Refurbished Edgar House

a-fully-refurbished-edgar-house-in-the-heart-of-chester-bed.jpeg
8th April 2022

When I was offered the chance to stay at Edgar House in Chester for the weekend I jumped at the chance.

This is an elegant riverside residence in the heart of the city. Having undergone a full scheme of refurbishment to mark its new chapter as an exclusive holiday home, this handsome Regency Villa can accommodate up to sixteen guests. With that in mind I invited my close family, including my brother and his wife, and my mum and step dad to enjoy the weekend together. 

Before our arrival, I was introduced to the house manager who asked if we had any special requests and asked how we would like the rooms set up. Driving up from London we arrived on Thursday evening, meaning we could make the most of our weekend. My mum took our little girl, and arrived before us meeting Caroline for a meet and greet. Her words over the phone were ‘I’m in heaven.’  I couldn’t wait to get there!

Copper bathtub in a bedroom with exposed brick and chandelier.
A fully refurbished edgar house in the heart of chester living room. A fully refurbished edgar house in the heart of chester.
Copper bathtub in a bedroom with exposed brick and chandelier.

First impression when we walked through the large front door was ‘Wow!’. You are instantly taken aback by the high ceilings and stunning decor. This nineteenth century house, with its generously proportioned rooms, is rich in original features and period detailing. These are complemented by sophisticated schemes, which blend traditional elegance with contemporary, bold interior design by Gillian Doxford-Hook. The living space and kitchen, with a huge dining table (a huge TV mounted beautifully) is spectacular and such an amazing area for entertaining. The well-equipped, open-plan kitchen, can switch effortlessly from preparing home-cooked ‘kitchen table’ suppers, to more elaborate menus, created by a personal, ‘in-house’ Chef. This can be all organised by the concierge. 

I was especially excited about seeing the bedrooms - one of which my little girl was already sleeping in.  There are seven bedrooms in total, each individually styled, with décor themes such as ‘Horse’, after the city’s legendary racecourse; ‘Zoo’, Chester Zoo is one of the best in the world; the ‘Copper Suite’, with its glorious deep copper bathtub, and ‘Blue’, all inspired by the nature and cultural heritage of the local region.  Five of the rooms are on one level and the other two downstairs - three of them enjoy balconies out onto the river.  Everything about the rooms are luxurious, the carpets, the curtains, the wallpaper…everything just oozes grandeur. It’s a very comfortable and homely house, I couldn’t help taking notes on the design for our own home. Me and my Husband were staying in The ‘Copper Suite’, which also has its own living room, equipped with a sofa bed, which can be used to accommodate younger guests, as an interconnecting family room if you want to take the number the house can sleep to 16. (The maximum number of adults allowed to stay is 14.)  I loved the exposed original brick wall and wooden floors in this room - and the bath was a special touch.  As there were only three couples and three children in our group, the younger members got to enjoy their own double rooms, with ensuite - it was all very over the top and grande.  In the evenings the children would debate over whose bath they would share, it was rather sweet. 

The next morning we were really able to see the house at its best as the sun shone through the large windows, with their stunning shutters and filled the gorgeous spaces. The house also enjoys elevated views over the River Dee from its enviable location. It also has its own walled garden and would be the ideal location to dine outside in the summer. I also found blankets which are provided for guests to enjoy the terrace on cooler days and evenings. This house is so well equipped, there is everything you need, and everything is so well stocked. Oh I must mention the traditional phone box which has been painted to fit in with the house's colour scheme and is filled with a beer fridge and glasses. It was probably one of my favourite features. 

The house is spread out over three floors, and I think the lower ground floor was the winner, with both my children and the men of the group. There is a games room which includes air hockey, table football, darts and wi-fi jukebox. There is also a cinema room with a large wall mounted screen and surround sound experience. On Friday afternoon we made bowls of popcorn and all enjoyed the latest Disney film. It was super special to have that experience together and really made the house feel the perfect family getaway. 

Chester itself is rich in heritage and offers a Medieval Cathedral, Roman Amphitheatre, as well as England’s oldest racecourse, ‘The Roodee’. Golfers are spoilt for choice, with several challenging courses in the area, including The Royal Liverpool Club at Hoylake. On Saturday we drove the very short distance to Chester Zoo which is renowned for its global conservation work. We had a great family day out, but we also couldn’t wait to get back to the house. I lost my husband to the cinema room, where, with my step-dad and little boy, they enjoyed the weekend's sport. In addition to all of the bedrooms and living space there is also a snug for those wanting to lose themselves in the book. 

The house enjoys private parking for 10 vehicles and an electric charging point, which my brother found very useful.  Edgar House, Chester is the first property developed for ‘Daisy Joy Escapes’: a privately-owned collection of unique holiday homes, each one developed exclusively for the discerning traveller, to invite them to spend memorable time away with their loved ones. Other properties in the Lake District and on Anglesey are currently under development for launch in 2022/3.

It was truly a magical weekend, the house is not only stunning but so well equipped that you want for nothing while staying there. It is more than home from home…it’s a home you won’t want to leave! 

 

https://www.daisyjoy.co.uk/ 

@daisyjoyescapes

 

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