Here at Country Life we try to throw a spotlight on the most beautiful, interesting, quirky and charming houses for sale in Britain. Homes with wonderful settings and impressive architecture are always a joy to explore, yet it's fair to say that the rooms which lie within aren't always as noteworthy as the rest of the house.
Today, however, we have a home which would happily earn a place both in the property section and the interiors section of the website: Manor House, a few miles from Harrogate, which is for sale at £2.95m via Strutt & Parker.
The agents describe it as 'one of the most stunning houses in Nidderdale', and we're very much inclined to take their word for it — partly because they've almost certainly seen more of the rest of Nidderdale's homes than we have (which in all honesty wouldn't be too hard), and partly because... well, just look at the place.
See what we mean? Stunning is a word that was once upon a time banned by the Country Life style guide, but whether it still is or not (and we've not checked), it seems fitting here.
This charming, Grade II-listed Manor House in Crow Hill Lane, High Birstwith, which stands in 1½ acres of beautifully landscaped gardens on the edge of the village, six miles from the centre of Harrogate and 15½ miles from Leeds-Bradford airport.
The delightful small manor house was originally built in about 1837 by the Hare-Gill family, who were prominent local landowners during the 19th century, one of whom, John Hare-Gill, implemented innovative farming techniques that significantly improved the crop yields and livestock management within what is now known as the Nidderdale National Landscape.
(Did we mention that it has some sort of barrel-vaulted cellar room? No? Well, here it is.)
In the late 1900s, Manor House was home to the late Robert Aagaard, whose love of antique furniture led him to train as a furnituremaker, first of all in the Cotswolds and later in Harrogate, where he had his own showrooms. He also operated a factory at Knaresborough, making period fireplaces and decorations for conservation projects.
(Time for another photo.)
A specialist consultant to the National Trust, Aagaard renovated the four-bedroom main house, restored chimneypieces and cornices and added the two-bedroom guest cottage that sits across the gravelled courtyard to the north.
(Let's sneak one more in.)
Both houses have since been meticulously refurbished by the present owners and together provide more than 6,500sq ft of well-proportioned living space, surrounded by high garden walls and beech hedges that ensure privacy without detracting from the panoramic views over Nidderdale.
Manor House and its cottage are for sale at £2.95m — see more details and pictures.
Additional reporting: Penny Churchill
Credit: Strutt and Parker
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