5 bedroom house

An extraordinary Regency house in Helmsley in lovely gardens and with a Classical landscape view.

Entrance and reception hall, cloakroom/wc, drawing room, dining room, study, kitchen, utility room, cellars
5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite)
Lanscaped walled gardens, double garage, stores, private drive and ample parking

In all some 1.5 acres

This is an architecturally unique house commissioned in the 1820s by Lord Feversham and constructed of dressed sandstone with a slate roof. It was originally built as a school for the children of Duncombe Park Estate workers, and converted c1960 into a home for the late Mrs Duncombe. The current owner took residence in 1989. Having had no more than three owners in its two hundred year lifetime, it is indeed a rare event that Knipes Hall comes on to the open market.

Sitting at the head of a long private drive in beautiful gardens, Knipes Hall enjoys a secluded position on the western side of this lovely old town, within a short stroll of the market square. Protected by woodland and rising ground on the north side, the property enjoys a magnificent Classical landscape view of Duncombe Park and its Ionic Temple as well as Helmsley’s 900 year old castle. This property offers stylish entertaining space inside and out with its palatial drawing room of some 750 sq ft and a dining room opening west on to the walled garden. An enchanting thatched summer house (re-thatched summer 2017) offers another painterly view across the park.

This detached and versatile property of nearly 4500 sq ft sits in its own gardens. It has a discreet setting, not overlooked and with a protected view across parkland to the Ionic Temple of Duncombe Park.

The Hall was constructed in 1822 and has a Listed Grade II frontage, and an extension designed by the architect Sir Martyn Beckett in the spirit of the age (1960s) in stone-coloured brick. Period features include tall sash windows, open fireplaces, old school radiators and exposed trusses. There are superb reception and living rooms including a well-fitted study with bespoke cupboards and bookshelves (the property has fast broadband).

There is scope for extension and remodelling; the double garage could be incorporated into the main house, creating a double storey extension. The extensive cellars have doorway to garden (currently part-blocked).

The main house slate roof was renewed in 2009.

General
Services and systems: mains gas, electricity, water and drainage. Gas central heating. There are two boilers and the principal bedroom suite has its own gas central heating and hot water system.

Fixtures & fittings: Only those mentioned in these sales particulars are included in the sale. All others, such as fitted carpets, curtains, light fittings, garden ornaments etc., are specifically excluded but may be made available by separate negotiation.

Local authority: Ryedale District Council 01653 600666 www.ryedale.gov.uk. North York Moors National Park www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/planning

Additional Notes
The adjoining paddock separating the house from the Cleveland Way is owned by Duncombe Park Estate but has been attached to Knipes Hall for many years and is currently rented from the Estate for £210 a year. It is subject to a covenant which prevents any development without permission of the owner of Knipes Hall, in return for which Duncombe Park’s permission is required for any alteration to Knipes Hall that is visible from the Ionic Temple.

Directions:Head into Helmsley and take the High Street heading north on to the B1257. On your left sandwiched between the scout hut on the left and a red letterbox on the right is the drive to Knipes Hall.

Photographs: summer shots 2009, winter shots 2020, particulars 2021.
NB: Google map images may neither be current nor a true representation.

Environs
Thirsk 14 miles, York 24 miles, A1M 20 miles, Leeds Bradford Airport 1 hour. (Approximate)

Helmsley is a marvellous town with a weekly market and an excellent selection of independent shops including clothes stores, a doctor’s surgery, delicatessens, restaurants, hotels as well as an open air swimming pool. It is also a cultural hub with a thriving Helmsley Arts Centre, an historic Norman castle and Helmsley Walled Garden.

The town lies on the fringes of the North York Moors National Park and Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding National Beauty, and boasts considerable architectural character. Direct trains to London run regularly from Thirsk and York.

Helmsley has a primary school, and “Outstanding” Ryedale school and Ampleforth College are a short drive away.

There are walks on the doorstep of Knipes Hall not least the Cleveland Way which passing alongside the western boundary of the property provides a much-loved path to Rievaulx Abbey (the first Cistercian Abbey to be established in the north of England) and beyond.

Outside
From the High Street, a five-bar gate gives access to the long private drive (some 100 metres) flagged by deep herbaceous borders on one side and verdant lawns on the other, enclosed by magnificent beech hedges. The frontage of the main house makes an elegant first impression, while set back to the right of it is the integral double garage and space for several parked cars. Knipes Hall is a detached house linked on the northern elevation to its own high stone wall. The gardens wrap around the south, east and west of the house. A delightful side garden is accessed through a high arch in the beech hedge and enjoys a sheltered south facing position with views towards the Temple. It connects to the rear walled garden which faces due west, and is bounded by a stone wall. There are a number of well established trees including Silver Birch, Mt Fuji Cherry, Cooper Beech, Conference Pear and Espalier Plum, herbaceous borders with mature shrubs, abundant bluebells, daffodils, aconites and irises, a waterfall feature and a formal pond (currently redundant). The charming thatched summer house sits on a raised stone terrace with its back to the mellow high wall facing south towards the Temple. The garden itself has many points of interest with stone steps and seating, and views from every corner.