Penny Churchill takes a look at Roundhill, in the Nidderdale AONB.
The 17th-century Roundhill is the sort of dreamy country house many of us aspire to. It’s at Bewerley, in the heart of Nidderdale’s AONB, to the west of peaceful Pateley Bridge and less than 30 minutes drive from Harrogate or Ripon.
Owned for the past 37 years by the same family, who have maintained and upgraded it regardless of cost, the wonderfully private, 40-acre, small country estate offers the ultimate ‘escape to the country’. It’s for sale through Knight Frank, at a guide price of £1.85m.
The main 17th-century, Grade II-listed house nestles in a wooded hillside surrounded by its own mature gardens, stream and waterfalls. It’s almost ludicrously idyllic; this is a home where children can safely run wild and explore all that the Dales have to offer. You can even play golf within the 40 acres.
The estate even has its own private spring — we’d imagine there would be a lot of health and safety hurdles to jump, but the idea of having your very own bottled water in the house seems wonderful.
The solid stone house itself is far lighter and more modern on the inside than you might expect, but no less alluring for all that. It has light and airy accommodation on two main floors, including six reception rooms.
There are six bedrooms and three bathrooms in total. The master bedroom has separate dressing room and a large private bathroom with a corner bath. It’s worth noting that there’s no corridor upstairs, and one of the other bedrooms is accessed through one of the others — from the looks of the floorplan that could be changed, subject to any required permissions and so on.
A significant chunk of the accommodation wasn’t originally part of the main house. What was once an attached stone barns has been made part of the house, converted to a self-contained leisure wing with a gym, spa and sauna.
That barn also has a spiral staircase leading up to a large bedroom, entertainment room and bar on the first floor. So as well as being a playground for younger children, this feels like the sort of home teenagers would thrive in too — not to mention big kids of more advanced years…
Roundhill is for sale through Knight Frank, at a guide price of £1.85m — see more pictures or request further details from the agent.
Bewerley, Yorkshire: What you need to know
- Location: In the heart of the Nidderdale AONB, an area adjacent to the Yorkshire Dales National Park, that’s a few miles west of Ripon (where you can link to the A1) and north-west of Harrogate. Both are about half an hour away.
- Atmosphere: This is true rural living, far from busy roads and bustling cities. The local village that is the postal address of the house, Bewerley, is a couple of miles away, and has just over 700 inhabitants. Almost as close, however, is Pateley Bridge, a charming and tiny market town, which boasts the oldest sweetshop in the world.
- Things to do: The Yorkshire Dales are on your doorstep — what more could you want?
- Schools: The local primary schools in Pateley Bridge, as well as the nearest secondary school, are all rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted; head the other direction from Roundhill and Upper Wharfedale School is nearby, rated ‘Excellent’ by Ofsted in 2019.
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