Gorgeous Georgian house in Ripley for sale for the first time ever

This grand Georgian home is up for sale for the first time in its history and it comes with impeccable credentials.

The property has been in the Ingilby family since 1834 when Sir William Amcotts-Ingilby demolished Ripley and re-built it in the style of a French village. It is now a quaint mix of period houses, stone cottages and cobbled squares, which sit alongside the family’s 707-year-old castle.

The village is one of the prettiest in North Yorkshire and its position, just outside Harrogate, has made it a hotspot for buyers.

“It is very attractive and Sir William rebuilt it to give his estate workers better living conditions,” says Sir Thomas Ingilby, who reveals that his ancestor sold a big chunk of Harrogate to pay for the Ripley re-build. If he had kept it, it would’ve been worth a small fortune.

“The land was on the market for £60 an acre and he got £46.63. Within a decade they found the spa water and the whole lot was built on,” says Thomas.

Still, the French-style village is an impressive legacy. Half of it is owned by the estate and the Ingilby family ensures that it looks pristine. It also has the right to approve alterations to all the properties so that the historic character of the area is not destroyed.

Vale Lodge, a detached, grade two listed house occupies a prominent position in the heart of the village. It extends to over 3,150 sq. ft of living space, which includes a reception hall, cloakroom, sitting room, family room, dining room, breakfast kitchen, walk-in larder, utility room, house bathroom and laundry room. The property has a principal bedroom with an en-suite bathroom, four further bedrooms and an additional bathroom. Outside, there is a range of outbuildings and a parking area to the side. There is also a part-walled garden facing south and west.

The house was once the home to Sir Thomas’s mother, the late Diana, dowager Lady Ingilby, and has since been tenanted. The estate is selling as the property is surplus to requirements after a restructure of the estate.

For details contact Carter Jonas, tel: 01423 582922, www.carterjonas.co.uk

*Ripley is extraordinarily well-served for a small village and has a hotel/public house, primary school, post office, general store, butcher’s shop, church, cricket club, tea room, car repair garage, nursery, tennis court, children’s playground and the town hall, which has facilities for snooker, pool and badminton in the Star Club.

There is a bus service to Harrogate, Ripon and Leeds and the village is just off the A61, which provides good road connections to the A1M and A59.