Property: Three of Harrogate's finest examples of Georgian houses... and what makes them so special
Georgian architecture may be centuries old, but it never, ever seems to go out of fashion.
In fact, people seem to love Georgian style so much that a lot of modern housing draws heavily on it, complete with pillars, porticos and pilasters.
The Georgian period lasted roughly from 1720 to 1840 – a time of immense social change and industrial dynamism – and its architecture reflected that sense of modernity, while also borrowing its ruling aesthetic from Classical Greece and Rome.
Buildings tended to be very symmetrical and were characterised by proportion and balance; simple mathematical ratios were used to determine, say, the height of a window in relation to its width, or room shapes based on cuboid forms.
Despite their Classical roots, Georgian houses would have looked very modern in their day, standing in sharp contrast to the irregular vernacular styles, which were all too often pokey and dimly lit.
In fact, so pleasingly designed are they that they remain highly sought-after to this day.
There are lots of beautiful Georgian homes all across our area – Ripon, Boroughbridge, Wetherby and Boston Spa all have concentrations of them – but the following three are some of the best currently on the market in Harrogate.
Swan House was built around 1815 for Jonathan Shult, the proprietor of the adjacent Swan Inn (now the Old Swan Hotel), both as his private residence and to lodge very important guests.
Now Grade II listed, it has three en suite double bedrooms on the first floor and on the second floor, three more bedrooms, two of them with en suite bathrooms, plus a family room and galley kitchen, providing a perfect retreat for guests.
On the ground floor is a central reception hall, dining kitchen, utility room, study and three reception rooms.
Outside, there are gardens to three sides, electric gates, off-street parking and a detached double garage.
Across town, 4 Albert Terrace is one of a row of Grade II listed homes built in the early to mid 19th century.
Situated between the town centre and the Stray, it looks out onto Spenceley Gardens, opposite Waitrose, and has its own garden to the front, courtyard to the rear and on-street parking.
It has four bedrooms, three bathrooms, hall, kitchen and two reception rooms.
Finally, overlooking the Stray, 11 Church Square also dates from the early 19th century and, although it is not listed, it does retain many of its original period features, high ceilings and sash windows.
Covering four floors, it has three bedrooms, a bathroom, office, kitchen and three reception rooms, one of which is a lower-ground floor dining room with a stunning stone vaulted ceiling.
Outside and to the rear of the property is an enclosed courtyard garden, plus parking for one car and a single garage.