One of East Yorkshire’s finest and most elegant – but possibly least-known – country houses is on the market for £2million. Sue Mason visits Saltmarshe Hall . . .

Saltmarshe Hall has grounds extending to 17 acres, in which the gardens have been divided into several areas, including lawns, trees and woodland

Set in 17 acres of grounds and with frontage to the River Ouse, Saltmarshe Hall is an elegant and important Grade II-listed Regency country house that is often described as being one of Yorkshire’s best-kept secrets.

I wouldn’t argue with that. Though it’s less than 30 miles from Hull, the hall is set in countryside five miles from the M62 and few who have never visited it will know it exists. From the knighting of Sir Lionel Saltmarshe by William the Conqueror in 1067, the Saltmarshe Estate remained in the same family for more than 900 years. The present hall was started in 1825 and completed three years later.

The architects, Pritchett & Watson, also designed the law courts in Beverley (now Sessions Spa) and Rise Hall, which was built in 1815.

“The Saltmarshes and the Bethells of Rise were friends and the houses have lots of features in common,” says current owner Sally Bean, adding that, after the death of the last Saltmarshe – an elderly bachelor – in 1970, the house was empty for four years.

Mrs Bean, who has done extensive research about Saltmarshe Hall, says the house and immediate grounds were built at a total cost of £15,000.

“Philip Saltmarshe was given £40,000 by his aunt and he spent £8,000 on building the house. The stables were added in 1842, costing £1,800 and he extended the house too, because by then he had 10 children.”

Planting trees cost the huge sum of £3,000 and other work on the park, including moving the road, brought the total to £15,000.

Set in 17 acres of grounds, comprising parkland, woodland and 10 acres of garden (including a walled garden with swimming pool), the hall has an entire three-storey wing – formerly the servants’ quarters – currently not used. The rest of the house has perfectly-proportioned, light and airy rooms, many of which overlook the river. “The house was designed so that the river could be seen from the east and south windows,” says Mrs Bean. “We get some quite big boats going past, as well as a few pleasure boats.”

The large walled garden has a swimming pool, along with a tennis court, vegetable garden and compartmentalised areas divided by hedging. An orchard of fruit trees is at the rear

When Philip and Sally Bean moved to Saltmarshe Hall in 1974, the kitchen was located in one of the rooms in the huge basement, where these days, as well as a couple of original built-in ranges and some surplus furniture, only the wine cellar is located.

“This room (the current kitchen) used to be the gun room,” says Mrs Bean. The large full-height cupboards are original and to them have been added some dressers. There’s also a central island unit and drawers to either side of a chimney alcove within which a range cooker is set. The work surfaces are marble and there is a secondary corner sink, as well as a main sink. There are two large windows and, like almost all ground and first floor windows in the hall, they have working original shutters.

The small sitting room next door was originally a study; it has a window seat, a fireplace which came from one of the bedrooms and a cupboard with bookshelves above.

The beautiful garden room was originally the billiard room. With windows to three sides and a glass roof, it is a lovely light room. “There used to be a brewery and a coal house out there,” says Mrs Bean. “The brewery was just for private consumption and the coal came by barge.”

The library has windows to the south and east, with views to the river and extensive rear lawns. The fireplace has a white marble surround and, of course, there are plenty of bookshelves.

Doors lead to both the stone-flagged reception hall and the drawing room, which has an extremely decorative ceiling by Joseph Crabtree of York. With classical scenes of land and sea, it depicts putti and Neptune; there is similar, less ornate, panelling on the walls. The drawing room has a large fireplace with a marble insert and three full-height windows which overlook the rear garden.

The unused servants’ wing – ripe for conversion into a large, self-contained house with views of the river

The dining room has windows to two sides and a wooden floor with decorative edges. This room has a cornice with a rose and Greek key design.

A study has been created from the former pantry, and in addition to built-in cupboards and a stone fireplace in an arched alcove, there are windows to two sides, each with a window seat.

To the first floor of the main house are seven bedrooms and four bathrooms (there are many more in the servants’ wing and above the stables).

The master suite is at a corner so has windows (with seats) to two sides. There’s a fireplace and a huge alcove for the bed, and a door leads to a walk-in wardrobe. Beyond this is the bathroom and finally a dressing room.

With the exception of one large single room, the other bedrooms are all spacious doubles, many of which have fireplaces.

One of the bathrooms has a bath and washbasin, both with marble surrounds, as well as a WC and shower cubicle. A second bathroom also has the marble detail.

The final bedroom and bathroom are in the very pretty guest suite, which has dainty floral wallpaper and curtains. In the en-suite bathroom, secret doors hide the shower and WC located to either side of the bath. Again, marble tops are a feature.

Outbuildings include the Victorian stables, above which a two-bedroom apartment with hallway, sitting room, bathroom and spacious dining kitchen is located. The three floors of extensive accommodation in the servants’ wing are ripe for conversion into a large, self-contained house with views of the river or bedrooms for a country house hotel for which Saltmarshe Hall might also have potential.

Most of the planting in the garden was done by Mr and Mrs Bean, who have opened it regularly to the public in aid of charity under the National Gardens Scheme.

Extending to 10 acres in the grounds which total 17 acres, the garden is divided into several areas, including lawns, trees and woodland. There are two yew-hedges enclosed gardens and a heavily-planted pond garden.

The large walled garden has a tennis court, a swimming pool, a vegetable garden and compartmentalised areas divided by hedging. In an orchard at the rear, apples, pears and plum trees grow.

A traditional fine country house in beautiful grounds, Saltmarshe Hall has a guide price of £2,000,000.

For further details or an appointment to view, call agents Carter Jonas on: (01904) 558200.