Ralph reviews a semi-detached Victorian house in Chester
Well it would appear, ladies and gentlemen, that summer has arrived, and I am making the most of it (after all, we never know how long it’s going to last do we?). I have been dragging dad off for early morning walks – it’s such a lovely time of day and I simply adore rolling in the dew-drenched grass, somehow it just sets me up right for the day! Then after a hard day in the office, mum and I take a stroll through the village, it is amazing how the sunshine brings people out of their homes and we have ended up having some lovely chats on our perambulations (not to mention the fact that the odd dog treat may happen to come my way at the same time!)
In short, the amazing sunshine has set the tone for the week and things only got better when I was parcelled off to Hough Green in Chester to visit the subject of this week’s Ralph’s Review – a stylish semi-detached Victorian house in the sought-after suburb. As dad pulled the car onto a large gravel driveway I commented (in a series of barks that dad seems to understand perfectly) that from the house one could easily walk into the city centre. Dad nodded his agreement and then both hopped down from the car. I gazed up at the elegant façade and knew instantly that I was in for a treat.
Hardly pausing to take breath I launched myself towards the front door, which opened seamlessly just before I crashed into it, and I found myself sliding to a halt in a beautiful entrance hall. Slightly out of breath, I took a moment to sit down and just admire the view before going to inspect the rooms hidden behind three doors leading off from the hall. Situated at the front of the house I found a simply stunning sitting room complete with an imposing bay window, a period style fireplace with open fire and a multitude of other period features, all styled with exquisite taste.
I could hardly wait to see what the rest of the property had to offer so it wasn’t long before I headed back into the hall to pop my head round the other two doors. At the back of the house, I found a very handy study and, next to that, a beautiful drawing room. Styled to perfection, this room also boasted a magnificent bay window as well as a period style fireplace. As I sat down to soak up the soothing ambience and admire the views of the back garden, I mused to myself how wonderful it would be to have two such chic rooms in which to entertain one’s guests. My friends from the local dog-walking group can be a very discerning bunch (one could even say “picky”) but there would definitely not be any complaints from them here!
With a wry little smile, I made my way back into the hall and headed to a set of stairs which I had noticed led downwards. Down I bounced (I always appear to be rather ungainly when going downstairs. It is no mean feat for a vertically challenged little pug and I have to be very careful to keep my weight balanced just perfectly to avoid rolly-pollies all the way down – believe me, this has happened once or twice!). Once I was safely back on terra firma, I looked around and realised that I was in a hallway, I promptly took a door to my right and found myself in a bright, modern but sympathetically styled kitchen dining room. As I wandered around, I admired the beautiful contemporary shaker-style units, the sociable breakfast unit and all the integrated neff kitchen accessories including a coffee machine and wine cooler – well, I think mum could move in right now! As I padded around the kitchen, I also discovered a large walk-in pantry – now you’re talking – I did a quick calculation and estimated that I could store one million, three hundred thousand, five hundred and twenty-seven treats in there. Wowzers, that would comfortably last me a whole three weeks!
Further explorations of the lower ground floor led to the discovery of a dedicated TV room – wow, dad and I love to watch a good movie, this would be just the perfect place to immerse ourselves in a fantasy world whilst stuffing ourselves full of snacks! It is also worth noting that there is access to a handy store room through the TV room. Whilst sensible people would think this a great place to store all the household paraphernalia, dad and I just discussed the idea of rows of shelves housing our massive collection of films – simply heaven!
With my mind full of thoughts of films and appetising treats, I headed back up the stairs to the upper ground floor and then bounded up another set of stairs to the first floor. There I found a family shower room and two very large double bedrooms, one of which boasted an en suite bathroom and a dressing room.
As I had come to expect from No 16 Hough Green, each room was charming and styled to perfection. With a sigh of pure contentment, I made my way up yet another set of stairs – blimey I was getting my steps in today and I have to confess, my energy levels were starting to wane. On the second floor, I found another two spacious bedrooms both with en suite shower rooms. I have to confess that I did curl up at the bottom of one of the beds in a little patch of inviting sunlight to catch forty winks and I have to say I felt much more spritely when I woke up. In fact I flew off the bed in alarm as dad, rather unkindly, whistled in my ear to wake me up. Not one to hold a grudge, I wagged my tail, gave him a loving lick, jumped off the bed and made my way all the way back downstairs.
My plan, as usual, was to set off to explore the garden but dad steered me in the direction of an annexe to the side of the house. I discovered it had its own entrance and was, indeed a perfectly formed self-contained dwelling with a kitchen, living area, bedroom and en suite shower room. Well, what a fabulous granny annexe or young pup apartment this could be, or it could even be used as a guest suite…
My final stop at this fabulous family home was of course the garden. And what a garden it is – boasting a large expanse of lawn, several Indian stone terraces, a garden fireplace, a storeroom and a garage. I asked dad (through the medium of bark) to throw my frisbee as far as he could, I raced full pelt to catch it and still didn’t reach the end of the garden! So I can say with some authority that it really is an unusually large garden especially for such a centrally located property.
As I reluctantly made my way back to the car to head back to the office, I cast a final glance at No 16 Hough Green and realised that there was not a single thing I could find fault with. This really is a perfect family home which would suit so many different family dynamics. If you have been as charmed as me by No 16 Hough Green and would like to arrange a viewing, please do not hesitate to contact myself or one of my team on 01244 322322 or info@rickittpartnership.co.uk
Until next time
Love Ralph X
