Escape to 'God's own country"

Yorkshire folk are rightly proud of their county's magnificent landscapes and rich architectural heritage, but incomers looking to settle there face strong competition from local contenders for picture-perfect country houses

- Penny Churchill

LEADING the field in this year's early-autumn market is handsome, Grade IIlisted Thorney Hall, an impeccably refurbished country house set in 60 acres of woodland, water meadows, pasture, lake and ponds at Spennithorne in lower Wensleydale, two miles south of Leyburn and four miles east of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

For sale through the Harrogate office of Strutt & Parker (01423 205442) at a guide price of $5 million, the hall stands on high ground with glorious southerly views over its own land and the River Ure to Richard III's Middleham Castle and behind it the hills of Coverdale. This is said to have been a favourite view of Lord Bolton, the prominent Yorkshire landowner who built Thorney Hall in 1860 as a home for his daughter, who had set her heart on marrying a reputedly 'penniless' army officer, a Capt Ferrand. His Lordship endowed the hall with 800 acres of surrounding land, which was run as a farming estate by the Ferrand family for the next 100 years.

In 1960, the hall was separated from the farm and sold to the Ministry of Defence as the residence of the major-general commanding the Catterick Garrison. In 1960, it was sold again and became a boutique hotel.

Thereafter, it passed into private ownership and was split into several houses; these were reunited as one by the present owners, who have restored the hall to its original splendour following an extensive refurbishment programme completed in 2016. A particular feature of the grounds is the arboretum planted around the house at the time of its construction, which today includes some magnificent specimens of Wellingtonia, blue cypress, copper beech and horse chestnut.