A SLICE of Wokingham’s history is up for sale and it’s just what the doctor ordered.
Two years ago, Tony Pudner bought the Tudor House & Rectory Road Medical Practice in Milton Road – one of the town’s most iconic buildings. Used for years as a surgery, the building dates back to the 16th century and, while its facade is a 20th century mock Tudor, inside is a fine example of a 500-year-old house. The building has a Grade II listed status.
Mr Pudner bought the property with the intent of converting it into two residential dwellings, the first of which – Tudor Cottage – has just gone on the market with Rose Street agency Richard Worth and will be subject to an open viewing tomorrow (Saturday). Its new neighbour, the iconic Tudor House, is still being restored and refurbished and will go on sale later this summer.
Tudor Cottage, which has its entrance on Milton Road, is a bold fusion of the old and the modern and no expense has been spared in getting the property right.
Mr Pudner said: “We don’t take any short cuts. If something’s not right, we’ll redo it.”
Some of the oak doors are originals – with wide planks – and Mr Pudner has sought to match this when ordering newer doors, using English-made materials.
“It’s a stunning door, the planks are a foot wide and it’s a good quality oak,” Mr Pudner explained. “You can’t get panels like that these days. I’ve tried to do it so it’s right.”
The ground floor features English limestone throughout, with underfloor heating that Mr Pudner says is very energy efficient.
“The limestone reflects the quality of everything,” he added. “To find it we went to a number of quarries in the UK before we found it. It is important that a place like this has the right qualities – you don’t want to let people down.”
Downstairs is open plan with few doors – the lounge opens out to the patio garden thanks to glass doors, while the kitchen leads into a family room with a massive fireplace that even a very rotund Father Christmas can fit down. This family room leads to another room that could be a bedroom or a study.
Upstairs there are two good sized bedrooms, and there are two bathrooms in the house – and the mirrors are high-tech affairs with bluetooth built in. No expense has been spared in getting the right equipment installed, such as the Mielle oven built into the kitchen units and the underfloor heating controls.
Steve Jones, managing director of Richard Worth, is full of praise for the work Mr Pudner has put into Tudor Cottage and its new next-door neighbour Tudor House.
“Everything he has done has been to maintain its integrity and build for the future,” he said. “It’s completely different from what it was. It’s as far apart as you can get from a doctor’s surgery.”
Tudor Cottage has gone on the market for £695,000 and the open viewing takes place on Saturday, July 4, from 10am to 2pm. To make an appointment to view call Richard Worth on 0118 979 6796.
