Historic Ripon property hits the market for £1.45m

One of the most historic houses in Rpion is now on the market, with a guide price of £1.45m.

Prospect House, on Palace Road in the city, was built around 1835 for the wealthy Kearsley family, who owned Ripon’s varnish works, specialising in paints and varnishes for the flourishing new railway industry.

The house was requisitioned during the First World War and acted as the officers mess for soldiers from the North of England, who were stationed there en route to the Somme.

By the 1960s, however, the historic property, which is set in an acre of gardens, had fallen into disrepair. In 1967, Barrie and Elizabeth Price bought Prospect House while it was in this near derelict state.

Mr Price said: “It was in a state when we first saw it. The staircase and some of the ceilings had collapsed, but we could see what it could become with a great deal of work.”

The grade-II listed, five-bedroomed house, which is still the home of the Price family, has now been fully restored.

Mr Price added: “The restoration has been a gradual process. We’ve taken things a step at a time and the house has been a pleasure and a privilege to take care of.

“Ripon’s a prosperous place now, with great employment potential, lots of great shops and restaurants and an independent cinema, as well as the fantastic countryside and attractions such as Fountains Abbey on the doorstep – all in all it’s a wonderful place to live.”

Toby Cockcroft, director of Croft Residential, the agency which is marketing the property, added: “Prospect House is a 19th century treasure. Mr and Mrs Price’s restoration programme has produced stunning results, and its location, in Ripon with all its amenities, yet so close to superb countryside makes it one of the best period properties on the market in North Yorkshire. We are expecting very high levels of interest from prospective buyers.”