"I feel like it's time to move on": Accidental miller puts Crakehall Watermill on the market for £1.3m
There are few places more peaceful than the banks of a millpond, and Lionel Green has come to appreciate that quiet over the years.
He often wanders down to the old watermill next to his home to sit outside and take in the wildlife. “I regularly see kingfishers and moorhens,” he says.
Crakehall Watermill, which sits in nearly four acres near Bedale in North Yorkshire, is a picture of rural charm – a working mill with a rich past, surrounded by countryside.
In 2004, Lionel and his wife, Alison Barnes, left their home in Skipton, where Lionel had been commuting daily to work in West Yorkshire. Drawn by the prospect of a slower pace of life and the opportunity to run a business, they bought Crakehall Watermill with plans to launch a bed and breakfast.
“We loved the whole setting – its accessibility and the fact that it’s right on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales,” says Lionel. “It offered a great base for visitors. And it’s close to the North York Moors and the coast, too.”
Over the years they ran the B&B, the couple hosted guests from around the world, from Japan to Australia, all drawn to the unique setting.
They also renovated three cottages on the site for extra income. Two are currently being run as successful holiday lets and are the perfect base to explore the Yorkshire Dales – while there is also an additional two-bedroom cottage with a long-term tenant.
In addition, they ran a touring caravan site on one of the paddocks. “We didn’t know anything about caravanning but it proved very successful over the years. We’ve closed that now but the infrastructure’s there for anyone who wants to reinstate it,” says Lionel.
In 2009, the couple turned their attention to the disused watermill. “It had been lying dormant for a few years. We decided to take a look and see what could be done,” says Lionel.
He set about making contact with specialists in the milling world who advised him on what he needed to do to get the mill going again, which included fixing the water wheel and the setting up of the stones and gears so that everything was aligned correctly.
The site has a rich history, with a mill recorded in the Domesday Survey of 1086. The current mill dates from the 17th century and was once owned by the famed Neville family of Middleham Castle, before becoming Crown Property in the 15th century and later sold by James I in 1624.
Today, the mill is run solely by Lionel, who produces up to three tonnes of wholemeal and spelt flour each year using traditional methods and materials. His flour is sold locally through various retail outlets across North Yorkshire.
Lizzie Tate, associate director at estate agent GSC Grays, says: “Crakehall Watermill is a truly unique property, nestled in a highly sought after village location, offering a versatile and flexible business opportunity with a variety of income streams, as well as a fantastic family home.”
The grade II listed Watermill House is set over three floors with five bedrooms and period features including a traditional spindle staircase, sash windows and various attractive fireplaces It offers the potential to reinstate the previous bed and breakfast business if desired.
The spacious entrance hall leads to a formal sitting room and separate dining room. The dining room links to the breakfast kitchen.
Further doors from the dining room and rear hallway lead to an additional reception room which is currently used as a study but would make an ideal playroom or potential ground floor bedroom if required. There is also a bathroom and boiler room on the ground floor.
The first floor features three double bedrooms, including a mater bedroom with ensuite bathroom. There are two further bathrooms on this floor.
The second floor features two double bedrooms, one with an ensuite shower room. The fifth bedroom provides access to a substantial attic space.
The property is approached by a tree-lined drive with the mill pond running adjacent, leading to a substantial parking area, which is shared with the cottages which sleep two, four and six people.
There are also two paddocks and additional outbuildings comprising storage, workshop and a log shed. One paddock could be used for equestrian pursuits while the other could be reinstated as a five pitch caravan site.
The village of Crakehall is close to the market town of Bedale, with the A684 providing access to the Yorkshire Dales National Park as well as connections to both the A1 and A19.
There is a railway station at Northallerton, which sits on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh.
Lionel, 71, and Alison, 62, are now looking to downsize but would like to stay in the area. “I feel like it’s time to move on,” says Lionel. “We’ve made a great success of this business here and perhaps it’s time for somebody a little bit younger to come and develop it a bit further. It could be taken in various directions, either as a family home or as a business.”
Crakehall Watermill is on the market with GSC Grays in Richmond with a guide price of £1.3m. Tel 01748 897630.