'Hidden' coach house with a unique reading spot and gorgeous garden on the market for £1.1m
Julie and David Horner bought a former coach house in a little hamlet near Tadcaster 20 years ago in the quest for “a beautiful home, a forever home” with a larger garden than they already had.
At the time, they were already living locally but Rudgate, set within the hamlet of Toulston, was not somewhere they had come across before. “It’s really tucked away. I didn’t know it was here until it was on the market,” Julie says.
With few options meeting their brief of four bedrooms and outside space, they viewed it on recommendation from family and decided quickly. “We came to see it and loved it,” she says.
The property had already been converted from its original use as a coach house and farm building, likely in the 1980s, and was in good condition when they moved in.
As a result, changes have been limited. “We didn’t have anything to do to it, really,” Julie says.
The main alteration has been opening up the kitchen and dining room into a single space better suited to family life, alongside routine decorating and the addition of an en suite around a decade ago. “We’ve just made it ours,” she says.
The house has served as a long-term family base for the last two decades. The couple raised three children there, all of whom have now left home, and it continues to be used regularly by visiting grandchildren.
Over the years it has hosted large gatherings, from milestone birthdays to a 50th wedding anniversary for David’s parents, attended by around 100 guests. “We’ve had marquees in the garden. It’s just perfect,” Julie says.
The garden has been a central part of how the family has used the property. Set in grounds of just over half an acre and surrounded by open countryside, it includes lawns, planting borders, a vegetable plot and greenhouse.
Julie has managed most of it herself, growing produce including courgettes, beans and pumpkins, alongside flowers, which she cuts for the house. “I spend most of my time on the vegetable beds,” she says.
The space has also been adapted for family use, including a small putting green created for David’s 60th birthday.
Inside, the layout reflects the building’s origins, with exposed beams, stonework and a large open-plan kitchen/diner.
A triple-height hallway has become one of Julie’s preferred spots. “I can just sit and read in there for a long time,” she says, noting its views over the garden. Elsewhere, two reception rooms each have wood-burning stoves, and the first floor includes four bedrooms with vaulted ceilings.
The decision to move is a practical one. Maintaining the garden has become more demanding over time. “It’s one reason we’re selling it, because it’s too big for me to cope with now,” Julie says.
The couple plan to stay in the wider area, looking towards places such as Boroughbridge, but at properties on a smaller scale. “If I could squash this house down a bit I’d love to keep it,” she says.
Rudgate is on the market for £1.1m with estate agent Beadnall Copley. Visit beadnallcopley.co.uk or call 01937 580850 to arrange a viewing.