Along the front of the property is an open garden with a lawn and planted border. Parking is available in a stone walled enclosure. External lighting.

Please note
There is a public footpath along the front drive and through the gate, onto the beach. The Public highway ends at the private access to the properties. From there, it’s private access with shared use and maintenance between three properties: 2 Browns Houses, the adjoining cottage and the adjacent Dyke House

Services

Mains electricity. LPG gas fired central heating from a boiler in the kitchen. Portway multifuel stove in the sitting room. 
Water is captured from the roof and fed into a series of tanks within the garden (in total there is a capacity of 9,900 gallons or 45,000 litres.
Drainage to a shared septic tank located in the garden.

Lancaster City Council - Council tax band D

Tenure - Freehold

Directions

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Use Sat Nav LA5 0UA with reference to the directions below:

From the M6 J35 take the A6 headed north. After 3 miles turn left towards Yealand Redmayne. Turn right at the T junction in the village and then through Yealand Storrs onto Storrs Lane driving past RSPB Leighton Moss. At the T junction (opposite Silverdale Golf Club) turn left onto Slackhead Lane. Take the second left onto Hollins Lane (following signs at this point for Jenny Brown’s Point). Passing Wolf House Gallery on the right you immediately come to a T junction with Gibraltar Farm straight ahead. Turn left here and follow the lane for as far as it will go!