Eric Lyons Templemere Span House in Weybridge, Surrey
One of my favourite Span estates and on it, this Eric Lyons Templemere Span House in Weybridge, Surrey, is up for sale.
A favourite because the architecture just seems a little more interesting on Templemere. And this house typifies the bolder side of it. The location isn’t bad either. Peaceful, but just a 20-minute walk from the centre.
Designed in the early 1960s by Eric Lyons, the Templemere Span Estate is a mix of ‘straight blocks and tessellating terraces of polygonal houses’ that fan out around gardens and garages.
Bold at the time, it won the Civic Trust Award to long after construction and its architectural merit has been recognised more recently (2012) with Conservation Area status in 2012.
A good thing, of course, as we really wouldn’t want to lose anything about Templemere, from the 196s modern architecture through to the 12 acres of gardens, originally landscaped in the 18th century by the celebrated designer William Kent.
Note that it also retains its own private stretch of river and woodlands. A boon in the summer for residents, who often organise summer parties, woodland days and other events within their own setting. Yes, you get a house, but with there majority of Span Estates (not least this one) you are buying so much more.
But it is the house you are paying for and this one is a gem. A well-preserved, four-bedroom house with angles to the fore. The polygonal plan offers up a flowing series of living spaces, many of which are boosted by those all-important original features.
Oh yes, all that glass too. If there’s one thing that sells a house it’s the amount of natural light that pours in. And you only have to look at the photos of this one to understand how much light will be pouring into the reception spaces. With the woodland to the front, it’s probably a nice place to sit and ponder the world too.
Talking of location, this one is approached ‘along winding walkways’ through the established trees of Templemere, sitting in a ‘secluded position’ at the edge of the estate beside that woodland.
Access is into a wide entrance hall, with a coat cupboard and WC, which in turn opens to the kitchen on the left and the living room on the right.
As you can see, the house has been sympathetically updated, but with key features of the original build still in place, including an original wooden room divider partitioning the living and dining areas, and the original box parquet floors.
Of course, the original angular architecture too, which, coupled with the full-height glazing, draws in all of that wonderful natural light.
The dining room sits at the centre of the house overlooking the garden. To the right is a study, again divided from the main space by a sliding wooden partition. To the left of the dining room is a door to the kitchen, which runs to the side of the house, completing what’s described as the ‘circular plan’. A glazed door at the rear opens to the garden.
Upstairs, there are four bedrooms. The main bedroom overlooks the woodland and in winter, catches sight of the lake beyond it too.
There are two further double bedrooms and a single bedroom set at angles around the landing. The family bathroom too, which still has the original bath (re-enamelled), and a pine surround that extends to form bespoke shelving beside the bath. The WC is separate.
There’s a garage outside too, although at present it is currently being used as a games room (which you can see on the imagery). Le’s be honest, not many of us use a garage for a car these days.
Also outside is a private courtyard garden, with access also to the extensive shared lawns and woodlands that are often a trademark of a Span Estate. With new-builds offering so little space and greenery, this is a massive selling point. There are also walks through the woods and around the lakes from just beyond the front door and easy access to the Thames path five minutes away.
Fancy living here? It’s just on the market with an asking price of £975,000.
Images and details courtesy of The Modern House. For more details and to make an enquiry, please visit the website.
