For sale in Bristol: Inside the historic £3m house with stunning views, gym, pool and private woodland

One of the most historic houses in Bristol has gone on the market with a cool price tag of £3.1m.

Grade II-listed Cooks Folly in Sneyd Park is an impressive family house with origins dating back to 1672. Perched on the edge of the Avon Gorge, it offers breathtaking views of Sea Walls, Brunel's famous Suspension Bridge and the Abbots Leigh nature reserve opposite.

Located in a quiet cul-de-sac, Cooks Folly stands within a generous plot with formal gardens and woodland. Cooks Folly started out as a lookout – or ‘prospect’ – tower and was converted into a Gothic mansion house in 1858.

The property has a reception hall with a cloakroom and an oak-panelled inner hall beyond. There are two principal rooms; the drawing room includes a large bay overlooking the immediate gardens and woodland beyond and plenty of detail remains with the additional focal point of a feature fireplace. 

Adjacent is the dining room with a teak ceiling and more contemporary fireplace. The kitchen/breakfast room has been extensively renovated with a comprehensive range of units and Silestone work surfaces and there are various integrated appliances. 

The breakfast area includes leaded windows and overlooks the front elevation. The lower ground floor is dedicated to enjoyment with a games room, a gym adjacent and beyond, the indoor pool with a current machine and relaxed seating area into the bay. This level is also home to a study, utility and further cloakroom.

There are five bedrooms over the first and top floors and these are served by an octagonal family bathroom, two further bathrooms and a cloakroom. A kitchenette is also located on the top floor and through which there is access to the large roof terrace with 360 degree views.

Gardens to the rear span the entire elevation and include a raised terrace with central steps to the level lawn which includes heavily planted borders around the periphery and year round colour.

The woodland below has been landscaped with strategic seating points, a tree house and with many native seasonal plants. In all the property extends to approximately 1.27 acres.

Richard Brooks of Savills Clifton, says: “The sale of Cooks Folly is a rare chance for someone to acquire a wonderful piece of Bristol’s history. Built in 1858 as a counterpart to John Cook’s original prospect tower, the Grade II-listed Cooks Folly occupies a prominent position on the edge of the Avon Gorge, affording iconic views over the Gorge, taking in the world-class landmark, Clifton Suspension Bridge, and across the Abbots Leigh nature reserve beyond. 

“The house is perfectly set up for family living and entertaining, with a games room, gym, study and indoor pool, as well as impressive gardens and woodland, and to top it off, a roof terrace with 360 degree views that really have to be seen to be believed.”

The property is on the market with Savills Clifton with offers in excess of £3,100,000. Call the agents on 0117 9335803.