A landmark building located on a main road into Norwich has come up for sale, offering a "fantastic opportunity" for new owners to transform it into their dream home.
The Post Office House in Hanworth will be a familiar sight to regulars who travel by road between Norwich and Cromer, due to its unique design.
The building, which dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century, is now for sale for £425,000, and in need of some TLC.
A spokesperson for selling agents Watsons says: “This is a fantastic opportunity to develop a property to your own taste and standard and early viewing is strongly recommended.”
While it looks like a toll or gate house, some mystery surrounds its original use.
According to records, architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner believed it had served as a lodge to Hanworth Hall, although little evidence has been found to support this.
There is also no evidence to suggest it was a toll house, despite its appearance - and the persistence of local stories, which suggest that it was - but it is known to have been used as a day school and as a post office.
In 1907, the area’s telephone exchange was established at the site, comprising eight lines which were worked by a postmaster or mistress operating a switchboard.
By 1930, the lines had doubled, and they grew to 25 in just 12 months. Automatic service – which ensured connection without the need for a postmaster or mistress to manually change them – was implemented in 1939. By this point the station operated over 60 telephone lines.
In the early 1980s, all equipment was removed and a new electronic exchange built on the land behind.
The building has since been converted into residential use, with accommodation arranged over two storeys.
On the ground floor there is a good-sized sitting room, with windows to three sides, as well as a separate dining room with an impressive fireplace and a study or family room – which could also be used as an additional bedroom. There is also a kitchen and a downstairs bathroom.
On the first floor there are two bedrooms, one of which is a double, and two courtyards outside.
Behind these is the former telephone exchange, which could be converted into a studio, home office or self-contained accommodation, subject to planning, and there may also be potential to form a link between this and the existing house.
The plot extends to around half an acre in total and looks out over open countryside. The front garden is mainly laid to lawn with well-stocked borders, established trees and two impressive yews either side of the front door.
For more information, contact Watsons.
PROPERTY FACTS
Norwich Road, Hanworth
Guide price: £425,000
Watsons, 01603 361981
www.watsons-property.co.uk
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