The Grand Tour
The stuccoed house is ornamented with Greek Revival details such as giant pilasters, terracotta urns and ball and steeple finials. Its façade has recently been refreshed with
Keim paint in French Grey and restored plaster mouldings. Entry to the house is through a columned porch with a half-glazed door and rectangular fanlight, which leads to a double-height entrance hall. All the interiors in the house have been redecorated; restored original pine floorboards stretch across the whole ground floor, with the exception of the study that sits just off the entrance hall. Here, pure wool herringbone carpets from Alternative Flooring have been laid and continue up the stairs and throughout the bedrooms on the upper floors.
A large reception and sitting room is accessible from the entrance hall. Double-height ceilings hint at Regency proportions; although the house is early Victorian, it was built as an elegant neoclassical resort home. The original front and back doors have been restored alongside the original timber sash windows which have been updated with period-appropriate brass fittings. Draught-proofing brushes were also fitted to the sash windows and doors to improve insulation. Throughout, the original cornicing has been carefully refurbished and some of the previous ceiling roses replaced with plaster roses, sympathetic to the period of the house.
An enormous floor-to-ceiling triple-bay window, which the current owners have fitted with bespoke curved glass, falls to the front of the sitting room. Both rooms have working open fires, and some of the original but broken Royal Doulton chimneypots have been replaced with octagonal and trellis-style pots, in keeping with the period. Throughout most of the home there are stylish cast-iron radiators with brass fittings.
The heart of the home – a wonderful open plan kitchen/dining space – sits on the lower-ground floor. The kitchen is brilliantly contemporary and comprises Corian worktops set against white cabinetry and engineered oak floors. The kitchen was finished by the current owners, who installed metro-tile backsplashes and the sturdy oak shelves on the walls. A wood-burning stove has also been fitted to the dining room fireplace.
A refined staircase, complete with original handrail that was restored and French polished by an antique furniture restorer, leads from the grand entrance hall to the floors above. The first floor is home to two bedrooms, one with a luxurious en suite bathroom. This bathroom features octagonal mosaic floor tiling and metro tiles on the walls. Here, as in the rest of the bathrooms, there are a range of vintage-style fittings and fixtures. A roll-top bathtub is complemented by a bespoke separate shower enclosure. This exceptional attention to detail even extends to the skirting which has been fitted in both bathrooms, as per the original profiles.
Two generous bedrooms occupy the top floor of the house. These rooms share a bathroom, which has a Victorian-style shower over a bathtub and built-in shelves with discreet lighting. This bathroom also features mosaic-tiled floors against white metro-tiled walls.
The Great Outdoors
To the front of the house is a private gated gravel driveway, which provides off-street parking for up to three cars. Borders are planted with hydrangeas and box, and a beautiful acanthus and privet in the planted beds outside the front bay window provide dappled shade and extra privacy. The house claims one of the largest private gardens of Vale Square; the generous front garden wraps around the left side of the house, where a bespoke timber trellis draped with wisteria shields a useful garden shed from view.
From the ground floor entrance hall, steps rebuilt with reclaimed bricks lead down to a stone patio and wide lawn, with herbaceous borders planted with lavender, Iceberg roses and Pittosporum running along custom featherboard fencing. A new timber deck is set back from the house and is the perfect space for alfresco dining and entertaining. The same reclaimed bricks used for the steps were used to restore parts of the rear façade, with conservation-standard lime pointing.
Today, the square’s lush communal gardens are well-maintained by the Vale Square Residents’ Association. All residents of the square can pay a small fee to join the association, which hosts neighbourhood events throughout the year including an annual tea party and picnic. The area can also be used for private parties.
Out and About
Ramsgate is swiftly developing quite a cultural scene, with a variety of independent shops, restaurants and cafés within walking distance. It is less than a 10-minute walk to the historic harbour for wonderful fresh fish as well as new cafés, including
Archive Homestore. A nearby boutique hotel,
The Falstaff, runs a locally-beloved coffee shop and deli on Addington Street. This street has a number of independent retailers and vintage boutiques, including some wonderful antique furniture dealers such as
Paraphernalia. Other local favourites include
Little Ship,
Flavours by Kumar and the
Dining Rooms at Albion House. Sundowners are a must at the Albion House or the
Royal Harbour Brassiere, located at the end of the harbour arm, both of which command fabulous sea views. The recently opened
Union Café serves as a yoga studio and an excellent spot for lunch.
The Modern Boulangerie is known for its freshly baked bread, while
Sorbetto serves authentic Italian ice cream. Waitrose is only five minutes’ walk from the house.
It’s under an hour’s walk along the coast to Broadstairs, which has enjoyed a palpable resurgence in recent years. The town has a thriving community of independent shops and restaurants including the Michelin-starred
Stark and renowned seafood spot
Wyatt and Jones.
The Funicular Coffeehouse is built into the old ticket office of a long-decommissioned clifftop funicular. The old town itself remains a haven of antique shops and cafés and
Morelli’s ice cream parlour is a wonderfully over-the-top institution on the seafront.
Nearby Margate is also experiencing an exciting period of change, and is home to the internationally renowned
Turner Contemporary art gallery along with the recently restored
Dreamland amusement park. Head towards Sandwich, about eight miles south, to check out
Delf Farm Shop for locally grown produce and
Updown Farmhouse for a luxurious staycation or gourmet meal (or both). Both are accessible by car in less than 20 minutes. Only a few minutes further is
The Dog at Wingham, a gastropub and boutique hotel.
The house’s setting on the Kent coastal path means it is possible to walk along the promenade to Margate and beyond or stroll along the endless sandy beaches when the tide is low. Pegwell Nature Reserve is also an excellent place for a relaxing walk. There is plenty to do within the town, including visiting the Victorian tunnel system or going to one of the many art galleries that have opened on the other side of the harbour. Ramsgate Festival of Sound, in late August, turns the town into a buzzing hub.
Ramsgate is well connected to the rest of the area of Thanet by train and road, meaning that the towns of Margate, Deal and Canterbury can all be accessed in under 30 minutes. Vale Square is a one-mile walk from Ramsgate station, which runs fast direct services to London St Pancras in approximately 75 minutes. The Eurostar is easily reached at Folkestone.
Council Tax Band: E
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