A handsome Georgian townhouse in the centre of Woodbridge has come up for sale for the first time in over 40 years – and it even includes a garage, which its owner says is "extremely rare" for the area.
Penrith House is Grade II listed and located on Cumberland Street, which Savills’ property agent, Alexander McNab, says is one of the “finest” in the town.
The property was listed by Historic England in 1951 and the heart of the house is believed to date back to the 18th century, though its façade is slightly later, thought to have been added in the early 19th century, during the Napoleonic Wars.
The building itself is constructed of white Suffolk brick and features symmetrical rows of sash windows at the front, as well as an elegant, six-panel door at the entrance, which sits beneath an original doorframe of Doric columns.
The property has been a happy family home for over 40 years, ever since James Lightfoot’s parents bought it in 1980. “My parents lived in Hasketon and they spent years trying to look for a retirement home near to central Woodbridge after my dad retired,” he explains.
“As soon as my mum went through the front door of Penrith House, she said ‘this is it’, and before they had left, dad had put in a sensible offer. It was a very happy retirement home for the rest of their lives.”
Inside, accommodation flows well and is typical of the period, with well-proportioned rooms and high ceilings.
Alexander McNab, from Savills, says that the drawing room is of particular note because it features a fantastic, wide open fireplace with a brick hearth and surround, as well as access to the garden through a partially-glazed door and exposed timbers.
Elsewhere, the farmhouse-style kitchen/breakfast room is well-fitted, with wall and base units and wooden worktops. It is also exceptionally light filled, thanks to two sets of French windows at either end, which lead outside to a terrace and the garden. There is also a separate utility space.
A study and sitting room complete the ground floor, with the latter having an attractive chimneypiece plus a sash window to the front and another partially-glazed door leading out and into the garden.
Upstairs, four generous double bedrooms and two bathrooms are arranged over the first and second floors.
The second floor has previously been used as an Airbnb, with its two double bedrooms enjoying superb views to the church and river. Both also have access to a self-contained kitchenette.
As handsome as the existing living spaces are, Penrith House also offers new owners the room to improve it. It is in excellent order throughout but comes with planning permission and listed building consent in place to use some of the garden to extend the kitchen and create a conservatory.
“Mum particularly enjoyed the walled garden,” says Mr Lightfoot. “For those who would like to push on into this garden, there is planning permission for an extended kitchen and a conservatory - the latter being in the perfect spot for a gin and tonic in the setting sun.”
Another unusual feature of the property is its garage and parking forecourt, which provides off-road parking for residents and guests and Mr Lightfoot says is “extremely rare” to find in central Woodbridge.
Mr Lightfoot says he has happy memories of the home. “I’ve certainly got very happy memories because my parents were so happy there,” he says, “but as a newly married couple, we would like to start our own life in our own house in the country.”
For more information, contact Savills.
PROPERTY FACTS
Cumberland Street, Woodbridge
Guide price: £950,000
Savills, 01473 234811
www.savills.com
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