Greenlane: Caveside treasure

A 1930s home opposite Cornwall Park was ahead of its time, and is still in great original condition.

207 Campbell Road, Greenlane.

Not many homes can boast a cave used for speleological training outside the front gate, but this Campbell Road property has just that.

Bob Edwards grew up here and says he would often play in the cave, which was also visited by cave scientists. It is now accessible only by a manhole.

"There were times as a kid I would hide there," he smiles.

His parents built the house in 1937 - it was one of the first in the area and was surrounded by horse farms and stables serving Ellerslie Racecourse.

The southbound tram line ended at the nearby Harp of Erin: the intersection of Campbell and Great South roads.

Bob says the house was built using the best materials of the day - Marseille tiles on the roof, narrow weatherboards on a brick base, with gib board linings on the walls.

From the outside the house looks like it has a foot in both the California bungalow and art deco camps.

It is featured in the book Old New Zealand Houses, by Jeremy Salmon, as an early example of English Cottage Revival, a style which superseded the Victorian villa and Californian bungalow.

The original rooms are large with big windows letting in lots of light, and they have some interesting deco leadlight details. The front windows had shutters and planter boxes which have since been taken off.

The front entrance is quite imposing with brick columns and a wide porch with generous steps. For lovers of Kiwiana, the carpet in this house is a classic, and still has a bit of life in it.

The kitchen, which is in near-original condition, and is a reminder of what life was like before Dishdrawers and extraction fans over the stove. Nonetheless, it is still very workable with a fantastic outlook over the garden.

The house was quite radical for its time in that it exploited its corner site and made use of the sun for heating. Morning sun was received in the kitchen while the lounge and bedrooms enjoyed it in the afternoon.

Bob says it was a warm house to grow up in, and the two fireplaces kept it so in winter. Both are still working, too.

The garden still has good bones with specimen trees such as a magnolia, a Sydney Christmas bush, a flamingo tree, a loquat and an edible fig.

"Up the road was a tree nursery and some of its stock ended up in the garden," says Bob.

It would benefit from being tackled by a serious gardener, although there's also plenty of room for a swimming pool.

As it stands the house could be easily refreshed and made into a comfy family home, but the real potential is for the new owner to work with an informed architect who understands how to take the best of this century's thinking and marry it to a solid shelter from the last.

Vital Statistics

BEDROOMS: 3

BATHROOMS: 1

GARAGE: 1 S

SIZE: Land 797sq m, house 125sq m.

PRICE INDICATION: Interest expected above $500,000. Auction February 15.

INSPECT: Sat/Sun 12.15-12.45pm.

CONTACT: Melody Lowe, Re/Max Home Royal Oak, ph 021 452 529.

FEATURES: A solid house with original features that would further benefit from an informed makeover. Over the road from Cornwall Park.