Grade II*-listed Palladian house in the middle of UNESCO World Heritage Site Studley Royal deer park and water garden in Yorkshire for sale for £8million

A Grade II*-listed mansion in the middle of one of Yorkshire’s two UNESCO World Heritage Sites has gone up for sale.

The Palladian Studley Royal House was originally the stables for the Aislabie family’s mansion on the Studley Royal estate near Ripon. After the house – which had been occupied by Queen Ethelburga’s College during the war – was destroyed by fire in 1946, the name was transferred to the stable block.

The building stands in a private plot surrounded by the deer park and water gardens, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 1980s alongside the ruins of Fountains Abbey. It has spectacular views of Ripon Cathedral. The 800-acre parkland is managed by the National Trust.

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Studley Royal House has distinct pavilion towers in all four corners surrounding a central courtyard and working clock tower. There is private access via a spur from the main lime tree avenue. It has eight bedrooms and nine bathrooms.

Stable blocks of the period were so large because they also stored carriages and had accommodation for grooms and coachmenStable blocks of the period were so large because they also stored carriages and had accommodation for grooms and coachmen
Stable blocks of the period were so large because they also stored carriages and had accommodation for grooms and coachmen

The parterre gardens have a central stone fountain and cobbled turning circle. There are also private formal lawned gardens with lily pond.

There was once a 15th-century manor house in the park, which was rebuilt in 1716 by estate owner John Aislabie following an earlier fire. The High Stables are believed to have been built in the 1730s, when the family added several ancillary buildings.

The house is being sold by Savills with a guide price of £8million. Agent Crispin Holborow said: “Studley Royal is a beautiful Palladian country house which lives up to its Grade II* classification. It sits within a World Heritage Site, giving it complete protection as well as the opportunity to enjoy Studley Royal Park without the burden of management. It is the perfect house for entertaining and requires minimal looking after.”