Norwich: Architect Michael Innes' home for sale for £1.45m

Number One, High House is located in Thorpe St Andrew, the suburb of Norwich which in the 19th century was nicknamed the 'Richmond of Norfolk' because of the wealth and status of its homeowners.

The house for sale forms half of the original property, which was built for the Birkbeck family, part of the wealthy Norwich-based banking dynasty, in the early 19th century.

It is now owned by the renowned architect Michael Innes, now retired and formerly part of the firm Lambert, Scott & Innes, which designed Norwich's Castle Mall shopping complex, now known as Castle Quarter.

The entrance hall is grand and light-filled, with a turning staircase rising to the first floor (Image: Brown&Co)

A highlight of the ground floor is its two huge reception rooms which are linked by a set of doors (Image: Brown&Co)

The property came up for sale with Allgood & Davey last summer, before being taken off the market, and is now listed with Brown&Co for £1,450,000.

High House is accessed by a winding, wooded lane off South Avenue, commanding views from the top of Thorpe Ridge, which rises above the River Yare. It is situated in just over an acre of gorgeous gardens and grounds and so tucked away that few would know it was there.

Built around 1825, the property was extended in the 1870s when the renowned Arts and Crafts architect Thomas Jeckyll was commissioned to design the end which now forms Number One.

At its core are two exceptional reception rooms; a formal drawing and dining room, linked by a set of doors and designed to accommodate the lavish lifestyle of the original family who liked to entertain – in fact, they're even sound-proofed.

The reception rooms are spacious, light-filled and boast some lovely decorative plasterwork on the ceiling (Image: Brown&Co)

Even the sitting room was ahead of its time, using modern architectural methods to help it be sound proof (Image: Brown&Co)

Elsewhere, there is an impressive period hallway with a turning staircase, as well as a good-sized study, cloakroom and an open-plan Scandi-inspired kitchen with an Aga.

Upstairs, four bedrooms are arranged off a landing with a bathroom, separate cloakroom and a laundry room. There is also an ensuite shower to the main bedroom.

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From the front, the property looks just like the evocative villa it was designed to be, complete with external window shutters, which still operate and shade the property from the sun. 

Despite its age and architectural interest, the house has somehow escaped a formal statutory listing, but it is recorded in the council’s own list of buildings of special historic or architectural interest and stands in part of a conservation area, which stretches down to the River Green in Thorpe and beyond.

The kitchen features an Aga and a dining space, offering a brilliant flow to the space and is ideal for families (Image: Brown&Co)

The kitchen leads through to a good-sized conservatory and then in to Michael Innes' studio (Image: Brown&Co)

High House was divided up in the 1930s. Mr Innes became fascinated with it in the 1970s when he was commissioned by its then owner to consider potential improvements.

Mr Innes is acclaimed for his work on local buildings including Norwich’s Maddermarket Theatre, council offices for South Norfolk, the re-modelling of the Norwich outdoor market and designing the then Castle Mall.

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Mr Innes had asked his client, the owner of Number One, High House, to let him know if ever he intended to sell, and so it was that over 50 years ago he bought the property.

He said: “I asked him to give me first refusal if he ever sold. I fell in love with the space and the fact it was a property vulnerable to an architect who wanted to make some improvements to it without altering its true character.”

The property sits in around an acre of gardens and grounds (Image: Brown&Co)

Within the grounds there is also an outdoor pool, which is heated by an air source heat pump (Image: Brown&Co)

Mr Innes’ approach was to look forward as well as referencing the past. His aim was to create a welcoming and functional family home, creating an extension including a partly glazed garden/family room/bedroom five, which leads to a side terrace.

He also designed a timber-clad studio with an impressive roof, added a swimming pool and improved the outside space which now boasts south-facing, sloping gardens.

Mr Innes was an early convert to the use of solar panels, which he fitted, and he later introduced air source heat pumps for the central heating.

Peter Hornor, chartered surveyor and partner at Brown&Co, marketing the property, said: “This is a really special house. Our clients love it and hope that we will find another family for another 50 years.”

For more information, contact Peter Hornor at Brown&Co on 01603 629871.

PROPERTY FACTS
South Avenue, Thorpe St Andrew
Guide price: £1,450,000
Brown&Co, 01603 629871
www.brown-co.com