Regular Unique Property Updates…
Hot Picks & News Clips Every Few Days.
Welcome to our new internet version of the old paper format Unique Property Bulletin. We add unusual buildings for sale directly onto this front page every few days for you to consider. Also worth keeping an eye on the Facebook & Twitter pages. Plus our editor includes EXTRA unique properties and news to his Facebook timeline; so you may like to keep an eye on what features from that BIG box of Unique Properties: Click Here.
Unique Property Bulletin – Latest Addition: 16th July 2019
Converted Police Station For Sale
This Fine Example of An Old Nick Is Sentenced For £425,000.
A Case of Serendipity, Sleuthing & Securing Your Sanctuary.
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
A few days ago, I was chatting to a friend about old Dixon of Dock Green episodes and the kindly bobby on the beat actor portrayed by the inimitable Jack Warner. This directly led to today’s latest listing. A converted police station – and a fine looking one at that. So much so, it has been sculpted by a world class ornament maker.
Actor Jack Warner In His Most Famous Role: Dixon of Dock Green
My friend, Keith I’Anson, was chatting away about “old school” style policing. Jack Warner personified that. The series ran for 432 episodes, from 1955 to 1976 and was one of the reasons I ended up joining up in 1983. Later in the day today, whilst sleuthing about for a fresh listing to add to this Bulletin, I couldn’t get the Dixon theme tune out of my head. Anyway, it must have affected the old cranial cogs as our feature property ended up being detected as a result. Serendipity for someone out there. Our batting average for introducing unique property buyers and sellers is getting better as time lags by. No time off for good behaviour at this end of things either. Moved over from plodding beats and blue-light-landrovers to a more sedate tapping of keyboards and arresting the odd cop-shop.
Unique Property Bulletin Editor Russ McLean & Sheena McGillivray
By Port Ellen Police Station, Island of Islay Around 1987.
It is strange how a totally random conversation with a good friend can result in a fair chance of introducing one of our readers to their new home. Even by Unique Property Bulletin standards, this is a bit bizarre. I was gifted a model of a police station around 1998 and it has been sitting in the office for years. We actually ran a series of competitions in the main Bulletin, with a different genre of building/ornament given away each week as the prize. Here is the one from our UPB-HQ shelf (it was an inbound present from a previous career so never made it properly onto the Unique Property Bulletin prize list) …
Lilliput Land Model of A Police Station (here and here)
Now today, 16th July 2019, I’ve also been looking for old police stations to buy for the new UPB-HQ offices so that our small team, including Keith, can get up to mischief renovating a unique property for the eponymous Bulletin. Then all of a sudden, what should appear on my radar but the actual police station that the highly popular Lilliput Lane ornament was modelled on…
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
It took a moment to register that we had this very police station in model form on the office shelf.
Photo courtesy of Humphrey Bolton.
I knew this actual police station reminded me of somewhere. A chronic case of deja vu all day. Then I looked across the office and a small version of it was sitting a few feet away from me, as it had done for 20 years! The models currently retail for between £10 and £60. The actual building is a tad more at £425,000. But it has been fully renovated and converted from a cop shop to a very comfortable home…
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
This particular police station for sale in Preston wouldn’t suit our own unique property club efforts. But it may be a handsome catch for someone living in that area. If I was wanting to move to Lancashire, this would be on my identity parade. How about you? Seriously, if you do buy this, please let us know (UPB: Tel/Text: 0793 557 2803). Thanks.
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The completed conversion of this blue light home has the current rooms configured as…
Three Bedrooms
Two Reception Rooms
Bespoke Family Kitchen
Family Bathroom
Garage / Parking
Private Walled Garden
There is also a contemporary two-storey extension that has been added.
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
We are still trying to work out which rooms were used as the old police cells. The old anecdote about having a “secure” granny flat for the mother-in-law still appeal to some buyers.
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
The Old Police Station: Floorplan For Guidance Given In Good Faith. Please Do Not Scale.
The Old Police Station: Floorplan For Guidance Given In Good Faith. Please Do Not Scale.
The Old Police Station, Lancaster New Road, Cabus, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 1AD
Map Courtesy of Google Inc.
Exquisite Detailing on These Old Ornaments: Cabus Police Station Preston.
Actual Items Available For Purchase: Here.
There Is Something Reassuring Having A Blue Lamp Outside Your House
Photo: Russ McLean
For further details and the estate agent’s of the REAL police station at Lancaster New Road, please...
Click Here
Archived: Here
Please mention you found this building in Unique Property Bulletin. Many thanks.
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Unique Property Bulletin – Earlier Listing: 11th July 2019
Converted Water Tower For Sale
This Water Tower Guide At: £1,500,000.
Unique Property Bulletin are looking for the BEFORE versions of various unique structures AND the ECCENTRIC folk who renovate them to appear on a new television programme format hosted by architect and television presenter Mr George Clarke. For example here is one that featured on an earlier television episode…
The new series format is close to our hearts, in that it centres upon “unique” property of the style and genre to detailed in these pages for the past 26 years.
Converting an A to Z of Unique Properties to Homes: Air Control Towers, Barns, Castles, Distilleries, Engine Houses, Follies, Gun Towers, Hotels, Islands, Jails, Keeper’s Cottages, Lighthouses, Monorial Ruins, Nuclear Bunkers, Oast Houses, Police Stations, Railways Stations, Signal Boxes, Telephone Booster Stations, Underground Dwellings, Zoos.
If you have a project ready to start and you are interested in sharing the progress of your unique property conversion via George Clarke’s new television series, please consider getting in touch with us. Text or telephone 0793 557 2803.
Meanwhile, we have this exquisite water tower conversion which was featured on George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces series (click here).
As for Cromwell Water Tower, this building was originally featured in Unique Property Bulletin during July 2012 (here) at £335,000. In fact that link illustrates the extensive back-catalogue of unusual properties that are currently online and form a useful treasure chest for anyone looking to buy an interesting building that may have fallen off of the radar.
Several older listings in earlier Unique Property Bulletin are no longer actively for sale. But if you dig into our back-issue archives and write a courteous letter you may secure a brilliant new home. If perchance, you reach the owner at just the right time, when they may be considering re-listing their property.
We know this is true and works as we have followed our own advice and bought unique properties out of old issues of the Bulletin.
Onto this latest addition…
Cromwell Tower For Sale…
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Here at Unique Property Bulletin we have seen many water towers over the years, but this example for sale is, as Sheldon Cooper might say: Brobdingnagian. The price tag is quite meaty, but you are getting a lot of building for your money.
6 Floors.
6 Bedrooms.
4 Reception Rooms.
5 Bathrooms.
Gym.
Roof Terrace.
Secondary Accommodation.
Our own view, given we featured this building in 2012, guided at £335,000 and the fact it seems to have hung around on the for sale lists for OVER A YEAR…
…since being put up for sale – we would recommend buyers consider an opening offer around £950,000. The owners’ would likely cough and splutter over their morning cornflakes (and curse our website). But this may well help start negotiations which is far better than this magnificent home laying in the doldrums. The ideal is to meet in the middle. In our bones we reckon the price should sit around the £1,250,000 mark. Opening your offer just under the million may facilitate both parties to approach each other towards a financial sweet-spot where a sale/purchase could result.
Here are a selection of photographs to illustrate what a million pound+ water tower conversion looks like…
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
This 75ft-high water tower – with more than 14,000sq ft of floorspace, was built in 1930 for the Corporation of Coventry and decommissioned in 2004. It was originally bought for just £25,000 at auction in 2009, but without planning permission.
The first private owner obtained planning permission and sold it to the current owners, as a post-industrial shell, in 2013. The current owners then spent quite a lot of time, effort and money to bring this old structure back to a meanigful life…
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
This building was converted in 2016 from a redundant water tower and retains a wealth of original features combined with contemporary fixtures and fittings, making this an outstanding 21st century home. EPC rating: C,
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
The ground floor has a reception hall, gives access to a self-contained guest suite. The suite, which can also be accessed externally through its own private entrance, comprises a sitting room, kitchen, double bedroom and shower room and would be ideal for multi-generational living.
Cromwell Tower: Ground Floor
Cromwell Tower: First Floor
Cromwell Tower: Second Floor
Cromwell Tower: Third Floor
Cromwell Tower: Fourth Floor & Tank Room – Ready For Your Ideas
Cromwell Tower: Roof Terrace
There is an open-plan kitchen breakfast room that flows into the sitting room with floor to ceiling sliding doors opening out onto a terrace. A separate dining room completes the first floor accommodation making this floor a central space for entertaining. Both the second and third floors provide the bedroom space. The master bedroom suite offers extensive luxury having a large double bedroom, sitting room, dressing room and en suite bathroom. The fourth floor incorporates the tank room. Yet to be utilised, this space, approaching approximately 3,200 sq ft, offers a purchaser plenty of scope to incorporate this into the accommodation however they may decide. (subject to the necessary planning consents).
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
This tank room has yet to be utilised. If the new owners are thinking of a gym or fitness suite plus games room, this has already been completed on the other levels…
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
The roof is an exceptional feature. and has 360 degree views across the countryside.
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
There are a number of feature from the tower including the original central spiral staircase (no longer in use), depth gauges and exposed stone work along with a recognition of the original use from the 1930s Art Deco period…
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Map Courtesy of Google Inc
As a way to give some perspective on the size and floor area of this 6 floor water tower, we have included an aerial view so readers can compare a “standard” detached house size/footprint nearby to the area of floor space that Cromwell Tower utilises (please remember this circular area has six levels and the neighbouring houses are particularly large and of executive quality)…
Cromwell Tower, Cromwell Lane, Burton Green, Kenilworth, Warwickshire, CV8 1PN
Cromwell Water Tower: Guide: £1,500,000.
For further details and the estate agent’s contact page (here) and…
Click Here
Please mention you found this building in Unique Property Bulletin. Many thanks.
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If Cromwell Tower at £1,500,000 is a little too handsome on the price level, then we have a much slender windmill conversion at a third of the price to offer for our readers’ consideration…
Unique Property Bulletin – Earlier Listing: 7th July 2019
Renovated Grade 2 Listed Windmill For Sale
Guide: £550,000.
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
This was a working mill around 111 years ago. Then it became a tad run down. The four distinctive sails lost. The roof and cap became leaky. After years laying fallow, and then the commitment of a lot of tender loving care, this is now a beautiful home. It will also save you a fortune in gym membership as it has more stairs than your thighs will know what to do with. Brief summary…
2 reception rooms3 bedrooms2 bathroomsGardenPrivate Parking
The mill ceased working around 1908 and now provides a magnificent home filled with character (and eccentric characters if you are anything like our crew at the Unique Property Bulletin). The newly configured residential accommodation is arranged over five floors. The views across country-side become more spectacular at each ascending level. Whilst height has visual rewards across green fields, the ground, or rather first-floor entrance level has character too. The former windmill has had a style of sail-deck reinstated….
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
The upper ground floor level, on the side of the mill, has a covered veranda providing outside sitting area and relatively private views to the garden.
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
To the upper ground floor is a dining area and a hall with and cloakroom off.
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
A bespoke fitted kitchen with hand made units. Replete with Rangemaster cooker and space and plumbing for appliances.
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
On the first floor is a double bedroom with built-in bookcase, wardrobe and en suite shower room. On the second floor is a further bedroom with built-in cupboard and shower room and on the top floor, an office/study with views to all sides. This room could be used as a further bedroom or lounge, and there is access to the roof space.
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
The photograph above appears to show a home-office study. Spot the spiral windmill staircase entrance to the left. Along with the view from the window to the right of the photograph and it looks like you may work from atop a windmill. Ideal for running your website. That’s how we started. Find something you are passionate about. Locate one of the buildings where you would love to live. Go online. 7 years later, hey presto. For our part we live and work in a lighthouse building. You too could follow a similar path to your unique home + work + life.
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
A block paved driveway with shrubs and mature trees leads to the garage and parking. The gardens are principally walled, with box parterre, lawn and mature trees and shrubs. The garden is west facing, bright and secluded.
The Old Mill, Church Lane, Thurlaston, Rugby, CV23 9JY
Floorplan: The Old Mill. Please Don Not Scale
A little research has found some remarkable photographs to illustrate what this windmill used to look like. One picture from around 1908 and another circa 1955, effectively illustrating “before” and “after” when compared to the contemporary pictures taken recently by the estate agent…
Thurlaston Windmill: Estate Agent Video Style Presentation
There is a lot of history within the walls of this amazing windmill home…
Can You See It? A Worker Left Their Autograph From When This Windmill Was Built.
Location Map Courtesy of Google Inc.
This windmill is turnkey ready for new owners and were it nearer to the Unique Property Bulletin HQ, we would seriously be considering making an offer. But for this segment, we wish those who go to view this thoughtful conversion bon chance…
Guide: £550,000.
For further photographs…
Click Here
Or telephone Knight Frank (James Way): 01789 206 950
Please mention you found this building in Unique Property Bulletin. Many thanks.
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Want To Know A Secret?
Do you fancy finding a tasty unique building in your area?
Click Here
For Our Special Feature Article
Something like this water tower: guided at just…
£4,000.
(though this tower lot made a more – details later on)
This is just one of many unusual buildings we find.
Now you can use some of our techniques to find your favourite flavour of amazing building AND for sale in our location NEAR TO YOU.
Here at the Unique Property Bulletin “Secrets” article, you can read up on techniques to find unusual buildings for sale in your area of the country. Maybe worth spending a modest £3.65 to read the article. This can be done via our pay-per-view service (that helps this not-for-profit website)…
Click Here For Some of Our Secrets.
With direct access to our Special Feature Article
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Unique Property Bulletin – News: 17th June 2019
UKWMO Bunker Soon For Sale
HEADS-UP – NEWS JUST IN…
A UKWMO Bunker owner just telephoned Unique Property Bulletin
Long story short, we will be posting an underground UKWMO bunker in the NORTHAMPTONSHIRE area for sale here, on this site in the next week or so.
This ADVANCE NOTICE is to ensure that as many of our regular dedicated readers as possible have as much time as we can manage to help them prepare to make an offer on one of these rare UKWMO underground bunkers. We have been asked by several “preppers” to provide more notice. Hence this posting.
We have no skin in the game. We don’t charge any fees. This is a free, not-for-profit website run by volunteers. To those on social media who have never visited our Unique Property Bulletin before and have a problem being polite, please exercise a little self-control. Thank you.
Graphic Courtesy of The Talented Bob Marshall
If you are looking to buy one of these rare bunkers, please keep an eye on this page.
Many thanks and best wishes,
The Unique Property Team.
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Unique Property Bulletin – Earlier Addition: 16th June 2019
Castle Ruin For Renovation
Guide: £500,000.
Grade II Listed Castle For Sale
We would try a cheeky offer nearer to £400,000.
Plas Gwynfryn, Llanystumdwy, Criccieth, Gwynedd, LL52 0LU
As the Unique Property Bulletin’s main office is in a lighthouse station, we naturally wanted to see the new movie from Gerard Butler titled: The Vanishing. It is a deeply dark production. The tangential road from that film led us to understand that Mr Butler is looking to buy a castle in his native Scotland. We have several private sales from vendors not wishing to place their pile on the public domain. So if Mr Butler is still looking he is welcome to get in touch and we would be delighted to make best efforts to assist in locating a suitable castle in Scotland.
Mr Gerard Butler In The Recent Unique Lighthouse Movie: The Vanishing (Here)
However, for this listing, here is what we like to describe as a neatly arranged pile of bricks. Plus some exquisite masonry…
Just Look At Those Handsome Stones
Indeed that stonework alone is well worth a large chink of the £500,000 guide price. We have been lucky enough to employ modern day stone masons and they have produced exquisite work. But it is not a cheap thing to commission. So having so much of the finished masonry in situ already will give the new owner a decent start.
Plas Gwynfryn, Llanystumdwy, Criccieth, Gwynedd, LL52 0LU
Just looking at the detail, this castle really has beautifully crafted stonework. The bones are there and the local planning authority are minded to look favourably on renovation proposals – provided the facade and features from the original construction are preserved and saved from further decay. We reckon the most viable outcome is for 4 to 8 apartments in the completed project. There are many more folk who can afford say £225,000 for a completed wing of this Brobdingnagian castle restoration than just one owner who will likely end up spending between £1,500,000 to £2,500,000 in total to restore the property.
Plas Gwynfryn, Llanystumdwy, Criccieth, Gwynedd, LL52 0LU
Built around 1876, Plas Gwynfryn was at one time the home of Ellis Nanney, an MP, narrowly and famously defeated by Lloyd George in 1880. Incidentally, the original plan drawing have recently been saved and form an incredibly valuable reference source in the work required to restore original features.
Plas Gwynfryn, Llanystumdwy, Criccieth, Gwynedd, LL52 0LU
During the war Plas Gwynfryn was pressed into service as a military hospital. Thereafter an orphanage and more latterly as a hotel. Sadly this fine building was gutted by fire in 1982 and is awaiting a knight in shining armour, or possibly Gerard Butler in one of his major Hollywood roles. Though Mr Butler has mentioned he favours a Scottish castle to be close to family members back home and this pile is in Wales, or Whales as the president likes to call it.
Plas Gwynfryn – Video Presentation
Location Map Courtesy of Google Inc.
This particular castle is a magnificent ruin. As such it will absorb tons and tons of money to bring it back to a meaningful life.
Guide: £500,000.
For further photographs…
Click Here
Or telephone the estate agency: 01286 510103
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Best wishes. The Unique Property Bulletin Team.
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PREVIOUS BULLETIN PAGE
CLICK HERE
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Regular Unique Property Updates…
Hot Picks & News Clips Every Few Days.
Welcome to our new internet version of the old paper format Unique Property Bulletin. We add unusual buildings for sale directly onto this front page every few days for you to consider. Also worth keeping an eye on the Facebook & Twitter pages. Plus our editor includes EXTRA unique properties and news to his Facebook timeline; so you may like to keep an eye on what features from that BIG box of Unique Properties: Click Here.
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