For sale: Superb eco house with stunning views of Fairburn Ings nature reserve on the market for £925,000
When civil engineer Andrew Baldwin retired, he set about fulfilling a lifelong ambition to build his own home.
The result was Beech House, a stunning timber-framed home overlooking Fairburn Ings nature reserve in North Yorkshire, which incorporates an array of environmentally conscious features at a time when sustainable technology was far less common in residential properties.
Built in the orchard of The Old Vicarage, where Andrew and his wife Maureen had lived for 19 years, Beech House was completed around 2009. The couple had originally intended to downsize, but their plans took a different turn.
“My dad had always had a dream about building his own house,” says their daughter, Jules Copeland. “They loved the village and the views over the Ings, and it really was a lifetime ambition.”
Jules and her husband, Neale, bought The Old Vicarage in 2011, allowing Andrew and Maureen to remain close by while moving into their new home. The two properties have since been the backdrop to years of family gatherings and celebrations.
Andrew, whose career included overseeing the construction and subsequent maintenance of the A1-M1 link road, brought an engineer’s attention to detail to his retirement project. Designed around the proportions of The Old Vicarage, the new house grew to three storeys after its sloping site presented an opportunity to create additional accommodation.
A ground-source heat pump supplies the underfloor heating and hot water, while solar panels generate electricity, with surplus power sold back to the National Grid. Rainwater is collected for flushing toilets, washing machines and watering the garden. Sheep’s wool provides insulation, an air circulation system supplies fresh air, and a domestic treatment plant processes wastewater.
“He was really ahead of his time in terms of thinking about how a house could be built,” says Jules. “He was very passionate about making sure it had a positive impact on the environment.”
The family helped with the project, too, with Jules recalling putting sheep’s wool into the walls and her children playing on the first floor roof as construction progressed.
Beech House is now on the market for £925,000 through Beadnall Copley, following the passing of Andrew and Maureen. The five bedroom property occupies a secluded position overlooking the wildlife reserve, with far-reaching southerly views.
Its principal living rooms open onto a large balcony, while the flexible accommodation includes a guest suite and a lower-ground floor that could accommodate additional bedrooms, a family room, office or leisure space. There is also parking and garages for three cars, alongside established gardens with fruit trees.
Jules, who is also selling The Old Vicarage, which has a guide price of £795,000, hopes new families will make the properties their own as she prepares to move closer to her daughters and grandchildren in Leeds. “They need new families to love them and fill them with life,” she says.