'Finest village house in North Yorkshire' with incredible garden goes on sale

An amazing Georgian house once owned by a friend of James Herriot has gone on the market with a £2million asking price.
Elphin HouseElphin House
Elphin House

18th-century Elphin House in Coxwold, near Easingwold, has been called the 'finest village house in North Yorkshire' and has a garden designed by an RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner. It was once home to a village doctor who used to play poker with famous literary vet James Herriot - real name Alf Wright - in the consulting rooms. The wisteria-clad property comes with a separate cottage and paddock, and it has views of Byland Abbey. Coxwold is widely considered the most beautiful village in North Yorkshire and has been ranked among the top 10 villages in Britain. The Grade II-listed main house has the original hand-blown windows and working shutters, as well as servants' bells. The former groom's cottage has been converted into a three-bedroom guest annexe with its own garden. The former doctor's consulting rooms have been turned into a games room, and there is still a hook on the gatepost where patients would tether their horses. The walled garden is designed by Marcus Bennett, a three-time gold medal winner at Chelsea who oversaw the bedding of 2,000 plants, including a weeping pear, spectacular roses and white-stemmed birch trees. There is also a large stone terrace and a vegetable garden, a spring-fed well and 120-year-old apple trees. Coxwold was once the estate village for Newburgh Priory. Elphin House is named after a nearby beck. Agent: Blenkin & Co, York.