Hidden away Georgian house near Thirsk for sale after a labour of love

By Sharon Dale

Published 9th Nov 2021, 09:54 BST

Built as the dower house for the Gautby Estate, this beautiful, Grade II-listed property in Thornton le Street offered Ian Stewart all he wanted and more. He bought it in 1996 after falling for its Georgian charm and sublime location.

The house, which is now for sale at £2.25m with Croft Residential, is hidden away in a tranquil, rural spot with exceptional views and yet is only half a mile from a main road and close to the A19. Thirsk and Northallerton stations with their links to Leeds, London, Newcastle and Edinburgh are within a 15-minute drive.

In need of TLC and updating when Mr Stewart got the keys to the door, Beal House has benefited from his considerable investment in it. His wife Cheryl says: “It offered the lifestyle he wanted and also a project, which he enjoyed. It was a labour of love.”

The house with its classic Georgian facade

Outside, he created a parking area with a turning circle and beautiful buttresses and had a triple garage block built. There was very little landscaping so he planted an avenue of trees and designed gardens in a period style, which include a parterre, pond and orchard. He also added an impressive tree-lined driveway.

It was all so in keeping with the house that it fooled heritage experts who commented on how much they liked “the old gardens”.

Inside, updating was a sensitive process with the decor in keeping with the Georgian era as much as possible. The addition of a new conservatory was also respectful to the building’s heritage. “It really is an idyllic place to live and the views across to the Dales are amazing but it’s now time for a new family to enjoy it,” says Cheryl.

The ground floor of Beal House has a drawing room, dining room, sitting room, snug, a study and a large conservatory. The spacious kitchen has two AGAs, one electric and one oil. There is also a utility room, shower room and boot room, plus a storage cellar. A grand staircase leads to the first and second floors, which have a total of eight bedrooms and three bathrooms.

The conservatory is one of the latest additions

Outside is a walled rear garden with patio, while the front garden has a summerhouse, courtyard and the ornamental garden. There is also a workshop and tractor store, tool shed and potting shed, plus a stable block with two stables, a tack room, hay store and feed store.The property has 13 acres, including three paddocks.

Contact: Croft Residential, tel: 01904 238222, www.croftresidential.co.uk