An historic estate set amid the rolling hills of Ryedale has been sold.
On the market for £25 million, the Kirkham Estate was described as one of the most desirable, private and traditional landed estates in North Yorkshire.
It came up for sale for the first time in more than a century in May, marketed by GSC Grays, and has now been snapped up.
Kirkham Estate
The Kirkham Estate is found on the eastern edge of the Howardian Hills between the North York Moors and York, in beautiful countryside on the banks of the River Derwent and in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The estate portfolio includes Kirkham Hall, a Grade II Listed country house. Set within gardens and parkland, the property features a traditional estate courtyard and coach house, a restored walled garden and Richardson greenhouses and the historic remains of an Augustinian priory at Kirkham Abbey, founded in 1122 and managed by English Heritage.
The estate was “meticulously cared for and managed under the stewardship of the Brotherton family,” said John Coleman, head of agency at GSC Grays.
It was inherited by Anne Henson, who owned it up to her death in 2023. Her wish was to sell the estate as a whole.
The sale attracted interested from around the world and has now found a buyer.
Also onhe estate are three farmhouses and 11 cottage, and about 845 acres of farmland.
During the Second World War, Kirkham Abbey was used by the military training for the D-Day landings.
On 22 March 1944 King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, on her first official engagement with her parents, visited the Kirkham Estate to inspect troops and watch military demonstrations.
Nine days later, Prime Minister Winston Churchill also visited the estate and inspected troops, witnessing river crossings and the operation of waterproofed vehicles.
