There are few things more heartening than seeing a beautiful country house that's been beautifully restored and cared for — yet one which has been dragged into the 21st century in eye-catching fashion. Penny Churchill takes a look at Colton Lodge, whose owners are moving on after more than a decade transforming this once-crumbling home.
The revival of Grade II-listed, Georgian Colton Lodge at Colton, seven miles south of York, has been something of a labour of love for the owners, who have worked in tandem with a local architect and the local conservation officer to turn around a house that was in danger of disappearing for good. Today, it’s on the market via Jackson-Stops at £2.5m.
Having bought the Queen Anne-style house — originally built as a hunting lodge for the Morritt family of Rokeby Park — as ‘a virtual wreck’ back in 2006, the couple embarked on a painstaking, four-year restoration programme that included rebuilding the roof, fitting new windows, installing new wiring, adding a state-of-the-art heating system and creating two futuristic extensions, one at either end of the building.
The result is a very individual country house that contrasts inherent Georgian charm with boldly modern interior design, such as the use of full-height walls of glass in the kitchen and the gardens rooms to ‘bring the outside in’.
Colton Lodge stands in some 14 acres of elegant landscaped gardens surrounded by traditional estate-fenced paddocks and an all-weather outdoor school, which, together with the stable block and picturesque tack room (a former dovecote), reflect the family’s passion for equestrianism.
The lodge itself offers 9,000sq ft of living space, including an impressive reception hall, three main reception rooms, a striking kitchen/dining area and three luxurious bedroom suites on the first floor, with seven further bedrooms, a bathroom and kitchen on the second floor.
Sadly, the time has come for the family to downsize and handsome Colton Lodge, which is handily located for both York and Leeds and only 8.5 miles from the A1(M), waits for another lively Yorkshire family to take up the reins.
Colton Lodge is on the market via Jackson-Stops at £2.5m — see more pictures and details.
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