Elmhurst, Ashton Road, Lancaster, LA2 0AA

Set within generous private gardens of c 0.94 acres, built in 1884 this unique, handsome detached Victorian house exudes timeless elegance and period charm. Retaining many original features, it offers a beautifully proportioned and light-filled interior stretching over four floors. 

The ground floor includes a striking wrap-around verandah, generous hallway with two piece cloakroom, three elegant reception rooms along with a south-facing garden room, a breakfast kitchen, large utility room and two cellar rooms. Upstairs there are five double bedrooms, a bathroom and a shower room and a second floor which provides a sixth bedroom and multiple storage spaces.

A cherished family home, in the same hands since 1967, offers superb scope for sympathetic updating and extension and is perfect for buyers wanting to create a truly special family home. Set on a substantial plot on the south side of Lancaster, it’s also a rare opportunity for development, subject to necessary consents. There’s nothing like it on the south side of Lancaster.

Perfect for family living, Elmhurst is surrounded by mature trees and wonderful landscaped gardens providing privacy and opportunities for recreation and relaxation. There is extensive parking and an impressive, detached coach house which in part has been converted into a double garage whilst retaining the original stabling, hayloft and potting shed/workshop.

Situated on the south side of the city centre, it is perfectly located for access to the M6 and the train station was well as for commuting to both universities and the two city hospitals. Open countryside surrounds the property offering an attractive balance of rural living and city access.

All in all, this is a special house, with huge potential, whether for a developer, or for a family or a couple looking to create their forever home, entertain frequently or simply embrace the luxury of expansive space both inside and out.

Vendor Insight

Elmhurst has been a wonderful family home for us for the last 58 years. We came here with a young baby and went on to bring up our three children. They went to the local primary school in Scotforth and then the grammar schools.

Location
In a leafy semi-rural position, Elmhurst is located just south of the city of Lancaster, a vibrant Heritage City, known for its impressive Georgian architecture and wide-ranging cultural calendar of events. Catering to every taste, pocket and occasion, it boasts a wide range of bars, restaurants, cafes and pubs, excellent schooling including two state grammar schools, independent and high street shops, a twiceweekly market held in the central pedestrianised square, a comprehensive offering of professional services and excellent sport and recreational facilities.

For anyone commuting to Lancaster’s universities or hospitals, Elmhurst is perfectly placed as they are all sited on the south side of the city. If commuting further afield, there are motorway junctions to both the south and north of the city, J33 (to the south) is exceptionally handy for anyone driving frequently to Preston, Bolton, Manchester and the environs. If you prefer to travel by train, then Lancaster’s railway station on the main west coast line provides regular services to Preston, Manchester, Manchester airport, London Euston and Edinburgh. Therefore, whether commuting for business or travelling for pleasure, Elmhurst is extremely accessible for the wider communication network.

Surrounded by beautiful countryside, the area offers superb walking and cycling from the doorstep, with the Lune Valley, the protected National Landscapes of the Forest of Bowland, Arnside & Silverdale, and the National Parks of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales all within easy reach for day trips.

The location allows you to embrace the best of city living whilst being surrounded by the great outdoors.

Step inside
Set amidst generous, private gardens, this handsome detached Victorian residence, dating from 1884, exudes all the grace and grandeur of its era. Light, airy and spacious throughout, the house retains a wealth of original period features, from its high ceilings adorned with beautifully moulded cornices to tall sash windows, deep skirting boards, panelled doors and fine fireplaces - two in marble and another in oak carved with the date of the house. The original staircase rises imposingly from the hall, whilst stained and leaded glazing on both the front door and staircase window lends a timeless charm.

Since purchasing the property in 1967, the present owner has focused on key improvements, including a new roof, double glazing to many of the windows and an extended garden room, whilst preserving the original character. As a result, Elmhurst now offers an exciting opportunity for new owners to style the accommodation to their own taste and create a magnificent home for the next generation.

The traditional, time-honoured layout begins with a wide wrap-around verandah that frames the front door, opening into a spacious L-shaped hall off which is a cloakroom having a wide cupboard for coat storage. Four reception rooms offer flexibility and elegance, a formal dining room ideal for Sunday lunches and atmospheric dinners; a smart sitting room; and a cosy living room leading through to the south facing garden room. This addition, with wrap-around glazing, provides wonderful views and direct access to the surrounding gardens.

With a Rayburn Royal range cooker providing constant warmth, the kitchen offers ample space for informal dining and is complemented by a large utility room, adding practicality to period charm. Stone steps descend to two useful cellar rooms, still retaining their original brick floors along with a stone bench and central table. The rooms have good head height and offer scope for upgrading into rooms for everyday use.

On the first floor, the generous landing leads to four well-proportioned and naturally light double bedrooms, many with charming period wash basins having original tiled splashbacks. The fourth bedroom connects to a fifth double, also accessible via a spiral staircase from the utility room. A family bathroom and separate shower room serve this floor.

The original staircase rises again to the second floor, where the spacious roof area accommodates a sixth attic bedroom, a store room and additional storage cupboards. This versatile floor offers wonderful potential as a teenager’s retreat, home office or dedicated hobby space.

Throughout, the principal rooms enjoy lovely outlooks across the extensive gardens, the established trees, shrubs and hedges along the boundaries ensure a good degree of privacy and create a tranquil setting for family life and entertaining alike.

Vendor Insight

This is a deeply traditional and reassuringly characterful home, ready to be cherished by new owners. The size and layout lend themselves to welcoming family and friends, there’s lots of space for the generations to spread out and still be together. We’ve enjoyed many dinner parties here, the dining room is so atmospheric with the fire and candles lit.

The Coach House
Offering excellent potential is a detached former coach house which sits across the stone setts of the courtyard, with original stables and hayloft above. The present owner told us that “when the children were young, they had a den in the hayloft and enjoyed spending time up there with their friends”. Next to the stables is a potting shed/workshop and a large double garage (with a remote-controlled electric door), together offering attractive scope for conversion into ancillary accommodation, a studio, home office, or even an independent house with courtyard and garden, subject to necessary consents.

The parking area is extensive with an arrivals area in front of the house for guests using the front door. The drive passes the house and opens into a large area closer to the utility room’s outer door. This secondary parking area offers ample room for not only family cars but larger occasional vehicles.

Gardens
Elmhurst sits in delightful gardens of around c. 0.94 acres. Along the boundaries are mature trees, established shrubs and hedges which combine to screen and provide privacy. Most of the garden is laid to lawn with well stocked herbaceous beds. Two paved seating areas are set within the lawns. One is screened to three sides with wooden trellising adorned by roses; the view back towards the house is particularly attractive. For those with one eye on the longer-term potential of the property, the southern end of the garden benefits from a second vehicular access onto the public highway, which may appeal to buyers considering further development or even a separate dwelling (subject to consent). The extensive lawns make the garden perfect for children’s play with ample space for rest and relaxation as well.

For buyers keen on a degree of self-sufficiency there is a kitchen garden with beds and a greenhouse. An orchard offers a harvest of apples, pears and damsons.

Attached to the house is a boiler room which is an excellent place for drying clothes when the weather isn’t favourable. There is also an outside WC, extremely practical when working in the garden.

Vendor Insight

There are external lights (some operate on sensors) and an outside tap. As a family we’ve loved the space the garden gave us; we would play tennis and cricket on the lawns (and cricket in the hall when it was wet!), we’ve hosted the youth club as they camped in the garden and Rotary’s annual garden party. We’ve enjoyed barbecuing with our friends on the paved area by the coach house and have been lucky enough to host two lovely family weddings in the garden.

Please note
Health & Safety
Those viewing and accessing the hayloft via the ladder do so at their own risk.

Included in the sale
Fitted carpets, curtains, curtain poles, blinds, light fittings and domestic appliances as follows: Hotpoint gas oven, Beko larder fridge, Bosch dishwasher, Samsung washing machine, Hoover tumble dryer and the Frigidaire chest freezer.

Anti Money Laundering Regulations (AML) 

Due to the Money Laundering Regulations, now officially known as Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds Regulations 2017 we are required to follow government legislation and carry out identification checks on all purchasers. We use a specialist third party company to conduct these checks at a charge of £40 + VAT per buyer once an offer has been accepted and you will be unable to proceed with the purchase of the property until these checks have been carried out. This charge is non-refundable.