Falt B, 30 Spencer Place, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS7

I JUST LOVE MY JOB!  WHY? BECAUSE NO TWO DAYS ARE EVER THE SAME!

Well....life is full of surprises...I can't stop thinking about this beautiful period property!  I have driven up and down Spencer Place for many years and never even noticed this house. What a hidden gem!

I just love it...I hope you will too. It certainly is quirky, but in a very nice way, as they say. So...what's so quirky about it... well...to start with, being part of a sizeable early Victorian detached house, with spacious accommodation set over 3 floors, it is as far removed from a traditional apartment, as one could imagine. With a sumptuous 6 metre Living room bursting with characteristic features, typical of a Victorian house, a study, a spacious open plan dining kitchen, 4 double bedrooms, a bathroom and a shower room...what more could you wish for...how about spacious gardens and car parking!!

I could work for another 30 years and not come across another property like this...unless I am asked to sell one of the other two apartments within this house of course, but why would you ever want to move from something as individual and exclusive as this?

Take a look on Google Earth, put the postcode in, and you will get a great bird's eye view of what I am talking about.

Having parked outside the property on the return driveway, the entrance to the property will be on the far righthand side of the building. Here, your guided tour will start by entering a spacious open-plan dining kitchen which has a log-burning stove and gives access to the back garden. Turning left will take you into the study, which enjoys lovely views over the secluded front garden. The living room is accessed from the kitchen...my heart skipped a beat when I entered this room for the first time! I have visited a few stately homes in my time and this room would certainly not look out of place in one of them. Ornate coving, ceiling rose, wall mouldings and a fantastic fireplace await you. Large windows for maximum light too.

The staircase to the first floor is from the kitchen and will whisk you up to a split-level landing on the first floor. The master bedroom is located at the front of the house, adjacent to the bathroom. Bedrooms 2 and 3 are accessed from the second landing at the back of the house, which also leads to the shower room. The 4th bedroom is accessed from the split-level landing staircase and is located at the front of the property and again, like those of the study, the views are impressive. Ask me where the cellar is, but don't tell everyone...shhh. You will enjoy looking around the grounds, but more of that later.

So what about the amenities I hear you ask? Well...the area is served by a wide and varied of local amenities. Schools, public transport facilities, and access to Leeds City centre, motorway networks and hospitals are on hand. Potternewton Park is close-by and the fantastic village vibe (day or night) of Chapel Allerton is only minutes away.

So there you have it...an exceptional property that should be added to the very top of your house-hunting shopping list. I look forward to seeing you at the Open Day viewing.

Some history for you...The house is understood to have been built in 1840 for the Coroner of Leeds and was one of the first in New Leeds. The grounds are bounded on one side by an early Georgian wall, against which, stands the remains of, reputedly, the first chapel in Chapeltown. The Jameson family lived in the house for a century. In 1876 Jameson extended the house. A coach house became a billiard room, illuminated by an ornate rooftop lantern light. A stately drawing room featured a unique marble fireplace and the state-of-the art ceiling rose and breathtaking mouldings and cornices. (check out the photos)

The next owners were an exotic couple...Doreen Henry, acclaimed blues singer, and, Dick Auty, an English National Rugby player, wool merchant, and record producer. Doreen sang with, amongst others, George Shearing, Stephan Grappelli, Jack Teagarden, Wild Bill Davison, and Kenny Ball. She performed on radio in America and Britain. Dick founded Harmony Records...one of its first hits being Frankie Howerd's Three Little Fishes. Together Dick and Doreen offered lodgings for touring entertainers such as comedian/actor Terry Scott (Carry On films, June and Terry)  and John Pertwee (Worzel Gummidge and Dr Who.)...formerly an electrician, who served in the Merchant Navy...he is understood to have re-wired the house for them. A house re-wired by Dr Who!?  It was an arty house, a regular Sunday lunch visitor was the bohemian painter, Jacob Kramer.

The house later passed through a number of owners and architecturally, Spencer Place remained an attractive tree-lined street.

In the mid-eighties, five young architects/builders bought the run-down house and transformed it. Their apartments, (A, B, and C) were centrally heated, with insulation, lighting and sound-proofed. Between them, they had four children who enjoyed the gardens and outdoor living.

The current owners, bought 30B in June 1991. Together they illustrated books, curated theatre shows, and toured plays. One became a mature student the other wrote plays and novels and freelanced on BBC R4. In the early days, they held big parties with guests that were writers, painters, actors, musicians, lecturers, a couple of professors, political activists, teachers, family, and neighbours old and new. Fondly, they were known as The Red House Gang. From the Gang, including a knighted playwright and another with an Oscar nomination, via incidental one-off visitors, to a relative of the king... they have seen many people step into their ex-billiard room, ex-kennels and present dining kitchen. 

They leave the house as a whole with excellent neighbours: three musicians, a painter, a retired arts administrator/photographer, an owner of a recording studio (again!), a psychologist, and a one-year-old boy.

They hope that whoever buys their home will be very happy to look after it and get much enjoyment from living in it, during its' next new chapter.

Tenure: Leasehold. Lease Start Date: 4/3/1993. Lease End Date: 10/2/2111. THIS CAN BE EXTENDED AS YOU ARE ONE OF THE FREEHOLDERS.

The service charge is £90 p.c.m. The maintenance is run by a limited company called Jadim, which is owned by the residents. 

The Council Tax Band is C. The EPC is currently being assessed.

Viewers are accompanied by EweMove's business owners. This ensures a good, in-depth viewing experience with the property professional. Afterwards, you will receive a short video of the property to remember us by, so that you can show your friends and family. (EweMove's business owners are normally contactable mornings, afternoons, evenings, and weekends, including Sundays.)

• 1 - Living Room

  6m x 5.1m - 19'8" x 16'9"
  How do you start describing such a beautiful room as this? By looking carefully at the pictures, of course! Rarely does one come across a room that retains so many characteristic features typically dating from the early Victorian era...Wall mouldings, cornices, ceiling rose, a working feature fireplace, a full-height inset arched bookcase, and sash windows to name but a few. Plenty of light and views over the gardens too. What could be better than being tucked up in front of a roaring fire on a winter's evening? Simply the best I have seen for a l o n g time.

• 2 - Study

  4.69m x 3.08m - 15'5" x 10'1"
  (maximum measurements) This makes for a great study and with lovely floor-to-ceiling windows, the views over the front turning circle and gardens are great. Incorporated within this room is a utility area, having plumbing for a washer and houses the gas-fired central heating boiler.

• 3 - Open Plan Dining/Kitchen/Family Room

  6.56m x 5.66m - 21'6" x 18'7"
  Not as grand as that of the living room, but it is even bigger! I just love the way this room is laid out. It has a comforting and relaxing feel to it and being mahoosive, is ideal for entertaining with friends and family, particularly in the summer months as the patio door opens directly onto the seller's own patio and garden area. There is a range of farmhouse-style units, wood flooring and a cute multi-fuel burning stove too.I will let you into a little secret...access to the small cellar (ideal for keeping wine within) is located within this room.

• 4 - First Floor Landing

  From the dining kitchen, a staircase (with a small stained glass window) will whisk you up to the first-floor split-level landing, which gives access to all of the rooms on this floor.

• 5 - Bedroom 1

  5.17m x 3.93m - 16'12" x 12'11"
  A generous double bedroom enjoying private views over the front garden and turning circle. Lovely sash windows, coving, a double panel radiator, and access to a loft space. A rather elegant room, I think.

• 6 - Bedroom 2

  3.44m x 3.16m - 11'3" x 10'4"
  (some restricted head height) Currently used as an art room. Lovely wall mouldings similar to those of the living room. A double-glazed Velux window.

• 7 - Bedroom 3

  3.43m x 3.27m - 11'3" x 10'9"
  (some restricted head height) Lovely wall mouldings and a Velux window.

• 8 - Bathroom

  3.09m x 2.83m - 10'2" x 9'3"
  There is a period pink suite comprising panelled bath which has a mains fed shower attachment, rail and curtain. Pedestal hand washbasin and a low-level W.C. Radiator, tiled splash areas and period sash windows.

• 9 - Shower Room

  2.32m x 2.19m - 7'7" x 7'2"
  There is a corner shower unit having a hand-held shower attachment and a waterfall shower. Hand washbasin and a low-level W.C. Wall mouldings, tiled splash areas, an electric radiator/towel rail and a Velux window.

• 10 - Bedroom 4

  3.76m x 3.09m - 12'4" x 10'2"
  Often referred to as The Turret room, it is accessed from the narrow staircase from the first-floor landing. What a lovely pleasant room...I particularly like the triple mini arched sash windows which provide great views over the garden. There is a built-in cupboard, a feature fireplace and a polished wooden floor.

• 11 - Exterior

  The front of the property is accessed from Spencer Place via a circular gravelled driveway. Within the middle of the driveway is a lawned area and a rather nice mature tree, which conveniently provided privacy and seclusion for the house from the roadside.There are herbaceous borders and further mature trees. At the front of the house, there are car parking spaces available.Proceeding down the left-hand side of the property will lead you into a generously proportioned rear garden. The majority of the gardens are shared by the 3 owner-occupiers of the apartments. There are also individual private garden areas allocated to each apartment. At the back of the kitchen, accessed through the sliding patio door, is a patio area and a small additional garden area. During your viewing, I will explain the arrangements in further detail.There are tall gates that can give foot and vehicular access to "the back road."

Please note, all dimensions are approximate / maximums and should not be relied upon for the purposes of floor coverings.

Additional Information:

• Council Tax: Band C