THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY
Page 15
A stylish, traditional detached villa in Stow that epitomises family living
Dunedin is an exemplary family home in that it ticks the box for everything on the wish list – location, size and style of house, village community, commuting, excellent schools and other amenities, and scenic countryside. Set in the traditional Borders village of Stow, an easy commute to Edinburgh by road with a rail station and link to the capital in the pipeline, the detached villa is a substantial property built in 1911 by a retired builder for his own family, which explains the extra detail and all-round quality of the build. Nicholas Flavin and his wife Ruth bought the property 25 years ago, when with four children and another on the way, their main motivation was to find a house that offered space. “With large gardens, a flexible layout and accommodation spread over three levels, this house was ideal for a family,” says Nicholas. “We also loved the village and surrounding area – and another major attraction was being in the catchment area for highly rated primary and secondary schools.”
Dunedin has space in abundance, along with all the period features that give it added character, including a beautiful stained glass window on the first floor landing – the house name is also etched in glass over the front door, Dunedin being the old Gaelic word for Edinburgh. The ground floor layout includes a vestibule and hall, living room, dining room, spacious 21ft dining kitchen, utility and a sizable bathroom. Stairs lead up to the first floor level, which has a second bathroom, three double bedrooms and a single/small double that could also be a study. The stairs continue up to the second floor where there are three further double bedrooms, making six in total, (excluding the single size room), a layout that gives Dunedin added potential as a B&B, which it has been in the past.
Large windows complement traditionally proportioned rooms, while features include attractive plaster cornices and period fireplaces. The open fire in the Living room fireplace, which has a brass front and beautiful tiles, is original to the house but not to the room – Nicholas and Ruth moved it from one of the bedrooms. Another bedroom still has an original and very pretty fireplace with floral-patterned tiles, albeit the fireplace occupies an unusual position in the lower recess of a window. The kitchen is attractively fitted with wood units and a ceramic tiled floor and includes a hob, extractor hood, oven, fridge and dishwasher, while the dining area has sliding patio doors to the garden. Dunedin occupies a particularly large plot, which gives gardens to the front, side and rear, the latter private and benefitting from lovely views of the countryside.
The front garden also includes a driveway leading to a double garage, with plenty of space for parking. In addition, there are two outbuildings behind the garage that could be developed and a greenhouse in the rear garden. This is a lovely family home, testament by the fact that its present owners have raised five children here for 25 very happy years. It is also ideally situated for commuting to Edinburgh – and offers a great deal more for the money than a comparable sized property in the city.
Dunedin, 39 Townfoot, Stow, TD1 2QN
In Region of £390,000 Details on page 9