Magnificent luxury home with huge traditional framed Barn

Impressive home with potential for commercial gallery space, accommodation or many other uses

This spectacular granite fieldstone Inn was built by Braidwood's first Clerk of Court Patrick Goulding in 1856, on a prominent rise one block back from Braidwood's bustling main street. Modelled on a rural Irish Inn of the early 19th century, Tidmarsh features stunning local granite walls ranging in colour from light grey to pink and yellow. The steeply pitched roof has dormer windows and was beautifully restored three years ago with hand cut bloodwood shingles and lead flashings. With fourteen rooms, including a fine entrance hall, drawing room, library, study, original 1850s bar, breakfast room, gourmet kitchen and three generous bedrooms, Tidmarsh has undergone an intensive conservation program since 2000 and is now restored very precisely to its appearance and condition of around 1860. The property was awarded the National Trust's 2004 State Prize for best conservation, testimony to the meticulous quality of the restoration.

History

Patrick Goulding arrived from Ireland in the 1820s and settled in Braidwood in the late 1830s, where he took up the post of Clerk of the Court. In 1840 he became the licensee of the new Doncaster Inn, central to early Braidwood life, and remained there until the 1850s when the hotel was taken over by Maria Badgery. Goulding acquired a desirable corner site in Ryrie Street, then the main access to the village and the route to the Araluen Goldfields. Using Irish stonemasons, Goulding had been building his fine quality small Inn in Ryrie Street for several years to cater for high class travellers attending Braidwood during the Gold Rush, and he accelerated completion of the building to open in 1856. Sketches and photographs made in 1859 show the home occupied and in use, standing alone in fields to the west of the main street. Gold brought crime to Braidwood and bushrangers Ben Hall and the infamous Clarke Brothers targeted gold escorts and outlying farms, causing a public outcry.

In response the Government sent a new Police Superintendent, John Waistell Orridge, to Braidwood with some 30 mounted police. Finding the existing Police Barracks too small, Orridge rented Tidmarsh from Patrick Goulding as a new Police Barracks from 1862. Local journals record the exciting events taking place at Tidmarsh. As the Police Barracks, most notable visitors to the town would have called at Tidmarsh, and some of the colourful history includes late night plans made at the house for Police raids on the Pitchfork Handle riots in Araluen, tense discussions regarding the possible capture of the vicious Clarke Gang, and the arrival of 30 mounted Police under cover of nightfall. By day, the Police Superintendent was courting the pretty daughter of the prosperous Gordon family, owners of one of the grandest local estates, Manar, and on their marriage Emeline Gordon transformed Tidmarsh into a comfortable home for the new family.

Tidmarsh subsequently became the home of many other Braidwood notables, including Magistrate Roland Hassall, Hessy Cassals, Stage Coach operator Owen Malone and innkeeper John Wallace. In the 20th century Tidmarsh housed doctors and dentists.

Tidmarsh today

By the late 1990s restoration was required and there followed a meticulous eight year conservation program which has restored the home to fine condition, retaining a delightful patina of age. New work has been carefully blended to maintain the charming character of the 1850s, and the facade of the house now appears exactly as it did in 1860. Conservation at the rear of the house has retained two wooden rooms built in 1860 and 1880, forming a sunny courtyard with fountain, and a top floor verandah with stunning views over the surrounding countryside.

Extensive shingled verandahs and breezeways surround the rear and side of the house providing lovely quiet corners for reading and entertaining. The windows have been restored retaining 19th century glass and with correct fine moulded sashes and deep chamfered sills. Within the house, all plumbing and wiring is new and has been sympathetically concealed. Features include lath and plaster ceilings, stunning original 12" deal floorboards, original polished cedar fireplace surrounds and fitted bookcases, fitted library bookcases with sliding ladder, a beautiful "winder" staircase and a 1920s style bathroom using original antique fittings all restored to fine condition and incorporating the best modern gas and electric facilities. The large country kitchen is equipped with all modern features, gas and electric hob and oven, dishwasher, fitted cupboards, drying cupboard and sunny window seat.

The main downstairs rooms feature beautiful wainscot panelling copied from a surviving sample. The rooms are finished in original 1850s colours taken from scrapings. The bar has been restored to represent the original tap room of the 1850s Inn and has a magnificent cedar counter and fitted shelves. The breakfast room, created in the 1890s, features a cathedral ceiling, cedar fireplace with combustion stove and French doors onto the verandah.

Upstairs, the winder staircase opens onto a pretty landing with French doors onto the verandah, and stunning six panel cedar doors into the three bedrooms. The huge north bedroom has three windows looking over the shingled roof and village to surrounding countryside, with a sunny window seat and fitted cupboards. The central guest bedroom has a charming dormer ceiling and views to the east, and the very large south bedroom features two windows with rural views, French doors to the balcony and a fine cedar fireplace with combustion stove. Heating is by wood fire and all chimneys have been restored and fitted with new flues, dampers and hearth equipment making every room a cosy and inviting spot. The capacity to install gas or electric central heating was incorporated in the restoration but has not been found to be necessary by the present owners, likewise provisions have been allowed for easy installation of two upstairs en-suites, again not required by the owners at present.

The Barn

The traditional wood framed barn was reconstructed in 2003 using scaled designs from the 1860s building which had been demolished in the 1930s. Measuring 18m by 6m, the six bay barn uses massive timbers with traditional knee bracing and mortised joints. The huge downstairs room is used for a collection of 14 vintage cars and carriages but makes a spectacular art gallery or workshop. It could alternatively be converted to a grand living area or guest accommodation. Upstairs a large studio, office and store room have two balconies and pretty dormer ceilings and windows. The upstairs area was designed to easily convert to a studio apartment for teenagers or guests. Above this is a large glazed lantern tower with amazing views of the surrounding town and landscape. The barn is regularly used for exhibitions and local events and is easily accessed by the gatehouse and side entrance, making Tidmarsh a perfect home for art or antique dealers, artists or craftspeople looking for a stunning residence with gallery attached.

The garden features beautiful established trees, wisteria, grapes, vegetable gardens, chicken coop and woodshed and is entered through a covered gatehouse. The north garden has a charming gravelled courtyard warmed by the impressive northern stone wall of the house. New hedges have been planted around the boundaries and all fencing is new. There are two large rainwater tanks supplementing the mains supply.

The village of Braidwood and the surrounding countryside is protected under the NSW State Government’s Heritage Office as being of exceptional historical interest and scarcity, giving residents surety as to how the future development of this beautiful area will be managed. While the street facades of each building are protected, there are no restrictions other than normal Council DA requirements on interiors or grounds, and the town is “village” zoned making it possible to use buildings in many private or commercial ways subject to usual Council requirements.

Click here for floorplan.