THE BSPC PROPERTY GUIDE / FEATURE PROPERTY
Page 15
A former village shop in Reston is now a family home with an intriguing past
Karroo is the word for a semi-arid plateau in South Africa, which on the face of it, has nothing in common with a property in the Berwickshire village of Reston, especially as Karroo House has a lush and very pretty riverbank garden that stretches down to the Eye Water. Interestingly, there is a connection: Karroo House was built in 1902 by James Logan, a canny Scotsman who made his fortune in the South African railway, progressing from baggage handler to stationmaster – one who shrewdly anticipated expansion of the railway and speculatively bought land in Karroo. When the railway did go there, he was ready to serve passengers and trains alike with a cafe and water station. When Logan returned home he had Karroo House built as a village store, to give his brother a home and trade – and it remained a village store until the 1970s. Ironically, as Reston did at one time have a train station, there has been a campaign to re-open the station in light of the Borders railway link scheduled to open in 2015.
Present owners Barry Smith and his wife, Jo Storrie, a well-known knitwear designer, bought the property in 2003 and have since completely upgraded and re-configured the front to make it a house, in addition to reworking the interior and the garden. “We first saw the house when we came to Reston to look at another property,” Barry recalls. “Although we could see its potential, initially we thought it was too big a project for us. However, we came back six months later, bought it, and accepted the challenge to turn it into an exceptional family home.” Situated on the main street in the heart of the village, this is a property of substance incorporating all the features that combine to make a ‘forever’ family home – beautifully presented interior with original features and four/five bedroomed accommodation over two floors; a location that is conveniently close to the A1 trunk road for commuting north to Edinburgh and south to Berwick -upon-Tweed and Newcastle; a sizeable, open-plan what-every-family-wants bespoke kitchen/dining/family area; and outbuildings and extensive gardens with open views, four decks that follow the path of the sun, and access to the river.
One of the lovely things about this house is the way that original features – beautiful period fireplaces, decorative plasterwork, staircase, and woodwork – seamlessly combine with modern fixtures and fittings. All the fireplaces bar one are functional and the original wood floors are exceptional, including the Edwardian mahogany flooring in the drawing room. The ground floor layout comprises entrance vestibule and inner hall, drawing room - feature fireplace incorporating a marble mantel, tiled hearth and ornate fender – very sizeable multi-purpose room (currently a design studio) with doors to the rear garden, utility area, cloakroom, and the piece de resistance, a big openplan kitchen/dining/family room. The former includes a range of bespoke contemporary units and appliances, while the dining side has access to the deck and garden – a key feature in the family area is a recessed wood-burning stove on a polished marble hearth.
Upstairs off a split-level landing are four double bedrooms – all with period fireplaces, while the principal bedroom also has a beautiful period-style en suite shower room with a limestone tiled floor (currently covered by a vinyl floorcovering) – boxroom/fifth bedroom, which is currently used as a dressing room, and main family bathroom, the latter with a freestanding roll-top bath. Karroo’s grounds are inspirational, cleverly landscaped to have seating areas in different places (almost like rooms) from which to follow the sun. In addition to four decks, it has mature trees and shrubs, an expanse of lawn and stunning views over the river to the countryside beyond. Just seven miles from Berwick-upon -Tweed and less than an hour’s drive to Edinburgh, Reston is a delightful village with a primary school (High School in Eyemouth, three miles away) and village shop – no longer within Karroo House!
Karroo House, Main Street, Reston, TD14 5JP
Offers Over £325,000 Details on page 17