Arriving onto the market for the first time in an impressive 300 years, Nunnykirk Hall, in the village of the same name and which borders the River Font, in Northumberland, is a rare chance to purchase a Grade I-listed property that's full of history, grandeur and potential.
The property came into the vendor’s family in 1716 when it was purchased by one Edward Ward, who built a fine Queen Anne house on the site — yet seemingly not quite fine enough for his ancestors, since little more than a century later it was completely remodelled. In 1825 the esteemed north eastern architect John Dobson was brought in to create Nunnykirk Hall as it stands today. Situated in just over 7.5 acres of grounds it is a visually impressive property, prompting Pevsner to describe as ‘the finest of all Dobson’s early houses', a place with notable Greek touches, exquisite ashlar masonry and plenty of honeysuckle friezes. Nunnykirk Hall is now on the market via agents Galbraith and Savills for offers over £1.5 million.
For a budget that in London would buy you a flat — perhaps this cute two-bed apartment in Little Venice — you'd be the owner of a grand home with a total of 10 bedrooms, set in eight acres of grounds.
For the past 45 years, the property has been leased and used as a school, but now the desks have been packed away, and the opportunity to acquire ‘such a well situated, attractive and historic property’ has arisen. As such, though, a lot of work is needed — but the chance to restore a property of such magnitude is a rare opportunity.
Records show evidence of dwellings on the site dating as far back as Saxon times. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the property was owned by the Grey family, before passing to the current vendor’s family in 1716 when an Edward Ward built a Queen Anne house on the site. In 1825, Mr Ward's great grandson, William Orde, commissioned John Dobson to build the house in front of us today.
An excerpt from Hodgson’s History of Northumberland, published in 1827, states that Nunnykirk was the seat of William Orde esq, located ‘on a plot of fine level land in a narrow valley, which is shut up on every side with steep woody banks, excepting the south.’
The house was leased out during the 1920s and 30s, before being requisitioned by the army during the Second World War; after which time, the family moved back in, before offering it up for lease as a school in the 1970s.
As you’d expect, the interiors showcase a wealth of period features, from the porte-cochere framed by dramatic columns which lead to the outer hall, to the coffered dome in the inner hall ceiling and semi-circular staircase with cast iron balustrade. An unusual and noteworthy feature of Nunnykirk Hall is the organ, gifted to Charles Orde in 1873, built by Forster and Andrew of Hull.
An imposing reticulated ceiling and white marble fireplace set the tone in the drawing room. As the photos suggest, some decorative work is needed to uplift the property and rid it of any lingering hints that it was ever a school (blue carpets, we’re looking at you), but the basis from which to create a fine private home or lifestyle business is strong.
The gardens and grounds to the south and west of the property are formed of lawns which lead down to the pretty river frontage. Former school playing fields can be found to the south, and to the north is a large walled garden as well as a row of stone garages, store rooms and workshops.
A former bothy — now derelict — can be found not far from the kitchen garden, offering the potential for alternative use, and the hard-surfaced tennis court (almost derelict) could also do with a facelift.
Nunnykirk Hall is currently on the market via Galbraith and Savills for offers over £1.5 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
‘In my twenties I was asked by a newspaper to test out an orgasm machine. I said, "Absolutely"’: Elizabeth Day on her early career in journalism and consuming passionsThe author and journalist chats to Lotte Brundle.
-
Meet David Beckham's milliner, the man who's created hats using everything from flora and fauna to to car parts and cleaners’ bucketsBarnaby Horn, an award-winning hat-maker and visual artist who learned much of his craft at Highgrove in Gloucestershire, is one of David Beckham's countryside champions. He spoke to Julie Harding.
-
The wisteria clad cottage where Noël Coward and Ivor Novello held court at the height of their fameThe 17th-century Follejon Cottage just outside Windsor was a perfect escape from the city for Noël Coward and his circle of friends. As it goes on the market, Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A Cotswolds property that's the strangest mix of old and new we've ever seen... and yet somehow, it all worksThe Gasworks is a house quite unlike anything you've seen before — or at least anything you've seen all in one place. Toby Keel takes a closer look.
-
A country house near Windsor that could be straight from the pages of a Jilly Cooper novelPenny Churchill looks at the beautiful polo-lover's sanctuary that is Barkham Square Park.
-
The factory that once fuelled the Victorians' insatiable appetite for pianos has become a set of gorgeous, characterful apartmentsChappell & Co were a huge name in 19th century music, even working with Beethoven. Today, one of their old factories in Camden has become a series of beautiful apartments.
-
What £1 million buys you across Britain, from a Cornish cottage to a miniature castle in the HighlandsSprawling country houses, a mini-estate in Scotland and homes where the sea almost laps up at your feet are among the property options open to those with a seven-figure budget. Here's our pick of the best £1 million houses for sale across the land.
-
The Hampshire home of a Victoria Cross-winning British WWI ace fighter pilot is for sale, with lake, chapel and some of the best fishing rights in EnglandPenny Churchill looks at Longparish House, a north Hampshire haven on the River Test.
-
Five superb country homes, from under £1 million to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some the best homes to come up for sale via Country Life in the past week includes a Wiltshire dream home and a vast Kent mansion that's an easy commute to the City.
-
Rock stars and the country house: Liam Gallagher's life in the Cotswolds is in the finest tradition of music A-listers, from The Beatles to BeyoncéWhat is it about the British countryside that draws A-listers from every walk of life? With Liam Gallagher's Cotswold former home on the market, Toby Keel takes a look.
