From designing art work for the Sex Pistols to superb renovators who are now selling their extra special country house

Her husband Brian’s top house was The Chantry, a former vicarage in Bishopthorpe, York: “It had more land and was more open. There was more grass. I do like grass, we have almost 16 acres of land here at Bossall – for me and my ride-on mower and a couple of nice pubs nearby.”

Brian, 76, is a photographer, who in 1971, and together with 73-year-old graphic designer Marylin - they met at Teeside College of Art - set up Visualeyes, a studio off the Portobello Road in Notting Hill, west London. They worked for Island Records, creating record sleeves and promotional materials for bands such as Mott the Hoople, Roxy Music, Traffic and Fairport Convention.

Eventually, Brian joined forces with fellow photographer/designer Trevor Key, forming Cooke Key Associates, which became the design agency for Virgin Records – their partnership came up with the famous red and white "Virgin” logo – and they created imagery and artwork for The Sex Pistols.

At Bossall Hall, previously owned by the renowned equestrian and Pony Club district commissioner Lady Susan Watson, Brian and Marylin hold an impressive collection of Sex Pistols memorabilia, some of which decorates the walls of their home.

However, bringing this magnificent 10,000 sqft mansion, with its five bedrooms, four first-floor bathrooms and four reception rooms, up to date involved more than hanging a few super-cool pictures.

The Cookes who moved back to the North - Brian grew up in Scarborough, Marylin near Middlesborough - in 1991.

They moved to Bossall in 2020, and although selling due to ill health will still be looking for another project, albeit a smaller one.

During renovation, Bossall Hall was re-insulated throughout, benefitting from full replacement of electrics, heating and plumbing, including two LPG condensing boilers and underfloor heating on the ground floor.

The Cookes have used the same building firm “from day one”, watching son take over from father, and always live on site during the work.

Brian says the biggest challenge was reconfiguring the back of the house: “If you ask me what I’m most proud of, I’d say that it’s what we’ve been able to make it at the rear.

"It was a very higgledy-piggedly mess of various parts, but we have turned it into a modern contemporary kitchen, dining and living area, while preserving the historical values of the house with a light-touch restoration.”

He is not fond of what he calls "boutique hotel” country house restoration, when every room is given a glitzy overhaul: “We take a very soft approach,” he says. There is scope for new owners to put their own stamp on the place too.

An adjoining two-storey three-bedroomed cottage is still to be renovated, and on the second floor of the house is a self-contained one-bedroom flat ideal for teenage living space or staff accommodation.

Brian points out that Bossall Hall, with its equestrian history, would be ideal for “someone who likes horses, as we’ve got a big barn and paddocks, and stables, with a groom’s flat.”

Edward Hartshorne, managing director at Blenkin & Co, knows Brian and Marylin well and says they are “amazing people”. He particularly likes the way they have brought their impeccable design credentials to Bossall Hall, choosing strong contemporary colours for the interior design, such as the cobalt blue kitchen.

He says: “There aren’t that many houses of this calibre in our part of the world and there aren’t many houses with a façade like this either. It is one of the best period houses this close to York, if not the best.

"Marylin and Brian bring their own amazing history with them too. Their reputation for renovation in this part of Yorkshire is unsurpassed.”

In 1623 the Manor of Bossall was purchased by William Belt who oversaw the construction of the Hall and moat. The house itself remains part-Jacobean, largely rebuilt in the 18th century in Palladian style.

The moat was drained in the 1790s, although several bridges still stand. Records suggest the resident fish were relocated to the lake at Castle Howard.

“Bossall Hall is really special, it’s in its own world yet we’re only 10 minutes from Monks Cross and all the shops,” says Marylin. “The thing I will miss the most is the garden but our three grown-up kids got worried and want us to act our age.”

Bossall Hall is on the market for offers in excess of £2m with Blenkin & Co.