Country houses for sale

A charming former station house that will delight train fans young and old

Live out your rail master dreams at this former Station House and Old Waiting Room, in the village of Leyburn in North Yorkshire.

With roll-top baths a plenty, plush interiors and a unique setting adjacent to the Heritage Wensleydale Railway, the fully renovated Station House and the Old Waiting Room is a unique property that will certainly delight any current and former fans of Thomas the Tank Engine.

The property is currently on the market via Robin Jessop with a guide price of £1.1 million.

Granted, there are no blue and red trains with anthropomorphic features whizzing by — just the regular services on the Wensleydale line that runs from Scruton to Redmire, through the glorious Yorkshire Dales — but that won’t matter for those searching for a property with plenty of character.

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I don’t know how you would imagine a renovated station house to look; whatever it is, the interiors on show here will no doubt be a welcomed surprise for buyers. Luxuriously decorated in swaths of grey tones and printed wallpaper (and not a discarded orange rail ticket in sight), The Old Station House, has, until now, operated as a popular five star Holiday Let.

In total, there are five good sized bedrooms — three in the station house and two in the waiting rooms. Communal space is also plentiful, with a large open plan kitchen/dining area in the Station House and a central kitchen/dining in the Old Waiting Room. This allows any future owners plenty of accommodation options, whether they choose to continue to let the houses as a Holiday Let, or live in one and use the other for personal use, handy when there’s lots of visiting family and friends.

A white picket fence surrounds the pretty gardens, formed of various patio areas, lawns, a pergola and raised flower beds. There’s also plenty of parking space — not that you’ll need one with a rail station directly in front of you.

The village of Leyburn lies in the heart of Wensleydale, surrounded by beautiful rolling Yorkshire Dales countryside. A weekly market runs in the town on a Friday and there are a number of eclectic, independent shops, restaurants, cafes and traditional pubs.

Known for its cheese, quaint historic villages and traditional markets, Wensleydale is a great base from which to explore the wider Yorkshire Dales National Park. Visit the well-known Aysgarth Falls and Hardraw Force (the highest single-drop waterfall in England), The Walden Valley and Semer Water, the largest natural lake in the Yorkshire Dales.

Local schooling options include Leyburn Primary School and The Wensleydale School and Sixth Form, with Sedbergh School about a half hours drive away.

The Station House and Old Waiting Room is currently on the market via Robin Jessop with a guide price of £1.1 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.


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