Wolds rectory restored to glory

When Adrian and Karen Turner decided to move from a village near Wakefield to spend their retirement somewhere more rural, they explored all the options.

Choosing the Yorkshire Wolds is a decision they have never regretted. The countryside is beautiful and far quieter than better known hotspots. They moved to The Old Rectory in Walkington, near Beverley, ten years ago.

Estate agent Richard Welpton, of Quick and Clarke, describes it as “one of the finest privately owned historic residences in the area.”

Since arriving there, the couple have carried out an extensive restoration that has seen them repair and reinstate period features while modernising the house, which dates from 1690 with major facelifts in 1810 and 1895.

They have renovated all the original sash windows, re-wired and -re-plumbed and turned the old carriage house into a separate, two-bedroom property. The interiors have been decorated in a style sympathetic to the Georgian era and include two specially commissioned, marble fireplaces made by J. Rotherham.

“We were planning to buy an original Georgian fireplace but it went for £200,000 at auction so we decided to have replicas made,” says Mr Turner.

The grade II listed property is in the centre of the sought-after village and has an entrance hall, cloakroom, reception hall, magnificent staircase, a formal sitting room with three, south-facing sash windows. This connects to a dining room. There is also a snug, a kitchen with cabinets by Intoto Kitchens of Beverley, a utility room, office, cloakroom and a rear hall.

On the first floor, there is a master bedroom with dressing room and en-suite, a guest bedroom suite, two further bedrooms, a linen room, sewing room and family bathroom. The second floor has two bedrooms and a shower room.

The separate carriage house has a living room, snug, kitchen and two en-suite double bedroom.

The property sits in almost two acres of formal gardens and has a parking area, turning circle and double garage. The gardens also boast a tree house, summer house, ornamental fountains, outbuildings and a tennis court.

Mr and Mrs Turner are moving to downsize to a smaller property, which they are self-building. “We are moving close by because we love the area and we plan to stay here. It’s a great location,” says Mr Turner.

*Contact Quick and Clarke, Beverley, tel: 01482 886200, www.quickclarke.co.uk.

Walkington is two miles from the centre of Beverley and is close to local amenities.