A unique Suffolk property with an esteemed history – as well as its own cinema and games room – has gone on sale for £1.15 million.
The five-bed detached home, near Ipswich, was once owned by a prominent scientist and his celebrated artist granddaughter.
It now boasts two-storey floor-to-ceiling hallway windows, a 29ft cinema and games room, and a large modern kitchen.
Ipswich estate agent Palmer and Partners said Airys Cottage, in Playford, had undergone an impressive restoration.
It now offers modern open-plan living on the ground floor, with soaring ceilings and archways separating rooms.
For three generations, from 1843 to 1964, the cottage was owned by the Airy family – first by the Astronomer Royal, George Biddell Airy, and finally by his granddaughter, Anna Airy, one of the leading artists of her generation.
Since October 2014, the 50th anniversary of her death, a blue plaque has been displayed on the wall of the cottage to commemorate Anna Airy and her grandfather.
The Anna Airy Award is now one of the most prestigious prizes in the Suffolk art world, while an accompanying exhibition, staged by the Ipswich Art Society and held at the University of Suffolk, has become one of the highlights of the cultural calendar.
Her grandfather was Astronomer Royal at the Royal Observatory, in Greenwich, from 1835 to 1881.
Among his numerous achievements were measuring the mean density of the Earth and establishing the prime meridian at Greenwich.
His eldest son, Wilfrid, who retired to Playford in the early part of the 20th century, designed Orwell Park observatory for estate owner Colonel George Tomline.
Airys Cottage is on the market for £1,150,000, occupying a total plot of 0.3 acres and comprising a 25ft kitchen and breakfast room, cinema and games room, four en-suite bathrooms and two shower rooms, a double garage and driveway parking.
The garden has a central water feature, slate and paved areas, topiary hedging and a patio area.
The agent’s listing reads: “Palmer and Partners are proud to present to the market this exquisite and totally unique five double bedroom, four en-suite, detached property which sits on the edge of the tranquil and much sought-after village of Playford.”
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