Preston Street

With its original sprung dancefloor, the former ballroom is now an indulgent primary bedroom suite

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This marvellous six-bedroom villa sits in the centre of Faversham, a historic market town in Kent. Spanning some 6,500 sq ft internally, the building has undergone an extensive restoration respectful of the home’s Georgian integrity. A landscaped courtyard garden sits at the rear, with a large studio/garage with space for two cars. The house is opposite the train station, where regular trains run to London in a little over an hour, and to the surrounding Kent Coast.

Setting the Scene

The house was originally built for Julius Shepherd, of the Shepherd Neame family, who took over Britain’s oldest brewery in 1770 and incorporated modern advancements such as the replacement of horses with steam-powered engines for the production of ales.

Constructed in the mid-18th century, the façade of the building is a picture of classical symmetry, with an archetypically Georgian red-brick frontage. Preston Street has lived a colourful life as a grand family home, boarding school, Constitutional Club and even nightclub in the past 250 years. During its spell as a Constitutional Club in the 1950s, the house became well known locally for its first-floor ballroom that taught residents formal dancing. After a brief stint as a nightclub in the 1980s, Preston Street was later lovingly and thoroughly restored by the current owners from top to bottom. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

Entry to the house is via a flight of Portland stone steps, leading to a classical porch with twin Doric columns; a coved recess is home to an original timber door with a semi-circular fanlight above. Ahead lies a voluminous hallway which leads onto the main reception spaces; original floorboards run underfoot, and the walls have been finished in a wonderful House of Hackney paper.

To the right, a kitchen and dining room spans the width of the house, with natural light filtering through two sash windows to the front, and a vast arched window with partial stained glass to the rear. A bespoke kitchen has been crafted by local craftsmen and is topped with part wood and part granite worktops. A large central island dominates, with unfinished plaster ceilings overhead. In the dining room, a wood-burning stove sits inside a Regency fireplace.

Adjacent is a formal sitting room. Wonderfully atmospheric, the space has been finished in ‘Down Pipe’ by Farrow and Ball. An original open fireplace has carvings of classical scenes and is perfect for colder months, while the rest of the room has been lined with built-in shelving. Towards the rear of the plan is a large utility with original checkerboard tiles, built-in storage and a pantry. Beyond this is a cosy snug and separate guest WC.

The lower-ground floor is accessed via the original service staircase. Currently laid out as an events space/studio, the room has the original 1970s bar (perfect for an evening of entertaining) and an exposed oak ceiling frame with neon pink support columns. The floor has a tiled concrete floor and direct access to the front garden.

A bedroom with a spacious en suite is accessed from the reception hallway. With access via its own flight of stairs, it has a wonderfully private feel, ideal for guests, family, or older teenagers.

Ascending to the first floor, the front of the plan is home to the vast primary bedroom. An impressive space occupying the full width of the building, the room has five sash windows overlooking Preston Street. It retains its original sprung wooden floor and has a fireplace at either end of the bedroom. Plasterwork here has been left exposed to add depth and texture. Behind double doors is an en suite finished in an inky Farrow and Ball paint; the bathroom has been finished with Lefroy Brooks fixtures including a ceramic vanity and indulgent William and Holland copper bath.

An additional bedroom completes the first floor. Currently used as an office, it has views over the quiet and leafy courtyard to the rear.

The top floor is home to a further four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Overlooking the front and rear of the house, the rooms have been finished in a neutral palette of tones and retain their original wood flooring.

The Great Outdoors

A pretty courtyard garden unfolds to the rear. Laid out with a mixture of well-established beds and raised planters, the greenery includesgigantic euphorbia and fragrant climbing roses, honeysuckle & rosemary. An abundant cooking apple tree provides shade during warmer months, and the area has been laid out with reclaimed York stone flags for garden furniture and entertaining.

At the far end of the garden is a recently built garage/studio. Clad in stained Siberian larch charred wood (commonly known as Yakisugi), there is parking for two cars.

Out and About

Faversham is well known for its weekly local food market, monthly brocante – the largest town centre antiques market in the UK – and a host of restaurants and cafés. Faversham Creek is host to the famed fish market ‘Hermans Plaice’, Creek Creative Studios, independent antique shops and waterside pizzerias Papa Bianco and Posillipo.

The Bear Inn, Phoenix Tavern and Sun Inn (which date back to the 14th century) are well-regarded pubs in the area, both serving gastro-menus. Shepherd Neame Brewery is the oldest brewery in the country and offers regular tours. There is also an independent cinema which dates back to the 1930s. Faversham is home to a thriving live music scene, an annual hop festival and a literature festival, whilst nearby Whitstable hosts a contemporary art biennial and annual oyster festival.

A little further afield is the revered Macknade food hall and café, which dates from 1847 and offers locally sourced produce. A ten-minute drive away, the rightly revered Michelin-starred pub Gusbourne and Chapel Down make locally produced white and sparkling English wines and lead wine tours year-round. Kent is awash with walking routes through its abundant woodlands, marshes, shoreline and historic estates. Come summer, the county lives up to its name as the ‘Garden of England’ is resplendent with cherries, strawberries, and later on, apples and pears.

The house is perfectly located for both state and public schools, including King’s Canterbury, St Edmund’s, Kent College and Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School.

Faversham Station sits on Preston Street, offering regular, direct services to Canterbury in 10 minutes, the Kent coastline and London St Pancras in 70 minutes.

Council Tax Band: C

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. Inigo has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.

History

In Pevsner’s guide to Kent, Faversham is described as “one of the most rewarding towns in the county, though pleasurable in many small ways rather than for spectacular beauties”. Recorded in the Domesday Book as ‘Favreshant’, the town has a rich and varied history that includes the construction and later dissolution of Faversham Abbey, gunpowder production and, later, hop-growing.

By the late 16th century, Faversham was becoming known for its gunpowder production. By the 19th century, the factories involved in manufacturing occupied a long stretch of land; these were relocated to Scotland during World War II. Faversham has also made a name for itself with its hop-growing industry; Shepherd Neame Brewery, still in operation today, was founded in the town in 1698.

Faversham’s market still takes place regularly in the centre of the town. It’s Kent’s longest-standing street market, with its earliest beginnings taking root over 900 years ago. Steeped in history, Faversham is a town with several stalwart institutions; the Grade II-listed Royal Cinema, for example, opened in 1936 and is one of only two mock Tudor cinemas still standing in the country today.

Preston Street — Faversham, Kent
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