6 bedroom house for sale

Substantial period house with outstanding gardens in the heart of a village highly convenient for York city centre.

The house name, The Cottage, is a masterstroke of disguise, masking the reality of a discreet 6300 sq ft family home whose scale and grandeur are anything but modest.

This stunning village house blends architectural elements from different eras into a harmonious home with hugely versatile accommodation. Its origins are believed to date back to the 1620s, as testified by the keystone in the drawing room, although most of its present form reflects extensions and modifications from the early nineteenth century. Brought fully up to date in recent years, The Cottage offers double height spaces and light-filled interiors offset by cosy rooms with exposed ceiling beams and half-timbered walls; the result is a unique family residence. It sits in a beautiful walled garden with views across the village green and comes with a double garage and parking.

Vestibule, hallway, garden hall, cloakroom, 5 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, utility room, office, spiral staircase hall, separate wc, gym/games room, wine cellar
Principal bedroom suite with bathroom and dressing area, 5 further bedrooms, 3 further bathrooms, playroom
Double garage, driveway, walled garden

In all some half an acre

Find Out A Little More... - The Cottage is located at the centre of Skelton’s Conservation Area and is narrowly attached to its neighbour, enjoying a high degree of privacy and an open aspect from all principal rooms. Comprehensively updated in recent years with a bespoke handmade kitchen and modern bathrooms, it comes with timber double-glazed windows, underfloor heating and cast-iron radiators as well as a Bose home stereo and speakers, intercom system and Cat 5 Ethernet cabling throughout the house.

Accessed from the drive, the vestibule with stone flags opens to the hallway with feature open brick fireplace, connecting to the kitchen on one side and the west wing of the house on the other. The kitchen/dining room is situated in the heart of the house and is a 30 ft double aspect room with skylights; it provides a light-filled family space accommodating a generous dining and sitting area. Fitted with a handmade David Charles kitchen, it includes an island unit and integrated Neff appliances and is accompanied by a utility/laundry room.

Three reception rooms on the western wing overlook the village green. The sitting room is a bright and airy room, triple aspect with two curved bays and French doors open south onto the garden; it features a handsome fireplace housing a gas fire with a stone surround and marble slips. The library/family room has mellow oak ceiling beams looking down upon a characterful wooden floor and a handsome oak staircase that rises to a galleried landing. There is a stone fireplace with a wood-burning stove and a hatch concealed in the floorboards providing access to the dry cellar, ideal for wine storage. This room leads to the original front door, circa 1810. The formal dining room has a double aspect and is well-proportioned with abundant character and a curved bay window.

The eastern wing has been developed from the original coach house and outbuildings and now provides hugely versatile accommodation with vaulted or tall beamed ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows facing west and doors onto the garden. This versatile space is currently arranged as a music room, games room/gym and superb drawing room with feature fireplace and beamed ceiling. At the head is an office with glazed internal windows providing an unbroken view all the way to the herringbone brick fireplace on the far eastern wall of the drawing room, with 1624 date stone.

The staircase rises to a galleried landing giving access to the first floor bedrooms and bathrooms. The principal bedroom suite is triple aspect and illuminated with light. It includes a pretty cast-iron fireplace, a large dressing area and a four-piece ‘Victorian & Albert’ bathroom suite with a shower and freestanding bath. On the first floor are four further bedrooms and three well-designed bathrooms, one en-suite and one with a jacuzzi bath. A room connected either side by two of the bedrooms serves as an ideal playroom or occasional bedroom. A spiral staircase on the eastern wing, constructed of oak, ascends to the first floor and onto the second floor where there is a ‘tower’ room, a sixth bedroom with windows on three sides. The main loft is fully boarded with a drop-down ladder.

Outside - The property is approached from the village green through a five-bar wooden gate where two majestic copper beech trees stand sentinel. The gravelled drive leads to the detached double garage with electric door, power and light. Here also is a log store and a functional garden area concealed behind a trellis.

The main garden is accessed via a wrought iron gate within a brick archway. A stone flagged path leads to the original front door facing the village green and continues along the western elevation to the wraparound garden enclosed by the house and lofty brick walls. It is laid predominantly to lawn with well stocked and shaped herbaceous borders, an avenue of laburnum, ornamental trees and an array of sculpted shrubs that bring form and colour. A raised terrace of stone flags wraps around the house, elevated in part with stone steps descending to the lawn. A further stone terrace, sheltered by a brick wall, sits outside the drawing room providing a sunny south and west facing corner with a pizza oven. There is external lighting and an outside speaker.

Environs - York outer ring road 1 mile, York city centre 3½ miles, A1 18 miles, Harrogate 20 miles, Leeds 26 miles

Skelton is a rural village discreetly located off the A19 close to the city of York, its many virtues concealed from view. The village green has retained its integrity and new development has ensured that local facilities continue to thrive. Along with the Grade I listed church, there is a village hall, a convenience store, doctors’ surgery, primary school, garden centre and golf course as well as a bus service to York and Easingwold.

Skelton is ideally situated for rapid access to York city centre via the A19 along Bootham (or via National Cycle path no. 65 which is some half a mile from The Cottage), where St Peter’s and Bootham schools lie. York Railway Station lies some four miles to the south providing a regular service to London in under two hours and even closer is Poppleton Railway Station on the York-Harrogate line. York’s retail park outlets at Clifton Moor, Monks Cross and Vangarde are within striking distance and the village benefits from excellent road connections.

Property Specifics - Tenure: Freehold
EPC Rating: C
Council Tax Band: G
Services & Systems: All mains services. Gas central heating. Underfloor heating in part. Cabled broadband plus ethernet. Security and fire alarm systems, intercom and surround sound systems.
Fixtures & Fittings: Only those mentioned in these sales particulars are included in the sale. All others, such as fitted carpets, curtains, light fittings, garden ornaments etc., are specifically excluded but may be made available by separate negotiation.
Local Authority: City of York Council Conservation area
Money Laundering Regulations: Prior to a sale being agreed, prospective purchasers are required to produce identification documents in order to comply with Money Laundering regulations. Your co-operation with this is appreciated and will assist with the smooth progression of the sale.

Directions: From York, head into the village and take a left hand turn alongside the eastern end of the village green, towards the church, on a small lane called. ‘The Village’. The drive is the first on the right.
What3words: ///lectured.pine.recipient

Viewing: Strictly by appointment

Photographs, property spec and video highlights: June 2025
NB: Google map images may neither be current nor a true representation.