Gomersal apartment is so elegant (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Gomersal apartment is so elegant

5:24pm Wednesday 22nd June 2011

This apartment forms part of Pollard Hall, built in 1659 during a tempestuous part of English history, the year after the death of Oliver Cromwell which led to the restoration of the monarchy with Charles II.

In the heart of Gomersal, Pollard Hall was originally built by Tempest Pollard for his wife Mary and his family. It has been awarded Grade II Star listing by English Heritage.

Still with many original features of the Stuart period, the hall has been altered and extended over the years and the west wing was converted into two apartments in 1968.

With this much history it’s easy to see why the current owners fell in love with their three or four bedroom, first floor apartment two years ago.

To renovate their home, the owners had to go through a lengthy Listed Building Consent, with the help of a specialist architect.

The couple have created a beautiful home, with many original features retained – including leaded lights, stone mullions, ceiling roses and wood panelling.

“Where we could, we provided modern levels of comfort, including a new boiler and central heating radiators as well as installing a new bathroom and kitchen, which blend in well with the period surroundings,” the owner says.

“Our first job was to repair the roof, which had a number of leaks. Then we converted an outbuilding into a music room, which is now home to our piano.

“The inside of the property had to be carefully done, using lime mortar for any plastering. We brought in some ornamental plasterers to restore some of the damaged ceiling roses, and they are now beautifully restored to their former glory. It took several months to carefully restore the flat and we are absolutely delighted with the result.

“We have lived in a number of old properties, and thankfully can quite easily marry new facilities with period features. My wife has a great eye for detail, so furnishing the property has provided us with an elegant end result.”

The flat has two entrances, one private and the other shared. The communal lobby leads to an internal entrance hall with laminate flooring, an open staircase to the first floor and a music room, also with laminate flooring and a storage area in the roof space.

Off the landing, which has views over the garden, is a spacious lounge with arched leaded mullion windows offering lovely views, plus a fitted kitchen with a built-in double oven, ceramic induction hob and extractor hood.

There is also a lobby with stairs to a cloakroom and a walk-in storage cupboard which has three-quarter panelled walls, as does the inner hallway. The sitting room, which could become a fourth bedroom, has feature oak fireplace, and there is also a master bedroom with vaulted ceiling and two further bedrooms.

The bathroom has a recently-installed period style suite with fitted shower over the bath, part-tiled walls and a storage cupboard.

“We love the main lounge,” the owner says. “It’s a beautifully proportioned room, which is south-facing and has lovely views of the formal gardens at the front of the hall.

“It also has an original cast iron radiator which our plumber was able to connect to the central heating system.

“When we first arrived the gardens were completely overgrown, so we got in a team of landscape gardeners who spent three days clearing brambles and small trees. We worked with them to design a formal lawn and patio area, which is hidden from the Hall by a beech hedge.”

Access to Pollard Hall is through electrically-operated gates, with a shared driveway leading to a communal courtyard parking area shared with just two other residents.

The flat has a large, stone-built garage/workshop with separate alarm, power and light.

“Sadly it’s time to move on and let someone else enjoy the home we have created. We are very much into projects, and once sold we’ll decide where we go for next.”

Flat 2 in Pollard Hall, Oxford Road, Gomersal, is on the market for £399,995 with Robert Watts, Birkenshaw, tel (01274) 689589, web www.robertwatts.co.uk