7 bedroom semi-detached house

This extensive semi-detached Grade II listed home (approaching 4500sq ft) is rich in local history and character, thoughtfully restored by the current owners. Spanning three floors, the property boasts multiple reception rooms including a welcoming morning room, a formal dining room, Butler Pantry with secret access to the formal dining room, a formal drawing room, a study, a bright breakfast room and a well-appointed kitchen.

The first and second floors offer seven spacious bedrooms (one of which can be used as a dressing room) a family bathroom and large ensuite. The bedrooms at the front of the property enjoy views over the River Nene. Period features abound, from elegant bay windows and original fireplaces to a grand hallway and a striking galleried staircase beneath a beautiful glass roof lantern, this home is really something special.

The property also benefits from an extensive basement as well as two new Veissman boilers (fitted October 2024} that can zone individual floors to maximise efficiency; and a wood burning Rayburn for additional heating and cooking.

Set within approximately 0.6 acres (STMS) of gardens, the grounds boasts a number of features. Adding to the home’s unique historic appeal, the garden also includes two WW2 bunkers and a remarkable Grade II* listed hermitage, making this property a truly rare and fascinating find.

The original Sibald’s Holme was a three storey high, three bays wide and one room deep Georgian house. Much of its earlier history was uncovered by restoration works in 2002; showing the evolution and continual development of the property after its purchase in 1827 by local Quaker, banker, architect and philanthropist, Algernon Peckover.

This was to be Mr. Peckover’s family home upon his marriage to Priscilla Alexander. They were to have eight children and as the family grew the house also had to grow. In 1828 the house was more than doubled in size to the rear, adding two ‘bow’ rooms with 12’ high ceilings under a domed roof, a grand hallway and galleried staircase topped by a glass roof lantern, which enabled natural illumination by day, and other rooms. The columned portico entrance was added in the 1830’s, quite possibly at the same time the two side wings were added. The bays and balconets were later Victorian additions.

All of the Peckover children were locally prominent citizens, and two, became national figures. Priscilla-Hannah was a talented artist, linguist and pacifist who was active with the Peace Society and edited the journal, Peace & Goodwill for 50 years. She also funded the translation of the Bible into 'Esperanto'. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize four times, in 1903, 1905, 1911 and 1913.

Her brother Alexander took over the Banking business in 1893, and the Bank, the 'Wisbech & Lincolnshire Bank' was incorporated with other Quaker banks in 1896 to form 'Barclays Bank & Co'. Alexander was Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire for 10 years until 1906 and was enobled as '1st Baron of Wisbech Barton' in 1907. He sat in the House of Lords as a Liberal member.

Upon the death of Algernon’s daughter, Algerina, in 1927, Sibald's Holme and its 18 acre estate were sold at public auction and the house was likely split into two at this time, with part being demolished. The estate was largely parcelled and properties were built on North Brink, Barton Road and Magazine Lane in the 1930’s, marking the boundary of the former estate. The kitchen gardens were later acquired by Elgood’s Brewery and the arboretum was ultimately developed into housing, Woodcote Park.

The major part of the house was purchased by Major John Gordon Smedley in 1947. A member of the Smedley Canned Fruit & Vegetable family he owned the property until his death in 2001.

In 2001, Sibald's Holme was purchased by the current owners and extensively restored over a 2 year period using traditional materials and practices, to create a large family home with a 0.6 acre garden. The extensive gardens includes numerous mature trees and shrubs, a medieval church tracery window, an old tennis court with brick/glass pavilion, two concrete WW2 bunkers and a Grade II* Listed Georgian stone hermitage/grotto, constructed in an ecclesiastical style and entirely decorated internally with sea shells and fossils.