Enjoy the garden in all weathers from a beautiful summerhouse

Talk about summerhouses after the weather we’ve had over the last few weeks and you’re likely to be asked “what ‘summer’?”.
Ings Farm, Ings Lane, Bishop Monkton - £900,000 with Knight Frank, 01423 530088.Ings Farm, Ings Lane, Bishop Monkton - £900,000 with Knight Frank, 01423 530088.
Ings Farm, Ings Lane, Bishop Monkton - £900,000 with Knight Frank, 01423 530088.

But that’s the whole point of summerhouses - you can still sit out in the garden, even when the weather isn’t behaving as it should.

In fact, many people stock theirs with rugs, blankets and even heaters and use them all year round.

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They’re great as a workspace too - a little oasis of calm, away from the activity of the house and surrounded by the green of the garden.

Lodge Farm, Dacre - £700,000 with Verity Frearson, 01423 562531Lodge Farm, Dacre - £700,000 with Verity Frearson, 01423 562531
Lodge Farm, Dacre - £700,000 with Verity Frearson, 01423 562531

To buy new, summerhouses can cost as little as £400 for a basic 7x5ft softwood version, but at the upper end you can spend as much as you like; a half-octagonal bay-fronted number with hardwood frame, cathedral-style rafters and a pavilion lead roof will set you back £22,000, and you can add on another £8,000 if you want all the trimmings, such as oak floors, insulation and power points.

Happily, most summerhouses don’t need planning permission. So long as they’re single-storey and no more than 2.5m in height (if erected within 2m of your property boundary), then they count as “permitted development”.

There are plenty of properties thus equipped in our area, including the following three, which are all currently for sale.

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In the heart of Bishop Monkton, Ings Farm is a Grade II listed 17th-century detached house which has kept many of its original features, including exposed beams, wooden windows and period fireplaces. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen and adjoining breakfast room, pantry, utility room, front and rear halls, two reception rooms and a garden room with glazed atrium ceiling, as well as a large boarded-out attic space with eaves storage.

Cramond, Killinghall - £400,000 with Verity Frearson, 01423 562531.Cramond, Killinghall - £400,000 with Verity Frearson, 01423 562531.
Cramond, Killinghall - £400,000 with Verity Frearson, 01423 562531.

The property has vehicle access to the front via a bridge over the beck, in addition to a further separate entrance into the rear courtyard via Ings Lane. There are gardens, a large pond with island, and outbuildings attached to the rear of the house, comprising a large garage, studio space, two stores and two stables. There are also two connected fields with a ring-fenced copse of trees in the centre and separate vehicle access from the lane to the rear of the property.

The gardens and land combined extend to some 5.66 acres in total.

In Dacre, Lodge Farm was originally two cottages which were converted to form one residence, and the front of the house is a glorious façade of old stone-flagged roof and mullioned windows. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, kitchen, pantry, utility room, study, central hallway and two reception rooms. Outside, there are gardens to the front and back, an orchard, allotment, and ample off-street parking, as well as an adjoining paddock - with natural spring - which extends to two acres.

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Finally, Cramond in Killinghall is a detached house on a generous plot with potential for extension, subject to the necessary consents. It has four bedrooms, a house bathroom, kitchen, study and two reception rooms, as well as an adjoining single garage and south-facing garden.

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