Chance to buy a converted water mill close to Kirkbymoorside

To everything there is a season and a time and that applies to moving home and for Andrew and Kay Gardner, the time has come to downsize and they have put Howkeld Mill, near Kirkbymoorside, on the market with Humberts for £950,000.

The decision to leave their idyllic converted water mill is a pragmatic one. “We moved here when our children were young so we could have more space and live in a quiet, safe and beautiful location,” says Andrew. “We are moving because the children are grown-up and the house is really too big for two of us.”

The Gardners used to run the Post Office in Kirkbymoorside and Howkeld Mill is just a mile from the historic market town and its amenities. “It’s a short drive or a pleasant 25 minute walk away,” says Andrew, who will miss the characterful property and the square footage it offers.

“ It is a great place for entertaining. I had my 60th birthday party here and we had over 65 guests without it feeling crowded,” he says. The house is also set up for home working with its own office and superfast fibre optic broadband.

The Grade II listed mill, which sits in a rural position on the edge of parkland, dates from the early 19th century. The industrial building has been skilfully converted and retains many original features. The property is set over three floors and has a hall, a dining room, where the original mill workings are still clearly visible, a shower room, sitting room overlooking the courtyard and a dining kitchen with oak units and a Rangemaster stove.

On the first floor, there is a drawing room with a deep Inglenook fireplace, a main bedroom with walk-in dressing area. The remaining three bedrooms, office/fifth bedroom and house bathroom lie on the second floor.

Outside, there is a courtyard, a barn providing garaging, a second garage, a workshop and a garden store. The main garden is at the rear of the house and is bordered by the mill race and stream and the property also has a tennis court.

Kirkbymoorside has churches, public houses, a post office, GP surgery, chemist and a variety of shops and retail. It is on the edge of the North York Moors National Park and York, Whitby and Scarborough are all accessible. Contact: Contact Humberts, tel: 01904 611828, www.humberts.comd an ensuite bathroom.