Exclusive luxury in the heart of Lincoln’s Cathedral Quarter

One of the city’s most iconic listed buildings, latterly known as Chad Varah House, has been converted for residential use. Bailgate Court is a boutique development of fourteen luxury homes.
The Grade II listed building, which was originally constructed in 1777, is accessed from Wordsworth Street and offers commanding views of Lincoln Cathedral, Lincoln Castle and the city. It first housed Lincoln County Hospital before being acquired by Lincoln Theological College in the 1870s for ecumenical training. In the late nineteenth century, the attached warden’s house and octagonal water tower were added. A Chapel was added in 1906 which is the most recent structure included in this redevelopment of the complex.

The main building is south-facing and consists of a three-storey, eleven-bay façade with projecting pedimented centre and flanking wings. The building was more recently known as Chad Varah House, named after the founder of the Samaritans who was educated at the Theological College, when it was occupied by Lincoln University, and later Lincoln University Technical College.

Over the past two years the site has been converted by CBH Construction and renamed Bailgate Court, with fourteen luxury homes and apartments, offering exceptional style and comfort, just a stone’s throw from Lincoln’s beautiful uphill surroundings. Philip Good, Colin Holden and Dean Draper, directors of CBH have combined the unique heritage of the building with high conversion specifications to create homes where owners will reside in tranquillity and luxury while having a superb choice of restaurants, shopping, world class heritage and amenities just a short walk away.

The heritage architecture of the original building has inspired the thoughtfully designed new living spaces which includes twelve large apartments, a converted chapel and an elegant four-bedroom townhouse, all set in landscaped gardens. Both the internal modernisation and the impressive north elevation have been designed by Jonathan Hendry, RIBA, a National Housing Award winning architect.

“The building presented some challenges,” said Philip Good, “but these have been well met. Our excellent group of builders and tradesmen led by foreman Rob Beaumont have realised the architect’s vision of opening up the building to reveal more of its original character. Each of the homes has its own ‘wow’ factor and has been designed to provide contemporary living in harmony with the beautiful period features of the properties with bespoke luxury interior finishes to the buyer’s specifications.

“The ambition was to restore the outlook of the building, giving magnificent views of the Cathedral Quarter and across downhill Lincoln. Bailgate Court is now distinctive once again on the uphill skyline.”

Beautifully proportioned rooms with high ceilings and large windows have given the opportunity to create spacious, open-plan kitchen and living spaces, perfect for modern living while still maximising storage, light and functional contemporary living. Bespoke, handmade kitchens are designed to suit today’s style and requirements and only the very best materials have been used throughout.

Every property has the benefit of LED spotlights, fitted wardrobe lighting and media panels which are recessed into the walls where possible. There is underfloor heating in all areas of the home, with heated towel rails as standard. SONOS sound systems are already installed, as are video phone intercoms plus secure gated parking.

Craig Stones, new homes manager at Lincoln agents Pygott & Crone said: “These properties are amongst the most highly coveted available on the market. A recent opening weekend was a huge success and the reactions from potential buyers were exactly as we’d expected. Those who kindly took the time to visit the show apartment were ‘blown away’ by overall quality of the finish, and the spectacular views which Bailgate Court provides. Potential buyers were also surprised to see how spacious the apartments were, and in particular how the apartments had been thoughtfully planned to accommodate a number of buyer demographics.

“These homes really do provide people with the opportunity to buy a piece of history but without compromising on the modern features of the high end, contemporary properties we’re now accustomed to.

“There’s nothing like Bailgate Court available on Lincoln’s property market at the moment – they’re totally unique homes that are perfect for both professionals and downsizers who are looking for a home that’s in the heart of the city but don’t want to compromise on space.

“We’ve had an incredibly high level of interest in these properties with a further two sales being agreed last month, but there are still a few remaining so I would recommend anyone who may be interested to get in touch.”

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