For sale: spectacular historic Yorkshire home with mod cons and a glorious garden

The challenge with these and indeed any historic and architecturally important property is making them fit for modern life while preserving the original features.

Andrew Wilde, who bought Holmefield House, a spectacular Grade II listed, former mill owner’s home built in 1870, is now an expert in this field and could give lessons in how to sensitively modernise a listed building.

The grand stone-built property, constructed for William Dale Shaw and Sarah Shaw, is set in about an acre of formal gardens in the Longwood Conservation Area.

It had been home to three generations of one family but was in need of renovation when Andrew set his heart on it. He got the keys in 2010 and set about painstakingly and meticulously restoring and updating the historic house.

He says: “I was divorced and had my children every other week so the idea was to create an amazing family hub where I could make the most of my time with them.

“When I first saw the house I knew it was really special even though it needed rescuing and renovating and the top floor had been abandoned.”

The cost was far higher than he expected and the project took four years to complete but has been worth it to see the south-facing house brought back to life with modern amenities, insulation, a very pretty garage and CAT five cabling.

The grounds too were transformed thanks to award winning garden designer John Everiss.

“It got to the point where I stopped counting the cost but it was all worth it. It has been an amazing home,” says Andrew, who is selling now that his children are grown-ups and he is happy in the knowledge that the house did its job.

“It would suit another family and it would also suit multi-generational living,” says Andrew, who is now retired but who used to commute to London from the property.

The M62 is in easy reach and the journey to Leeds is 20 minutes and to Manchester it is 40 minutes with both having rail connections to London.

The house is set over four floors and has10,000 sq ft of space. No expense has been spared on the opulent new fixtures and fittings, though the stars of this show are the period stained-glass windows, ornate plasterwork and elaborate woodwork, which includes a carved oak panelled reception hall and an oak staircase.

The property has four reception rooms, six bedrooms, including two guest suites, five bathrooms, outbuildings, a gym and garaging for seven cars.

For details contact Simon Blyth, tel 01484 651878