Property description
PROPERTY SUMMARY 'The Firs' has a great deal of historical interest, the house was built in 1880 by Haines Bros Builders of West End, for the lay minister John St. Barbe Baker and was the birth place for Dr Richard St. Barbe Baker, one of the world's most senior conservationists, he spent his whole life encouraging for the care of trees and shrubs. During his term of ownership he used one room for the 'Men of the Trees Society' headquarters, the UK base until 1959 when the house and garden were sold, since that date the property has only changed hands twice, one of those being to the current owners. Many of the original features remain although some have been replaced over the years for reasons of practicality, whereas original features like wood panelling, period fire surrounds, sash style wooden windows, stripped floorboards and doors can be seen throughout the property. The accommodation is laid out over two primary floors and provides 2423 sq ft of living space, comprising; entrance hall, home office/study, dining room, drawing room, orangery, cloakroom, utility room and kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor with a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor rear wing and three further bedrooms (one arranged as a home office) on the front wing. Set back from the road with a crescent style driveway, an extensive garage (with the potential to convert to an annexe, subject to necessary planning consents) and having a symmetrical design with central doorway, this is truly both an interesting and historic family home. Being located in a much sought after area of West End, close to Telegraph Woods and within walking distance of The Aegeas Bowl International Cricket Ground and the Hampshire Tennis and Health Club the location is just a short drive from Southampton Parkway for access to London Waterloo and Southampton Airport as well as the New Forest and the Solent, early internal viewing is strongly recommended in order to appreciate both the accommodation and location on offer.
ENTRANCE To the front is a mature hedge with two separate entrances, the one to the left provides access to the neighbouring home (at rear). Crescent shaped tarmac driveway, to the left hand side of the property with car hardstanding to the front of the garage, lawned garden with mature trees, evergreens and bushes. To the right hand side of the property are raised flower borders, mature trees and evergreens leading to rear garden, covered glazed canopy over door with lighting to one side and security sensors, main front door with stained glass lead light panel over, leading to:
HALLWAY We understand that the original staircase has had some alteration: the bottom three steps to improve access and the iron work is made from the original Victorian gas fittings from old St James's Church West End. The original walk in larder was converted to an understairs cloakroom with a new entry door from the hall way. Stripped and varnished floorboards, high ceiling with coving, radiator with wooden cover over, doors to primary rooms, low level gas meter, alarm panel, high level cupboard housing electric meter consumer box. The Stained-glass windows over the front door was made by the local glass shop in West End to match the door to the kitchen and the stained glass window there.
HOME OFFICE / STUDY 14' 2" x 12' 1" (4.32m x 3.68m) Measurements to front of chimney breast, original sash style window to front aspect overlooking driveway, low sill and wood panelling under, high ceiling with coving, panelled door to hallway, central chimney breast with reclaimed cast iron inlay with original hand painted art nouveau tiles and tiled hearth, open fire (swept, with certificate available), power points, radiator.
DINING ROOM 14' 2" x 12' 1" (4.32m x 3.68m) Measurements to front of chimney breast, original sash style window to front aspect with low sill and wood panelling under, overlooking driveway and lawn, high ceiling with coving, power points, radiator, stripped and stained wax floorboards, serving hatch to breakfast room, panelled door to hallway, panelled door leading to:
DRAWING ROOM 18' 8" into bay window x 17' 3"maximum (5.69m x 5.26m) Double glazed bay window to rear aspect overlooking garden with wood panelling under, high ceiling with coving, small serving hatch to breakfast area, two radiators, feature reclaimed slate surround fireplace with tiled inlay and hearth with open arched fire (swept, with certificate available), double glazed window to one side, power points, step with narrow wooden doorway leading to:
ORANGERY 12' 5" x 9' 0" (3.78m x 2.74m) Range of Victorian cast iron shelving support, shelving, polycarbonate glazed roof, feature arched windows to front aspect overlooking driveway, door leading to garden, 'baker Nursery sign above the door, Black Hamburg vine.
SEPARATE CLOAKROOM Low level w.c, corner wash hand basin, tiled splash back, tiled flooring, frosted glazed window to side aspect overlooking utility room.
KITCHEN / BREAKFAST ROOM 17' 6" maximum x 12' 0" (5.33m x 3.66m) Decreasing to 8'7" at narrowest point. Breakfast Area: panelled door with stained glass and lead light panels leading to hallway, exposed wooden boarding over (believed to be where the original servants bells would have been mounted), serving hatch to dining room, chimney with recessed storage cupboards under and mantle over, sliding door serving hatch to drawing room, twin doors leading to rear garden, painted (green) floorboards (laid over original floor boards), radiator with shelf over. Kitchen Area: Range of floor units with wooden work surface, inset sink unit with wooden drainer to one side and mixer tap, sash style window with stained glass panels overlooking rear garden, space for free-standing electric oven with extractor hood over, tongue and groove panelling with small shelf over, matching wooden flooring, contemporary style roll top radiator, ceiling spotlights, power points, sash style window providing borrowed light to utility room with feature archway to one side, leading to:
UTILITY ROOM 11' 8" x 7' 10" (3.56m x 2.39m) Range of floor units incorporating wine rack, space for tumble dryer, washing machine and free standing fridge/freezer, wooden work surface with wooden drainer and 'Butler' style sink with mixer tap, tongue and groove panelling splash back, skylight window, ceiling spotlights, matching painted floorboards, door leading to side aspect, power points.
FIRST FLOOR Mezzanine landing to rear with further staircase rising to primary landing and steps to:
REAR WING Doors to:
BATHROOM 12' 0" x 6' 1" (3.66m x 1.85m) White suite comprising; panelled bath with tiled surrounds, brick effect tiled splash back with separate shower over, drench style hood and separate shower attachment with part-glazed panelled screen and curved shower rail, double glazed window to side aspect, close coupled w.c, pedestal wash hand basin with mixer tap, chrome heated towel rail, built-in double doored cupboard housing 'Worcester' boiler supplying domestic hot water and central heating with pump system (not tested), range of shelving.
BEDROOM 3 12' 1" x 11' 0" (3.68m x 3.35m) Access to loft space, cast iron surround fireplace with wooden mantle, double glazed window to rear aspect overlooking garden with radiator to one side, power points, panelled door, picture rail.
FRONT WING LANDING Sash style window to front aspect overlooking driveway and garden, access to storage loft space, doors to primary rooms.
BEDROOM 2 12' 1" x 13' 1" (3.68m x 3.99m) Double glazed window to side aspect with radiator to one side, stripped and stained skirting boards, built-in wooden wardrobe to one side of chimney breast with hanging space and shelving, recess to chimney breast with shelf, further shelving to one side, original sash style window to front aspect overlooking driveway and lawns with radiator to one side, panelled door, power points, stripped and stained architraves and skirting boards.
BEDROOM 4 / HOME OFFICE 13' 1" x 12' 1" (3.99m x 3.68m) Sash style window to front aspect, radiator, power points and telephone point, panelled door to landing, further panelled door leading to:
BEDROOM 1 17' 4" x 15' 9" (5.28m x 4.8m) With a ceiling height of 10'5". Triple aspect double glazed windows to front, side and rear, two radiators, power points, panelled door.
OUTSIDE To the left hand side of the property is a car hardstanding to the front of the garage, twin wooden doors leading to:
GARAGE / STUDIO 26' 9" in depth x 19' 0" maximum (8.15m x 5.79m) Decreasing to 9'2" at narrowest point. Twin wooden doors to front aspect, painted walls and floors, window to rear aspect overlooking garden, side pedestrian doors with windows to either side leading to rear garden, fluorescent tube lighting, power points. Above the garage is an apex roof with storage area, boarded with electric lighting
OUTSIDE To the front of the property is a drive in drive out tarmac driveway with central lawned garden, mature shrubs and access to main front door.
To the left hand side is a shared access to the adjacent property, situated to the rear. Directly to the rear of the property is a curved patio area with outside cold water tap and doorway to garage, steps down to a lawned garden measuring approximately 0.29 of an acre incorporating the whole plot, flowering shrub borders, evergreens, bushes, small pond with trees, further area with pergola, wisteria and manicured garden with further lawn and garden wrapping to the right hand side of the property.
SELLERS COMMENTS The current owners of the property have carried out extensive research regarding the previous owners, the use of the rooms and the historical interest associated with the rooms and their contents, their comments are as follows:
STUDY: All original woodwork and coving, the original sash window has been restored. The fireplace came from a local reclamation company and include the original hand painted art nouveau tiles. When Richard lived here, the corner wardrobe was used for hanging coats and hats in the Men of the Trees HQ office. This room was originally the only sitting room for the family before it was extended in the 1890s the carving on the door was made by the young men of Benin in Africa and brought back by Richard St Barbe Baker. This would have formed part of a table leg.
DINING ROOM: In "My Life My Trees" Richard recalls famous preachers and clergymen who visited and had supper at in the early The Firs: "
. regularly once a month the Rev Melville Churchill, cousin of Sir Winston
. used to walk the 8 miles from his home in Bishops Waltham to visit us
. he had a weakness for the perfectly made moka coffee my father had learned to make" " I always remember General Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army discussing the progress of the soul with my father one Sunday evening after supper ".
In later years Richard visited the Poulton family at the Firs from time to time. On occasions he would share a meal with the family, although often he are you would choose to eat simply, bringing with him a bag of fruit and nuts and some rye bread. Richard, ahead of his time, was a vegetarian from an early age.
DRAWING ROOM: The slate fireplace was removed from a large Victorian House in Locks Heath which was being demolished to make way for redevelopment. The paint was stripped and the fireplace and tiles rebuilt piece by piece. Geoff Poulton tells us that this was very similar to the original fireplace in this room.
This room, the conservatory and the bedroom above were added to the house in1893 when Richard was four years old
"I was now four. My father was adding a couple of rooms to the house and I spent much time with the carpenters. Having seen a the funeral procession the week before when my father had put on his frockcoat and black silk hat, I was taken with the notion that if my pussy were to die I must give her a proper funeral with a coffin. I made a box 2 feet long from the ends of flooring- even at that early age I could use tools with precision and drive nails. (from"My life my trees ")
When Richard returned The Firs, he used to do his writings in this room- a large roll top desk was situated in the corner of the room, bookshelves were above it. A large pedestal table and a few chairs were the only other furniture. Geoff Poulton had kept Richard's Silver inkwell for many years and returned it to The Firs as a gift for the current owners. Richard's letter head embosser was also given to us.
ORANGERY: The conservatory was probably built at the same time as the extension. The vine also planted at the same time is a Black Hamburg. It produces wonderful grapes and it can be hard to decide how many to eat and how many to make into wine. The conservatory has been restored and unfortunately for reasons of weight and efficiency polycarbonate materials were used for roofing rather than the original greenhouse glazing. There are various artefacts from the Barbe Bakers days of market gardening fine trees, including the sign above the door and some planting labels.
KITCHEN: This has undergone substantial alteration the door leading from the hall came from St Mary's vicarage Woolston. The stained-glass panels were made by the Glass shop in West End Village to match the window opposite. The stained-glass window, from another Victorian house, has replaced the site of the original bread oven which was removed many years ago and has allowed more light into the kitchen. The French doors have replaced an existing later window.
Built in cupboard replaces an old boiler which was housed on the site of the original small kitchen range and it is made from reclaimed floorboards and Victorian pine doors
The pine panel above the door served as a plinth for the old servants bells and there are still some remnants of this system.
The kitchen was refurbished in December 2014.
OUTSIDE: The garden, which included adjoining plots was the location of Baker's tree nursery. I don't have much information on the history of the nursery but I think there is a catalogue, either with Geoff or the West End History Society.
Concrete Ring at Front of the Property to the left hand side facing
This is the remains of the base for the revolving summer house that Richard made for his mother at age 12. Along with the conservatory, this would have been used for the believed health benefits of air and sunshine