South House
Feering, Essex

SOLD

Architect: Clifford Nicholls

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Located in a tranquil setting, on a rural Essex road surrounded by fields, this wonderful house is also close to a number of train stations, all of which run direct services to London Liverpool Street in under an hour.

The property consists of a semi-detached cottage, built in 1832, which has been impressively extended by the much-admired architect Clifford Nicholls. The house sits on a site of approximately 1/2 acre.

Designed by Nicholls in 1974 to house both his family and his architectural practice, the property is both spacious and adaptable. It is currently configured as a three-bedroom house with two reception rooms (in the old cottage) and an adjoining three-room studio complex, but it could potentially be used as a five- or even six-bedroom house.

Nicholls’s extension is of glass and timber construction and allows the property to be flooded with light. Based on strict modernist principles, the structure is pleasing in form and provides a series of open, airy spaces. The black stained timber and extensive glazing is reminiscent of Nicholls’s earlier ‘Latimer’ housing scheme in Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire (designed in collaboration with Brian Frost and Rob Hutson), that met with great critical acclaim.

The house can be found on a rural road amongst open fields approximately a mile from the attractive village of Feering (the village can be reached from the house on foot across the fields). The village of Coggeshall is also close by. Feering and Coggeshall offer a range of facilities, including pubs, a post office and schools. The neighbouring village of Kelvedon has a train station that runs services to London Liverpool Street in approximately 50 minutes (more frequent services run from the nearby town of Witham). The nearest large town is Colchester, which offers a wide range of shopping and dining facilities. London is easily reached by car via the A12, which can be found approximately two miles from the house.

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

Having studied architecture in London during the 1960s, Clifford Nicholls spent the following decade establishing a firm reputation for himself as one of Britain’s foremost architects. Much of his work at this time was produced with Frost Nicholls, the firm of which he was a principal, and spanned both residential and commercial projects. Their work tended to be optimistic, maximizing light and open space, and retaining a pleasing balance of conceptual rigour and common sense.

By the end of the decade, Frost Nicholls had reached a natural conclusion and Nicholls decided to set up on his own. He immediately began to look for a location to house his new business and his growing family, and came across a charming 19th-century cottage in the spectacular Essex countryside. What was once a row of four cottages had been divided into two, one of which Nicholls bought and proceeded to extend to accommodate his needs. Luckily the house had a generously sized garden.

The resulting property, which is now on the market for the first time since Nicholls’s extension, proved a huge success and received the attention of a number of architectural publications, including Architectural Design. The location proved ideal for the frequent business trips to London that Nicholls and his staff of six had to take. The tranquility of the setting, however, and the huge, open skies for which the area is famed, also allowed for a less frenetic working environment.

Nicholls also designed and installed a range of bespoke furniture that can still be found throughout the house.


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