An escape to the country – but just a short walk into a cathedral city
The inside story
The previous owners used their design skills to add a garden room, which is off-set on an angle to catch the maximum natural light. Richard and Shelley have since put their own mark on the Victorian house, which was built in 1864.
They installed a new kitchen, changed all the bathrooms and turned the top floor office into two en-suite bedrooms using local companies Ripon Interiors and Alpha Kitchens and Bedrooms. They also replaced the conservatory roof and completely redecorated. The granary, which was separate accommodation, is now a gym and outside, they put in a bonded drive, a children’s play area and a vegetable garden.
“It was a big project. We had the painters and decorators here for six months,” says Richard.
The seven-bedroom property has four reception rooms, a breakfast kitchen with conservatory, a main bedroom with en-suite, six further bedrooms, three of which have en-suites, and a house bathroom. There is also a granary annexe used as a gym but which could be converted back into selfcontained living space, a double garage and outbuildings plus a two-bedroom cottage. The house sits in three acres.
The Lowes are selling to spend more time at their home on Portugal’s Silver Coast.
“The idea was that we would live here most of the year and it would be large enough for big Christmas parties and family get-togethers but our daughter is moving out to Portugal and the reality is that we will now spend a lot more time at our home there. That’s why we are looking to downsize to something smaller to suit our lifestyle,” says Richard, who adds: “We are very proud of what we have done to this property. It is a lovely home and location and we have really enjoyed this phase of our lives.”
For details contact Savills, tel: 01904 617800, www.savills.co.uk
Sharow is a popular rural village on the outskirts of Ripon. It is a mile from the centre of the cathedral city. It has a pub, primary school and cricket club. The A1M is just three miles away and Thirsk train station is 10 miles away and has a direct service to London.