‘Beyond compare’: 20-room New Town sandstone mansion for sale

NEW TOWN’S 1887-built Stoke House offers the unimaginable.

Gorgeous and grand, this historic mansion is positioned in a private setting amid its colourful 4408sq m grounds.

From the street, you can walk past and hardly notice that this 20-plus room, three-level, Heritage Listed home is hidden behind trees and extensive gardens.

The sprawling 1025sq m residence is also — impossibly — positioned just mere minutes from the CBD. Seven by car or a walk if you wish.

Senior property consultant at EIS Property, Deb Stephens, said there is nothing quite like Stoke House.

“It is beyond compare. It is spectacular,” she said.

“A Victorian Gothic Revival mansion just minutes from the city? There is really nothing like it.

“The intricate details, the size and scale, leave me awe-struck. The skill and expertise of the builders, way back in the 1880s, is quite remarkable.

“And, Stoke House is also so incredibly hidden.

“Last time I had it on the market, a lot of people told me that they did not know Stoke House was right there tucked away in Hobart’s suburbs.

“If you look at some of Tasmania’s biggest home sales, they are often homesteads on acreage, but there is little like that in Hobart city or the city fringe.”

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This idyllic family home was designed around entertaining on a grand scale.

Painstakingly restored and maintained over the past two decades, this grand, elegant and breathtakingly beautiful residence has over 20 rooms across three levels. The sheer size of this residence can easily accommodate extended families, plus there is an adjoining two-bedroom flat — ideal for guests or a caretaker.

“For a large family who want to live together, Stoke House would be perfect,” Mrs Stephens said.

“It has such a versatile layout, nine bedrooms, six bathrooms, it can accommodate all sorts of configurations for an extended family.”

Built in 1887 by the Lieutenant Governor of Tasmania, Sir John Dodd, garden parties were a regular occurrence on the grounds, which used to include a tennis court prior to 1922.

Many of the materials used to construct the home — including the sandstone and even the craftsmen — were shipped out from England, Scotland and Italy.

Ornate and elegant details abound, from the Italian mosaic tiling laid by Italian tilers to the hand-carved timber fireplace mantels, a Waterford chandelier, a hand-turned blackwood staircase and banister, and the extensive use of a variety of Australian timbers, through to the ceiling mouldings, the lancet stained-glass windows, high skirting boards and brass fittings and downpipes — the list could go on and on!

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Stoke House makes a grand first impression with its cathedral-like entrance hall featuring 30-foot ceilings.

Throughout the home, lofty ceilings continue, 14-feet high on the ground floor and 12-foot ceilings on the first floor.

The layout offers an impressive formal dining room with an original ornate mantel, a reception room, a side bar and the primary living rooms and kitchen are all on the ground floor.

The sitting room on this level could be a bedroom.

There is a contemporary bathroom with original mosaic tiles in addition to another powder room on this level.

Head upward to the second level to find most of the bedrooms, several bathrooms, the minstrel gallery and a small but practical galley kitchen.

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The third level was once used as the servants’ quarters. There are two attic bedrooms on this level, a bathroom and access to the tower and roof space.

Versatile in its layout and usage, the home’s incredible ballroom has hosted a wedding with 100 guests, while the beautiful gardens and grand architecture have provided the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs and family gatherings.

Adjoining the original residence is a 1920s two-bedroom flat with its own entrance, a lounge, kitchen and bathroom.

Garage accommodation is for up to four cars, and there is ample room for gardening tools and general storage/workshop space.

Mrs Stephens said the property’s botanical garden-like grounds are a constant source of pleasure for the current owners, who have lovingly maintained and improved their surroundings.

Fruit trees, aromatic and decorative flowers, and some great climbing trees for children, all attract an array of local birdlife.

When Stoke House was last on the market in 2018, it caused a stir locally, nationally and internationally, too.

“Inquiries came in from absolutely everywhere,” Mrs Stephens said.

“People flew in to inspect the property. And there was a lot of local interest from people who have always admired this substantial property.”

No.12 Stoke St, New Town is for sale with EIS Property to be sold via expressions of interest over $5.5m. If not sold prior, the EOI will close on October 16 at 2pm.

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