Quarry Street, Liverpool, MERSEYSIDE, L25

Grade-worthy sandstone residence of exceptional character, standing at the corner of Rodick and Quarry Street in the heart of one of Liverpools most storied villages.

Set proudly on its corner plot, this handsome ashlar sandstone building announces its provenance in stone: carved into the pediment above the first floor, the initials "J.M.F" and the date "1854" record the year of its construction, a full century and three-quarters of continuous occupation in the heart of Woolton village. Long known locally as the former Village Inn, and later the home and studio of the celebrated Liverpool sculptor Arthur Dooley, the building has since been thoughtfully reimagined as a private residence — one that wears its history with quiet confidence rather than pastiche.

The façade is a study in Georgian restraint: crisp sash windows beneath painted stone lintels, a broken pediment gable end, and deep-set panelled doors in lacquered black, all rendered in the warm, rose-gold sandstone quarried from Wooltons own hillsides. It is a material with a genuine claim to national significance — stone drawn from the North and South Quarries a few streets away built not only this house, but Liverpools Anglican Cathedral itself, cementing Wooltons reputation as a source of some of the finest building stone in the North West.

Internally, the accommodation extends to some 1,507 sq ft (140 sq m) arranged over three thoughtfully proportioned floors. The lower ground floor offers a versatile suite of rooms including a substantial home gym, utility room and shower room — ideal for contemporary family living without compromising the period rooms above. The ground floor is given over almost entirely to a magnificent open-plan kitchen, living and dining room measuring over 28 feet in length, opening via glazed doors onto a private terrace — a rare and coveted amenity in the village conservation area. Upstairs, the first floor comprises three well-appointed bedrooms and a family bathroom fitted with a freestanding roll-top bath, served by a bright, high-ceiling on the landing that captures the scale of the original building. To the rear, a private paved courtyard and an elevated balcony provide further outdoor amenity, a peaceful counterpoint to the period stonework beyond.

Woolton itself needs little introduction to those who prize provenance and setting in equal measure. Once a self-contained village on Liverpools south-eastern fringe, it retains a distinct identity even now, its steep, stone-built streets, independent boutiques and village-green civility offering a character quite unlike the wider city. Its quarries shaped Liverpool literally as well as figuratively: the buff-pink sandstone hewn from Woolton Hill built not only Liverpool Cathedral but the Liver Building and countless Victorian terraces across Merseyside, while the school song of nearby Quarry Bank High — "The Quarrymen" — famously lent its name to a fledgling skiffle group formed by a young John Lennon. It was at St Peters Church, a short walk from this address, that Lennon first met Paul McCartney at the parish fete of July 1957, an encounter that would alter the course of popular music. Today Woolton Village is a conservation area of considerable prestige, its period architecture, independent cafés and proximity to Calderstones and Woolton Woods making it one of South Liverpools most sought-after addresses.

Properties of this pedigree — a dated, named sandstone building with genuine architectural provenance, positioned in the very heart of the village — seldom come to market. this property offers a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of Wooltons built history, sensitively adapted for contemporary living.