Nick Churton of Bedfords’ London office discovers that there is a fine line between fact and fiction in Bury St Edmunds, England.
The Property: 63 Witely Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
The Agent: Bedfords
One could be forgiven for thinking this photo is a still from Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. But, in truth, this house doesn’t belong on a movie set, it belongs in Bury St Edmunds in the East of England.
It is impossible to know precisely when in the 15th century this house was constructed. Perhaps it had been built when Henry V returned to England after his victory against the French at Agincourt in 1415. Or when the Tudor dynasty began with Henry VII following the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. But whenever it was, anyone living in Bury St Edmunds over the past five hundred years or so would be familiar with this property.
The almost impossibly romantic building continues to offer a very comfortable, if old world lifestyle, for the latest in a very long line of owners. One could say that the owners have become a form of dynasty themselves, a dynasty of stewards who carry on the tradition and keep the flame of 63 Witely Street alive.
Who will live in this beautiful home next? Not a Hobbit, or a wizard. But perhaps a bookish person will enjoy filling the shelves and then settling down by the fire for a good read. Or maybe it will be someone who will tour the many fascinating East Anglian antique shops, plundering them for period-correct furniture to complement the house. But whoever buys this house will not be disappointed.
And why move to Bury St Edmunds, a Saxon royal borough where the monastery was founded in about 633? Well, the town must be one of the most pleasing in England. It has gentility and an aura of calm. Living in the town centre is to walk quaint, historic streets to the Regency theatre, fine restaurants and charming pubs, or to take a summer evening stroll in the beautiful abbey gardens alongside the River Lark.
At 63 Witely Street, house and town combine to offer a unique and delightful opportunity for someone to pick up sticks and enter another world. It might not be fantasy, but it is magical.
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