Fine Grade II listed hall near York is on sale for £6m

Described, without exaggeration, by the selling agent, Ed Stoyle, as “one of the finest private residential estates in North Yorkshire”, this grade II listed house dates from the mid to late 17th Century.

An engraving in the hall inscribed ‘Christopher Tancred’s seat 1698’ shows the south front before Walter Brierley restored and rebuilt it in 1907, but you would be forgiven for not noticing much difference between then and now as he followed the original design quite closely.

Tancred died in 1754 and bequeathed the hall as an almshouse for 12 elderly gentlemen. The hall remained an almshouse or 'hospital' until some time after 1850, but by 1881 had fallen into disuse.

Today the house retains many historic and fine period features, including a noteworthy dogleg staircase in the east wing and a working bell at the rear of the house which was used to call the residents back from the grounds.

In more recent years the house and various outbuildings have received a great deal of attention, the main house having had a bio mass boiler and craftsman-made secondary glazing installed, significantly enhancing its energy efficiency.

Briefly, its accommodation comprises an impressive reception hall, generous adjoining drawing room, a dining room and the panelled library, all perfectly proportioned and blessed with copious amounts of natural light. Complementing these are a well-equipped kitchen/breakfast room with views of the formal garden and village church, a study or play room and large cellars with numerous store rooms and utility areas.

Upstairs are six good-sized bedrooms served by five bathrooms, a self-contained one-bedroom apartment and two large attic rooms which could be incorporated into the accommodation if required.

But that’s by no means all the accommodation on the estate.

To the north-east of the hall is The Dower House, a three-bedroom self-contained cottage which can be accessed via a gated driveway from the village road or via the main entrance drive which leads through to a courtyard enclosed by a shared garage block with a double garage.

On the north-west corner of the rear yard, accessed via a spur off the main drive, is a further two-bedroom cottage, Way Cottage, which benefits from a dedicated parking area and small enclosed garden.

Centred around the rear courtyard and parking area are a number of well maintained outbuildings, including a double-height garage block with stores, a separate three-bay carport, nine stables in two blocks and associated tack and feed rooms.

On the opposite side of the driveway is the biomass plant room, a single garage which can serve Way Cottage, a garden store and an orangery which overlooks the formal gardens to the west of the hall.

Whixley Hall is surrounded on three sides by beautifully-maintained formal gardens, arranged over gently undulating levels and bounded by mature hedging and high brick walls which provide a great deal of privacy.

To the south and west are a series of immaculate lawns bordered by clipped box and colourful layered beds, dotted with handsome specimen trees, while to the east is a more formal kitchen garden divided by gravel pathways and bordered by clipped box, with various beds, parterre and specimen plants drawing the eye.

To the north, behind the stable block, is a sizeable vegetable garden, complete with numerous raised beds and a greenhouse.

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Beyond the gardens – to the west and north of the house – are a number of grass paddocks and woodland shelter belts extending to around 55 acres. There is a further 41 acres of parkland south of the minor road available by separate negotiation.

Whixley Hall is situated in the conservation village of Whixley, about seven miles south of Boroughbridge and ten miles west of York. It is on the market at a guide price of £6m.

For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact the York office of Savills on 01904 617800.