Old Wells, Terrington, York

Detached Victorian house with car port and gardens, situated in a delightful Howardian Hills village with amenities

Old Wells - named for its various garden wells - occupies an elevated position in the heart of a charming village characterised by traditional houses hewn from locally quarried stone with red pantile roofs. This handsome double-fronted house was built in the 1840s and extended a century later, resulting in a generous and cohesive family home.

Set within a third of an acre of mature gardens and grounds, the property also offers a car port and ample driveway parking. Well maintained over the years and beautifully appointed, Old Wells is on the market for the first time in a generation.

Entrance and staircase hall, cloakroom/wc, ground floor shower room, 3 reception rooms, kitchen breakfast room, pantry, laundry, walk-in cupboard, rear hall, vaulted wine cellar
Principal bedroom suite with en suite shower room and bathroom, 5 further bedrooms, 3 further bathrooms
Car port, secure bike shed, timber outbuildings, greenhouse, front and rear gardens
In all 1/3 of an acre

For Sale Freehold

Find Out A Little More... - Old Wells began life as an early Victorian village house, and its 1940s extension complemented the original structure to create a superb family residence featuring spacious rooms, high ceilings, and generous windows. Charming original details remain throughout, including a parquet floor, window seats, shutters, doors with their original doorknobs, traditional column radiators and an elegant staircase with a well-turned mahogany handrail. The two front reception rooms are graced by carved pine fireplaces, flanked by arched alcoves, salvaged from the 18th-century mansion Wiganthorpe Hall.

The kitchen/breakfast room is a fine, double-aspect space of nearly square proportions, offering ample room for a kitchen table or island unit as well as a sofa. A large window frames views of the garden. The fitted kitchen includes an oil-fired Aga, a Butler sink, granite work surfaces, a gas hob, and a traditional walk-in pantry with a cold slab.
Complementing the kitchen is a practical laundry room with a sink, along with a walk-in cloaks cupboard positioned conveniently by the back door. The study/sitting room features a cast-iron corner fireplace. Off the staircase hall, there is a cloakroom and shower room and a vaulted wine cellar, accessed via stone steps.

The spacious and light-filled first floor landing has a south-facing window seat and connecting doors between bedrooms and bathrooms, offering flexibility in use. The principal suite currently occupies the entire eastern wing and comprises two double bedrooms, an en suite shower room and a luxurious bathroom. Both of these bedrooms have window seats perfectly positioned to enjoy views eastward to the medieval village church and beyond to the Yorkshire Wolds.

Of the two additional first floor bedrooms, Bedroom 4 is illuminated by a south facing window with a window seat, has an en suite shower room and a walk-in storage cupboard with a hanging rail. Bedroom 3 comes with a walk-in cupboard and three windows with garden views.

The second floor landing gives access to a shower room and two further double bedrooms. These versatile bedrooms have high ceilings that rise into the roof space, and bedroom 6 has a loft hatch in the wall that opens to a part boarded storage loft with power and light.

Outside - Old Wells, adorned with wisteria on the front southern elevation, is set back from the village road behind a dry stone wall and deep gravel garden showcasing a magnificent magnolia, flowering cherry and ornamental plane tree. A tarmacadamed drive leads through gates and continues past a stretch of lawn bounded by a high stone wall with climbing rose, jasmine and clematis. A turning area at the head of the drive terminates in front of a large and newly erected car port with ample driveway parking in front.

Abutting the rear of the house is a paved terrace with an ornamental pond, sheltered by a low stone wall and bordered on one side by climbing roses. A rose arch marks the transition to the gardens beyond. The upper and lower sections of the garden are connected by stone steps set into a retaining wall. Predominantly laid to lawn, the grounds feature a number of fine mature trees, including a Ginkgo and a maple, along with herbaceous borders planted with spring bulbs, topiarised shrubs and neatly clipped hedges. At the far eastern end lies the kitchen garden, complete with a fruit cage, cut-flower bed and greenhouse as well as a pergola that provides a sunny spot for relaxation.

The entire plot is enclosed by a combination of hedges and stone walls partially lined with pleached hornbeam. The building along the far boundary supports several trained mature roses underplanted with bulbs.

Environs - Hovingham 4 miles, Malton 8 miles, Helmsley 12 miles, York 15 miles

Old Wells sits at the heart of this highly sought-after village in the Howardian Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The village is well served with a doctor’s surgery, local stores and a tearoom, a Grade I listed church, and an active village hall that hosts a popular pop-up pub. Residents also enjoy recreational facilities including tennis courts, pickleball and a bowling green. Despite its rural setting, Terrington supports a small but diverse local economy.

For schooling, there is a primary school, the eponymous prep school Terrington Hall, and Ampleforth College just a short distance away. The nearby market town of Malton provides a railway station with regular services to York, Leeds, Manchester and beyond. From York, London is reachable in under two hours via the mainline station.

Castle Howard, with its farm shop and garden centre, lies only four miles away, while the historic city of York is comfortably reached by car in around half an hour.

Important Information - Tenure: Freehold
EPC Rating: E
Council Tax Band: G
Services & Systems: Mains electricity, water, drainage. Biomass central heating. Oil-fired Aga which includes water heating.
Fixtures & Fittings: Only those mentioned in these sales particulars are included in the sale. All others, such as fitted carpets, curtains, light fittings, garden ornaments etc., are specifically excluded but may be made available by separate negotiation.
Local Authority: North Yorkshire Council. Conservation Area
Money Laundering Regulations: Prior to a sale being agreed, prospective purchasers are required to produce identification documents in order to comply with Money Laundering regulations. Your co-operation with this is appreciated and will assist with the smooth progression of the sale.

Directions: in the heart of the village opposite Mowthorpe Lane and the village store.
What3words: ///deal.mountains.stud
Viewing: Strictly by appointment

Photographs, property spec and property highlights video: December 2025
NB: Google map images may neither be current nor a true representation.