An iconic Grade II* listed Regency villa designed by the renowned Decimus Burton, in this prestigious Tunbridge Wells private park
Constructed in the early 19th century and designed by the re-knowned architect Decimus Burton, whose career spanned the Georgian, Regency and Victorian period with work including Regents Park and many of London's other iconic buildings, Calverley Park was the first residential park in Tunbridge Wells. He developed the concept 'rus in urbe' - bringing the beauty and values of the countryside into the town and his vision has remained true in Calverley Park, thanks to conservation controls, with other parks in Tunbridge Wells continuing the theme.
The Park is considered to be one of the most prestigious addresses in Tunbridge Wells, comprising a number of sizable villas arranged in an arc overlooking private 'pleasure grounds', giving the illusion of sole enjoyment of acres of parkland, right in the centre of town. The majority of the 'pleasure grounds' were purchased by the Local Authority in 1920 and now boast formal gardens, tennis courts, croquet and bowling greens, a basketball court and cafe. However, the road and park grounds immediately in front of the villas are still privately owned and controlled by a trust held by the Park residents.
20 Calverley Park is an iconic Grade II* listed Regency villa, boasting wonderful proportions and features typical of a property from this era, including high ceilings, deep skirtings, picture rails, dado rails, ceiling roses, sash windows, and attractive fireplaces throughout.
The spacious accommodation is arranged over four floors, with the generous entrance hall leading to the impressive dining room with large multi-panel sash windows, and a handsome drawing room with separate snug and French doors to the rear terrace and gardens beyond. There are also two studies on this floor, with a useful servery and wc, making an ideal home office.
The kitchen/breakfast room on the lower ground floor is traditionally designed, with bespoke units and quartz worksurfaces, a large island unit, and a range of integrated appliances including a three-oven AGA with an additional gas oven. There is ample space for a large family dining table, and a further useful office area extending from the kitchen. The adjacent sitting room, currently utilised as a cinema room, offers a fantastic area for informal entertainment and includes a bar area for refreshments, and access to the wine cellar via the Gym.
An elegant mahogany-railed spindle staircase rises from the entrance hall to the first floor, which is home to the impressive principal bedroom suite, with multi-pane sash windows overlooking the mature gardens, and twin en suites with dressing rooms. There are five further spacious bedrooms spanning across the first and second floor, three of which are en suite. A family bathroom completes the second-floor accommodation.
The rear landscaped garden comprises a wide sheltered terrace incorporating a mature wisteria, with steps down to a further terrace and gardens beyond. The garden is mainly laid to lawn with a pond and water feature taking centre stage, and mature trees and hedging forming the boundary, providing a good level of privacy.
The driveway approach is shared with the neighbouring property, leading onto a private resin driveway with a detached double garage offering ample parking, and a rear electric gate giving direct access to Prospect Road. Steps also lead from the driveway to the gym on the lower ground floor.
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This is the original park road in Tunbridge Wells, which has lead the way to so many others and architecturally speaking, stands out in a class of its own. Number 20 is one of the larger villas, which has been a family home now for over twenty years, with a lot of updating and improvements made over time to accommodate a more modern lifestyle without spoiling the classical splendour
Robert JacobsProperty agent