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
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A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in yearsThe ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
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The last miracle of St Boswell? How a Scottish potato field became the world's least-likely producer of sparkling wineThe country has produced its first ‘champagne’ after its producers, Lorna and Trevor Jackson, planted 1,000 vines nine years ago on their farm in St Boswells.
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A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in years
The ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
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The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyleAcross the country people are selling up and heading to the towns where there's no compromise on dream homes, outstanding schooling and the good life, according to analysis from two of Britain's top estate agents. Anna White explains.
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Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villasMatthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
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A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the marketThe Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
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A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in FulhamA dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
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18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
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The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spotsThe Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
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A 600-year-old National Trust property that you can call homeThis blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
