Town houses offer an elegance that is timeless

ACCORDING to a fascinating little book called Guernsey Street and Road Names (History of the Parishes and their Folklore), compiled by C J Howlett, Union Street is so called because it unites St John Street (formerly John Street), Havilland Street and Saumarez Street.

Originally known as New Town, the whole area was a field belonging to John Havilland de Saumarez, who allotted the land for building. The first house – 8, Saumarez Street – was built in 1804.

St Jean de Luz forms the corner of Union Street and Little St John Street and is typical of the tall Georgian houses of the area. Much of its period character has been blended into a careful restoration of the property that included remodelling and extending the ground-floor rooms.

A well-fitted kitchen in antique pine is now at the front of the house. Next along the hall is a dining room with illuminated arched alcoves and a wide archway through to the sitting room, which has an Adam-style mantelpiece and attractive fully-glazed doors opening onto a conservatory that steps out onto a south-facing, walled-in back garden with a large garage at the far end.

The master bedroom with en suite shower room is on the first floor, as is a study/fourth bedroom that has a glazed door opening onto a large, fully-paved sun terrace.

Two double bedrooms on the second floor share a bathroom with period-style fittings and the top floor is given over entirely to a charming loft-style studio with exposed timber beams.

The Grange, according to C J Howlett, was an arterial route in and out of Town long before St Julian's Avenue existed. It linked with Berthelot Street and the top of Smith Street, once known as Rue des Forges because of the blacksmiths in the area.

Prior to 1830, the Grange was no more than a cart track known as the Castel Road and open countryside lay beyond the top of the hill. The building of Elizabeth College initiated plans to widen and pave the Grange and form a pavement on its southern side. Subsequently, houses such as Brock Terrace were built. This much-admired row of six Regency houses, just above the Doyle Road junction, untypically stand far enough back from the road now to allow car parking in front.

Number five also has a triple garage, accessed by a shared private drive off La Couperderie.

In common with the others, number five is also unusual in that the front door as seen from the road opens into a side hall that leads to the formal front door at the side of the house. The main hall, therefore, divides the front of the house from the back – and to great effect, as it provides for an imposing 22ft drawing room incorporating all three of the tall Regency windows at the front. Similarly, across the hall, what would solely have been the dining room now includes a stylish kitchen across the whole width at the back overlooking the walled-in garden. Also on this level in number five is a snug or music room, while the lower ground level has a large laundry room next to a three-piece shower room and a spacious games room or fifth bedroom, currently used as a comfortable office-type study.

The excellent proportions continue in the four bedrooms on the two upper floors. The master bedroom at the front of the house also has an en-suite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. The second bedroom across the landing at the back of the house is much the same. There is another toilet at the end of the landing and stairs up to two large attic bedrooms that share a three-piece bathroom at the top of the house.

Brock Road was formerly called La Route des Pageots, named after wealthy landowners, and opposite Rosaire Avenue is a distinctive Victorian town house called Les Pageots with an ornate stucco facade. The elaborate style continues in the impressive hall that features a full arch at mid-point supported on twin columns. There is deep coving on the high ceiling and large wall panels used to great effect in displaying artwork. Alongside this is a generous-size drawing room – formerly two rooms reaching front to back of the original house, also with French windows opening onto a small courtyard.

A rear extension at Les Pageots has provided a modern kitchen and separate dining room with a 20ft conservatory accessible from both and leading to a neat enclosed garden. A laundry area and cloakroom was included in the extension, while upstairs in the original part of the house are two double bedrooms and a Victorian-style bathroom on the first floor. A large bedroom occupies the top floor with en-suite shower room and a wide, dormer window in the style known as a captain's window, with distant views of the west coast. The property also includes a garage close to the house, although accessed from Doyle Road.

The timeless charm of Town houses continues to enchant house hunters and next week I will feature others currently available on the Open Market.