Sally Ewart and her sisters have recently been spending some time clearing out the beautiful Elleron Lodge, in the North York Moors National Park near Pickering. And as she did so, she found a series of Post-it notes left by the grandchildren: ‘To the new owners – Elleron is the best house in the world.’
That’s quite a recommendation, but it’s easy to see where they’re coming from. Elleron is a house with a dreamlike quality, set within 228 acres of land that gave Mrs Ewart, her children and now her grandchildren endless childhood days that could have been straight out of the pages of Swallows and Amazons.
‘It’s the most restorative, wonderful place,’ said Mrs Ewart wistfully of a house that is on the market via Rounthwaite & Woodhead in Malton and Savills in York at a guide price of £3.5 million.
The house and estate are near the village of Newton-on-Rawcliffe, 5½ miles from Pickering, on the southern fringe of the Moors National Park, and was last sold to Mrs Ewart’s father, the late Charles Chafer.
In 1974 he spotted the former Victorian hunting lodge in its wonderful woodland setting and decided that that was where he wanted to live. He completed the purchase the following year.
Described by his daughter, Sally Ewart, as ‘a Yorkshireman through and through’, Mr Chafer had a successful agricultural business in Doncaster and would drive each day from Elleron to his Doncaster office – except on Tuesdays, when he returned to hunt the Derwent hounds.
Following his death in 1999, his widow lived on at the house until her own recent death, two weeks short of her 92nd birthday.
In the intervening years, the Lodge was a haven of tranquillity for Mr Chafer’s daughters, their children and grandchildren, who revelled in the freedom of the lake and woods of the estate.
Elleron Lodge is indeed a special place in a glorious setting, agrees Ben Pridden of Savills, who points out, however, that, ‘although the house is enchanting from the outside, it does need a lot of work.’
The news is better around the estate, however. ‘The cottages that come with the estate are in good order and the land has been beautifully landscaped and improved over the years,’ adds Pridden.
‘For someone prepared to take on a project, the agricultural buildings and stables are equally suited to farming or equestrian use and the sporting rights are also included in the sale’.
Elleron Lodge, which is unlisted, has almost 7,000sq ft of accommodation, including four reception rooms, eight bedrooms, four bath/shower rooms and a wing with a swimming pool and a ballroom.
The ring-fenced farmland, currently let on short-term grazing licences, comprises some 155 acres of generally level, sheltered grazing land in good-sized fields.
Elleron Lodge is for sale via Rounthwaite & Woodhead and Savills, priced at £3.5 million – see more pictures and details.
11 unbelievably beautiful houses, as seen in the pages of Country Life
This week's rundown features a host of beautiful Yorkshire homes, a French property that is one of the finest on
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
Otterington Hall, a magnificent home with superb topiary and beautiful stables
Yorkshire properties of this calibre are few and far between: this is a spectacular home with three further cottages, amazing
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expectThe four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
