Most houses are built to stay. A few may get moved to another site, but one grand old lady is starting again at her third place of residence. Harriet Di Maio reports.
As Blairgowrie looked in Peake Road.
Blairgowrie House was built on a section in Hamilton Road in 1916 by Arthur and Kathleen Nicoll, and named after the Scottish hometown of Arthur’s father.
Arthur Nicoll worked for the well-known Cambridge firm Speight, Pearce, Nicoll & Davys and was a president of the Cambridge Club in 1920.
Built in the Art and Crafts Bungalow style which was becoming popular in New Zealand at that time, Blairgowrie had a beautiful cottage garden and was to remain in the Nicoll family for 75 years.
In 1991 the house was cut into three sections and moved just out of town to 75 Peake Road. Annette McWha and her husband Kelvin purchased the property in 1994 from John Nicoll, Arthur’s grandson, and became only the second family to live in Blairgowrie House.
“We had a very large old house sitting in the middle of a paddock looking totally out of place,” says Annette. “We could hardly wait to plant some tall trees and start a garden”. And over the next 30 years they created an award-winning garden, including a large ornamental pond surrounded by palm trees.
In 2007 the house was extensively renovated and was for many years a luxury B&B run by the McWhas. The cottage garden was a key feature of the property and was a popular venue for garden clubs and events. During this time Blairgowrie won several awards including a Waipa Heritage award for sympathetic renovation of a heritage property, and a Fieldays Hospitality award.
It was very important for Annette and Kelvin to retain the Art and Crafts character of the house and keep its original name. They also visited Blairgowrie in Scotland and found it to be a ‘lovely village, rather like Cambridge actually’, says Annette.
Annette and Kelvin kept in touch with the Nicoll family, and Arthur’s great-grandson David Nicholl came to stay in the B&B.
Blairgowrie on the move to Kairangi Road with Nerina and Greg Sommerville and Matthew, James and Oliver.
Now, Blairgowrie House is doing it all over again; this time with Greg and Nerina Sommerville and their young boys Matthew, James and Oliver.
In February the house was again cut into three pieces and made the trip back through Cambridge to the Sommerville’s lifestyle property in Kairangi Road, Roto-o-Rangi.
“We just loved the house when we saw it; it had so much character,” says Nerina. “We really appreciated its history, and as soon as I walked in the door, I knew it would be perfect for us as a family.”
Nerina, a keen gardener, is looking forward to creating another fitting garden setting for Blairgowrie House. As only the third family to live in Blairgowrie in more than 100 years, they are excited to start a new chapter in its history. And they will keep the name too – it’s well travelled, just like the house.
Blairgowrie began life in Hamilton Road in 1916.
