A tour of Magical Margate
For many of us, the closest we ever get to experiencing magic might be watching it unfold on stage over at the Winter Gardens. Seldom are we afforded the luxury of it’s excitement and wonder without it being pulled out of a hat or sawn in half by someone else, rather than experiencing our own direct enchantments that enhance, or perhaps even transcend our day-to-day reality.
But Margate now has a new home for magic. Magical Margate Townhouse is the brainchild of 2 husband and wife duos, Anna Nerilli and Barry Long and Anna’s parents Michael and Mary Nerilli and is now available for guests to come and stay in.
The family bought the property back in 2017 from the Christian Housing Trust and immediately realised that it needed a lot of work from top to bottom. First on that list was fixing the leaking roof and damaged top floor, followed by removing partitions walls from almost every room; transforming them from tiny bedsits in the process - as well as sprinkling a healthy dose of magical details within the final scheme!
Set within the newly revamped Dalby Square, an area in Margate made famous by the Only Fools and Horses 1989 Xmas Special, this 5 storey property with sea views has been returned to something comparable to the original splendour created long before Delboy and Co. came “down to Margate.”
Whilst not offering the stateliness of the country home in C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia; mirroring more the urban grandeur of the Banks’ family abode in Disney’s Mary Poppins, this Cliftonville Victorian terrace shares the same magical whimsy that both fictional residences hid within. Indeed, there is much to be excited about within this newly restored family home, with an interior that parallels those from fantasy tales and matches the ambition of detail usually ascribed to Hollywood. And all on a scale that is unrivalled across much of the town.
The house has also been redesigned with families in mind. In fact multiple families, with 8 rooms offering twin and double bed variations that allow for 16 guests during any one booking. As Anna explains, there was very deliberate and considered reasoning behind this decision, “We were recommended by a number of holiday companies that 14 was the magic number to aim for. Being able to accommodate that many guests gives you an extended season because as soon as you can get 3 families or multiple groups into a property you become a celebration destination.”
But it’s not all about capacity. Careful consideration and a healthy dollop of hard work have gone into making sure guests of all ages have an unforgettable Margate experience. Firstly, there’s the seemingly innocuous albeit ancient looking wardrobe on the second floor landing. Any inquisitive family members brave enough to swing open the beautiful engraved wooden doors are rewarded with an enormous Narnia style wardrobe, equipped with an array of fancy dress attire (and not just kid’s sizes!) The same such space on the top floor has been completely clad in designer-friendly OSB and offers a “geeking out space” for those interested in listening to (and perhaps buying some vinyl during their stay) on the record player, or picking up a comic book and luxuriating in a read whilst taking in the sea views. And should guests require some indoor entertainment (on a wet and windy Margate day) there’s an immersive family cinema room decked out with reclaimed chairs from the Carlton Cinema in Westgate!
Elsewhere, every detail has been sensitively considered and every action painstakingly carried out, with the sole aim of reusing or returning existing features such as skirting boards, cornicing and floorboards to their former glory. And any instance where this was not possible, Anna found a solution, “I confess to having knocked on numerous doors in Margate with skips outside them and asking to take stuff out.” Cue multiple carloads of picture rail salvaged from a house on Surrey Road and hoofing floorboards from a rain soaked bungalow clear-out. The job of transforming 2nd hand finds from skips, ebay, Freecycle and local suppliers such as R G Scotts was carried out by skilled crafts people including local resident Polly High of Useless Creative and Mark Smith of M Smith Carpentry & Joinery. Mark was involved in the project from the off as Anna knew “that he understood the project; he always aims to keep things within the house rather than suggesting tearing it out a throwing it away.”
This diligent restoration is notable in the paint-patched timber cladding salvaged from an outbuilding and used to build one of the 8 new en suite bathrooms as well as the new-old 3-timber floor in the grand family sitting room. These details give the space a new sense of history, adding contemporary splendour alongside Victorian authenticity. Indeed, every single room has been restored to it fullest potential and optimum grandeur; take the family bathroom, furnished with traditional double sink and enormous roll top bath, which wouldn’t look out of place in 17 Cherry Tree Lane!
Now it’s time for some new narratives to unfold in Margate’s magical new addition.
This article was originally published in The Margate Mercury. Photography courtesy of Sheradon Dublin.