Callis Court Road
Broadstairs, Kent
Architect: Gerald Beech
Register for similar homes“The extension of part of the living room through two floors has created a strong element of vertical space which is apparent from all parts of the house and, with the stairway and bridge link pass through it, the accommodation on the first floor becomes an entity with the ground floor.” (The Architect & Building News, 1963)
This five bedroom house, by one of the most respected British architects of the Mid-Century period, is located ten minutes’ walk from the beach on Callis Court Road, Broadstairs on the Kent coast.
Designed in 1963 by Gerald Beech, an architect perhaps best known for his Grade II* listed Cedarwood in Liverpool, this house is highly praised in the Pevsner Architectural Guide which describes the form of the building as “two interpenetrating flat-roofed ranges at right angles to one another”. It goes on to admire the “light-filled, largely open-plan interior” of what it concludes is an “an excellent house”. An extension was later added at the back by the architect Mike Duncan.
The house has been recently renovated to an extremely high standard by the current owner, bringing light and life to the design, which centres around a spectacular double-height living room with an elegant open-tread staircase.
A curved driveway leads to the demure frontage, comprised of a series of geometric shapes newly painted white, grey and black with flint-faced sections that nod to the traditional building methods of the area. Inside is a glass lobby that looks through to the living spaces, and the kitchen on the right. There are well-preserved original features throughout, including high level windows, exposed beams, glass-panelled doors and lovely wood detailing on the underside of the mezzanine. The renovation makes the most of these mid-century details, seamlessly combining them with a minimal contemporary aesthetic.
The kitchen has been completely remodelled in a sleek palette of black and plywood, with slate floors and custom cabinetry that separates the dining table from the worktops. Beyond, is a spacious utility room that leads onto the neat central courtyard.
At the heart of the house is the lofty living room, lit by floor to ceiling windows across one side and bisected by a warm-hued wooden staircase with forest green spindles that leads up to a mezzanine. The parquet floor has been immaculately restored, and the room is warmed by a wood-burner. Double doors open onto the garden, landscaped with square planters. Through a large sliding door is a snug room, fitted with custom cabinetry and bookshelves. Continuing the sensitive upgrading of the house, the current owner has installed cork floors. Beyond this is a self contained bedroom suite, with a dressing room and bathroom. There are two further bedrooms on the ground floor, also decorated muted greens and blues.
On the first floor are two bedrooms, joined by a bridge that crosses above the living room and has views across the garden. One has been panelled with ply to create a cosy master suite, with a concealed bathroom.
The house is encircled with gardens, some of which are more formal in their landscaping, while others have charming berry bushes and climbing roses. There is also a good-sized integral garage.
Callis Court Road is a quiet leafy street on the hill behind the centre of the town, approximately half a mile from the sea and half a mile from the High Street. It is an easy walk to the lovely beach at Joss Bay, as well as the harbour.
The rich cultural heritage of Broadstairs has been drawing people to the Kent coastline for many years. It was an important fishing port in the 1700s and continues to wear it’s smugglers’ past on its sleeve into the 21st century; the coastline remains honeycombed with smugglers’ caves and tunnels around nearby Botany and Kingsgate Bays. Broadstairs is also renowned as the site of Bleak House, a prominent house on the cliff overlooking Viking Bay. Charles Dickens used to holiday at the house and wrote the novel ‘David Copperfield’ in one of the rooms.
In recent years, Broadstairs has enjoyed a palpable resurgence, with a thriving community of independent shops and restaurants including Wyatt and Jones, which features in the Michelin guide as a specialist in locally sourced seafood, and The Funicular Coffee Shop built into the old ticket office of a long decommissioned clifftop funicular. The old town itself remains a haven of antique shops, cafes and traditional Kentish pubs, and Morelli’s ice-cream parlour is a wonderfully over-the-top establishment on the sea.
Nearby Margate is experiencing an extraordinary period of change; an influx of young creatives have been setting up in the town, including natural cosmetic company Haeckels, Liddicoat and Goldhill the architects behind Maker’s House and the internationally renowned Turner Contemporary art gallery. These businesses and many more like them have helped to evolve a thriving art, food and music scene minutes from Broadstairs. Much loved Whistable and Ramsgate are also within easy reach.
Broadstairs has a mainline railway station providing services to London St Pancras in one hour and twenty minutes, plus there are good road links to London, and the rest of Kent via the motorway network.
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.
History
In October 1963, the house was featured over three pages in the well-respected journal ‘The Architect & Building News’. Alongside some exceptional images taken by the renowned photographer Colin Westwood, whose images can be seen here, the article went into considerable detail about the concept and construction of the house. It begins by citing the client as M.C. Rimmer, the general contractor as John B. Sharman and the architect as Gerald R. Beech and goes on to explain how the Rimmers were downsizing from a large 18th century house, wanting “a more manageable home which still retained a sense of space”.
The author seems particularly impressed with the central double-height space, writing that “the extension of part of the living room through two floors has created a strong element of vertical space which is apparent from all parts of the house and, with the stairway and bridge link pass through it, the accommodation on the first floor becomes an entity with the ground floor.”
Later in the article, the author discusses the way that construction elements have been used as part of the visual concept of the spaces. “Exposed joists and beams have been used, and by giving careful consideration to their positions and direction of run, this structure is dominant in the spatial idea… The provision of such a modular discipline in the structure at an early stage during the building operation did much to encourage exact craftsmanship by the building operatives”.
