Silver Street, Newport Pagnell, With Garden Annexe

Rich with character and abundant with space is this three-storey Victorian villa, with a beautiful blend of history and modernity, and both original features and new additions throughout.

Set behind high laurel hedging and accessed by a blue tile and terracotta pathway between pillars, this handsome red brick residence has stood proudly for nearly 150 years. The row was built for teachers at the school behind, and railings once out the front were used for munitions in the war.
Over the last 12 years, the current owners have undertaken substantial updates, including new Roseview heritage windows and bi-fold doors in 2018, a new kitchen in 2018, and refurbishing the outbuilding in 2022. They’ve covered some of the more costly but perhaps less exciting works, such as drainage, guttering, repointing, and replacing the boiler and radiators.

Retaining period details was of utmost importance to them, and you’ll see original patterned tiled flooring in the hallway, coving, picture rails and ceiling roses, wood and stained glass doors, and a total of seven fireplaces throughout the property. There are particularly high ceilings here, which give the home a true sense of light and airiness, something visitors often comment on.

The accommodation is a balance of separate spaces for quiet relaxation, with options for work and play, and the open-plan kitchen/dining room at the back for a sociable way of living. The kitchen area was a dark, dingy coal store before, and is now bright, modern and perfect for entertaining, guests warmed by the log burner in the dining area. There’s a country vibe from shaker cabinetry, wood surfacing, a ceramic sink and space for a range.

Upstairs, the four bedrooms, each a generous double, are set over the first and second floors. The first-floor bedrooms are served by a shower room, and the top floor has a four-piece en suite. The rear windows have views over rooftops, and the bedroom at the front has a leafy outlook to tall trees and the historic building Lovat Bank.. Tucked to the back of the top floor is an office, secluded away for a productive day. This could well be a walk-in wardrobe if preferred.

The Garden Room is super versatile for many uses, currently a snug with a shower room, with potential for an AirBnb, a teenager’s retreat, an art studio, or just somewhere for garden party guests to shelter if rain makes an appearance.  The current owners used this as a workspace and as a small gym. You could add kitchen facilities to create a self-contained annexe (stp). There are bi-fold doors across the front for that indoor-outdoor feel, with the garden lovely to look out on.

When spring comes around, the garden really blooms, and there are various plants, shrubs and trees dotted around the artificial lawn, from roses and rosemary bushes, to fruit trees and trailing ivy. To sit down and dine out among the foliage and in this private position, there are patios and a raised deck, which has electrics for a hot tub. Although you won’t need a lawnmower, there’s a store for keeping gardening tools. Bikes can also be kept in here, and taken out via a passageway behind the houses, and cars can be parked on the road or in the free car park opposite.

The property is located in a conservation area, and directly in front of renowned building Lovat Bank which is now a Yoga Studio. It’s mere steps from the Baptist Church, the Rose & Crown pub and the River Ouzel. The owners’ grandchildren have grown up by the water, under the crack willow trees, and collecting cones from the veteran sequoia. Parents have the Cedars primary school on the doorstep, Ousedale secondary school down the road, and independent schools in surrounding towns.

When the owners were looking for a house back in 2011, they had two key criteria. Number one: it had to be between Bedford and Northampton. This market town is almost equidistant to both, within a short drive of Milton Keynes and the M1, and commuting distance into the capital. There’s a strong community, with clubs, classes and quiz nights, as well as carnivals and Christmas events, and the High Street is chocked with cafés, restaurants, shops and services.

Number two for criteria was the style of the home, with the current owner having dreamt  of a three-storey Victorian house her whole life. And now, this property could be a dream come true for you.