the URBAN IDYLL
Experience city living in country charm, writes
IF you half close your eyes it’s not difficult to imagine the place in bygone days. From the road, little about this double fronted, early Georgian has changed. The slate roof, white, harled walls and a cottage garden with its rose arches and stone walls all speak of a gentler, more bucolic age.
But this old farmhouse is not in the middle of the countryside – it’s in Edinburgh, a few miles south of Princes Street.
For anyone who yearns for a country home yet also wants all that city life has to offer, Greenend House on Ellen’s Glenn Road i n Liberton is a dream combination.
This lovely property is a clever blend of the period and the contemporary. It has been recently extended and refurbished. The result is a mix of formal and informal spaces, a private garden and secure off- street parking – only minutes from the city centre.
Liberton – the name is thought to be derived from ‘barley farm on a hillside’ – is on the south side of the capital, close to the bypass and not far from Holyrood Park and the Pentland Hills.
The heart of this three- storey house is a fabulous kitchen/living room with floor-to- ceiling doors that lead into the rear walled garden. With a wooden floor and hand- crafted units, plus an Aga, this room manages a nod to its farmhouse roots, without being too cosy or twee.
And that is the feeling throughout the house. There are plenty of original period features, such as fireplaces, panelled doors and sash and case windows, combined with a contemporary touch when it comes to interior decoration. The result is stunning.
There is a formal drawing room, a dining room – in plum – and a conservatory large enough for a table as well as lounging chairs.
There is also a double bedroom, shower room and utility room on the ground floor. On the first floor are two more double bedrooms, one of which has an en suite shower. The master suite – with its lovely views – takes up the whole of the top floor. It comprises a big bedroom and equally large bathroom, with a standalone bath – a modern take on the old-fashioned rolltop – in the middle.
A fixed price of £695,000 has been set by selling agent Simpson & Marwick.