A York residence unlike any home

September 10, 2026

There are some properties that are impressive on paper, and others that make you feel something the moment you step through the door. Join our Managing Partner, Oliver Newby as he talks you through this unquestionably superb residence.

Behind its handsome period façade lies a home that feels both reassuringly established and wonderfully unexpected. It has the elegance and proportions of a traditional York townhouse, yet the way it has been restored and reimagined gives it an ease of living that is entirely contemporary.

What makes this opportunity especially rare, however, is not simply the quality of the main house. It is the complete lifestyle it offers: a substantial family home, a private south-west facing garden, secure parking, garaging, an inspiring studio and, remarkably, a detached four-bedroom guest property with an established income stream, all within easy reach of the heart of York.

The principal house has been restored with an extraordinary level of care. Taken back to brick and comprehensively renewed, this was never a superficial renovation. The present owners have thoughtfully reconsidered virtually every element of the building while remaining faithful to its original architecture.

The result is a house that retains the character people hope to find in a period home, sash windows, fireplaces, decorative plasterwork, stripped floors and a beautiful original staircase, without demanding the compromises so often associated with one.

From the geometric tiled floor in the entrance hall to the painstakingly recreated plaster detailing, there is a sense that every decision has been made with purpose. Nothing feels overly polished or contrived. Instead, the house possesses warmth, personality and the increasingly rare feeling of having evolved naturally.

The Heart of Everyday Life

For me, the defining space is the open-plan kitchen, dining and living room at the rear.

This is where I imagine everyday life unfolding: breakfast around the island, doors folded back on a warm summer morning and friends gathering beneath the roof lantern as afternoon turns into evening. With glazing on two elevations, sunlight moves through the room throughout the day before the west-facing aspect captures the last of the evening light.

The south-west facing garden becomes a natural continuation of the house. The York stone terrace is perfectly placed for outdoor dining, while the lawn and mature planting create a private, peaceful setting that feels remarkably removed from city life.

In winter, the atmosphere changes completely. The wood-burning stove becomes the focal point, the underfloor heating warms the parquet beneath your feet and the room takes on a wonderfully intimate character. It is a space designed not merely to be photographed, but to be lived in throughout the seasons.

The separate sitting room offers something equally important: somewhere quieter to retreat. Lined with bookshelves and centred around an open fire, it feels like a room for reading, conversation and slower evenings away from the main activity of the house.

Space for Family Life to Evolve

Across the upper floors are five bedrooms and three bathrooms, offering the flexibility needed for family life as it changes over time.

The principal suite is calm and understated, with bespoke cabinetry, stripped floorboards and its own shower room. Elsewhere, original fireplaces, fitted storage and carefully retained materials give each bedroom an individual identity.

The journey to the second floor is especially memorable. A tall arched window floods the staircase with natural light, while a reinforced glass floor allows that light to travel between levels. From this elevated position, views begin to open towards York Minster, a gentle but unmistakable reminder of the extraordinary city beyond the front door.

The two upper bedrooms are full of character beneath the roofline, with vaulted forms, arched dormers and tall roof windows. They would make wonderful bedrooms for older children, guest rooms or peaceful spaces from which to work.

A Creative Space of Its Own

Independently accessed from the rear is a superb studio created from a formerly dilapidated cottage.

With its cathedral-style window, full-height glazing and broad balcony, it is an exceptionally uplifting space. I could imagine it serving as an architect’s studio, creative workshop, private office or professional consulting room. It provides genuine separation from the main house without feeling disconnected from it—an increasingly valuable quality for anyone balancing home, family and professional life.

Secure driveway parking for three cars, an integral garage and a workshop add another layer of practicality that is particularly difficult to find in a period city home.

The Coal Shed: A Property Within a Property

Then there is The Coal Shed.

Dating from the 1930s and originally built as a coal merchant’s store, this detached brick-and-slate building has been transformed into a remarkable four-bedroom guest property. Its conversion embraces the building’s industrial past, pairing original character with larch cladding, expansive aluminium-framed glazing and beautifully considered contemporary interiors.

The antique Rajasthani entrance door sets the tone immediately. Beyond it, the dramatic open-plan reception space extends to approximately 36 feet and is filled with light from three sides and above. Doors open into a sheltered courtyard softened by mature clematis, creating a wonderfully sociable space around which the accommodation is arranged.

Each of the four bedrooms has its own en suite shower room and fitted breakfast station, giving guests a level of privacy and independence more akin to a boutique hotel. Upstairs, the bedroom suites rise into the original roof structure beneath vaulted ceilings, with the rear room enjoying an oriel window overlooking the surrounding rooftops.

Crucially, The Coal Shed operates entirely independently from the main residence, with separate utilities and services. It is already established as a highly regarded Sawday’s Bed & Breakfast with five-star guest reviews, meaning a purchaser is acquiring far more than an annexe with hypothetical potential. The building comes with an existing identity, trading history and reputation.

For someone with commercial ambition, the possibilities are particularly exciting. Its architecture, independence and central York setting provide all the ingredients for a distinctive boutique accommodation business. With greater emphasis on direct bookings, occupancy, repeat visits and premium short stays, there is clear potential to develop the income considerably further.

Equally, it could be enjoyed on a less intensive basis, providing guest accommodation, multigenerational living or an exceptional degree of flexibility alongside the main family home.

A Rare York Lifestyle

It is difficult to think of many properties that bring together such a compelling combination of attributes.

This is a beautifully restored five-bedroom townhouse with a private walled garden, secure parking, garaging and a separate studio. Alongside it sits an independent four-bedroom guest property with established commercial use and meaningful scope for growth.

Yet the appeal goes beyond the accommodation.

It is the possibility of living generously within the city: walking into York, returning through private gates, opening the doors onto a sun-filled garden and enjoying the space and privacy more commonly associated with a country house. It is the opportunity to work creatively from home, welcome friends and family without compromise, or operate a distinctive hospitality business from your own grounds.

Most properties ask their owners to choose between period character and modern comfort, city living and outdoor space, family life and commercial opportunity.

This one asks them to choose none of those things.

That, for me, is what makes it such an exceptionally rare opportunity.