The Duchy Estate - Harrogate’s leafy suburb of ‘forever homes’

The average plot ratio of building to site is just five per cent, lower than anywhere else in the town, and many buyers regard a property here as their “forever house” – the one they’ll never leave, because there’s nowhere better.

The estate, which forms part of a conservation area, was developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries on land which belongs to the Duchy of Lancaster and is owned by the Duke of Lancaster (aka HM the Queen), which is why most of the roads are named after dukedoms.

Kent Road, Duchy Road and Cornwall Road run in parallel through the area, and Harrogate’s only grade I-listed building, St Wilfrid’s Church, stands tall at its centre. Other landmark buildings include Harrogate Ladies’ College on Clarence Drive, and Windsor House and the former Royal Baths Hospital, both on Cornwall Road.

There are no shops, cafés or restaurants here, but the area is bounded by Oak Beck to the north, open countryside to the west, the Valley Gardens to the south and the amenities and cultural attractions of Low Harrogate to the east – all within walking distance.

All this, of course, comes at a premium, and two or three of the roads here have in the past been named Yorkshire’s most expensive.

If you’re looking for a tight-knit neighbourhood with a strong sense of community, this is probably not the place for you, but if you want space, privacy, peace and a green outlook, then the Duchy estate may well be your idea of heaven.

Right in the heart of the area, Galtee More is typical of some of the Victorian houses on Duchy Road. Built in 1896, the end-of-terrace property has six bedrooms and three bathrooms on the upper floors, and on the ground floor, there is an entrance hall, two reception rooms, snug and open-plan kitchen dining area with underfloor heating, opening onto a sun terrace.

Below that, there is a gym and shower room, utility room, pantry, and large family room with log-burning stove and doors that lead out onto the covered outdoor entertaining terrace and courtyard garden. Outside, there are gardens and off-street parking accessed via electric gates.

Nearby, on Rutland Road, Collingwood also has six bedrooms, three of them with en suite bathrooms, two further bathrooms, central hall, two reception room, and a large, open-plan living kitchen with walk-in pantry, plus boot-room and office. Outside, there are gardens to the front and side, plus a detached double garage and an EV charging point.

Finally, 24 Kent Road is a semi-detached house at the older (Ripon Road) end of the estate. It too has six bedrooms, plus three bathrooms, hallway, kitchen and two reception rooms. The full-height lower ground floor was previously configured as a self-contained apartment but could be re-incorporated into the main house if desired; as it is, it has a bedroom, bathroom, lounge, utility room and storage. The house stands in a quarter-acre plot of mature gardens.