Looks can be deceptive. Bartons, at 17, Fairway, one of Guildford’s best private residential road, may have started life as a 1930s house (and still look like it from the outside) but step inside and you’ll discover a contemporary, light-filled family home with an extraordinary sense of space.
James Ackerley of Knight Frank’s Guildford office is quoting a guide price of £2.75m for the the 4,580sq ft family home, whose dramatic transformation was based on designs by the Surrey-based architect Elspeth Beard. As a result, the sleek interiors flow seamlessly from room to room, lending themselves well to entertaining — yet retain many original charming features.
The house is largely open-plan at ground-floor level, with the drawing room and the kitchen, breakfast and family room both having vaulted ceilings, exposed beams and multiple doors leading onto the rear garden, making it perfect for entertaining. Also on the ground floor are a separate dining room, a study and a useful media room.
Upstairs are four bedrooms, two of which have en-suite bathrooms, plus a family bathroom. Additional accommodation is available in a guest annexe above the integral double garage. Also vaulted, the annexe provides a fifth bedroom with a bathroom en-suite, plus a TV in the bath area for added relaxation.
The rear garden has a large, wraparound sun terrace leading to flat lawns on two levels, a pretty wildflower meadow and a separate, private sunken sun terrace. The grounds total about half an acre bordered by immaculately trimmed hedging.
A footpath at the rear leads directly to the lovely Merrow Downs and the surrounding Surrey Hills AONB providing scope for long family walks. Linked to the Merrow Downs is also access to Guildford Golf Course — all this within easy reach of Guildford town centre and the station, with its frequent, fast services to London Waterloo.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Credit: Hamptons
Six great homes in London plus a classic country house within commuting range, as seen in Country Life
Our round-up this week includes options for those seeking a home in one of the capital's finest areas, or a
Credit: Costa Navarino
Three homes across the world as seen in Country Life, from equestrian's dream to Greek paradise
We take a look at three of the finest overseas properties to appear in Country Life in the last few
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country LifeOur pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
-
Shark tanks, crocodile lagoons, laser defences, and a subterranean shooting gallery — nothing is impossible when making the ultimate garageTo collectors, cars are more than just transport — they are works of art. And the buildings used to store them are starting to resemble galleries.
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country Life
Our pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
-
The finest interiors in Edinburgh? A seven-bedroom townhouse furnished by Robert Kime comes to marketSituated on one of the New Town's grandest terraces, this four-storey property is a collector's dream.
-
A Grade II*-listed country manor with one of the most beautiful drawing rooms in EnglandIf Old Manor Farm in Somerset is good enough for Pevsner, it's good enough for you.
-
An eight-bedroom home in Surrey where an army of robots will look after your lawnsDo not fear the bladed guardians of Monksfield House. They are here to help.
-
A French castle for sale on the banks of the Dordogne? With a swimming pool? Where do we sign?This chateau in Lalinde is nothing short of a historical delight in the south of France. And it comes fully furnished.
-
Sip your morning tea where Churchill once paced, as his former Pimlico home comes up for saleThe five-bedroom flat in Eccleston Square offers ‘historical gravitas and modern comfort’ in a leafy pocket of London.
-
Live a life of Tudor fancy in this five-bedroom London home with links to Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIIIFans of Wolf Hall rejoice, as a rare chance to own a Tudor home inside the M25 comes to market.
-
Murder, intrigue and 'the magic of a bygone era' at this eight-bedroom home set in 25 acres of Devon countrysideUpcott Barton is a family home steeped in history and comes with more than 5,000sq ft of living space.
