Ancient 16th-century abode boasting a Georgian facade and vast acres featuring lake and stables

The Old Rectory at Brandsby, North Yorkshire, is a Grade II*-listed property that offers more than 7,000 square feet of light-filled living space and has been launched onto the market for a guide price of over £2.95 million.

Built in 1565 and partially rebuilt in 1809, this historic property features a Georgian facade and grand Georgian rooms. The main house includes entrance and staircase halls, three main reception rooms, a country kitchen, and two Georgian bedroom suites. The older part of the house has three smaller bedrooms connected to the first floor of the attached cottage annexe.

The property is located on the edge of Brandsby village, which is surrounded by the scenic Howardian Hills. It is four miles from the Georgian market town of Easingwold and 14 miles north of York.

Beyond the gardens, there are areas of grassland, wildflower meadows, an avenue of black poplar trees, and a section of woodland on the southern boundary under-planted with bluebells. The gardens feature an all-weather tennis court enclosed with a ha-ha, a traditional walled garden with two conservatories, a sunny paved terrace, and a formal herb garden. A stream-fed wildlife lake beyond the ha-ha comes with a summerhouse and pontoon.

The orchard at The Old Rectory is part-walled and contains various fruit bushes, trees, and raised beds. Outbuildings are arranged around the stable courtyard and include three stables, garaging for three cars, a recently refitted workshop/studio, and a large general-purpose building. The detached former coach house has been converted into a substantial annexe, which could accommodate a live-in carer or be turned into two separate dwellings.

Further accommodation is provided in the modernized two-bedroom Rectory Cottage, which is currently let on an assured shorthold tenancy.

Penny Churchill, the British wife of Larry P. Arnn, an American educator and president of Hillsdale College, married in 1979 and has three children. The property is their family home. The adjoining grassland of 181⁄4 acres is available by separate negotiation.

Ancient 16th-century abode boasting a Georgian facade and vast acres featuring lake and stables