Woolmarket House in King's Lynn is not only one of the town's most historic properties but now, thanks to an impressive restoration, a beautiful period home.
The handsome Grade II listed building is a former merchant's house which was built in the mid-15th century. It was recently converted into a four-bedroom home and is now on the market with Brown & Co at a guide price of £550,000.
It was once home to the famous artist and political activist, Gustav Metzger, who used it as his studio. He was born in Nuremburg in 1926 and came to Britain in 1939 as a refugee. He attended the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp between 1948 and 1949 and later lived in London.
The building, along with two others on St Nicholas Street, was later restored and, in the 1970s, it became the Tudor Rose Hotel. It continued to trade as a pub and hotel for several decades before being put on the market in 2017, priced at £390,000.
Now, the buildings have been restored to residential dwellings and, despite its sympathetic restoration, Woolmarket House still boasts a number of original architectural details. This includes the front door, carved in oak and believed to date back to 1345. It is set in a stone arch entrance and flanked by Tuscan columns.
Once inside, the period detail continues with a flagstone floor in the entrance hall and a panelled reception room. This has been set with a new stone flooring and includes an original moulded bridging beam across the centre, as well as neutral and fresh decoration to give it a more contemporary feel.
The kitchen, dining and family room, at the rear of the property, are really the hub of the home, with a fitted kitchen, two fireplaces and a central dining and seating area.
The whole room is also superbly lit with double aspect windows with original timber mullions, and it's easy to see why it was previously used as an artists' studio.
There is also a study/snug, cloakroom and cupboard on the ground floor, and access to two courtyard gardens.
The staircase in the study leads up to a large landing, where there is a bedroom, and the town's last surviving 17th century gallery.
A further room contains some of the town's most important architectural features: three crown-post trusses and an exposed roof. The east wall bears a chimney stack with a carved stone fire surround and would make a spectacular master bedroom for new owners - although it would also make an impressive reception room.
Also on this floor is a shower room and a third bedroom with en suite bathroom which enjoys fantastic views over St Nicholas Chapel.
A further bedroom with en suite, plus a small roof terrace, can be found on the second floor.
The property also enjoys its own private courtyard garden.
For more information about this property, please contact Brown & Co on 01553 770771.
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