Grand design for sale with its own folly

This new home near Skipton, which is on the market for £1.3m, is exceptional but, like all the best “Grand Designs”, it has taken longer than expected to complete.

It has, however, been worth the wait for Jo and Michael Harper and Kim and Dale Chapman, who bought the plot that was once part of historic Carr Head Hall in Cowling.

Michael is a seasoned builder with 40 years of experience developing sites and renovating properties.

The new house is curved and comes with a historic folly, left, that has been converted into a home office

“Kim is my sister and we were looking for a project the four of us could do together when we spotted this. We fell in love with the location. It’s tucked away in a very tranquil spot with great views. It’s got a lovely feeling of calm but yet it’s only a short drive to a train station and to Skipton,” says Jo.

Keen to get started, they encountered an unexpected hurdle.The plot came with planning approval for the crescent-shaped home and for the conversion of an historic folly in the garden into an office. However, the design was slightly flawed.

“We got a structural engineer to check the plans and he pointed out that the building was set too high and would contravene the planning stipulation that the house be lower than the historic walls surrounding the plot,” says Jo.

Far from being downbeat, the team turned the setback into an opportunity by reapplying for planning permission to lower the building and to add a basement, which gave the property space for a gym, cinema room and games room.

They also got the go-ahead to put on a zinc roof and have added an eco-friendly and energy-efficient ground source heat pump, which means the estimated heating costs for The Paddock are just £900 per year.

“We are really proud of what we have done. It is such a beautiful place to live, especially as the rooms are visually connected to the garden and to far-reaching views,” says Jo.

The property has underfloor heating, a bore hole, septic tank and a Control4 Smart Home wiring system. Inside, it has an open-plan living space, two bedrooms with ensuites, two further bedrooms and a bathroom. On the lower ground floor, there is a games room, cinema room and gym and outside, there is a converted folly/home office, a large walled garden and parking for five cars.

For more details on The Paddock, Cowling, contact: Dale Eddison, tel: 01756 630555, www.daleeddison.co.uk