For sale: historic house with mod cons and glorious gardens

The A1 upgrade and faster road links to Leeds and Newcastle have persuaded more Yorkshire buyers to head over the border into County Durham.

The area offers rural beauty and value for money and a good example of this is Low Walworth Hall.

The idyllic, grade II listed property is surrounded by stunning scenery and comes with seven bedrooms, a self-contained one bedroom annexe, a swimming pool, tennis court and 11.5 acres.

Stephen and Maureen Bingham, who are selling to downsize, bought the house in 2012. Mr Bingham says: ““We were living in Richmond, North Yorkshire before moving to Walworth. The area is great as it is still handy for the Dales, yet it is straight onto the A1 and we love the beaches of Northumberland, too. The region is really peaceful: full of hedgerows, show gardens and fabulous sunsets.”

The hall has its roots in the Tudor period but was remodelled by the Georgians.

“We were drawn to the Georgian architecture of the house,” says Mr Bingham. “It is a beautiful building and the views are spectacular. My wife loved the kitchen garden. It has an enormous green house that runs down the length of one side. It’s any gardeners dream.

“The best spot for me is the kitchen. As much as I love the history of the house, the kitchen is full of mod cons. I like the heated floors, the steam oven and the instant boiling water of the Quooker tap.”

Other favourite features are the beautiful windows with window seats and shutters, the wood-panelled dining room and a 10-seat Beaverman table that was commissioned for the space.

Mr Bingham adds: “One of the best additions to the house is the outdoor pizza oven, which we installed by the African-themed barbecue hut. It overlooks the paddocks and is a great setting for get-togethers with family and friends.

“In terms of renovation, the biggest project has been turning an old stable block at the back of the property into a private apartment.”

The house has an entrance hall, sitting room, drawing room, dining room, study, breakfast kitchen, utility, seven bedrooms, three bathrooms, cellars and a boiler room. There is a separate one-bedroom flat. Outside, there are gardens, a pool, outbuildings, and two paddocks.

“We’re selling the house in a bid to downsize,” says Mr Bingham. “I’m a 72-year old spring chicken and would like to spend less time mowing the lawn and more time playing my ukulele.”

*For details contact GSC Grays, Richmond, tel: 01748 829217, www.gscgrays.co.uk.