Now that the DART is serving Greystones, Westerly Lodge, a four-bedroom Victorian home in the Burnaby district should attract many buyers. Guiding at £775,000, (#984,047), it is due for auction on June 26th at Jackson-Stops' Bray salerooms. The Burnaby is a sedate area, sheltered by large trees and adjacent to a golf club. While it enjoys this privileged situation, Westerly Lodge is only a step away from the town centre.
The house was built in 1905 and retains original features, but has also been extended by previous owners to add a modern kitchen, utility rooms, and a games room. Facing west, the front of the house overlooks a fine garden and cobblelock drive.
Inside, the long hall opens to two reception rooms, both of modest proportions but with period fireplaces, small ceiling roses and coving. Behind these are a small study and large sitting room.
Formerly the kitchen, this room has been updated with a maple floor and a raised fireplace. Two steps down lead to the new kitchen which is nevertheless redolent of an old farm kitchen with a good dining area, fireplace and glass doors to the garden. American oak units create an efficient, if somewhat dark, workspace. Parallel to these rooms is a "sun-room", rather a misnomer given the absence of windows. One wall forms the partition with the garage. Sunlight does appear, however, through the corrugated perspex roof.
At the other side of the kitchen a narrow spiral staircase climbs to the L-shaped games room, set into the roof of the extension and lit by several Velux windows. The room is big enough to contain a full snooker table, seating area and an alcove with darts board. It could equally well serve as guest quarters, if a bathroom were added.
The four bedrooms and family bathroom are split between two returns. Those on the first return are reduced by fitted cupboards, while those on the top landing mirror the reception rooms below. One has an en suite bathroom, and both have original sash windows overlooking the front garden. This ample well-planted apron implies an equally commodious back garden. Sadly, here the space is seriously compromised by the extension and by a wall some feet short of the boundary fence.
