Cone Lane is a private road lined with pretty coach houses that once belonged to a manor house, long since demolished, leaving only a cluster of outbuildings in its memory. The house tells a lovely story of its past owners through its design. The original coach house was built in 1875, converted to a two-bedroom house in the later part of the 20th Century and recently has been restored with exemplary attention to detail. The result is an incredibly unusual home in the centre of Leicester.

Cone Lane is a twenty-minute walk to Leicester Train station, from which services run to London in around an hour as well as to the rest of the midlands.

Cone Lane bends at the end, revealing a house that is otherwise hidden from the street. The front of the building is dominated by the original coach house, an incredibly bright space with a glass vaulted ceiling which is currently used a workshop. There is scope here to continue renovations and extend the living spaces into the sun-filled room. Behind this is the original cottage that accompanied the coach house, and a modern extension.

Entry is to an unusual atrium, with a barrel-shaped skylight and lined with a series of arches which have been dramatically painted white on the inside and black on the other to provide great views to the living spaces. Wonderfully-worn hexagonal terracotta floor tiles lead to the kitchen on the left, with black cabinetry and wood worktops. There is a well-considered use of colour throughout the house, in this instance with turquoise-hued tiles. On the other side of the atrium is a ply-panelled cosy dining room that looks to the garden.

The living room has shiny black-stained floorboards and an exposed brick chimney breast that surrounds the woodburner. Huge wood-framed sash windows fill the room with natural light and frame views to the garden. The outside space is walled, and completely private without any direct neighbours. From this angle the house appears to be a rural cottage, concealing the surprise within.

Also on the ground floor is a bathroom fitted with a 1970’s suite and wallpaper, a utility room and boot room that lie adjacent to the coach house space.

Upstairs, there are lovely mid-century details such as veneered cabinetry and wood-panelled ceilings in one of the bedrooms and instantly recognisable wood banisters in the hallway. The two large, serene bedrooms both look to the garden. One also opens onto the main bathroom. With tadelakt walls, hexagonal tiles that mirror those downstairs, a great 1970s cabinet and concrete sink by Kast, the room epitomises the eclectic combination of features in the house and here create an incredibly inviting space.

Leicester has an interesting history, known for its textiles industry which was fuelled by the canals and good railway links, its diverse communities and history of radicalism. Cone Lane lies in the Stoneygate area of the city, nestled behind Victoria Park which is notable for its Edwin Lutyens-designed war memorial and is a lovely green space that hosts a weekly Park Run. Beyond the park is the leafy New Walk which takes you into the city centre in 20 minutes. Here you can find the New Walk Museum, and nearby is the Attenborough Centre which has a gallery and offers workshops and evening classes.

Cone Lane is also just around the corner from Queens Road, much-loved for its independent shops, bars and restaurants including The Northern Cobbler for coffee, and Bar Dos Hermanos. Leicester is well-known for its curry houses, and Mumbai Inn on London Road and Herb on Granby Street are recommended.

In the city centre there is a new arts quarter which houses The Curve theatre, and the LCB, once a bus depot now a creative hub that offers studio spaces and a monthly street food event, and The Phoenix independent cinema.

Cone Lane is a 20 minute walk from the city’s railway station, from where services run to London St Pancras every fifteen minutes and take just over an hour, as well as to Stanstead Airport. The city is also really well connected to the rest of the midlands, with services to Birmingham, Nottingham and Sheffield.

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.