Kevin McCloud's top 100 Grand Designs: futuristic, James Bond-style lair in a historic 90ft water tower for sale for £2.5m

The winner of 11 awards and on the market for the first time since completion, this stunning conversion is a perfect hideaway

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Becky Davies16 June 2016

If you've been searching for a futuristic, James Bond-style lair in a 90ft tower providing views for miles, look no further.

The main building is a former water tower made from stone, but what makes this property so appealing is the amazing building wrapped around its base.

The development wonderfully combines old and new, by deliberate design and architect Julian Baker says an extreme new building was the only way to complement the eccentricity of the 19th-century tower.

The tower is a local landmark and can be seen for miles across Cheshire

"The tower is so distinctive, we couldn’t hope to replicate it. We would have had to use the same stone and mimic its vernacular and the two would have competed.

"This way, there’s a complete contradiction of styles, with the new building matching the humour of the old."

Designed by Ellis Williams Architects, the house has won countless accolades, including being named as among Kevin McCloud's top 100 Grand Designs, and its 11 awards include being a RIBA winner in 2006.

The vast white living room is a minimalist's dream and has stunning views

The blending of contemporary design and 130-year-old industrial architecture has produced a minimally perfect result, providing two open-plan reception rooms, a dining room and a stunning kitchen on the ground floor.

On the floors above are five double bedrooms, including a double-height master bedroom with mezzanine bathroom. The three en-suites and family bathroom feature deep baths and rain showers. The house is fitted with a sound system and there's even a gym and a sauna on the fifth floor.

Relax in the roof terrace hot tub and see Manchester and Liverpool in the distance

However, the house's crowning glory is the iroko decked roof garden, overlooked only by the tower's turret and fitted with a teak hot tub from where you can enjoy 360-degree views of not only the countryside across Cheshire, Derbyshire, Lancashire, but also the cities of Manchester and Liverpool.

The third of an acre garden features plenty of mature trees and even includes a Japanese koi pond.