For sale: Swedish home in Yorkshire

The Old Kennels, WomersleyPrice: £650,000www.croftresidential.co.uk
The Old Kennels, Womersley, £650,000, www.croftresidential.co.ukThe Old Kennels, Womersley, £650,000, www.croftresidential.co.uk
The Old Kennels, Womersley, £650,000, www.croftresidential.co.uk

Nestled in the former grounds of Womersley Hall, this property looks like a flawless conversion of historic buildings.

In fact, it’s a sensational hybrid of Swedish house building technology and British masonry.

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The remarkable, energy-efficient home was born after planning and conservation officers granted David Craven’s wish to self-build on the site of the hall’s kennels and stables.

The Swedish-built property is in an E-shape and is clad in stone.The Swedish-built property is in an E-shape and is clad in stone.
The Swedish-built property is in an E-shape and is clad in stone.

The provisos were that the E-shaped footprint had to remain the same, the design had to reflect the old buildings and he had to use the old stone to clad his new home.

“There were restrictions but it worked out really well because what we have got is an extremely energy-efficient Swedish house that is clad in Yorkshire stone,” says David.

He bought his modular home from the Swedish House Company, which has an office in Kent.

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Sweden is renowned for pioneering off-site, timber frame construction in the 1930s and it now uses the system to build air-tight, insulation-packed eco-homes.

The stylish kitchenThe stylish kitchen
The stylish kitchen

“I was very impressed. The house components were built in the Swedish factory and then shipped over here complete with doors and triple-glazed windows.

“We had a crane here ready for their team of builders and the whole house, including the roof and the partition walls inside was constructed in four days,” says David, who hired a local team to do the fit-out and the stone cladding.

He and his wife also invested in a mechanical heat recovery and ventilation system, underfloor heating and smart home technology, which controls lighting, blinds and curtains, audio and video and a sophisticated security system.

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The house has an entrance hall with a cloakroom/shower room, a sitting room with access to the terrace, a dining kitchen, utility room, sunroom and a study/reading area with views over fields.

A sitting room with Ekornes Stressless sofas.A sitting room with Ekornes Stressless sofas.
A sitting room with Ekornes Stressless sofas.

The principal bedroom has an an en-suite bathroom and dressing room with access to a useful first floor storage/hobbies area. The second bedroom has an en-suite shower room, which includes a steam shower, and there is a third bedroom/study.

Outside, there are remote-controlled gates with a driveway leading to the front of the house with parking for several cars.

The property also has a garage with an adjoining workshop. and gardens.