property INDEX
Why buyers love Canterbury
Fab houses, great shops, good schools - it’s no wonder house hunters are tempted by Canterbury. The high-speed rail link is also drawing Londoners to the city. Mary Gold reports
better than Canterbury. The housing stock is limited because it’s small, but there are still glorious pockets of Georgian houses and streets of spacious and sought-after Thirties homes.
W
The high-speed rail link has transformed the housing market because lots of people with a link to the city, especially
hen it comes to quality of life, cities don’t come much
those who were at university here, are coming back. What draws them? Probably the cosmopolitan atmosphere, great selection of shops and services and excellent schools. Until recently London was
a 1hr 45 minute slog but now it takes only 56 minutes by high-speed train into St Pancras. The city is also surrounded by woodland, hop gardens and cherry and apple orchards and there are superb walks nearby, including, of course, the Pilgrims’
Way. The surrounding villages offer traditional pubs, lovely countryside and historic attractions. In Canterbury itself, the
smartest streets are King Street and Blackfriars St, which have lovely Georgian houses which sell for between £450,000 and £600,000. The spacious family homes in Ethelbert Rd go for between £650,000 and £1m, while Puckle Lane is slightly cheaper at between £450,000 and £700,000. Edward Church of Strutt and
Parker says: “Canterbury is still affordable compared with many cities in the south east. Plus you are spoilt for choice when it comes to education.
“Canterbury is not quite on the hotlist in the property sense, as Winchester is, but that’s a good thing because it has kept house prices reasonable. You can still buy a good family house here for two thirds of what it would cost in some cities in the south east.”
www.struttandparker.com
Property of the month: Bishops Mill, Westgate Grove, Canterbury - £785,000
You'd be hard pressed to fi nd a prettier property in the city centre than Bishops Mill, an historic 17th century Grade II listed house which has recently been upgraded and enlarged. The house sits on the
River Stour, with lovely views of the Westgate Towers. It comes with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, gated parking (which is unusual for the city centre) and a pretty garden. Open the mahogany front door and you'll be in the hallway, with French limestone fl ooring and a beautiful oak staircase to the fi rst fl oor. There's a utility room and cloakroom with a loo and
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off the hallway is the lovely double-aspect sitting room, with natural stone fl ooring and under-fl oor heating.
Double doors open onto the river and wonderful views of Westgate Gardens. The best feature of the room is a Chesney's stone fi replace and a large hearth.
In the kitchen-
breakfast room there are custom- built units with pale quartz work surfaces and space for a range cooker. The
second reception room is multi-functional, with space for informal dining and there's a third reception room, currently used as a study.
Upstairs, the master
bedroom is a spectacular room, with exposed beams and river and garden views. Bedroom two also has great
views and a cast iron fi replace, while bedroom three enjoys the same lovely views and the added benefi t of lots of storage space.
Outside there's a pretty walled courtyard and ample space for a large car, while the garden itself has a well-kept lawn and fruit trees.
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