ALL houses that are old have a history, but surely few can boast one as varied as that of Thorney Hall.

It started life in 1860, built by Lord Bolton as a home for his daughter who was marrying what was reputed to be the penniless Captain Ferrand, and was indeed endowed to the bride and groom – along with around 800 acres of surrounding farmland – on their marriage.

The hall was reputedly built to enjoy Lord Bolton’s favourite view of Middleham Castle across the dale and this could well be true for it is indeed centred on the castle which sits at the same height at the same point on the opposite side of the Dale.

The estate was run as a farm by the Ferrand family for the subsequent 100 years until the hall was separated from the farmland and sold off in 1960. The buyer was the Ministry of Defence who used the hall as the private residence for the Major General commanding Catterick Garrison.

The current owners have met the former batman to the family who talked of being armed with a pistol to protect the family and cooking all the family’s meals on the (still present) original cast iron cooking range in the former servants’ quarters right up to 1969 when the property was again sold, becoming a boutique hotel.

Thorney Hall subsequently moved into private ownership and was split into multiple dwellings which were combined once again by the present owners, who have restored it to its former glory via a comprehensive refurbishment programme which was completed in 2016.

The incarnation of Thorney Hall which is once again looking for a new owner is a fine country estate that offers extensive beautifully presented accommodation over three levels.

Comprising multiple reception rooms, four kitchens and 14 bedrooms – some of which has been made into self-contained accommodation – this offers the potential for various layouts and configurations.

At present Thorney Hall is split into the main house, The Grange and The Dairy Cottage.

The main house encompasses an impressive reception hall with doors leading to the dual aspect drawing room, the library with a south-facing bay window, formal dining room and the kitchen breakfast room.

The lower ground floor offers an extensive leisure suite of games room/gym and snooker room , alongside a granny flat consisting of a sitting room, kitchen and two en-suite bedrooms. The utility room also sits to this floor.

The bedrooms for the main house are mostly arranged on the first floor and include the master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and dressing room, two bedrooms bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and three double bedrooms.

There is a large storage room to the lower ground floor and four former ice houses accessed from the lower ground floor which are simply stunning historic features with their barrel vaulted stone roofs which support a stalagmite field – a unique geological feature of the hall.

The current owners ensured, during their renovation, that original features such as the Swale fossil stone and marble fireplaces, window shutters and cantilevered stone staircase made from East Witton sandstone were amongst the features to be preserved.

On to The Grange, which has a kitchen, reception room, sitting room, dining room and cloakroom on the ground floor and a family bathroom and four bedrooms, one with an en-suite upstairs.

The Dairy Cottage, which can be found on the lower ground floor, is made up of a kitchen/dining room, sitting room, shower room and two bedrooms, one with a bathroom and dressing room.

The layout of Thorney Hall is ideally suited for a variety of layouts and income streams, with the ability to rent out The Dairy Cottage and The Grange separately if desired.

The Hall is set in magnificent, far-reaching grounds and includes several outbuildings. There is also a gravel driveway which leads to a triple garage, an electric charging point, various additional workshops and a storage room housed in the hall itself.

To the rear of the house is a stunning south-facing ornamental garden with paved terracing, gravel pathways, expansive lawned areas and beautifully maintained beds. A new Swaledale style stone barn has also recently been built using recycled stone from a 17th Century barn at Aysgarth. Beyond the ornamental garden are open fields and meadows, a pond, lake, stream and peaceful wooded areas which extend, in all, to 56.5 acres. A particular feature of the grounds is the arboretum planted around the hall at construction in 1860.

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The Hall benefits from truly stunning panoramic 180 degree views sitting as it does in an elevated position looking out southwards over its own land down to the River Ure and beyond to Middleham Castle.

Thorney Hall is situated in Spennithorne and is on the market at a guide price of £5m.

For more information to to arrange a viewing please contact Strutt & Parker's Harrogate office on 01423 594691.