Chaucer Road, Bedford, MK40

BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN VILLA - WITH WONDERFUL WALLED GARDEN

An exceptional, 4 or 5-bedroom, detached, wisteria and rose-clad, home within the conservation Poets Area of the County market town of Bedford, named recently in the Sunday Times’ ‘Best Places to Live Guide’. The lovely red brick house is set back from the tree-lined road behind a front garden enclosed by iron railings atop a low brick wall, with a garage or workshop at the end of the gated drive alongside its beautiful, large walled garden. Full of original features, Earlsmeade was home for many years to the Coopers, the famous seed merchants, and has been lovingly restored and maintained since. It is the first opportunity this century for any other family to live here.

The house is not just a beautiful home, it’s within strolling distance of the railway station, with fast trains reaching London in under 40 minutes. Wander with the children to the lovely little Livingstone Primary School, rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ in all areas by Ofsted, and to the world-renowned Harpur Trust private schools, including Bedford Modern School, just half a mile from your front door. The outstanding Bedford Free School is just over a mile away. The famous Polam pre-school – and swim school - which was started in the Basil Champneys-designed house a little way along the street from Earlsmeade, is still just a few hundred yards away in Lansdowne Road.

You can walk to every facility and amenity, from shops, pubs, restaurants and music venues, to gyms, theatres, galleries and cinema. Supermarkets are close by. Surgery, dentist and opticians are yards from your front door. One of the finest river embankments in the Country, alongside the Great Ouse, competes for weekend walkers and nature lovers with beautiful Victorian parks and nearby countryside.

It’s thought that your new home was designed for the person who built it in 1892 for his family, along with the houses to each side. Due to demand from affluent people for large family homes close to the station, other lovely Victorian and Edwardian homes soon joined Earlsmeade to create a vibrant and interesting area. The famous actor, John Le Messurier, was born in the blue plaque house in the street. A wonderful home in a much sought-after street is hard to beat.

MORE ABOUT THE PROPERTY 

If Earlsmeade weren’t beautiful enough, with its lovely red brick, bays and sash windows, wonderful wisteria wraps around the house and pretty roses arch over the porch. Sunlight streams through the stained glass of the gorgeous front door, catching the chandelier hanging from the intricately corniced ceiling high above your head and dancing across the wood floor. From the beautiful staircase to the original doors with their remarkable furniture still in place, there’s something of interest at every turn.

Built in 1892, it’s little surprise that the Aesthetic and Arts & Crafts Movements have influenced your new home. Cast iron fireplaces with understated marble or wood surrounds, some distinctively tiled upstairs, provide the focal point of almost every room. As well as the beautiful sitting room, with its lovely, handmade, built-in furniture and original pendant light, you have the rather special “William Morris room”, the reclaimed oak-floored family snug, with Lincrusta dado panelling, and window seat in its garden room section that was built on by the Coopers in the early 20th century.

Tasteful and often expensive additions to the house include many antique light fittings sourced from specialists. Beautiful handmade drapes dress the bay windows.

Lovely 21st century, painted kitchen furniture, with Belfast sink and induction range, sit perfectly with the wonderful 19th century dresser. Mingle around the island chatting to the cook, sit down to dinner with friends in front of the fire, closing off the kitchen, if you wish, by bespoke, bifold doors. A super pantry proves indispensable, and family clutter is confined to the former scullery, from where the maid, as well as, more recently, a lodger, could reach their bedrooms without wandering through the house.

Three of the bedrooms have made way for a dressing room, study and the huge bathroom, with freestanding bath, that most desire and few have. Yet, as with the versatile space downstairs, it’s your choice how you use the rooms, all of which are beautifully finished, some with luxury wall coverings by William Yeoward. You even have a hand-painted ceiling fresco above the galleried landing.

And a gloriously private, walled garden, contemplation area in one corner, fabulous, star jasmine-clad arbour in another, and the sandstone terrace aside the lily pond. White roses clamber over the clay-tiled garage. Pluck your own figs and apples and enjoy borders packed with pretty, pollinator-friendly planting. A delightful garden for a special home.