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Larkhall Terrace

Just outside the window, a vine twists along the rear rubble stone wall, growing heavy with a bounty of grapes each year

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Nestled in the centre of much-coveted Larkhall, Bath, is this delightful 19th-century three-bedroom terraced house with a courtyard garden. Under the guardianship of its current owner, the house has been thoughtfully renovated, maintaining its historic character and adding beautiful details, such as the reclaimed timber floors and kitchen cabinetry. A short walk from Larkhall village square, the house is perfectly positioned for the area’s lovely independent shops, restaurants and cafes and is only a 35-minute walk from the centre of Bath.

Setting the Scene

Until the 18th century, the landscape of Larkhall was predominantly agricultural, but in 1740, an urban settlement began to flourish. The development was concentrated around the Georgian manor house at the crossroads of St Saviour’s Road and Upper Lambridge Street. This intersection is now known as the ‘Larkhall village square’. In 1784, the manor began operating as an inn and brewery with attached stables and is still in operation as a pub today. This terraced house, thought to have been built in the 1890s, occupies a central position tucked on a quiet lane behind the village square. For more information, see the History section.

The Grand Tour

The house is accessed by a pretty footpath that runs from the main street and along the front of the terrace. The ashlar Bath stone façade is crowned with a decorative scalloped fascia board, and the gooseberry fool green-painted front door is draped in honeysuckle. This opens to a bright hallway, off which there is a handy cloakroom. Running underfoot and throughout the ground level is reclaimed stained pine flooring, thoughtfully sourced by the current owner to blend with the building’s period aesthetic. Light pours through the original sash windows to reveal the beautifully weathered floor.

At the back of the plan is the reception room. Spanning the original 19th-century terrace and a later extension, this room has ample space for a sitting area as well as space for dining; the current owner has also arranged a corner for reading. In the middle of the room, a fantastic double-sided fireplace with an open gas fire sits on a raised hearth, creating a wonderful focal point. Light shines through a set of sliding glass doors that open to a private courtyard at the rear of the house, meaning the room is exceptionally bright, enhanced by the white-washed brick exposed brick on the chimney breast. To the front of the house is the kitchen, where salvaged wooden cabinets and a deep butler sink make a charming space for cooking. A glazed door from the kitchen opens to the private courtyard, perfect for alfresco dining in the summer.

From the reception room, a staircase rises to the first floor with three bedrooms and a family bathroom. At the end of the landing is the primary bedroom, which overlooks the courtyard below. Just outside this window, a vine twists along the rear rubble stone wall, growing heavy with a bounty of grapes each year. Of the two further bedrooms, one is positioned at the back of the plan and is currently used as a studio space. The other is at the front with another original sash window. From the landing, a pitch-pine panelled door with a quatrefoil detail opens to a bathroom with white-painted floorboards and soft blue-toned walls.

The Great Outdoors

A pair of sliding glass doors open from the reception room to an intimate courtyard at the rear of the house, a perfect space for potting plants, growing herbs or enjoying a coffee. At the front, a patio area sits alongside the gardens of neighbouring homes, which blend to make a beautiful green and, come summer, colourful approach.

Out and About

Larkhall is in the city’s northern quarter; abundant with independent shops and grocers, this corner of Bath has a vibrant village atmosphere. For local produce, Goodies Delicatessen is well-stocked with handmade cheese, charcuterie and sweet treats, as well as excellent organic coffee. Just across the road is Larkhall Butchers, considered one of the city’s best. There is also a cooperative supermarket, an independent hardware store, a post office and a pub, as well as the Rondo Theatre, which hosts a variety of up-and-coming acts as well as well-established performers. For green space, a path at the back of the terrace leads to a common, perfect for walking dogs or a stroll among trees.

The house is only a 25-minute walk to the centre of Bath, where there are endless restaurants, cafes and bars. A trip to Landrace Bakery for bread and pastries or The Beckford Bottle Shop for artisan cheese and enviable cellar offerings are both excellent choices. Uniquely situated in a hollow in the hills, the surrounding Somerset countryside provides an incredible backdrop to the city. The National Trust Skyline Walk offers exceptional views through six miles of meadows and ancient woodlands.

Transport links are excellent; Bath Spa train station can be reached in about 10 minutes by bus, or a 35-minute walk, providing a direct line to London Paddington in under one and a half hours. The M4 motorway sits just on the edge of Larkhall, and a drive to London via this route takes two and a half hours. For international connections, Bristol Airport is less than an hour’s drive.

Council Tax Band: C

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. Inigo has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.

History

The original Georgian manor house ‘Lark Hall’ gives Larkhall village its name. It began operating as an inn in 1784, with stables and a brewery added to the building in the early 1800s. The inn’s location on the main coaching road from Gloucester to Bath made it an important post for the mail coaches, becoming such a thoroughfare it even began producing its own tokens to be used in place of money. Still operating as a pub today, the inn has overseen 200 years of the area’s development.

The inn became a popular meeting place for people who came to take to the waters of Larkhall Spa. The healing waters were opened in 1835 by Joseph Blackwin after a mineral spring with iron-rich waters was discovered on his land along the Larkhall-Swainswick border in 1833. By 1839, Blackwin had announced bankruptcy and the spa was forced to close its doors, but the building stood for many years until a ‘sustained tropical rain storm’ in 1968 caused it significant damage, and it was finally demolished in the 1970s.