Characterful Georgian home with layers of history and cosy interior for sale in Sheffield
Thirty years ago Rob and Sally Rook walked into a crumbling Georgian house and knew, almost immediately, that they’d found something worth saving.
Greno House in the village of Grenoside, on the outskirts of Sheffield, was “in a real state”, according to Rob, but the location and dimensions of the property were strong enough for them to put an offer in.
Originally built in 1786 for tanner Joseph Fawley, the property later became a fee‑paying ‘school for young gentlemen’ under George Rider in the early 19th century, and subsequently passed through wealthy local residents and was converted into multiple family homes in the 1930s. Today it stands in its restored form as No.2 Greno House.
“We weren’t necessarily looking for a project but we moved in with a baby and one on the way. Within a year we had a third child and we went on to have a fourth,” says Rob, who was running his own accountancy practice while overseeing the renovation. “We all lived on a building site for nearly 10 years.”
Major structural work was unavoidable. “The roof was a stone roof which we couldn’t replace. It was all damaged,” says Rob. “Everything in the house needed doing. We were living in one room upstairs with three children while the initial work was being done."
The couple uncovered all of the beams, which were covered in plaster – some were rotten and needed replacing. Windows were replaced, doors added and the couple also added a porch a garage.
Other discoveries speak to the house’s unusual past. “When we renovated the cellar we incorporated a stone slab into the flooring that was once used for meat preparation,” says Rob
Rob and Sally also unearthed layers of wallpaper from the early 1800s, which sadly didn’t survive the renovation work, as well as chalked school‑children’s writings from the building’s decades as a school. “There were calculations, drawings and a little cartoon character,” says Rob. "I’ve got pictures of them but the plaster was falling off the walls and they disintegrated so we couldn’t preserve them.”
Today the four bedroom house offers elegant living spaces alongside these echoes of the past.
The sitting room remains Rob’s favourite room : “We’ve got an open fire and in the winter when it’s bitter outside and you’ve got the fire on, it’s beautiful.”
After nearly 30 years in the house, and with the children having moved out, Rob and Sally are now preparing to downsize.
They’ve found another historic property about five miles away. “It’s a cottage that’s never been for sale before in its 400-year history but it’s falling down,” says Rob. “After 20 years of reasonable relaxation we’ve got another project on our hands.”
He says he will miss Greno House but acknowledges it’s time to move on. “The children all grew up here but we’re only moving 15 minutes away and we’ll always come back because the village life here is incredible,” he adds.
Greno House is on the market for offers in region of £795,000 with Saxton Mee, Sheffield 0114 268 3241.