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Classic home offers spectacular vistas

0 Comments | Bath Chronicle, The, Mar 18, 2010

Crowe Hall is a classic Grade II Listed Bath villa, understood to have originally been built in about 1760 for an unknown member of the Crowe family. In 1961 the house was bought by Sir Sydney Barratt who filled the house with 18th century furniture and pictures suited to the period of the original house. Crowe Hall has been in the same family ever since, and is on the open market for the first time in living memory.

Crowe Hall is a Bath stone townhouse in a remarkable hillside setting with long views from the gardens and grounds, including a spectacular vista across to the 18th century Prior Park, built by John Wood with gardens inspired and created by Capability Brown.

The house has been extensively remodelled and extended over the years and is now in need of modernisation and improvement to suit modern day needs. It represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of Bath’s finest houses.

The property is approached via large wrought iron electric gates from Widcombe Hill. The drive sweeps up to the magnificent pillared, stone portico with its grand Ionic capitals at the entrance to the house, where there is a turning and parking area.

The house is ideally suited for family living or entertaining on a grand scale, with wonderful tall ceilings and architectural detail including ornate cornicing, architraves and open fireplaces with pretty marble surrounds.

The entrance hall, supported by four pillars with Doric capitals, is stunning.

Full of details and historical interest this magnificent entrance hall is very much the showpiece and heart of the house, with vaulted ceilings and a polished hard wood floor that extends through the house and to the elegant staircase ahead.

The library is accessed straight from the hall and has excellent high ceilings, large windows and an open fire. The morning room, drawing room and dining room are inter-connecting with more tall ceilings and architectural detail including ornate cornicing, architraves and open fireplaces with marble surrounds.

All of these rooms are exceptionally light and bright with large sash windows and French doors giving stunning views up towards Prior Park and access onto the terrace.

There is a butler’s pantry, flower room, sitting room and kitchen/ breakfast room, laundry/utility, larder and pantry.

From the rear hallway there are stairs down to the extensive cellars which includes wine bins, numerous stores, vaults and the boiler room.

The main stairs rise to the galleried landing off which is the master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing room. There are a further nine separate bedrooms and four bath/shower rooms, three of these bedrooms are currently incorporated within a self-contained staff flat which can be accessed by a secondary staircase.

The gardens and grounds are a wonderful feature of the property and are listed on the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest as Grade II. The formal garden is screened and protected from the driveway and entered via a stone doorway
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