One of Billericay's best-kept secrets, St John's Road is an exclusive private road of just thirteen individually designed homes, quietly hidden away yet perfectly positioned just a seven-minute walk from both Billericay Railway Station (with London Liverpool Street only 35 minutes away) and the bustling High Street.
St John's Independent School sits directly opposite the turning, whilst the 40 acres of Lake Meadows Park are also around seven minutes on foot.
Better still, a little-known footpath at the top of the road leads through to Norsey Road and off this Deerbank Road, with its footpath going straight into the ancient woodland of Norsey Woods - front door to the woods in little more than a minute!
Built by the owners in 1962 and offered to the open market for the very first time, this much-loved detached family home has been thoughtfully enlarged over the years to create approximately 1,660 sq ft of bright, versatile accommodation.
The dual-aspect living spaces enjoy a sunny due south orientation, whilst upstairs are three generous double bedrooms, including a spacious principal Master Suite with an Ensuite Bath and Shower room.
Outside, the garden has been cleverly arranged into several distinct areas, from sun-soaked patios to a delightful woodland garden, complemented by a substantial outbuilding, a Garage and an additional store.
Homes in St John's Road are exceptionally rare to the market. Combining a peaceful tucked-away setting with one of the town's most convenient locations, this is a genuinely unique opportunity to acquire a property that has remained within the same family for over sixty years - a good advert in itself.
The Accommodation in more detail:
Woodgrain finish double doors with adjacent sidelight windows opening through to:
PORCH 7ft x 2ft (2.13m x 0.61m)
With a light and a further (the original) front door with sidelight panel opening through to:
HALL 12ft x 6ft 5' (3.66m x 1.96m)
A lovely size hall with a large fitted cupboard providing excellent storage for coats and shoes.
SITTING ROOM 12ft x 11ft 9' (3.66m x 3.58m)
Enjoying a due south aspect, this is a lovely bright room with sunshine streaming in through the wide set of patio doors.
A feature Limestone Fireplace with an inset gas fire provides an attractive focal point.
A 6ft (1.83m) wide opening leads through to:
DINING AREA 11ft x 9ft (3.35m x 2.74m)
Again enjoying a southerly aspect, this room is bathed in natural light from the wide bay window.
Across the far wall is a fitted library-style bookcase with a central mirror, together with drawers and cupboards below providing excellent storage.
FAMILY ROOM 15ft 7' x 12ft (4.75m x 3.66m)
More recently used as a dining room, although equally suited as a family room or even as the main lounge.
Dual aspect, with the patio doors facing due south, makes this another wonderfully bright and airy room.
Along the far wall is an extensive range of fitted cupboards and shelving.
KITCHEN 11ft x 9ft 3' (3.35m x 2.82m)
Fitted with a range of cream kitchen units complemented by wood-effect worktops and incorporating a built-in Gas Hob with Extractor Hood above, together with a built-in Double Oven and Grill. There are also spaces for a slimline dishwasher and fridge.
In the corner is a built-in pantry cupboard which could easily be removed to accommodate a full-height fridge/freezer.
A further built-in cupboard houses the Vaillant ecoTEC Plus 424 gas boiler, supplying the gas central heating via radiators and domestic hot water.
SIDE LOBBY 6ft 10' x 6ft (2.08m x 1.83m)
Situated just off the family room, the lobby has a front-facing window and an external door opening out to the garden.
There is also a large built-in double cupboard.
UTILITY ROOM / GROUND FLOOR WC 6ft x 4ft 10' (1.83m x 1.47m)
Combining the utility room and ground floor cloakroom into one practical space.
With a front-facing window providing natural light, a modern close-coupled WC, wall-mounted wash basin and provision for a washing machine.
Staircase from the hall rising to:
FIRST FLOOR LANDING 16ft 1' x 6ft 5' max (4.90m x 1.96m max)
A lovely long landing with two windows providing excellent natural light and a drop-down loft hatch giving access to the roof space.
Double doors open to reveal a generous 4ft 9' (1.45m) wide built-in shelved storage cupboard.
MASTER BEDROOM 16ft 3' x 12ft (4.95m x 3.66m)
A generously proportioned dual-aspect bedroom with south and east-facing windows.
Built-in pine-fronted wardrobes provide excellent storage, complemented by a further full-height built-in cupboard.
EN SUITE BATH & SHOWER ROOM 12ft x 5ft 4' (3.66m x 1.63m)
Boasting both a bath and a generous walk-in shower measuring 3ft 7' x 3ft 5' (1100m x 1000mm)
There is also a maple wood-effect 'combination vanity unit' incorporating the wash basin, concealed cistern WC and excellent storage within the triple drawers and cupboard beneath.
Like the master bedroom, this room is dual aspect, with two windows providing plenty of natural light.
Further features include two chrome heated towel radiators, recessed downlighting, an LED mirrored bathroom cabinet and an Aqualisa Visage Q Smart shower control serving the separate shower.
BEDROOM TWO 12ft x 11ft 9' (3.66m x 3.58m)
More recently used as a combined study/home office and dressing room, complete with a range of fitted wardrobes and a fitted desk unit.
This is another rear-facing bedroom, with its almost 8ft (2.44m) wide south-facing window flooding the room with natural light.
BEDROOM THREE 12ft 6' narrowing to 10ft 10' x 11ft (3.81m > 3.30m x 3.35m)
Another excellent-sized double bedroom and, once again, rear facing, enjoying plenty of natural sunlight.
Fitted with double wardrobes and also housing the airing cupboard.
BATHROOM 6ft 10' x 6ft 5' (2.08m x 1.96m)
A fully tiled bathroom fitted with a shower bath and a vanity unit incorporating the wash basin with cupboard storage below.
A side-facing window provides excellent natural light.
GARDEN
The garden extends to approximately 3,276 sq ft in total, equivalent to a garden measuring around 80ft x 40ft (24.38m x 12.19m).
It has been thoughtfully divided into several distinct areas:
MORNING PATIO 23ft x 17ft (7.01m x 5.18m)
A lovely large east-facing patio, perfectly positioned just outside the lobby door to enjoy the morning sunshine.
INITIAL REAR GARDEN 80ft wide x 20ft deep (24.38m x 6.10m)
Beautifully landscaped, this area includes a further south-facing patio directly outside the family room, together with a separate enclosed section housing an original potting shed.
WOODLAND GARDEN 43ft x 24ft (13.11m x 7.32m)
A delightful projecting woodland garden providing a wonderful natural setting, with an additional potting shed positioned at the far end.
LARGE OUTBUILDING 15ft x 8ft 2' (4.57m x 2.49m)
A rendered block-built outbuilding with a lockable door and UPVC window, together with power, lighting and a hand wash basin, making it ideal as a workshop, hobby room or studio.
GARAGE 13ft 9' x 9ft 7' (4.19m x 2.92m)
With a remote-controlled up-and-over door, power and lighting.
GARAGE STORE
Situated behind the garage is a useful storeroom with a lockable courtesy door and a set of sliding patio doors.
NOTE
In the interests of complete transparency, prospective purchasers should note that the property was professionally underpinned following the exceptional drought of 1976.
The works were completed many years ago and the property has since provided well over four decades of trouble-free occupation.
The exceptional location, first-class accessibility and rarity of homes becoming available on this road mean we expect to attract strong interest.
Council Tax
Basildon Council, Band G
Notice
Please note we have not tested any apparatus, fixtures, fittings, or services. Interested parties must undertake their own investigation into the working order of these items. All measurements are approximate and photographs provided for guidance only.
Billericay is a popular, historic market town just 30 miles from London.
The market at the top of Crown Road disappeared years ago and Billericay nowadays is more well-known as an excellent commuter town, with excellent rail links to the City (35 minutes by train), very good schools and a charming High Street, part of which is a conservation area.
It also has great access to the key main roads of the M25, A12 and A127.
The town lies on the edge of rural Essex, which makes it a very desirable place to live. This coupled with the City access goes some way to explain the high levels of Londoners we see looking to move here every year.
Since I moved here in 1973 and started as an estate agent in the mid 1990's, I have seen the town grow to where it is now, with some 14,000-15,000 homes and a population of over 40,000.
The Billericay you see today is economically and physically a thriving and attractive place to live and work. There are many open green spaces including the 40 acre Lake Meadows Park, a must in summer, and they throw a pretty impressive Fireworks Night too.
Norsey Woods is a great place for a walk or to exercise your dogs...or the kids! It dates back to the Bronze Age and covers about 165 acres with a visitor centre for the educational visits it has too.
I remember camping there as a cub scout back in the day and both Nick and myself have enjoyed many a afternoon there over the years with our families.
The High Street must be one of the prettiest in the county and dates back to Roman times. The shape we see now certainly hasn't changed much for over 500 years, our office itself is part of one of the 25 old coaching inns the town has seen over the years!
With well over 100 shops including some well known names and some boutique locally owned ones, the High Street also has some great pubs, bars and restaurants. The Chequers is probably the most popular, most people we know rate it as the best pub in town, with newer bars like Harrys Bar, Bar Zero and the Blue Boar, also very sought after, growing venues on friday and saturday nights.
There are too many great restaurants to name, suffice to say you don't need to travel out of Billericay to have a fantastic night out and there's a taxi rank by the station to get you home if you want to leave the car on the drive.
Waitrose is our local main supermarket with there also a very good Co-op over on Queens Park. Smaller supermarkets over in South Green, Sunnymede and along Stock Road also provide a super local service in their areas.
Billericay Christmas Market is a very popular annual event which sees the High Street completely shut to traffic for the day and then filled with stalls selling anything and everything Christmasy!
All the local schools, both Primary and Secondary have good OFSTED reports and there is a good choice of both State and Private. Please feel free to contact our office for more details although the OFSTED website is the ideal first port of call of course.
A BIT OF HISTORY
Billericay has an facinating history, much of which can be researched in our local museum, the Cater Museum on the High Street.
Billericay was first recorded as Byllerica in 1291 with notable events including a Peasants Revolt ending up in Norsey Woods in 1381 and some of Billericay residents, including Christopher Martin, the ship's victualler, sailing with the Pilgrim Fathers to the 'New World' of America on the Mayflower in 1620 - hence the many representartions of the Mayflower ship in numerous local businesses and the Mayflower High School.
In 1916 Billericay became famous as a result of a Zeppelin airship crashing in flames on the outskirts of the town, down what is now Greens Farm Lane.
A union workhouse was built in 1840 which later, together with additional later built buildings, became St. Andrew's Hospital in the 1930s. The regional plastic surgery and rehabilitation unit was opened here the same year I moved to Billericay, 1973. Many a local will still refer the estate there now to me, as 'one of the houses on the old Burns Unit', although it is in fact Stockfield Manor now.
Only the original workhouse building, including the chapel, and the main gatehouse, now survive, converted now into Grey Lady Place, a residential development of luxury apartments.
The railway came in 1889 and opened up opportunities for landowners to sell plots to Londoners looking to move out of 'The Smoke' into a cleaner rural environment. Both myself and Nick have sold many an old 'plot land' home over the years for redevelopment. A few still remain on the edge of Norsey Woods down Break Egg Hill.
With the housing shortage created by the war time bombing of London, pressure to build was great and the new town of Basildon was given the green light. The 'Green Belt' stopped expansion and the blurring of Basildon and Billericay, hence why lot of the Billericay housing estates were built on abandoned farmland around the town centre and Great Burstead/South Green, where permission was more easily granted.
