PEOPLE regularly stop and gaze through the ornate iron gates at these gorgeous town houses.
I’m sure like me they day dream of living in such a place as they sigh over the beautiful cobbled courtyard and the quaint limestone homes around it.
It’s hard to believe the original old flour mill (now an upmarket wine bar on the western side) was once a wreck, set for a date with bulldozers.
Locals, backed by the council, mounted a strong campaign to save the building and in 1992 Fremantle architect, the late Edward Bessant, took on the daunting job of re-inventing the site.
The result has been pure magic, offering a funky mix of Provence and Fremantle.
In a 2005 interview Bessant told the Herald he regarded the project as being for everyone: “[An] asset of the city…which is part of the reason the gates are so wide, so people can really see in.”
Number 6 is the last of the homes on the eastern side of the complex, and like its neighbours is a delightful three-storey abode that wouldn’t look out of place in any number of lifestyle shows set in rural France.
Each level has its own balcony gazing serenely across the central courtyard.
The ground floor one is more a patio, a chic little spot to enjoy coffee and croissants in the morning as you wave to the neighbours.
a funky mix of Provence and Fremantle…
From here you step into the open living/dining/kitchen area.
Lovely jarrah floors flow through to the compact, and very functional kitchen, where the fridge is tucked neatly under the stairs.
A very private rear courtyard, with soaring limestone walls, is a pleasant spot for days when you want to be far from the madding crowd.
Two of the bedrooms and one of the bathrooms, are on the second level, one with a balcony overlooking the rear courtyard, the other taking in lovely views across Fremantle and the expansive and leafy main courtyard.
The third level is tucked under the eaves, with a dormer window to the balcony, and a sitting-room/study and ensuite.
There’s secure parking for one, but this close to everything Fremantle has to offer, and the train station, it may gather cobwebs.
Essex Street is home to a swag of cafes and restaurants, or wander up to the cappuccino strip where you’re spoilt for choice, or down to Fishing Boat Harbour and its relaxed ambience.
It really doesn’t get any better than this when it comes to inner-city living.
by JENNY D’ANGER
6/17 Essex Street, Fremantle
$1.1 million
Jinny Henshaw
0418 908 858
Mark Brophy Real Estate
9335 9800
Love this place so beautiful.