Ben Y Craig near Keswick might be one of the best houses in one of the most sought after locations in the Lake District National Park.
You don’t meet a lot of Percys anymore, which is somewhat disappointing. According to the Office of National Statistics, only 112 baby boys were born and registered with that name in 2023. I imagine 100 years ago, you could barely move for a Percy. Something so evocative about the name, the way the bottom lip hangs on the first consonant, before bursting forth like a gunshot of assonance. Percy.
If you look up ‘nestled in a hillside setting’ in the dictionary, this is what you’ll see.
Anyway, someone named Sir Percy Hope built this house, called Ben Y Craig, back in 1931. Wouldn’t have been built by a bloke called Josh, I can tell you that much. Josh’s don’t look at Cumbrian hillsides and think: ‘I’m going to build a house into that, and I’m going to make the bottom of it look a bit like Castle Drogo.’ It is for sale with Finest Properties for offers over £2.75 million.
There is much to admire about the ambitions of Percy at Ben-Y-Craig. This five bedroom house makes the most of its elegant hillside position, with large sash windows throughout allowing residents to indulge themselves in the far-reaching views over Derwentwater and the surrounding fells. Here are some views to get lost in.
Percy’s architectural ideology has been matched in recent years by the designs of the current owners, who have added a pool extension to the ground floor, as well as creating an interior space that is nonchalant in its luxury and comfort, but retains plenty of period charm throughout. How about that luscious wooden central staircase for example.
Plenty of balcony spots for entertaining.
I personally think there is further scope for remodelling the interiors, but each to their own. What matters here is the bones of the thing, which is that surely must be one of the most desirable properties in one of the most desirable parts of the Lake District.
The indoor pool is no joke.
The setting is effortlessly private and secluded to boot, situated in 1.74 acres of gardens and grounds comprised mostly of the surrounding woodland. However, while private, you are not remote: located in the tranquil village of Millbeck, the highly acclaimed Lyzzick Hall Hotel & Restaurant is a 15-minute walk away, while the market town of Keswick is 2.4 miles away. The various of amenities of the Lake District National Park are, of course, in easy reach.
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