Property of the week: The water tower
Friday, 20 January 2012 9:38 AM
If you're after a home with a bit of character then you could certainly do worse than moving into an 18th century water tower.
This beautiful grade II listed building is the centrepiece of a historic (and no longer in use) hospital development in Plymouth known as Millfields.
Dating back to 1780, its original purpose was to provide water to the naval hospital, but now it's all about contemporary living with a twist, boasting three bedrooms, a super modern looking kitchen and huge windows.
The current owners believe it was a functioning water tower right up to 1877 and may well be the second oldest in the country.
Back in the mid-eighteenth century wounded men would be kept on hospital ships or private premises. However this practise failed due to the poor sanitary conditions and so three new naval hospitals sprung up: one in Chatham, one in Portsmouth and one in Plymouth.
The water tower's naval heritage is showcased by a few neat little touches inside the property, but also via its proximity to the sea. This isn't that surprising, come to think of it.
Contained within the historic walls of the old hospital (now converted to a mixture of residential buildings, offices and a school) privacy might be an issue:
However, thick castle style walls and high windows (like huge portholes) should help the property feel nice and secure inside.
Our favourite thing is the bedrooms, with the beds rendered fabulously odd by their surroundings:
Especially this one in red:
The black high gloss kitchen also works really well, fitting in perfectly with the colour scheme:
Similar care has been taken to ensure there are no garish colours in the bathroom, with a simple approach taken:
Obviously you need to make absolutely sure you never need to employ a plumber because the "your water tower hasn't got any water?" jokes would be unbearable.
The limestone rubble-built walls are offset beautifully by the contemporary oak fittings and luxurious furnishings throughout, giving a very modern feel to such an old building:
A slight flaw that we can see is how difficult it would be to make the space seem cosy. Cold and imposing? Yes. Warm and welcoming? Perhaps not so much.
The lounge area, whilst large and functional, seems unlikely to keep the heat particularly well.
Tacked onto the side of the tower is a small roofed sun room, providing a rather public dip into the outside world.
Still, we think this property is unique and so it's got to be of interest at £400,000, especially if you have just fallen in love with it.
Want a bit more information? Check it out on Rightmove or contact the agent Fine & Country.
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