Properties for Sale Page 2

News - Properties for Sale...Page 2

July 2005 Jervaulx Hall: is a prime property coup for Knight Frank

The grand country house – which overlooks the historic ruins of Jervaulx Abbey – is on the market for £1.55 million and offers buyers the rare opportunity of owning a superb home in a stunning yet convenient location. A grade II listed building with a fascinating history dating back to around 1600, Jervaulx Hall has undergone an extensive and sympathetic improvement programme to enhance and fully restore one of North Yorkshire’s most picturesque country houses.

The hall has four principal reception rooms and eight bedrooms, along with ancillary accommodation suitable for staff, dependant relatives or home working, within a converted coach house adjacent to the main building. The detached coach house has a sitting room, modern kitchen, inner hall and two double bedrooms, each with en suite bath or shower rooms at ground floor level. On the first floor there is a studio living room, double bedroom and en suite bathroom.

Jervaulx Hall is situated midway between Masham and Leybourn in an idyllic rural setting, yet the location is only 10 miles west of the A1 trunk road at Bedale. Set in more than eight acres of beautiful, well tended formal gardens, mature woodland and grassland, the property includes the original gatehouse and a sweeping private drive running through the grounds and past the abbey ruins.

The property also offers stunning views over the countryside, river and valley, as well as the inspiring grounds and ruins. As a result, Jervaulx Hall is already attracting strong interest, with its close proximity to both Leyburn and Masham, as well as the cathedral city of Ripon just 16 miles to the south east.

July 2005 Easton Neston SOLD

Knight Frank announces the exchange of contracts on the sale of Grade I listed Easton Neston House. The sale of the magnificent property includes its two lodges and stable courtyard all set within 550 acres of parkland.

This follows Knight Frank’s earlier announcement of the sale of over 2270 acres of farmland, a number of residential properties within the village of Hulcote and the Grade II listed Pomfret Lodge on the Easton Neston Estate. The purchaser is a private individual and both his identity and the purchase price remain confidential.

Easton Neston has been the home of the Fermor Hesketh family for nearly 470 years. The estate was originally owned by the Empson family who in return for £1000 pledged that on Thomas Empson’s death, the estate at Easton Neston should pass to the Fermor family. In 1535 the estate became Richard Fermor's principal home. It was not until 1867 that the Fermor Hesketh families joined and moved to Easton Neston to make it their family home. The main house, as seen today, was commissioned by Sir William Fermor in 1685. The original matching wings were designed by the office of Sir Christopher Wren, and the main house remodelled by Nicholas Hawksmoor, famous for works such as Kensington Palace and Castle Howard. Easton Neston has been described as Hawksmoor’s ‘ingenious invention’. The exterior was modified in 1700 to reflect an English Baroque style.

The house is a unique masterpiece, with exquisite facades and impressive state rooms, yet skillfully contained within a grand house that is not rambling or over the top. The elegant stone cantilevered staircase is believed to be one of the longest in Great Britain. Six stone niches, originally designed for the setting of Arundel marbles, line the walls which have grisaille wall paintings by Sir James Thornhill depicting the triumph of King Cyrus. The majority of the state rooms have remarkable plaster work and cornicing, however it is the ceiling in the dining room depicting Venus and Adonis, a work of art dating back to 1735 that is particularly stunning.

More recent history proves to be equally fascinating. The early 19th century stable courtyard has been used as commercial workshops and, most famously, as the home of Hesketh Racing in the 1970's. Lord Hesketh built the Hesketh Formula One cars that were driven for him by James Hunt, achieving the last World Championship Grand Prix victory ever won by a privateer at Zandvoort Holland in 1975.

Although Hawksmoor designed the gardens and grounds, works were not undertaken until the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The designs were well thought through with the house only visible from two vantage points and therefore benefiting from a privacy that is rare for a house of this calibre. To the west of the house is a large arrow shaped pool designed by 1st Baron Hesketh and his head gardener, originally intended as an open air swimming pool. The grounds also boast a modern swimming pool, tennis court and beautiful walled garden. The 1272 acres of in hand arable land is farmed under a contract arrangement. The peaceful parkland, extending to 546 acres is grazed by sheep throughout much of the year.

In 1925 Towcester Racecourse was created within the estate and to this day remains one of the oldest private racecourses in the country. Following recent development, it now has a new stableblock, and a second grandstand is currently under construction.

Clive Hopkins, Partner in Country Department, comments, “The sale of Easton Neston House demonstrates great confidence in the country house market and a great conclusion to one of the most significant sales in recent time.” All that now remains to be sold are the third lodge and cottages in Hulcote Village - totalling 11 lots. Prices range from £120,000 to £400,000.

July 2005. Nether Lypiatt Manor.

Royal couple's home on the market Prince and Princess Michael of Kent are putting their Gloucestershire country mansion on the market.

The 16-acre estate, at Nether Lypiatt near Stroud, is believed to be possibly worth more than £10m. Savills estate agents say the house will be marketed from the end of April or early May, but declined to comment on estimates of its value. The royal couple, who bought the manor in 1980, also have a "grace and favour" apartment at Kensington Palace.

Down-sizing

The Queen, Prince Michael's cousin, agreed in December 2002 to pay from her private funds the £120,000-a-year rent for the five-bedroomed apartment for up to seven years. This followed demands by MPs on the Commons Public Accounts Committee that a commercial rent should be paid for the property. Buckingham Palace said at the time that the rent was being paid in recognition of the prince and princess's unpaid work in support of the monarchy and various charities. It appears that the prince, 62, and his 60-year-old Bohemian-born wife may now be looking to the future by downsizing and providing a cash flow for their retirement. Their children, Lord Frederick Windsor, 25, and Lady Gabriella Windsor, 23, are understood to spend little time at Nether Lypiatt Manor and are keen to be in London.

The early-18th century country house was bought by the royal couple in 1980, for about £300,000. The value has since soared, although a £10m sale may be hard to achieve.

19 October 2005 Dowdeswell Court

Grade II listed Dowdeswell Court, located in the historic village of Lower Dowdeswell, is available for sale through Savills and Knight Frank with a guide price of excess £4.5million.

Benefiting from a rich history, the property was originally the principal house on the Dowdeswell Estate, acquired by the Rogers family in 1582. Centuries later, in 1833, and still owned by the same family, the main house required such extensive repair that the only feasible solution was to build an entirely new property on the original sight. Indeed, the house that stands today was built in around 1833-7 by the well-respected Charles Paul of Cheltenham and is believed to have been modelled on nearby Cowley Manor.

The current owner has spent considerable time, money and imagination lovingly restoring the Georgian gem. "The entire project was a real labour of love: we have been careful to retain as many period features as possible and have been insistent in only using the best materials available." 2,000m of reclaimed oak have been used in the refurbishment programme and well over 300 tins of Farrow and Ball paint. 60% of the cornicing has been restored and the house has been fitted with contemporary, high quality kitchens and bathrooms. Dowdeswell Court enjoys a magnificent setting overlooking the Dowdeswell Valley to the rolling Malvern Hills beyond.

Dowdeswell Court benefits from beautifully proportioned rooms including a dramatic entrance hall providing access to the large, sleek kitchen/breakfast room, an elegant drawing room and a dining room capable of comfortably seating fourteen. The ground floor also comprises a cinema/games room, a study and domestic offices.

There is a newly installed lift and a sweeping, majestic staircase to the upper floor which boasts 9 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms: a luxurious master bedroom suite, 5 further bedroom suites, 3 bedrooms and a further bathroom and shower room. There is also ample ancillary accommodation by way of a Housekeepers Cottage and the converted East wing of Dowdeswell Court, forming a 4 bed apartment and separate 2 bed flat.

Dowdeswell Court is being offered for sale with planning consent for an orangery with indoor swimming pool and gym complex in place of the existing conservatory. There is also additional consent for a 3,500 sq ft classical style 4 bed house and a 5,500 sq ft contemporary 5 bed house within the grounds. The gardens and grounds of Dowdeswell complement the main house beautifully and help frame and enhance the far reaching views. They include a secret garden, a formal terrace, an Italian garden and a rose garden. There are a total of 8.5 acres.

The agents comment "The successful renovation of Georgian country houses is by no means an easy feat. Dowdeswell supersedes expectations and its magical transformation combines luxury with conviviality."

Page 1|2|3|4