Penny Churchill takes a look at Gilling Lodge, not far from the beautiful North Yorkshire town of Richmond.
The sleepy North Yorkshire village of Gilling West, three miles or so north from the historic Georgian market town of Richmond, at the gateway to the Yorkshire Dales, was so named to distinguish it from Gilling East in Ryedale, some 32 miles away.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book as Ghellinges, it was a seat of the Kings of Deira as part of the Anglian kingdom of Northumbria in the 7th century, and was ruled by the Earls of Mercia from the 9th century until the Norman Conquest, when the lands were given to William the Conqueror’s kinsman Alan Rufus. It’s in this village that you’ll find Gilling Lodge, a handsome Grade II-listed property that’s listed by Knight Frank at £2.5 million.
This mid-18th-century country house was originally built for the Roper family and set in more than an acre of grounds on the edge of the village, with lovely views over its formal gardens and the surrounding countryside.
Beautifully restored to National Trust guidelines by its present owners, the house is ready to move into, a boon in these difficult times for a buyer who may not relish the unknown expense and hassle of a major renovation project.
The present incumbents have done all the heavy lifting, replacing the roof and chimneystacks, rewiring and replumbing throughout and installing a brand-new central-heating system, including underfloor heating and wooden floors on the ground floor — after all, this lovely part of scenic North Yorkshire can be chilly at times. The house also benefits from a Lutron lighting system, future-proof CAT wiring and audio-visual system, integrated CCTV and Banham security.
Most significantly, perhaps, the house benefits from super-fast broadband, with the added advantage of the network exchange being located alongside the perimeter of the property.
Gilling Lodge offers more than 6,300sq ft of well-organised living space, including five reception rooms, six bedrooms, five bathrooms, a cinema room and a wood-panelled study — ideal for working from home.
The heart of the house is a large custom-built kitchen/diner overlooking the garden, with bespoke wooden joinery, Italian marble and granite surfaces, built-in Gaggenau fridges, a Miele dishwasher and a five-door electric Aga.
French doors from the dining room lead to the walled garden, croquet lawn and outdoor fireplace the perfect place to while away a lazy summer evening.
Gilling Lodge is for sale at £2.5m — see more pictures or request more details from the agents, Knight Frank.
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