‘Boring but steady’ is the verdict of Toby Milbank of The Search Partnership on the country house market in Yorkshire and Northumberland, where the peaks and troughs of the Home Counties are largely unknown. Nowhere, however, could be less boring than lovely, Grade II-listed Danby Hall, on the market at £3 million via Strutt & Parker.
The house stands in more than 100 acres of parkland and woodland at Danby Wiske, near Northallerton in North Yorkshire – and it’s on the open market for only the second time in its history.
Originally built in 1767, the delightfully symmetrical brick house, comprising two early-19th-century bayed wings set either side of a handsome Georgian core, has been home for the past 63 years to the Wrigley family, of the long-established firm of Hunt & Wrigley, solicitors, in Northallerton, one of North Yorkshire’s liveliest market towns.
Tranquil Danby Hall – not to be confused with the Scrope family’s ancestral home of the same name at Thornton Steward, near Bedale, in Wensleydale – is accessed via a private, tree-lined drive surrounded by ancient parkland and the picturesque Hambleton Hills, on the western edge of the North York Moors National Park.
This part of Yorkshire, probably best known for its famously high-flying pheasants, is sporting heaven and Danby Hall’s carefully managed acres offer not only excellent grazing and income potential, but also a range of sporting possibilities, including an additional 20 acres on its northern boundary, which could be transferred to the new owner.
Like a favourite grandmother, the gracious, 7,548sq ft main house exudes the gently faded elegance of a less frantic era, from the welcoming entrance hall with its columned porch leading to the ground-floor reception rooms – all south-facing – to the drawing room with its open fireplace, intricate cornicing and large sash bay windows.
Upstairs are the six main bedrooms and impressive, oval-shaped ballroom, currently used as a rather splendid dining room.
A further four/five bedrooms are located on the second floor, with a detached converted coach house providing a self-contained, three-bedroom annexe.
Danby Hall is on the market at £3 million via Strutt & Parker – see more pictures and details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Credit: Alamy
Seven golden rules for selling a country house
With coronavirus now seemingly past its peak in Britain, we're tentatively beginning to look ahead to how life will get
Otterington Hall, a magnificent home with superb topiary and beautiful stables
Yorkshire properties of this calibre are few and far between: this is a spectacular home with three further cottages, amazing
Magnificent Yorkshire property for sale with commanding views
An old rectory in a popular Yorkshire spot is a rare opportunity to bag the best house in the village
Cliffe Castle, West Yorkshire: A French-inspired vision of comfort and glamour
A Yorkshire mill-owner and merchant created a flamboyant and cosmopolitan home, as Jeremy Musson explains.
-
Eight bedrooms of unlisted Edwardian elegance with sweeping views of SomersetAshton House sits near the market town of Chard and comes with a wealth of amenities both inside and out.
-
A waterside cottage in Devon with a private quay, idyllic views and the prettiest summerhouse we've seen in yearsRight beside the picturesque Yealm Estuary, No 1 Noss Mayo is an idyllic home that feels like an escape from the world. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
-
This elegant Greek villa offers would-be buyers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in the shadow of the AcropolisAthenian Legacy consists of two houses in walking —and almost touching — distance of one of the world’s most famous and precious landmarks.
-
Six charming homes up for sale, including one dubbed 'one of the most picturesque in Dorset', as seen in Country LifeOur look at the finest houses to come up for sale through Country Life in the past week is full of delights, from a new-Georgian mansion to a perfectly-sized Hertfordshire estate.
-
A Buckinghamshire mansion built for the speech therapist who set Churchill on his path to greatnessPenny Churchill takes a look at Rignalls, a classic Arts-and-Crafts home that looks like it's stepped out of the pages of an EM Forster novel.
-
A gorgeous home that offers a slice of country life in the heart of HampsteadThis idyllic Hampstead mansion has seen its price rise nine times faster than inflation — and it's not hard to see why.
-
Some of Scotland's most beautiful churches are being sold off for as little as £40,000 — but a word of warning before you take the plungeLucy Denton examines how best to help former church buildings thrive as times move on and property changes hands.
-
Inside the £28 million home that sets out to be 'the English country house of the 21st century'With everything from helicopter parking and a 1000-bottle wine cellar to bespoke wallpaper designed by Christian Lacroix, Harford Manor is a country house like no other. Annabel Dixon took a closer look and spoke to the man behind its creation.
