Country Life: 2nd November 2022 Property Pages

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Although we have the UK’s largest stockof classical furnishings, sometimesit maybe hardtofind exactlywhatyou’re after. Discuss your requirements with anyof our experienced consultantswho will be able to assist with any recommendations. Inclusivetechnical drawings are suppliedfor every commission forconfirmation.

GEORGEII STYLE HANDCARVED GILTWOOD MIRROR

Alarge giltwoodmirrorin the George II style, surmounted by amusician, profusely carved with birds and squirrels. Hand carved in mahoganyand gilded in metal leaf afteran original overmantel mirror

£15,105

Width: 62 inches(157.5cm)

Depth: 2¾ inches(7cm)

Height:114¾inches(292cm)

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Property market Penny Churchill

BEAUTY, they say, is in the eye of the beholder. When, in the early 2000s, Gill Farm at Gilling East in the Howardian Hills AONB, two miles south of Oswaldkirk and 15 miles north of York, came up for sale, it failed to resonate with local buyers, who saw merely a ramshackle stone farmhouse and crumbling buildings sur rounded by 60-odd acres of decaying woodland. Only developer Julian Pilling, who grew up in the area, saw the potential of the peaceful hidden valley that has no public rights of way. There, over a period of seven years from 2015, he created the magical Valley Farm

estate that is now on the market with Savills in York (01904 617821) and London (020–7409 8881) at a guide price of £8 million.

At its heart stands the sleek, ultra-modern main house, an 18,000sq ft symphony in con crete, glass and stone, which sits comfortably within the landscape against a spectacular backdrop of seven cascading, spring-fed lakes, healthy, well-managed, mixed woodland and organic grassland grazed by several species of deer originating from the Duke of Bedford’s Woburn Abbey estate.

‘Having bought the valley and some addi tional land in which to create the deer park,

I wanted to build “a house of its time”, rather than a Georgian pastiche. But first of all, we set out to define the landscape, building the estate’s network of roads that now wind through the valley, then thinning out the woodland, removing dying ash trees and harnessing the many natural springs to create the lakes that are such an important feature of the estate,’ Mr Pilling reveals. The main residence—the result of an inspired collaboration between the owner, Malton-based architect Mark Bramhall and Cardiff-based designer Julian Phillips— comprises six en-suite bedrooms, an interconnecting, self-contained, three-bedroom

A modern masterpiece leads a pack of three fine homes in the north of England

Changing places

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the property is fed by its own spring water, with heating and hot water provided by a biomass boiler using timber harvested from the surrounding woodland. There is also scope to install a solar-energy system to replace the mains electricity supply and, in the event of a power outage, a generator allows the estate to be 100% off grid—considerations that can’t be overlooked in these energyconscious times.

The house at Valley Farm is a triumph of architectural and engineering design

apartment and a separate building housing a three-bedroom annexe and a swimming pool. Recognised as a property of note in the latest edition of Pevsner, the house is a triumph of architectural and engineering design, with spacious rooms, voluminous, double-height spaces and large roof lights that connect with Nature outside, always retaining the atmos phere of a comfortable family home.

The external materials of the building are designed to blend with the surrounding landscape, with the stone used for the lower

walls recovered from the previous building, and additional stone quarried on-site. The upper cladding is limestone in a range of organic tones and the entire building is superinsulated, with a green roof providing a place in which to wander and absorb the everchanging scene. Internally, the concrete frame of the house complements the richness of the full-height rosewood doors and furniture and the limed-oak floors, with colour provided by a series of artworks commissioned from local artists. With self-sufficiency in mind,

Some five miles south of Gilling East, on the edge of the Howardian Hills, the historic vil lage of Crayke stands on the southern slopes of Castle Hill, where, back in the day, ‘the grand old Duke of York’ reputedly marched his 10,000 men up and then down again. Half a mile below the village is Grade II*-listed Crayke Manor (previously called Wyndham Hall after its 17th-century owner, Thomas Wyndham), which, according to the Victoria County History—North Riding (1923), was ‘largely added to’ by its early 20th-century owner, Stephen Cliff, who retained the 17thcentury building, but remodelled the interior with the addition of ‘a considerable quantity of ancient panelling of excellent design brought from Howley Hall, near Morley’.

Exquisite ancient panelling ( left) is a striking feature of Grade II*-listed Crayke Manor ( right) in Crayke, North Yorkshire. £2.25m

Left: The ultra-modern home at the heart of the Valley Farm estate, North Yorkshire. £8m.

Above: Floor-to-ceiling glazing connects the interior with the building’s natural setting

Property market

Sympathetically renovated over the years, the charming 5,858sq ft house, set in 17½ acres of gardens, parkland, pasture and paddocks, is currently used as a successful wedding venue, but could easily be reconfigured as a private family home. Currently for sale through Savills (01904 617821) at a guide price of £2.25m, Crayke Manor offers ‘characterfilled accommodation with a modern twist’, including four main reception rooms, a large kitchen, nine bedrooms and four bathrooms. Of particular note is the 37ft-long drawing room, the focal point of the house. There is also a guest cottage, kitchen garden, tennis court, outbuildings and stabling.

Across the county border in Cumbria, Ryan Eve of Northumberland-based Finest Properties (01434 622234) is handling the sale, at a guide price of £1.95m, of one of north Cumbria’s most appealing hidden houses, Grade II*-listed Four Gables near Brampton, 11 miles from Carlisle and a stone’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall.

Inspired by the design of a traditional Border bastle house, Four Gables was built

in 1878 for the factor of the Earl of Carlisle’s Naworth estate, of which it was once a part. It was one of two country houses designed by the Arts-and-Crafts architect, Philip Webb, for his friend George Howard, the 9th Earl, who was a talented artist and an admirer of the Pre-Raphaelites. Four Gables remained in Howard family ownership until 1947 and is for sale for only the second time since then.

The handsome red-sandstone house stands in 4¼ acres of established, parkland-style grounds with surrounding woodland offering

both shelter and privacy. The interior is bright and airy, with soaring high ceilings that reflect the historic character of the build ings. Notable features include impressive fireplaces in the reception rooms and hall and a magnificent bay window in the dining room. In all, the main house offers three principal reception rooms, nine bedrooms and four bathrooms.

The present owners have developed a suc cessful self-catering business in the three beautifully converted holiday cottages within the grounds. The largest is a sumptuous barn conversion with five double bedrooms and generous entertaining spaces. The second can house six guests in three bedrooms and has an airy, open-plan layout with views across open countryside. The third adjoins the main house and boasts a range of original features including stone-flag flooring, a range fireplace and exposed beams. The vendors, who are planning to downsize, are continu ing to accept bookings and would willingly open their books to a prospective purchaser, adds Mr Eve.

Jim Varney

Grade II*-listed Four Gables, inspired by the design of historic Border bastle houses, is set in 4¼ acres near Brampton, Cumbria. £1.95m

One of north Cumbria’s most appealing hidden houses, Four Gables is a stone’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall

Property comment

In fine form

IT’S all about place-making’, says Hamish Mackie, the Oxfordshire-based sculptor who was commissioned in 2014 to model the six bronze life-anda-quarter size bolting horses at The Berkeley Group’s Goodman’s Fields development in Aldgate, London E1. The award-winning landmark composition cleverly references what were once open fields let for livery grazing in 1598 by a Mr Goodman. ‘I modelled each without a plinth to make the experience more accessible and emphasised movement,’ says Mr Mackie. ‘The Russian Arab is rearing, others are running through water and, if you’re on a bus, you’ll get eyeballed by a Spanish Andalusian.’ These exquisitely formed equine figures of different breeds (‘which gives interest for international visitors,’ adds Mr Mackie) are installed on a sweeping curve flowing through the development’s Piazza, overlooked by new homes and offices. ‘It was worth the investment,’ reveals Justin Tibaldi, executive director at The Berkeley Group, ‘and we know it adds value to the apartments above.’

The inclusion of artworks in modern housing schemes, as well as refreshing

Edited by James Fisher

age-old sites, is a flourishing trend, often very innovatively done, sometimes a wasted gesture. But enhancing the built environment with artistic citations can be powerfully transformative in the right setting. Well-thoughtout sculpture, murals, use of enamel work, paints, even historic-style lettering, can have benefits for residents, up-and-coming artists and endangered crafts, as well as enriching the broader public realm. Hugh Petter, director at Adam Architecture, is masterplanner and co-ordinating architect of the Duchy of Cornwall development at Nansledan, a new town extension to Newquay, where a bright-yellow, 10ft-high seahorse made by a zinc specialist enhances the highest point of the Chi Morvargh building, a superlatively crisp Art Deco structure that overlooks the square. ‘It creates a strong identity, which, in turn, creates a distinctive sense of place, as well as adding aesthetic value. It provides a point of orientation,’ notes Mr Petter, ‘and you can animate the skyline.’

There are many things to consider when assimilating and installing sculpture, from location and architecture to access and materials.

Lucy Denton investigates how art incorporated in development adds or detracts from property appeal

Hamish Mackie’s horses at Aldgate (above) and Henry Moore’s Old Flo in Canary Wharf (left) show how art can enhance city living

Properties of the week

‘Artworks absolutely affect the price of property,’ says Nick Vaughan, head of Greater London residential development at Savills, ‘but it’s best when it means something to everyone. Unless it’s done badly, it generally has a positive impact, especially when it’s a unique com mission.’ And size matters: monuments should not be lost among monumental buildings. At Embassy Gardens at Nine Elms, SW11, a development of 2,000 homes, the curatorial programme overseen by art historian Sir Norman Rosenthal and Ballymore Group chairman and chief executive Sean Mulryan has rightly embraced large-scale contemporary works. Artists including Sarah Lucas seek to represent the geographical provenance of an area close to the modern American Embassy on an impressive scale.

However, Tracy Jenkins, public-art manager at ArtUK, warns that ‘although works that are deeply rooted in the history of the area tend to stand the test of time, the concern for many communities is the legacy, how it will appear 20 years down the line, the future cost of main tenance and ownership. Water features are problematic: often they break down or are decommissioned’. Damaged, abandoned, meaningless works that have not been maintained detract from what might otherwise be a pleasing backdrop and do not make for a good selling point. With this in mind, the curated sculpture trail at Chelsea Barracks has been designed as a rolling programme of regularly renewed works, which has included pieces by Barbara Myers, Jason deCaires and, now, Jill Berelowitz. Rupert des Forges, head of prime central London developments at Knight Frank, says that the ‘overarching vision here is to allow the public into what was previously closed off’, creating an estate environment of low-density, low-rise buildings with seven new garden squares in central London, and an emphasis on good-quality materials. ‘The sculptural installation is definitely a more proactive, highstandard approach’, he adds, ‘and is a serious component of the whole scheme.’ With increasing interest in sculptural aesthetics, this could be the shape of things to come.

The shape of things

Consider the historic provenance of a place. Identity is best reinforced via sculpture or other artworks that reference what has gone before

There is potential to create a landmark development using art installations that augment a strong sense of place and character

Be sure to think about long-term impact, durability of materials used and what it will look like in a few years’ time: water features require more maintenance and are often the most vulnerable to decline

Have spatial awareness: understand the form

of existing or new archi tecture, open spaces and the public realm, if there is one, and how to orien tate artworks in relation to the built environment

Rotating the artworks, rather than installing fixed sculpture, can also result in increased visual interest on a housing development

A pair of large profile heads by Paul Vanstone is among modern sculptures forming part of a rolling programme of regularly renewed works on the curated trail at Chelsea Barracks

Artworks absolutely affect the price of property, but it’s best when they mean something to everyone

Alamy