Property history of 47 North Park Drive, Blackpool FY3 8NH, 7th Jun 2010

When the current owner first surveyed the house standing before him 14 years ago he was quick to envisage a spectacular family home. Lakeridge is spacious, in a prestigious road in Blackpool, and has been lovingly restored and refurbished during the last decade with no expense spared. “The house was built in 1926, ” explains the owner. “We were lucky enough to find many original features still in place, including oak architraves, solid oak doors and leaded lights. The main dining room too, comes complete with a stunning Art Deco fireplace as a centre piece.”
The owner was passionate about preserving as many features as possible and then went one step further in the renovation. He had all the architraves, skirting boards and doors hand made in solid oak to match one original set. The letter box on the original front door was re-sited to one of the newly built entrance posts for the electric gates at the property – although the original front door knocker remains on the new front door!
All the rooms in the house have the large elegant proportions often found in substantial homes of this era and the servant bell system is still working, with wired connections to eight rooms in the property. But although restoration was high up on the owner’s list there was no compromise in creating a family home ideal for a modern lifestyle.
Throughout the house there is an integrated Bang and Olufsen sound and television system. Every room has been totally refurbished with the highest quality fittings in the bathrooms and kitchen. Downstairs there are also two lounges, two dining rooms and a conservatory, which has been added by the current owner and opens onto the garden. Upstairs, there is an impressive oak galleried landing which leads to four bedrooms and an office, fully fitted with oak bookcases. In the master bedroom and the kitchen is an intercom system connected to the electric entrance gates and the whole property is protected by the latest alarm system ‘Red Care’.
From the bedrooms at the front of the house it’s easy to understand why the location of this property is considered so special. There are beautiful views over Stanley Park golf course with the lake glistening through the trees. The garden at Lakeridge was also a huge draw for the owner. It is wide and 160ft long with plenty of mature trees contemporary to the age of the house. “The garden gets a lot of sun but there is also plenty of opportunity to find shade and it’s very private, ” says the owner. “The patio is drenched in sunlight and is a lovely place to sit and enjoy a meal.”
The location of this property has been important to the owner in a number of respects. “Not only are we within a short walk of the park and golf course but the hospital is close by and you can be in Blackpool town centre within four minutes by car, ” he says. “The train station is five minutes drive and Blackpool Airport is about 15 minutes. There are also three well regarded private schools nearby including Rossall School, Kirkham Grammar School and Arnold School.”
No stone has been left unturned in the renovation of this house even down to the finer points such as the light switches which have all be updated. “All the changes have been completed to the highest possible standard, ” says the owner. “This has been an extremely happy home where our children have grown up. We moved in, in 1995 and it proved very successful for a family lifestyle. It’s with regret that I’ve chosen to sell Lakeridge and I’m acutely aware that it’s going to be a very hard property to match.”