IF HOUSES could talk Ayton Firs Manor would, no doubt, have some wonderful stories to tell.
Believed to have been built for local businessman Alfred Kitching – who was involved with Whessoe Foundry and the establishment of the Darlington and Stockton Railway – between 1860 and 1877, it was not only one of the first houses in the area to have a telephone installed, but turned its ballroom into a hospital ward during World War I.
Amongst its inhabitants have been Alfred Edward Kitching, a justice of the peace and Deputy Lieutenant of the North Ridings; his wife Annie, a daughter of Joseph Richardson of Potto Hall and their son, Colonel Harold Edward Kitching, who rowed for Great Britain in the 1908 Olympic Games and saw service in WW1 for the DLI, twice earning mention in despatches.
The house was divided into two separate privately-owned homes in 1997, and it is one of these – Ayton Firs Hall – which a discerning buyer could soon call their own.
As you expect, Ayton Firs Hall is a stunning and substantial brick family home with an abundance of period features including oak flooring and panelling as well as multiple original fireplaces. What you may not expect is that it has recently been renovated to give it a stunning modern twist, making it perfect for contemporary living.
The grandeur of Ayton Firs Hall is obvious from the moment you step inside the entrance hall, where a stunning Jacobean staircase leads to the first floor galleried landing which is overlooked by a beautiful Victorian stained glass roof panel.
The ground floor comprises an attractive library/office; two further elegant reception rooms both offering incredible ceiling height, feature fireplaces and substantial bay windows – plus oak panelling in the larger of the rooms; a cloakroom; a spacious pantry; stylish and contemporary bespoke kitchen – with central island perfect for informal family dining – which is semi open-plan to a formal dining room with feature fireplace.
To the rear of the house is a secondary staircase leading to the upper floors as well as a further stylish and modern breakfast kitchen and utility room with a separate bespoke storage room for cutlery and glassware.
The first floor is home to both a family shower room and bathroom, with a freestanding ball and claw foot bath, three immaculate guest bedrooms, a bedroom currently utilised as a south-facing office overlooking the front gardens, a bespoke walk-in wardrobe which doubles as a further bedroom, and the master bedroom. Situated at the font of the property this benefits from a stunning en-suite bathroom.
Upstairs again on the top floor is a semi self-contained unit with spacious reception room, ample storage, a double bedroom and a modern family bathroom.
Ayton Firs Hall, which is situated in Great Ayton, is accessed via a tree-lined driveway which leads to electronic gates which open to off-street parking for multiple cars and a newly refurbished double garage.
In all, its land extends to approximately 1.98 acres of attractive gardens and grounds, the majority of the which is at the front and side of the house. These include a number of separate areas such as an orchard, multiple lawned areas, a woodland area and a large pond, as well as multiple outbuildings.
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The property is being offered with a separate lot comprising approximately 19.66 acres of arable land which is classed as Grade 3 on the Agricultural Land Classification Map for England and Wales and is currently let on a Farm Business Tenancy Agreement.
Ayton Firs Hall and its gardens and grounds are on the market at a guide price of £1.6m, with lot 2 – the arable land – being offered at a guide price of £200,000. It is available in two separate lots of a whole.
For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Robin Jessop Ltd on 01677 425950.
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