FOR SALE : Brook House

The Old Tannery Porlock TA24 8PU

Mid terrace 3 storey house in quiet area in the centre of Porlock. Contains sizeable workshop on ground floor. 3 bedrooms plus study/bedroom 4. Excellent views across to Bristol Channel. Porlock Town Brook runs along back of property. 

We are able to offer this magnificent property for the very reasonable price of £280,000.

Contact: email melaniecarroll@hotmail.co.uk
              phone 01643 863448
              mobile 0759 831 3511




Brook House comprises : 

Front Door! Yep, we’ve got one. It leads to : 

GROUND FLOOR consisting of

Entrance Hall

This has a decent slate floor – very satisfying to hoover. Lots of hooks for coats; even a family of 5 has enough coat space. And some of them are HOARDERS believe you me. Night storage heater (not working) however we never used it anyway even when it was working. This is a nice warm house, I’ll say that for it.

There is a top quality Industrial Strength spiral staircase rising to First Floor. Not one of the namby-pamby spiral staircases usually seen in these environments. This was once the outside Fire Escape for the Daily Telegraph offices so it means business. Hordes of teenage louts have been up and down it multiple times in various states of clumsiness, yet it has never flinched. A tough staircase which will serve you faithfully.

Door to : Workshop   29' x 25'9'' max narrowing to 16'6''

The workshop is SUPERB. Used as a basketmaker’s workshop and trust me this is the envy of the entire yeomanry of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers (City Livery Company). High-ceilinged and spacious, with light and power, phone point, water supply and butler’s sink. Lots of potential – can be used as a retail outlet among other retailers along the Old Tannery. Also big enough to be converted to a self-contained annexe stpp. Stable door, and windows to front and out to stream at back. Affords pleasant Running Water sound when window open. [Lavatory available but rather repulsive so not much in use; there are plenty of lavatories upstairs. But it is there if needed.]

FIRST FLOOR

Drawing Room  17'2'' x 13'2''

Here’s where we draw, and sit, read, practise the violin, gnash our teeth etc. Light and big with almost sufficient electric points. Phone point. Picturesque but possibly fake beams exposed. 2 sets of big windows looking out over the stream and across fields to the sea. Moon rise over Bossington Hill may be seen when available. Annoying inset ceiling spot lights, but we only use them if we’ve lost something and need good light to find it. Otherwise we never use them and they give horrible harsh light. Thus their presence need not be seen as a disadvantage. There are also wall lights, which give a better ambience. Wooden floor – narrow planks, but come on… what do you expect for this price?

Archway – which provides a splendid scratching post for pets to sharpen their claws on – to

Dining Zone   13' x 7'7''

More big windows offering excellent opportunity to enjoy view across the stream and an orchard beyond, and to the sea, and rising of moon when appropriate. The dining zone is another light area with continuation of the wooden floor, and more of the horrible inset ceiling spot lights, which are only used when sewing is in progress. There is a wall light as well which is more frequently used. A few more electric points, but not in the right places really. Another archway to

Kitchen   14'2'' x 8'10''

Window to front, affording magnificent views of Porlock roofscape
with neighbour’s satellite dish and guttering. Not as bad as it sounds. This window has a very wide window sill and the sink, in front of it, so you need to be tall or adept with long implements if you want to open/close it. A range of cupboards and wall units (with lights underneath), which looked spacious before we moved in but we soon filled them up with all manner of clutter. We are hoarders though as mentioned above, so normal people would find there is loads of room for storage. Inset electric hob (no gas in Porlock) and integrated double oven which I HAVE CLEANED THOROUGHLY and you would hardly know it had ever been used, it’s so clean! So HURRY buy now before it gets filthy again. There is a very posh-looking dishwasher – plumbed in! - only it doesn’t work. However it could be replaced, or used for additional storage if you like. Part tiled surrounds, wooden floor, telephone point, inset ceiling spot lights - and the inset ceiling spot lights are spectacularly useless in here. You wash up after dark AT YOUR PERIL. You cast your own shadow over what you are doing. The man who installed these DEFINITELY had never washed up in his life. Built in cupboard under the stairs which is v useful for hide-and-seek with younger members of the family and as it has no window it works well as a useful darkroom for trying out glow-in-the-dark toys and gadgetry. We keep the fridge in here and emergency beer and all the unsightly recycling bins. 

Study/Bedroom 4   6'2'' x 5'5''

This is on the first floor too, off the drawing room. Only the shortest member of our family could use this as a bedroom and a special micro-bed had to be sourced for her as no real bed would fit in this room. She, being a stylish girl, has made it a most pleasant retreat. Window to front, wooden floor, electric and telephone points. Yet more of the accursed inset ceiling spot lights. Shelves and stuff. Occupying daughter is 5’9” tall.

Shower Room

Also off the drawing room. Guess what kind of lights it’s got? (Inset ceiling spot lights. Correct.) Shower cubicle, and the shower has been deemed acceptably good by our very discerning daughter. This is quite an accolade I can assure you. Basin, window to front with very wide window sill, night storage heater (not working). Lavatory. Space and plumbing for washing machine. We will gladly leave the washing machine for you as it is quite new and the memory of carrying it up the spiral staircase is fresh enough for us not to want to repeat the experience in reverse. Above it is a knackered old tumble dryer which you can also have. It only works on the High setting.

Up the stairs leading from the drawing room we find the 

SECOND FLOOR

where there is a Landing with space for innumerable books, laundry basket and a vast pile of ironing waiting to be done. Double glazed velux window. Airing cupboard with immersion heater and, at present, home to uncharacteristically neat piles of linen and towels etc. The ubiquitous inset ceiling spot lights abound here and there are some electric points and a fitted carpet. 
Doors to

Bedroom 1   17'1" x 7'8"

Double glazed velux window, fitted carpet, i.c.s. lights as usual, telephone point and various electric points. Door to walk in cupboard which looks lovely and big until you start filling it up with your clothes which you will find constitute a surprisingly comprehensive wardrobe. The cupboard door has a non-functioning latch placed there by previous owner in a fit of artistic rebellion. Window looks onto sea view. Puzzling beam arrangement.

Bedroom 2   11'9'' x 8'10''

Much like bedroom 1 except smaller and without the cupboard, and it has a night storage heater (not working). View to sea. N.B. The night storage heater is utterly redundant and hot water bottles have been quite sufficient when additional warmth was needed. 

Bedroom 3  11'11'' x 7'7''

A rare moment of tidiness in Bedroom 3

As bedroom 2 but without even the storage heater. Hatch to loft. Quite useless as there is a serviceable raised area above the workshop which can be used like a loft, for storing stuff such as tents, unwanted furniture, clothes that might come in handy etc. i.e. what ever you might put in to a loft. There is, I think, a connected television aerial in the loft, but we haven’t ever used it. There is one of those satellite dishes on the back wall of the house, also never used by us.

Bathroom

Velux window to front. Nice views of the sunset over Porlock Wier, if it isn’t raining. Panelled bath with mixer taps/ shower attachment. Basin. Lavatory. Part tiled surrounds. Exposed beam, again rather inexplicable. Laminate flooring made to look like wood (not convincing) built-in cupboard with lots of room for bathroom detritus, pills, out of date sun lotion etc. Inset ceiling spot lights. I am sorry but there it is. There are inset ceiling spot lights everywhere and the only place you can escape them is downstairs in the workshop, which has those long cylindrical light bulb things. (Fluorescent light tubes.)

Parking: you have to get a residents’ season ticket for parking in the Porlock Central car park, currently £110 per year. 60 yards away. Illicit parking in GP surgery’s car park is safe at weekends and on Wednesday afternoons when surgery closed.

Garden: there is no garden so you can throw off the tyranny of the mower and the trowel. The Meths Garden (garden of the Methodist Church) is open for sitting in by the general public and no-one uses it so you can enjoy it there as if you owned the place. It is only 60 yards away. Contains a fine fig tree. There is also a bench available in the GP surgery’s garden, 40 yards distant.

Location: Porlock is well provided with pubs and has 2 fully licensed supermarkets. There is a chemist, post office and some buses. The nearest bank is at Minehead 6 miles away and there is a railway station at Llantwit Major only 15 miles away as the crow flies. There is also Taunton Station, 30 miles as the car drives. The population is the oldest in the country so whoever you are you will feel young and frisky by comparison. Thriving Bowls Club. Recreation Ground has special exercise machines designed for use by the over 70s. High Street with disabled access and mobility-scooter-friendly pavements. Living the rural nightmare.

Drawbacks not mentioned above

Kitchen: stupid low level hood over cooker designed for shorter people. As mentioned, shortest member of this family is 5’9” tall. The mixer tap on the sink is like a water pistol, directing a high-velocity jet of water which soaks anyone nearby as it bounces off the contents of the washing up bowl.

Bedroom doors: due to low quality latches fitted by previous owner these have got those popper-type fastenings that aren’t very good in high winds. You have to use door wedges to keep doors shut on these occasions. 

Spiral staircase: you can not get an iron-framed upright piano up the stairs. 

Plumbing: the stop cock is false. We were tricked by the previous owner. Most of the taps have their own local switching off mechanisms though. However we would be prepared to get this mended if it would ensure a sale.

Why we are selling this paragon of dwellings: retiring from basketmaking so no longer need the workshop. Want a garden (have forgotten about the tyranny exerted by mower and trowel). Want to be able to have piano in drawing room. Husband is a pyromaniac and we want a fireplace. 

Views from back :

Views from front :