4 bedroom house

• Victorian, stone, Semi-Detached House.
• Dating from 1885 and exhibiting original features.
• Fantastically convenient location by The Cross and Bearsden Station.
• Amidst a notable garden (approx. third of an acre).
• Two Public Rooms and four Bedrooms.
• Basement level with two rooms & two stores. Sub-floor cellar.
• Dated specification, modernising required.
• Gas central heating (ground floor and bathroom only).
• Garage, Greenhouse, Potting Shed, Fern House.
• Access via private lane, off Drymen Road.
• A wonderful family home, happily owned by our clients for over 50 years.
This is one of the earliest properties built in Bearsden, following the arrival of the Railway in 1863, which made Bearsden one of Glasgow’s premier districts. It remains very much so today. Beyond its leafy environment, high quality housing stock, excellent local amenities and services, its schooling is very highly regarded and at Bearsden Academy one has the No. 2 ranked State Secondary in Scotland.
This house is one of four properties that were built (No’s 88 to 94) when part of the Douglas of Mains Estate was disponed for development in 1885. It is a substantial stone Semi-Detached Villa of handsome lines that features a bow window projection (Sitting Room and Bedroom 1). As clients will see from the floor plans, the subjects are generous in scale and includes a floored/lined attic level, spacious, recreation room (access via a staircase) but more significantly a basement level with four rooms/stores and a sub-floor cellar space. In both the ground floor and first floor halls there are large walk-in store cupboards. The subjects retain all the original ornate plasterwork, most evident in the hall, sitting room, dining room and perhaps the most elaborate being that in the original drawing room (now the main upstairs bedroom).
It is accepted that the property is dated in respect of specification and décor, but it does present a glorious opportunity to acquire one of Old Bearsden’s grand homes upon which one can invest, modernise and in so doing, add value. More importantly, though, the new owner can secure a family home to love and enjoy for years, probably decades to come. Indeed, our clients have owned the house for some 52 years. The property was originally named Belleville.
A passion, and expertise, of our clients has been horticulture and particularly the propagation of ferns. The garden (plot in total approx. 1/3 acre) is testament to a half century of work and care. Nearly all that is seen is by their efforts including the wonderful Monkey Puzzle tree in the front garden and the magnificent Pacific Northwest Noble Fir in the rear garden. The garden is noted particularly for its fern collection and was recognised by the National Council for the Conservation of Plants and Gardens (Note: Much of this fern ‘collection’ and some other plants/shrubs will be removed by the date of entry as they are being donated to the Linn Botanic Gardens at Cove, Helensburgh. The sculptures, pot plants will be removed).
ACCOMMODATION
GROUND FLOOR
• Entrance Porch – With a fine original oak and glass front door and front window screen.
• Vestibule – With storm doors.
• Hall – A large reception hall with a grand staircase, detailed cornice work and a fine wooden picture rail.
• Sitting Room – With five frame bow window (secondary glazed) to the west, tiled fireplace with living flame gas fire and a wonderfully ornate ceiling cornice with centre rose.
• Dining Room – Currently used as a bedroom temporarily. Exquisite, detailed plasterwork to ceiling, frieze depicting roses and leaf structures and shelved wall cupboard.
• Kitchen – Old dark oak kitchen units with some appliances (four burner gas hob, filter cooker hood, oven, dishwasher, fridge freezer). Double aspect (east and south) and rear porch with door (stair) to rear garden.
• Utility Room and Shower Room – Originally this would have been a single room and very probably the Maid’s room. Now sub-divided it provides a utility room/pantry and shower room with wash hand basin and a shower enclosure featuring an electric Mira Sport shower. It was a 5th bedroom in past years and could be returned to one, or a study.
• WC – With powder blue suite (WC and wash hand basin). Lowered ceiling.
FIRST FLOOR
• Staircase – This is the original grand staircase ascending to the upper hall above which is a circular cupola to flood the stairwell and hall with light. Picture rail. Cornice.
• Bedroom 1 – The original large drawing room of the house and with the most elaborate ceiling plasterwork. Bow window to the front (secondary glazed), facing west. Connecting door to Bedroom 4 (Home Office).
• En-suite – A corner of the bedroom has been given over to create a shower room. Ivory coloured suite with wash hand basin and shower enclosure with a Mira thermostatic shower. Arguably, this is all dated and the purchaser may likely look to change this arrangement.
• Bedroom 2 – Double bedroom with shelved wall cupboard and wardrobe.
• Bedroom 3 – Double bedroom, also with shelved cupboard and wardrobe provision.
• Bedroom 4 – A double used as a Home Office. Connecting door to Bedroom 1.
• Bathroom – Pink suite featuring wash hand basin and an enamel bath over which is an electric Mira Sport shower.
• WC – Situated by the bathroom is this WC compartment.
ATTIC
• From the first-floor hall a door reveals a staircase that ascends into a full L-shaped attic area that has been used as a recreation room (floored and lined, electricity and lighting) with two skylight windows plus all round access to the eaves. In the past has been a children’s play area, teenagers’ den, study space and as the occasional sleep-over space. Clearly, it provides a great area simply for storage.
BASEMENT LEVEL
• From a small cloakroom store, off the reception hall, a stone staircase descends to the basement level and a hallway with understairs store cupboard.
• Laundry Room – A full laundry room with storage/kitchen cabinets (some original, some early post-war). Two original Belfast sinks. Boiler located here. Window to the side.
• Workshop – With workbench, rear facing window with shutters.
• Cold Store – A coal storeroom with wall mounted shelves and a slate topped table. Side window with shutters.
• Storeroom – originally a bomb shelter with reinforced ceiling, this currently functions as a storeroom with ample shelving.
• Cellar – Accessed via a small door from the hall. This provides sub-floor access to the remainder of the house (very useful for trades people undertaking work).
CENTRAL HEATING
There is mains gas to the property with a partial central heating system operating via radiators through the ground floor accommodation and within the first-floor bathroom where there is an original chrome towel radiator. The boiler is a Worcester Greenstar 30CDi Conventional Condensing Boiler. On the first-floor hall is an electric storage radiator. No fixed radiators in the bedrooms.
GARDENS
The grounds are delightful and landscaped to allow the planting to take centre stage. There is a broad variety of specimen plants, shrubs and trees including the rather rare feature of some mistletoe. There is a small pond with fountain. All is bounded by mature hedging and to the front of the plot, atop a high stone boundary wall to Drymen Road – this sets the house above the road and ensures near total privacy and significantly mitigates traffic noise. The access drive, via gates, comes off a private lane shared by No’s 88 and its Coach House, 90 and 92. At the very foot of the garden is a short drive and the property’s Single Garage (timber). Other outbuildings include a brick Potting Shed, an aluminium framed Greenhouse (established grapevine within) and a small polycarbonate Fern House.

Tenure : Freehold
Council Tax : Band G
EPC : Band D

SITUATION
The property could not have a more central location situated as it is but a couple of hundred metres south of The Cross and even less north from Bearsden Railway Station. On one’s doorstep, literally, are the shops and amenities to be found at The Cross which are extensive. Just to the south, off Drymen Road at Station Road is Bearsden Railway Station and a particularly well stocked Co-op. On Drymen Road, and Roman Road, there are regular bus services. School catchment is for Bearsden Primary (at The Cross) and for Bearsden Academy at Courthill recently ranked No. 2 State Secondary School in Scotland. Also within Bearsden is St Nicholas’s Primary on Duntocher Road and at the top of Ledcameroch Road, the Junior School for The High School of Glasgow, its Secondary School is just south of Bearsden at Anniesland. At Bearsden Cross is The Hub the suburbs local Community Centre including Bearsden’s Library and Registry Office. There are churches of various denominations, GP Practices, Dental Practices, Tennis Clubs, and a Bowling Club. Bearsden has three Golf Clubs. Shopping is very well catered for with quality independent retailers at The Cross including a butchers and fishmongers along with a Marks & Spencer Food Hall. On Milngavie Road, at Kessington, is a large Asda and a Sainsbury’s convenience store. South of Bearsden, at Anniesland, is a large Morrison’s and in Milngavie an excellent Waitrose and a large Aldi. Milngavie, too, has a Marks & Spencer’s. Under construction will be a superb new local authority Sport/Leisure Centre.
EXCLUSIONS/INCLUSIONS
Curtains, blinds and fitted carpets are being left as will the kitchen appliances and, probably, the two washing machines and driers. The upright fridge-freezer in the utility room will not be included. Most light fittings will except the glass globe in the reception hall, and the two pendulum lights and “shell” light in the upper hall.
SAT NAV REF: G61 2SY – The property sits above Drymen Road and is accessed via the lane that comes off Drymen Road. The driveway is the first drive on the left. Given the landscaping of the garden there is limited parking in this drive but there is a further parking space at the foot of the lane to the left where the property’s garage is located (parking space here for one car). Alternatively, one could park at The Cross and simply walk down to the property for a viewing or park at the carparks at Bearsden Railway Station.

EPC Rating: D
Council Tax Band: G


Marketed by: Rettie & Co, Bearsden