Dower House
There’s nothing dour about the Dower House at Witcombe, near Cheltenham, a spacious Victorian family home which mixes classic features and contemporary fittings.
Built for the widow of a wealthy landowner on the death of her husband, the Dower House boasts six bedrooms over three floors, and bags of living space.
An external porch serves access to the main entrance hall with smart Victorian black, red and white tiled floor.
From the entrance hall, visitors can turn right to a spacious 27ft by 14ft dining room with plenty of room for entertaining guests, and an adjoining conservatory with views over the lawns.
A left turn leads to a study and another large room – the drawing room, which measures over 24ft by 16ft.
Both the drawing room and the dining room have bay windows, affording views over the rolling Cotswold hills outside, and large working fireplaces.
Ahead of the entrance hall is a kitchen and adjoining breakfast room, creating another large space at the rear of the house. The kitchen has been furnished with bespoke kitchen units and smart black slate worktops.
The home’s Victorian heritage is hinted at with a double Belfast sink and large oil-fired Aga, while modern skylights and recessed spotlights flood the food preparation areas with light day and night.
Tiled floor in entrance hall
Back at the entrance hall, a sweeping stairwell ascends to the first floor, where five bedrooms – three of them en suite – and a family bathroom with free-standing bath are located.
The master bedroom, which measures over 17ft by 13ft, boasts a walk-in wardrobe as well as a large en suite bathroom with bath.
In common with the second bedroom, a large bay window presents views over the Cotswold countryside to the spa town of Cheltenham, some six miles away.
Decorative fireplace
The master bedroom is also home to one of the most charming pieces of Victoriana in the house – a tiled fireplace surround decorated on each side with the portrait of a beautiful girl in pink bonnet and gown.
A second flight of stairs leads to the attic, which has been converted into a large bedroom.
Outside, the property is approached via a paved drive leading to a single garage.
The grounds are mainly laid to flat lawns. However, imaginative use has been made of the property’s hillside location, and paved terraces reached by winding paths create small havens in which to fire up a barbecue or simply enjoy a glass of wine and admire the view.
Dower House is on the market with Moore Allen & Innocent with a guide price of £725,000. For more information, call estate agent Teresa Davis on 01285 648100 or at teresa.davis@mooreallen.co.uk