Chester, CheshireSold

Liverpool Road II

Minton tiles, marble fireplaces and vast bay windows - the height of Victoriana - are in abundance

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Set back from Chester’s tree-lined Liverpool Road, this spacious five-bedroom Victorian house unfolds over 3,029 sq ft across three storeys. A vibrant yellow front door set in its traditional red brick façade sets the tone for what lies within, where original features, such as Minton tiled floors, are married with a striking yet considered use of colour throughout. Expansive windows allow plenty of light in while, in the rear, framing views out to a spacious garden teeming with hydrangeas, jasmine and roses. All the brilliance that Chester has to offer is just a short walk away, but for excursions further afield, rail and road connections to Liverpool, Manchester and London are excellent.

Setting the Scene

Built in 1869, the house sits on a leafy residential road around a 5-minute walk from the Cathedral City of Chester. Liverpool Road is defined by its elegant Victorian villas, which were originally built for wealthy merchants and senior clerks looking for quiet and space outside of the bustle of the city. Behind a typically Victorian façade are interiors with intricate cornicing, gothic-inspired fireplaces and expanses of original glazing, combining to create an archetypal, late Victorian home. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

The house’s grand red brick and stucco-adorned façade peeks out from behind a mature yew tree that fosters a sense of privacy. The canary yellow door is set beneath a half-circle fanlight and characterful climbing clematis.

Behind the door is a fittingly impressive hallway that joins the front and back parts of the ground floor. Ornate Minton tiling runs underfoot here, while bracketed cornicing and an original rose adorn the ceiling above. The first of two sitting rooms is at the front of the plan and is lit by a huge floor-to-ceiling bay window. Walls are finished in ‘Notting Hill’ blue by Mylands and extend up to the soaring ceiling, where there is more original cornicing. Checkerboard tiling and an ashy blue surround frame the fireplace, which is flanked on either side by shelving and cupboards. The floorboards here have been finished in a glossy, black stain.

Along the hallway is the second sitting room, painted ‘Threadneedle’ pink, with a reddish marble fire surround, black-painted chimney breast and more shelving. Natural light enters through the back aspect, where there are double doors out to the garden beyond.

In the middle of the ground-floor plan is a study, followed by a dining room, the kitchen, a utility room and a handy WC. Cabinetry in the kitchen is bespoke and topped with solid wood worktops. Dual-aspect windows above the countertops usher in plenty of light and frame lovely garden views to admire while cooking. While rosy pink walls in both the kitchen and adjacent dining room create a sense of flow between the two, an original chimney breast with a passageway on one side acts as a clever delineation between the spaces.

An impressive original staircase connects the ground to the cellars below, and to the first floor above. Here, there are three similarly generous bedrooms: the front bedroom has plenty of fitted storage and an en suite bathroom; the middle looks out over the rear garden; and the back, the principal bedroom, has cosy pink-painted butt-and-bead panelling. The rear bedroom also has a substantial en suite, with both a freestanding bathtub and a walk-in shower. There is also a spacious family bathroom with a shower on this level.

The stairs curve round again to the second floor, where there are two further bedrooms. Both are lit from above by skylights, while the back room has a useful inbuilt cupboard.

The Great Outdoors

The house’s tranquil garden has expansive views over Chester and the Welsh hills beyond. Wonderfully landscaped with established hydrangeas, roses, honeysuckle, hellebores and fruit trees, there is a stretch of manicured lawn leading down to an intimate gravelled area bordered by latticed fencing. Perfect for al fresco dining, the space gets sun throughout the day and is an ideal spot for entertaining.

Out and About

Despite its compact historic city centre, Chester packs a punch when it comes to shops, restaurants, and cafés that cater to all appetites. Some of the best brunch and coffee can be found outside of the city walls at Short and Stout across Hoole Bridge, or at the wonderful Garden Social tucked away in the Garden Quarter. In the centre of town, Storyhouse is a well-preserved art deco cultural stalwart housing an independent theatre, cinema and library. Pre-theatre sustenance is at hand at nearby Porta Tapas or The Forge, while those looking for a glass of wine or respectively coffee, will be more than satisfied with the offering at Covino and the Jaunty Goat.

A short drive west is the Hawarden Estate and its impeccably stocked farm shop, campsite and pub The Glynne Arms, with an ever-changing seasonal and local menu.

Outdoor adventures abound in this area; the rugged wilderness of Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, peerless beaches of Anglesey and the expansive moorlands of the Peak District are all within an hour and a half’s drive away, whilst the Clwydian AONB is on Chester’s doorstep. The River Dee carves its way through the city centre and can be followed on foot to join the Wales Coastal Path, while the Chester Millennium Greenway follows a disused train line and gives incredibly easy, traffic-free access to the surrounding countryside for cyclists. Within the city, Northgate Ponds are less than 10 minutes’ walk away, whilst the Countess of Chester Country Park is one mile to the north with nature-rich wetlands beyond.

There are a range of excellent independent and state schools in the area, including the highly regarded King’s and Queen’s schools.

Chester is incredibly well connected, with direct trains running to London (two hours), Liverpool (40 minutes) and Manchester (one hour). Proximity to the motorway network means easy and quick access to Liverpool and Manchester, and London, in around four hours.

Council Tax Band: F

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

Originally settled by the Romans in the first century AD and known as Deva Victrix (after the River Dee, which runs through the city), Chester’s tactical position was utilised to bolster the Roman campaign to the north. Imposing city walls (today the most complete city walls in the UK) and an extensive harbour ensured Deva became one of the most important Roman settlements in Britain, its success as a wealthy trading port continuing into the Middle Ages. It was during this period that the renowned, Grade-I listed Rows were built, defining the character of Chester’s commercial heart.

During this period, the settlement expanded beyond the city walls; however, any fledgeling suburbs were extensively damaged following two years of besiegement during the English Civil War. Nearby Prince Ruperts Passage, which cuts between Liverpool Road and Parkgate Road, was first formed as a defensive trench cut into the sandstone bedrock.

Despite the decline of the harbour and overwhelming competition from neighbouring Liverpool, the arrival of the train line and canals to Chester ensured a sustainable level of affluence. In the Georgian era, Chester became again a town with elegant terraces where the landed aristocracy lived. This trend continued into the Industrial Revolution, when the city was populated with the upper classes fleeing the industrial sprawls of Manchester and Liverpool.

After 1840, more exclusive suburbs began to develop along Liverpool Road, as it did south of the river. The city centre was transformed in this period by improvements to the street plan, the erection of several large public buildings, and above all the rebuilding of many commercial premises in the half-timbered styles of the vernacular revival, pioneered by the architect Thomas Mainwaring Penson.

From the early 20th century, the area was steadily filled with speculative houses of higher quality, detached and semi-detached and still Edwardian in style. Many of these now form the Liverpool Road Character Area, typically built of local warm reddish-brown brick and Welsh slate, and set back from the road by large front gardens.