TO THE MANOR BORN
Historic home for sale
An elegant Upper Hutt home built for a pair of pioneering plastic surgeons is on the market for the first time in 15 years.
Beechdale was built in 1936 for Dame Cecily Pickerill and her husband Henry, both of whom revolutionised plastic surgery for children and the war wounded.
The 268-square-metre, four bedroom, three-bathroom home sits on 0.8 hectares of landscaped gardens and bush in Pinehaven.
The property, which features a dell and stream, has a rateable value of $980,000.
The house was modelled after Henry Pickerill’s childhood cottage in Herefordshire, western England.
Dame Cecily was a well-versed gardener, earning acclaim for Beechdale’s rhododendrons. Her garden was considered one of Wellington’s most beautiful plots.
In 1939, the Pickerills, who were both surgeons, established Bassam Hospital in Lower Hutt. By 1942, it was a full hospital for children needing plastic surgery, mainly for cleft lips, cleft palates and other congenital defects.
After World War II, the couple also worked on war injuries – a field in which Henry Pickerill had attracted a global reputation for his pioneering methods.
Beechdale features hand-adzed beams and bookcases, oak wood panelling in its reception rooms, leadlight windows and large separate living areas.
Vending agent Mike Ledger, of Bayleys, said the spacious home was built using material sourced from across the globe, including black obsidian from Lake Rotoiti, marble pieces from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, rocks from Yorkshire and Antarctica, as well as chunks from Arizona and the Grand Canyon.
Owner Chantel Burns said Beechdale had been a great family home, in a tight-knit community that offered a tranquil retreat from the outside word.
Her family was downsizing and, although they were sad to let the property go, it was the right time to move on, she added.
Tenders close on February 17.