BACKTO ITS FORMER GLORY?
HIDING behind overgrown hedges and a boarded-up gate in one of Cardiff’s most desirable suburbs is a house that most people passing by probably don’t know exists, at least in more recent times.
It would be easy to drive through the area and not realise a unique Victorian villa is hiding behind the hedges and among the wild garden.
But now the grand house in Lisvane, with potential to become a stunning family home, is going to auction with a guide price of £1,260,000.
The property is a slice of Cardiff vintage Victorian property history with photographs provided by the current owner showing images of how the handsome house once looked.
Website Coflein is the online catalogue of archaeology, buildings, industrial and maritime heritage in Wales and the house is important enough to be included in its archive.
The site describes the property as being a “large brick mansion with a dressed stone entrance facade and fine Victorian veranda, dating back to the late 19th century and set in its own formal lawns to the front”.
There’s no doubt over the former grandeur of the building with a columned ground-floor veranda that also provides a first-floor balcony that spans the width of the front facade and provides views across the city (once the hedges have been brought under control).
The multiple, arched windows on the upper floor, dressed with stone “eyebrows” and decorative stonework to the sides, add to the visual charm of the period urban mansion.
Another instantly noticeable feature of the unique property is the stone entrance wing to the side of the main brick house.
This addition to the house comes complete with decorative stone ball and finials having pride of place on the very top of the two-storey facade.
So the outside has impressive features that have survived to impress.
Now it’s time to step inside and see the space on offer and let your imagination run wild through the corridors, visualising what this house could become after a renovation project is completed.
The hall can still tempt you into admiration with wood wall panelling and decorative coving.
However, at first glance, the staircase appears to not be fully from the Victorian era if it is to be dated by the design of the newel post on the ground floor.
Hiding behind the boarding appears to be some original stained glass windows on the ground floor but it’s disappointing to see an absence of original fireplaces.
The kitchen of course needs attention. There’s so much space in this house, why not move it into another room to create a massive “heart of the home” kitchen diner?
Any classic Victorian mansion needs a basement and Blair Athol can oblige with stairs leading down to a number of rooms.
One of these spaces looks like the original cellar cold room, complete with cold slab, but could now make a perfect wine cellar.
For someone with vision and a healthy renovation budget the impressive Victorian mansion can offer an exciting opportunity for a grand home to be reborn.
There’s plenty of space, some original features to restore (and the opportunity to add some back in), and a garden that stretches to three-quarters of an acre that could become so special you would never want to leave.
Swimming pool, log cabin, garden home office – the land can easily accommodate them all, subject to planning consent of course, and still have masses of grounds left to enjoy.
Huw Edwards, head of auctions and auctioneer at Seel & Co, says: “The house itself is an attractive Victorian villa with many original features though is currently in a poor condition with the grounds particularly to the front of the house overgrown.”
In May 2015 the planning was granted for the demolition of the existing house and the construction of two houses and six apartments.
The cottage at the rear of the site that was converted from the former coach house has already been flattened. Yes, this house was so grand it had its own coach house.
This consent has now lapsed and came with a planning obligation under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
Briefly this means any developer must agree with the local authority, and is legally binding, to take agreed steps to reduce their impact on the local community and infrastructure.
Mr Edwards added: “The site is considerably larger than average for the road and could provide a development opportunity, subject to reobtaining any necessary consents, or may be suitable for a landmark single Lisvane property considering the position and size of the plot.
This beautiful and unique building is going under the hammer with Seel & Co on December 7 at 4pm but interested parties must register via the company’s website in advance. Call 029 2037 0100 to find out more.