Spectacular double home with glass corridor for sale on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales with mod cons and incredible views

A quick look online brought up Frenchgate Head, a 1960s house on Maison Dieu with breathtaking views over the market town.

"I’d been in the house when I was about 19 as a visitor and I said ‘that house has the best view in Richmond’,” says Michael. “It sees the whole of the town, the castle, the river waterfall, right the way through to Easby Abbey.

“As soon as we saw it we put an offer in and bought it.”

For the first 18 months the couple used it as a holiday home but when Michael’s business in central London was acquired by a larger company, he decided to retire. The pair sold their house in Marylebone and relocated to Richmond full time.

Frenchgate Head was constructed in 1967 by well-known local master builder George Shaw. It had been empty for a few years by the time Michael and his partner bought it.

"It was like a time warp,” he says. “It was like walking into the past, with the Formica kitchen and bathroom units. Each bathroom was a different colour - yellow and purple-pink. but it was a lovely house and had loads of potential.”

The couple knew they wanted to renovate the property but then decided to buy the bungalow next door, demolish it and build a new four-bedroom house on the plot, linking the two homes with a glass link.

The whole renovation project, undertaken by local building firm, Acomb Construction, took about three years to complete. It includes high end appliances from the likes of Sub Zero and Villeroy & Boch, smart switch technology and air conditioning due to its south facing perspective.

The couple uses the new house, Harcourt, which includes a stunning main living space, a kitchen dining area with spectacular views, a cinema room, library and three bedrooms, as their main home and Frenchgate Head, which includes a wonderful living space, chef’s kitchen, wine cellar, studio/gym and games room, plus three bedrooms, for entertaining guests.

"There are lots of different spaces so it lends itself to a lot of people,” says Michael. “You can move around without getting in each other’s way.”

Now Michael and his partner have decided to downsize from their fabulous Richmond home and split their time between Yorkshire and another property they own in Marylebone, while also taking time to travel.

“I’m officially a pensioner in March,” says Michael. “We want to do a bit of travelling and see more of the world before we get too old.

“It makes sense to downsize to somewhere we can easily close up for a few months while we’re away.”

For more information about the property, contact Marus Alderson Estate Agents on 01748 822 711 or visit marcusalderson.co.uk