Past meets present in sprawling Tudor Mansion
Category Feature Property
History and fine craftsmanship meets exclusive estate living in a grand Westville mansion that has just been listed on the market.
Woodhall Manor gave its name to the secure, gated community of Woodhall Estate, a collection of 12 upmarket homes built around the sprawling residence, and is situated in the coveted Westville address of Kings Avenue.
The home, rich in the craftsmanship and detail of the Victorian era, was commissioned by Alex Blaikie, a wealthy Scottish timber merchant in 1929. Only four owners have had the pleasure of living life behind its beautiful walls since its completion in 1931.
The expansive home has rooms that most people will never get to mention when describing their home – a minstrel’s gallery, a billiard room, a butler’s quarters, a housekeeper’s office as well as a morning room and partridge-wood panelled study. It is a step back into another era that delights the senses.
Carved sandstone plinths and columns, a corbelled Rumford double chimney stack that soars to 50 feet and a generously proportioned porte-cochere supported on sandstone pillars add to the authentic Victorian feel of the home.
Gorgeous finishes include slate floors, oak panels, stained glass windows with mullions and casements of teak, solid oak, teak and mahogany doors with purpose-made bronze hinges, a custom-made chandelier with lead leaves and amber drop-beads and intricate lead light windows.
Don’t think for one second though that the home is old and tired due to its history. The current owner commissioned a comprehensive renovation and redecorating project in 2007 to bring all electrical and plumbing services into the 21st century. All defective timber was removed and replaced as well as out-dated and non-compliant electrical wiring and old plumbing fittings.
New additions included porcelain tiles with matching mosaic motifs and new bathroom furniture and fittings in all nine bathrooms, air conditioners, DSTV and Internet connections, and an extensive parking area.
Currently run as a guesthouse, Woodhall Manor offers numerous reception rooms, service areas and nine bedrooms, each of which has its own luxuriously-sized en suite bathroom. There are three lock-up garages with automated timber doors as well as a separate self-contained one bedroom cottage, twenty metres from the main residence.
The double storey, 12 500 square foot home is a hidden gem that will allow its new owners to enjoy the benefits of modern community living while enjoying the comforts and luxury of a past era.
For more information and to arrange an appointment to view this breathtaking property, contact Ebrahim Paruk from Tyson Properties Westville on 031 266 2544.
Author: Tyson Properties
