This newly built courtyard house is positioned on Newcomen Road in Tunbridge Wells. The sunken plan is cleverly configured around four internal courtyards, set back from a quiet street of locally-listed cottages behind a large private garden and driveway. The internal spaces make clever use of their courtyards to create a bright set of flowing living spaces.

The Tour 

The house presents a modest façade to the street, entirely in keeping with its neighbours. A traditional gable end faces Currie Road and is the only clue to the house’s existence from this aspect. Access by car and foot is gained on Newcomen Road, where a pair of wooden doors open onto a large front garden, laid to turf with a driveway on one side.

The house appears from this angle to be single storey. However, beyond the driveway, a sunken courtyard reveals the intricate nature of the plan. This is the first courtyard and is flanked on three sides by large sections of glazing. It also has an external fireplace and chimney flue. A large set of glazed doors lead directly to a kitchen with walnut units, quartz worktops and a Range induction cooker. Beyond the kitchen, the plan opens up to a large living room. This is a truly impressive space with double-height ceilings and large windows on three aspects, looking onto the entrance courtyard, the front garden and the further courtyard it shares with the kitchen. Engineered ash floorboards run underfoot across this floor.

There is a more formal entrance hall beyond the kitchen with a guest WC, a cloakroom and a storage cupboard. This too sits in front of a smaller courtyard area to the rear of the plan, drawing in wonderful levels of natural light. A corridor leads past a family bathroom on one side and a double bedroom opposite. This bedroom has a skylight above, built-in wardrobes and direct access to the largest courtyard via a set of elegant glazed doors. At the end of the central corridor there is a slightly smaller bedroom which also has built-in wardrobes and glazed doors leading to the courtyard.

A staircase leads up to the first floor and the master bedroom suite. To one side of the staircase, there is a dressing area with built-in wardrobes and an en suite shower room opposite. The other side of the staircase houses the bedroom itself. The pitched roof here creates a wonderful sense of peace and tranquillity on this floor, further emphasised by the skylight and partially elevated view.

The house has photovoltaic panels on its roof, which can be used to convert solar energy into electricity.

Outdoor Space

The house has been designed around four internal courtyard gardens which, as well as acting as lightwells, constitute the perfect space for a morning coffee or early evening drink. The house also has a large front garden which is set back from Newcomen Road and provides ample space for children to play safely. To one side of the front garden is a driveway with space for at least two vehicles.

The Area

Newcomen Road is a quiet residential street just north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, a historic market town in Kent. The house is ideally positioned a short walk from the town centre and from the local green spaces at St John’s Park and Hilbert Woods, in the neighbourhood of St Johns. The area is known for its picturesque streets of Victorian terraces and selection of independent shops and cafes. Local favourite Even Flow, an independent coffee and record shop, is minutes from the house, while Manuel’s Deli and Bakery and Marks & Spencer are also close by.

The town offers a wide range of restaurants, theatres, coffee shops and supermarkets. Of particular note is The Pantiles, a Georgian shopping promenade of independent cafes and restaurants. There are a range of excellent pubs including the Sussex Arms and Ragged Trousers. There are live jazz performances on the bandstand on summer evenings.

There are many highly regarded state and private schools in the Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge area including Kent Grammar Schools. The new Skinners Kent Academy is nearby, and Beechwood Sacred Heart School is under 1 mile away.

Trains run from Tunbridge Wells and High Brooms into London Charing Cross in under an hour. The M25, Ashford Station (for the Channel Tunnel) and Gatwick Airport are all within easy driving distance.

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.