Room with a mew
Compact and cosy cottages offer city living at a fraction of the cost
THE mews house is now the epitome of urban chic – a cosy retreat from the bustle of city life, which is usually just a short block away. But these traditional two-storey constructions, often with tiny windows and found on cobbled streets, have not always enjoyed such a good reputation.
These compact properties were once considered scruffy dens. Their origins date back to the 18th or 19th Century, when grand homes were built in the most salubrious areas of London and Edinburgh.
Gentlemen needed space for the horses which would pull their carriage and the staff who would wait upon their every whim.
So the land behind the town houses was used to construct fairly basic accommodation for man and beast, with the horses kept downstairs, while a hayloft and a couple of rooms were found above.
Two world wars changed the British attitude to employing hired help and the advent of the motorised vehicle resulted in mews buildings falling into disrepair. They were considered only good enough for storing old cars.
Racing drivers John Surtees and James Hunt used them for this purpose in London in the 1960s, but soon came to realise their potential as compact and bijou apartments.
Soon, their celebrity friends were clamouring to buy one and the back-street boom took off.
After all, they were usually located in the best part of town.
Such has been the growing success of the mews cottage that house builders started constructing them from scratch.
On the eastern edge of Edinburgh’s New Town, a row of new mews cottages has been built on the site of an old car park, just behind Broughton Street. The area is within walking distance of Princes Street and an eclectic mix of independent shops and bars.
Emma Marshall, of selling agent Knight Frank, said: ‘It’s a really cool area. We are selling other “new” mews flats which were built on the site of old garages.
‘One of the benefits of mews addresses is that they’re so quiet. It’s becoming a real trend in this area. You are getting a full house in a central district rather than up a tenement flat.’
The servants who once bunked with the nags in this style of building would never recognise the 21st Century equivalent. At this property, on Broughton Street Lane, there are four levels of accommodation.
The cottage has two double bedrooms, two shower rooms, an openplan living space and a light – if narrow – mezzanine area.
The contemporary decor is complemented by liberal use of stainless steel on the staircase handrails and the mezzanine area.
The kitchen has been fitted with sleek Siemens cooking appliances and there is also an integrated wine fridge.
I recommend you enjoy a glass outside, in the private courtyard garden at the back.