ACCORDING to well-told tales, Bossall was established in 686 by Bosa, a monk from St Hilda’s monastery in Whitby, when he retired to his house – Boza’s Hall – there.
While the standing hall dates nowhere near as far back as that, it does indeed have a long and colourful history stretching back over 400 years.
This began in 1623 when one William Belt purchased the manor of Bossall and oversaw the construction of the hall and moat. The family held the manor until the late 1880s although Sir Robert Belt, then Lord Mayor of York, was dispossessed in the aftermath of the English Civil War.
The house itself is part Jacobean, but was largely rebuilt in the 18th century in the style of a Palladian country house. And what of the moat? No longer in fashion, it was drained in the 1790s, with records suggesting that the resident fish were relocated to the newly-built lake at nearby Castle Howard.
In 1808 a brick bridge was built across the eastern arm of the moat and stands to this day.
Of course Bossall Hall has undergone many changes since its 18th century rebuild, the most recent being a meticulous two-year renovation project under the watchful eye of its current owners, whose experience in restoring historic buildings has been brought to bear on every detail.
Included in this work has been the restoration of the magnificent 360-year old staircase, windows and window shutters, wood panelling, panelled doors and cast-iron radiators.
The property has also gained a new extension connecting to the courtyard garden and has been transformed through a rigorous programme of modernisation which has included a new kitchen and bathrooms, a new heating system with part underfloor and zoned heating in the main house, and multi-paned sash windows refurbished with insulated beading. It has also been replumbed, rewired and the repaired roof has been insulated in the rafters.
The accommodation in the main house is centred around the kitchen/family room which has a large lantern window above the dining area and full-height windows flanking French doors that open onto the courtyard garden. The new kitchen has an LPG Aga, range cooker, island unit with breakfast bar, granite worktops and walk-in pantry. Off of it are a utility room, laundry room, boot room and cloakroom.
A central hall with a super-sized wood-burning stove gives access to the four principal reception rooms all of which overlook the formal lawns. These include the 26ft dining room, drawing room with double doors into the adjacent morning room and the sitting room, which was remodelled in the Arts & Crafts style in the early 20th century.
A magnificent staircase rises to the first floor where the principal bedrooms all enjoy a southerly outlook across the formal gardens. The principal bedroom suite is double aspect, has a bathroom, separate WC and a dressing room. There are four further bedrooms and three further bathrooms – one a wet room. The second floor is home to a one-bedroom flat that is entirely self-contained and would make ideal teenage living space or accommodation for staff. In addition there are two renovated loft rooms.
Attached to the main house is a two-storey cottage with independent access that requires internal renovation. It comprises a kitchen/dining room, two reception rooms, three bedrooms and a bathroom.
The property's traditional outbuildings – which are in need of renovation – have been divided into five buildings: stable with modern flat conversion, stable with hayloft above, barn, stable, garage and storage outbuilding. Together they surround two yards that are part-cobbled. Planning permission has been granted to create a 5,000sq.ft, five-bedroom house with a two-bedroom bedroom annexe, accessed via a private drive.
Bossall Hall stands in the midst of gardens and grounds that extend to 15.8 acres in all on the crest of an area of high land to the west of the Derwent valley.
Ten acres of mature gardens and grounds immediately surround the house, offering glorious views of Garrowby Hill and north towards Castle Howard.
The grounds include a newly-designed courtyard garden with loggia accessed from the kitchen/family room; a flight of stone steps which descend to verdant south-facing lawns lined with herbaceous borders and rhododendrons; a woodland that's home to a range of mature trees; the grassy moat which completely surrounds the house and is traversed by two wooden bridges and two vehicular brick bridges, one of which was built circa 1808; a further outer moat; a glorious walled garden of half an acre which is enclosed by a 12ft high mellow wall within which lies a greenhouse and productive kitchen garden; an orchard and a secret garden accessed through a mature, wisteria-clad timber pergola, and two railed paddocks.
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A further 14.8 of land is available by separate negotiation.
Bossall Hall is on the market at a guide price of £3.25m.
For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact the York office of Blenkin & Co on 01904 671672.
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