Description

Iona House benefits from high ceilings, stunning ceiling cornices, a breath-taking staircase, beautiful bay windows, marble fireplaces and a layout that offers flexible and easy living. The house is situated in a prime residential address and a short walking distance from the hustle and bustle of Whiteladies Road, the Observatory with luscious walks overlooking the suspension bridge and of course, central Bristol.

Walking through the front door, there is a light & spacious lobby area with intricate tiling, perfect for hanging coats and taking off shoes. Through the second door, you are welcomed onto a grand entrance hall with an impressive staircase and doors leading to a dining room, drawing room and study which all feature fireplaces with marble surround and slate hearths. The striped wooden flooring flows throughout most of the rooms on this floor, apart from the study and drawing room which has neutral carpets. The dining room is the perfect room for entertaining with the original “dumbwaiter” lift from the kitchen, panelling, space for a large table and a glass door that leads on to a stunning veranda with ornate, cast-iron detailing overlooking the blissful, private gardens. Further down the hallway, there is a utility room and a separate cloakroom. The drawing room across the hall is another substantially sized room with continued elegance and features 3 sash bay windows.

The lower floor features a fantastic kitchen/breakfast room that has been thoughtfully designed and extended to create the heart of the home. There is underfloor heating under the stone flooring, as well as all the bathrooms throughout the house. This bespoke kitchen area has an island, vast WOLF oven with eye-catching focal arch above, ample countertop space, cupboards above and leads onto a cosy breakfast area with room for a large table, sofa and dresser. The French doors open on to a gorgeous outdoor seating area in a beautiful garden. On this floor, one will find a cosy yet spacious sitting room with wood burner, a separate snug (potential to be another study, playroom or teenage hang-out), shower room and 2 handy storage rooms under the stairs, one of which is a pantry.

Returning to the ground floor and walking up the stairs you will notice a lightwell allowing further light to flood into the communal spaces. On the half landing is a second study overlooking the garden. The first-floor features 2 spacious bedrooms; the master suite and the guest bedroom. They both have ensuite bathrooms with additional walk-in showers whist the spacious master bedroom also includes an extensive dressing area with built in wardrobes. The second floor features a lovely landing with large sash windows either side. This floor features 3 further double bedrooms, all with built in cupboards and a family bathroom with additional walk-in shower.

Outside
The private, walled gardens are south facing and simply wonderfully. With flowers and bushes running around the boundary and a beautiful veranda overlooking from a height, it is your typical “English garden”. The double doors from the kitchen/breakfast room open on a sunken patio area just below the veranda making it a sociable garden to enjoy. Towards the back of the garden is a gate that leads to two private garages. To the side of the house, there is a shed, pond and a little gate for easy access to the front of the house.

Tenure: Freehold
Council: Bristol Tax Band H
EPC Rating: E

SELLER INSIGHT
Rich in history, Clifton is one of the most popular areas of Bristol, renowned for its elegant architecture, stunning green spaces and a vibrant boutique community. With grand Georgian and Regency properties juxtaposed with large Victorian homes, it is one of these unique abodes that attracted the owners of Iona House.

The owners were living abroad and were enticed into coming back to the UK. A relative lived in Somerset and suggested they had a look at Bristol. Whilst researching the area, they discovered the highly regarded Clifton College, which they felt was the perfect school for their children and, consequently, Clifton was to become their home, and the house search began. They were lucky to find Iona House, which backed on to Clifton College, but it was also an incredible find in that it was a complete Victorian house.

Many of the Victorian houses in the area have been divided, with basements being converted into separate apartments, yet here was a house that was complete, and, what’s more, it still retained many of its original features. The house did need renovating, and transforming the house into what it is today is something the owners have enjoyed.

One of the renovations they did undertake was to extend the kitchen to make it a kitchen-breakfast room, and it is one of the rooms the family love to spend time in. “We created a large farmhouse kitchen, which has made a lovely room that extends onto the garden patio which really brings the outside in. It is, therefore, ideal for entertaining, especially as there is a staircase that leads from the patio up to the balcony off the formal dining room.”

The family spend most of their time in the basement, where there is underfloor heating and a cosy log burner in the lounge and a beautiful bay window. There are also two extremely handy rooms under the stairs, ideal for a pantry and additional storage; you will also find a snug/playroom and a shower room.

On entering the house through the main door, you are met with a typical hallway of the period with a beautiful staircase welcoming you in. It is on this floor you will find the office, which is just filled with light, and across the hallway is the formal dining room with its elegant décor and double doors opening on to that fantastic balcony overlooking the garden. The formal lounge is opposite, it’s home to the owners’ grand piano, and this spacious room has high ceilings and traditional shutters on the windows.

“Keeping all the home’s original features was extremely important to my wife; therefore, if we found something that was missing or damaged, we made sure it was replaced. We wanted to keep the original essence of the home.” This attention to detail continues upstairs as well, especially in the guest bedroom where the owners uncovered the most wonderful fireplace.

“The garden is lush and beautiful at this time of year, it really comes in to its own; walled, it offers a great deal of privacy. From the alfresco dining area there are steps up to the lawned garden which is framed by a wealth of colours and textures from the plants, shrubs and trees that. It’s a great size by Clifton standards and manageable. There are also three garages around the back.”
“The location is fantastic to enjoy all that Clifton has to offer. There are lots of cafes and independent stores, there is a Sainsbury’s close by and The Triangle is down the road. You can be in the centre in between 10 and 15 minutes, and you can also walk to Clifton village within 10 minutes, which is a great place to have a coffee.”

The owners are going to miss the house and its great proportions. “It’s a lovely house and very comfortable. It’s been a great home whilst the children have been growing up.” The area will certainly suit families, with great schools, parks and open spaces. Bristol is also a great university city. Accessibility to nearby cities and further afield is also an advantage of this area: it is 10 minutes by train into Bath and you can drive in approximately 40 minutes. You are also close to two major motorways, the M4 and M5, ideal for travelling to London or the South West.

This is one unique home, rich in history and features that anyone would be proud to own.

Pembroke Road, Clifton, Bristol, BS8

Key Features

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