Saffron Walden, Essex

Bridge House is a truly exceptional historic three-storey town house of substantial proportions, dating back to the late 15th century. Altered and improved over five centuries, this fine Grade II*-listed property is set within a stunning walled garden of over half an acre. There are a multitude of beautiful features throughout this extensive family home, including numerous exposed beams and timbers, striking fireplaces, wall and ceiling panelling and Jacobean carvings, deep sash windows, magnificent Tudor chimneys, original timber floors and fluted columns which are a distinctive feature of the impressive entrance hall. The current owners have undertaken considerable works to embellish, enhance and preserve the property – including an extensive upgrade of plumbing, wiring and secondary glazing. Their efforts ensure that Bridge House remains one of Saffron Walden’s most impressive homes, set in the heart of the town’s historic conservation area with easy access both to Cambridge and nearby Audley End train station, on the London to Liverpool St line.
Leading from the large reception hall, the accommodation flows beautifully across the ground floor, with its stunning drawing room, dining room, cosy family room, superb re-modelled kitchen/breakfast room and additional food preparation kitchen/laundry room. This main kitchen features bespoke hand-crafted units of exceptional quality with quartz work surfaces, a large central island, underfloor heating and a range of integrated appliances including a four oven Aga, gas hob, double oven and wine cooler. This area looks out onto a rear garden courtyard and features part-glazed bifold doors opening to the main gardens. Also on the ground floor is a rear entrance hall with a coat/boot area and guest WC. This entrance is easily accessed via a secure side-gate opening on to Freshwell Street. On the first floor, two staircases lead to four bedrooms, all beautifully proportioned, and two well-equipped bathrooms, one with a roll top bath. The master bedroom is a noteworthy spectacular room with two windows to the front and two to the rear, a stunning timber floor and period fireplace. The main staircase features rare Jacobean carvings. The second floor landing features a charming passageway with historic timber floorboards and an array of built-in storage cupboards. There are five further bedrooms on this floor – one currently used as a study – and two additional bathrooms. Bridge House incorporates large cellars, accessed by stone steps from the breakfast room, with a water-softener and extensive additional storage. There is also a huge floor-boarded loft, running the entire width of the house, served by separate ladders at either end, plus two additional loft spaces – above both the kitchen and the rear entrance hall. The half-acre rear gardens are a truly unique feature of this home. The under-croft gated entrance, featuring automatic oak gates, leads from the road into an extensive parking area. Once inside, the gardens are composed of a range of distinct zones including a parterre, surrounded by a traditional flint/brick wall – so rare in a setting so close to the centre of a bustling market town. The Bridge House gardens are laid out predominantly to lawn interspersed with flower beds, borders and grass walkways, with a paved terrace just outside the main kitchen, creating a lovely outside entertaining space, as well as a “hammock/firepit” area away from the house. There are a multitude of trees and shrubs all around – including yew, mulberry, medlar, twisted willow and quince trees, along with a spectacular copper birch. The entire garden area has extensive external lighting, controlled from the main house, with a multitude of weather-proof electric sockets. Fruit cages are set to one side, together with a composting area and historic Victorian vinery, plus an additional workshop, garden tool shed, summerhouse and other external buildings providing useful storage. Other external features include a dovecot/games room above the gated entrance, accessed by a fixed wooden ladder – and a children’s tree house, also with electric power/lighting. HISTORICAL NOTE: Taken from the Listings: “Room to front, with dragon beam showing, was once jettied round corner of Bridge Street and Freshwell Street, possibly a shop. Behind, rear room has moulded framing and axial joist with moulded dividing ribs creating panelled ceiling and also, clear evidence on SE side (to Freshwell Street) of original jetty with well preserved post with jetty bracket and decorative pilaster in SW corner. Long shutter groove and joint evidence for a large bracketed ground floor medieval oriel bay window beneath jetty.” Bridge House is believed to have been the home of some prominent Saffron Walden families, including Martin Nockolds – sometime steward of Audley End and an archer and a fellmonger when the house was a fellmongers office and, during the second half of the 19th century, George Stacey Gibson, the well known Quaker, banker, brewer and philanthropist.