Historic Camerton Hall was demolished in the 1970s but its spectacular successor is now on the market

taxes and a chronic shortage of servants.

But by 1972, the once gorgeous Georgian hall was derelict with restoration no longer a viable option and so the bulldozers were summoned. While historians rightly mourned the property’s demise, they would surely be delighted with its replacement, which also carries its name.

The new Camerton Hall was constructed close to the site of the old one by a local builder Richard Marriott in 1999 for his own occupation. His ‘Grand Design’ is a testament to craftsmanship and is a worthy successor to the house that went before.

Working with a conservation officer, Mr Marriott used reclaimed materials to ensure the property did not resemble a new-build. Inside, there are exposed beams, antique pitch pine, aged brick and nooks and crannies. These are the elements that give a period home its charm and character.

The huge bonus is that, unlike most historic homes, the new house is energy efficient. All this, along with its gardens, land and location in a rural hamlet close to the village of Ryehill, persuaded Ken and Irina Sturdy to buy Camerton Hall mark II in 2002. They have lived there for 20 happy years and are only selling to downsize now their children have grown up and are flying the nest.

“This was one of Richard’s final projects. It was his baby and it really is something to be proud of,” says Ken. The five-bedroom house, which is for sale with Blenkin and Co. for offers in excess of £1.25m, comes with almost five acres and there is further 4.5 acres available by separate negotiation. It overlooks its own gardens, grounds and lake and has an extensive range of outbuildings.

The interiors are beautifully done in “modern country” style with Irina taking the lead on design and making use of some of the best Yorkshire makers and suppliers, including Grove House Interiors of Thirsk and Peter Silk of Helmsley. The paint is all Farrow & Ball’s finest.

Irina says: “Everything was immaculate and painted magnolia when we moved in but we wanted to update the house and put our own stamp on it. “I took a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and also from The Pheasant Hotel at Harome, which we love visiting. The Pheasant’s co-owner Jacquie Pern was really helpful and helped me source items for the sitting room, including the tartan carpet.”

The table in the sitting room, which has an inglenook fireplace, was made from a reclaimed door and is from Peter Silk and the cushions are from Yorkshire makers Hare and Wild. Much of the ground floor has been fitted with Indian sandstone flags and there are now bespoke handmade kitchen and utility areas by Grove House Interiors. The kitchen has light grey cabinets, an island unit in Farrow & Ball’s Really Red and a gas fired, four-oven Aga plus a Welsh dresser.

At the southern end of the house, the garden room faces the grounds on three sides and Irina took inspiration from ski chalets when decorating with cosy reindeer skins and wool throws. The dining room is relaxed with sofas and chairs to spill onto after a meal at the extendable 12-seater table by Barker and Stonehouse.

Upstairs, on the first floor, the landing and principal bedroom are double height and vaulted, and there are four further bedrooms and three bathrooms plus a studio/office.

One of the family’s favourite places is the outdoor entertaining room at the bottom of the garden, which is self-contained with a fridge, log-burner, a fridge freezer and kitchen plus easy to clean flagged floors so wellies and dogs are welcome. “It’s especially lovely down there when it’s decorated for Christmas with a tree, fairy lights and mulled wine,” says Irina, who has mixed old and new finds throughout the property.

The range of outbuildings with traditional clock tower were built in 2005, inspired by an early nineteenth century design, and they include capacious garaging where Ken, whose hobby is historic rallying, keeps his collection of classic and historic competition cars. The buildings also offer ample storage, a gardener’s loo and stabling for two horses.

Camerton Hall has a walled garden, a vegetable garden with raised beds and apple and plum espalier trees. The gardens and grounds have been a labour of love for Irina and Ken and also include an orchard, wildflower meadow, parkland, herbaceous borders, sweeping lawns, ornamental trees, flagged terraces and a wildlife lake with a bridge crossing to an island. Breezy Knees garden centre at Warthill, near York, is a favourite place to shop.

Irina: “It is so lovely here and it’s private but not isolated. We will miss it but it’s time for someone else to enjoy it as we downsize.” Ken adds: “This area is an oasis. It’s so peaceful but it is well-served. Go 20 minutes one way and you get to the coast and go the other and it’s only a 20-minute drive to Hull marina, the Fruit Market and the railway station, which takes you direct to London in just-two-and-a-half hours.”

For details of the sale contact: www.blenkinandco.com.

*The rural hamlet of Camerton is in the Holderness region of the East Riding and is close to the village of Ryehill, which has a traditional village pub, and to Thorngumbald, which has plenty of amenities.

Beverley is just over half-an-hour away and Hull, with its marina, fashionable Fruit Market area and theatres is just eight miles east and a 20 minute drive away.

There is a direct train service from Hull to London Kings Cross, which takes just two-and-a-half hours.