Victorian semi has had an eclectic list of owners
THERE are a number of period properties in the town but few if any can boast such a rich and varied history when it comes to former inhabitants as this one.
This semi-detached house in Three Bridges, which dates back to the first half of the 1800s, has been home to a steam train driver, a soldier and a baker.
-
DESIRABLE: The home sold for £200 in 1901
It was bought by train driver William Thomas Towell in 1901 for £200.
Three Bridges train station, previously known as East Crawley station, was opened in 1841 and was expanded around the time that Mr Towell moved into the house.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013
The man he bought it from was Fredrick Parsons, a builder from Brighton.
And when the current owners moved in 12 years ago they found, in the attic, a pouch containing items left by another presumed owner, a soldier in the Queen's Westminster Rifles, a battalion which served in the First World War.
A love letter to the soldier's girlfriend was found along with a letter from his mother, an expenses book, military buttons, cap badges and a Queen's Westminster Rifles matchbox.
Later in the 1900s the property was used as a bakery when Crawley was a small but prosperous town.
The original fireplace is still in place along with solid oak flooring and a there is even a well in the back garden.
David Callman, senior negotiator at Fox and Sons estate agents, said: "It's certainly not one of your run-of-the-mill properties.
"There are quite a few Victorian houses in Crawley but nothing like this. The earliest record we have of the house is where it appears on a map in 1842 so we think it is likely to have been built in the early 1800s.
"To have been sold for £200 in 1901 means it must have been a very upmarket house at the time.
"It was a very desirable property in those days and it is a very desirable property now.
"The original chimney is a very striking feature and throughout the property there are period features.
"The well has had a pond built on top of it but it has been preserved underneath so it could be restored if desired. While the property has been modernised it has retained its period features.
"The kitchen was restored rather than being replaced so it still has the old feel to it."
The home in Three Bridges Road, which has two or three bedrooms depending on how its next owner wants to use one room, is available for offers in excess of £350,000.
For more details call Fox and Sons on 01293 520521.
Comments