Otherwise known as God’s Own Country, Yorkshire – with its moors, its coastline and its dales – is the largest county in England and, surely, one of the most beautiful. Featuring rolling hills, staggeringly pretty villages, woodland, some forty castles and the wonderful capital of York, there are many reasons to move to this glorious region, where the welcome is famously friendly and the accents are, time and again, voted the most trustworthy in the country. What’s not to love? We’ve eyed up a few of the most enticing Yorkshire properties for your viewing pleasure.

Helmswood Farmhouse, Dent


Cobble Country, £875,000
Helmswood Farmhouse, Dent

Do you dream of life in a farmhouse? Of chickens running underfoot, and views across rolling hills as far as the eye can see? This example, which comes with two paddocks, consists of a farmhouse and converted barn, and sleeps a grand total of eighteen people – with ten in the farmhouse; six in one half of the barn; and two in the other. Currently used as a holiday let, it has bags of potential, whether as a very large family home or as a business. The interiors could do with a little lift, but the bones of this house – with all its beams and character – are hard to argue with. Explore the details here.


Scarborough


Tipple Underwood, £215,000
Scarborough

This Hercule Poirot-worthy Art Deco block of flats is all gleaming white frontage and seaside elegance. There are three bedrooms and a knock-out view straight over the water across the beach. Ideal for anyone who wishes to take the sea air – and even more so for those in the market for putting their little grey cells to use to do a little interior Art Deco restoration. Explore the details here.


Stainton Cotes, Skipton


David Hill, £3.5m
Stainton Cotes, Skipton

This Grade-II listed manor house may come with a hefty price tag, but for those with deep pockets and an eye for a perfectly manicured lawn, formal gardens, 18 acres of land and approved planning permission for a gym, swimming pool and cinema, it could just be the very thing. There are currently nine bedrooms, an immaculate conservatory and a well-appointed kitchen with a four-oven Aga, Miele fridge and a sub-zero wine cooler. In addition, there is an annexe cottage on the site, a garage and permission to build an additional four-bedroomed outhouse. In short, a bucolic dream for those with large, potentially multi-generational, families in search of an outdoorsy life in rural surrounds. Explore the details here.


Bagdale, Whitby


Hendersons, £899,950
Bagdale, Whitby

The seaside town of Whitby is known and beloved variously for its connections to Dracula (its ruined Whitby Abbey is said to have been Bram Stoker’s inspiration), as the former hometown of Captain Cook, and, more prosaically, as an excellent spot to bag some fish and chips. This Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse, meanwhile, has its own story to tell, having been built and owned by the famous explorer Captain William Scoresby. These days, however, it has been split into four apartments, all of which are currently used as holiday lets, each with its own parking space (a hen’s teeth level coup in Whitby). Should you wish to eschew the car, however, it is within easy walking distance of Whitby station. Explore the details here.


Aislaby, Pickering


Knight Frank, £2.5m
Aislaby, Pickering

This exemplar of classical Georgian architecture is, surely, one of the most beautiful houses in the county. Built in 1742, it abounds with elegant sash windows, stone quoins and other hallmarks of this most pleasing of periods for domestic design. Having been sold only three times since it was built, it is currently used as an immaculately cared for family home; buyers may choose to continue that tradition or transform its ten bedrooms, six reception rooms, stables and various outbuildings into a country house hotel or wedding venue. Any which way, this is a house to fall in love with. Explore the details here.


Harrogate


Knight Frank, £1.85m
Harrogate

This stunning early Victorian town house is Grade II-listed and stands, spectacularly, right in the centre of lovely Harrogate town. There are immaculate landscaped lawns, six bedrooms – and a self-contained downstairs flat for older relatives or for teenagers, all of which has been exceptionally well-looked after by its current owners. There is also a separate garage with space for three cars, making this a great option for a large family. The pleasing grandeur and symmetry of the façade would never not be a joy to come home to. Explore the details here.


Bank House, Halifax


Kemp & C0, £750,000
Bank House, Halifax

How do you fancy living in a historic house, packed to the rafters with character? This stone and timber fifteenth-century home ticks a lot of boxes for seekers of heritage charm, from the vast fireplaces to the exposed stone exterior walls to the flagstone floors and timber interior walls. There are six bedrooms, three receptions rooms, four bathrooms and a detached one-bedroom apartment: in other words, lashings of medieval charm, minus any of the period’s privations. Explore the details here.


Elvington, York


Lancaster Samms, £695,000
Elvington, York

If you harbour dreams of a house on the village green, this handsome Grade II-listed, four-bedroomed house is a very fine example. Inside, it is decorated immaculately, meaning that anyone who buys this property will be able to simply move in. Explore the details here.


York


Carter Jonas, £640,000
York

Oh, how we adore this picture-perfect terraced beauty, set amidst York’s best-known row of Regency houses. Built in 1825, they were first constructed to be convenient for the lovely riverside walk that still delivers amblers straight into town. Set back from the road, there are three bedrooms and a roof terrace. Just lovely. Explore the details here.


High Snowdon, Otley


Dacre, Son & Hartley, £830,000
High Snowdon, Otley

A classic 18th-century 2,500sqft stone farmhouse, Bankfoot Farm House has been renovated with a pleasingly simple, bucolic sensibility, complete with flagstone floors and artisan-made cabinetry, while all the original features – think beams and hefty stones walls – remain firmly in situ. There are three/four bedrooms, a snug, a utility, a paddock and a study, giving a family plenty of living space. Meanwhile, the rural location is idyllic and yet within easy reach of Otley, Harrogate and Skipton. Idyllic. Explore the details here.


West Witton, Leyburn


Hewitson & Johnson, £550,000
West Witton, Leyburn

This exceptionally pretty detached house, in the village of West Witton, was built in 1760 and stands amidst the resplendent Yorkshire Dales. With five bedrooms, it is currently run as guest house (three of the five bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms), but equally would make a wonderful home. With its stone fireplaces, sash windows, perfect lawn and natural elegance, we might find it hard to relinquish the run of it to guests. Explore the details here.


By Nancy Alsop
December 2021

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