Transformed veterinary centre that respects Victorian heritage

ANYONE who has lived in Henley long enough will remember the veterinary surgery on the corner of Harpsden Road and Boston Road.

Since the Seventies it was a familiar stop for pet owners, its modest Victorian façade belying the busy clinical life inside. What few people ever saw, however, was its extraordinary potential.

When the current owner bought it in 2015, the building was still arranged exactly as the surgery had left it — a two-up, two-down layout.

The two upstairs rooms had served as operating theatres, the front room as reception and waiting area and the rear as a further medical room with a small kitchen and bathroom. Even the garden was dominated by kennels and sheds for animals staying overnight.

The transformation that followed was total. The owner gutted the property, extended it and carried out a full renovation that has completely rewritten how the house functions, while still respecting its heritage.

Set in a conservation area, the front elevation retains its traditional wooden windows in keeping with the neighbouring Victorian terraces. But the renovation takes advantage of the house’s end-of-terrace position, allowing a full-width extension at the rear built with modern materials and designed to maximise space, light and practicality.

The front door opens into an open-plan living and dining space running the full width of the plot. The bay window, fitted with replacement double-glazed sashes, pours light into the room, while two ornamental fireplaces provide character and could be reopened if desired.

The ground floor is unified by hard-wearing wood-effect flooring and built-in cupboards provide discreet storage. The sense of openness is a world away from the property’s former life and yet the period charm of the frontage remains intact.

A ground-floor shower room has been added, which comprises a fully tiled cubicle with rainwater shower, vanity basin, concealed-cistern toilet and heated towel rail.

At the rear, the house opens into a modern, L-shaped kitchen fitted with high-gloss units, Silestone work surfaces and appliances including a dishwasher, washing machine and tumble dryer, plus space for a freestanding larder-style fridge-freezer.

Bi-fold doors open directly on to the garden’s patio terrace, allowing the whole ground floor to flow naturally outdoors.

The garden itself is unrecognisable from the kennel yard it once was. A broad patio leads to a neat lawn enclosed by brick walls, one topped with a wooden privacy screen and a side path leads out to the two private parking spaces.

On the first floor, the landing houses the gas boiler in the airing cupboard. The main bedroom overlooks the garden and includes a built-in wardrobe, while a dual-aspect second bedroom brings in natural light. A further room with an ornamental fireplace overlooks Boston Road.

The family bathroom has tiled walls, a panelled bath with shower over, a glass screen, vanity basin, concealed-cistern toilet, heated towel rail, spot lighting and an obscured window. Stairs lead to the second floor, where the loft has been converted into a carpeted space with a skylight and eaves storage.

This upper room has a peaceful outlook towards the leafy stretch of Wargrave Road across the river. A state-of-the-art sprinkler system runs throughout the staircase to meet building regulations while allowing the stairwell to remain open all the way from ground to second floor.

The position is one of Henley’s most convenient. Harpsden Road sits just south of the town centre, roughly half a mile from the station and walking distance to Mill Meadows and the Thames Path towards Shiplake.

Harpsden Woods and Drawback Hill provide nearby country walks, while London Paddington is reachable in around 55 minutes via Twyford and the Elizabeth Line.

Families are well served by Trinity Primary, Sacred Heart, Gillotts School, The Henley College and several prep and independent schools accessible by local bus routes.

Leisure is abundant — from the royal regatta and festival to marina facilities at Wargrave and Harleyford, plus golf clubs at Henley and Badgemore Park. The Chilterns’ walking country begins almost outside the door.

l 49 Harpsden Road has a guide price of £850,000, freehold, with no onward chain. For more information and to arrange a viewing, call Philip Booth Esq on (01491) 876544.