Howsham Hall, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Oct 30th 2009 at 1:01PM

Howsham Hall is gorgeous but is it cursed? In September, Country Life ran a story that says that the stately and fabulously restored 17th century mansion near the Malton area of North Yorkshire, England comes with a curse. The Curse of Kirkham apparently reaches way back to 1610 when Sir William Bamburgh built the hall by taking stone and timber from the nearby Kirkham Priory, a former religion community which had been destroyed by Henry VIII during his rampage against monasteries. The plundering of materials from the site was considered to be sacrilege and the curse says that all male heirs of the estate will perish and no true happiness will ever come to the family or its successors. Ouch.

But the home's charms are enough to make anyone want to tempt fate. It is on sale for only the fourth time in 400 years and offers both exceptional formal rooms and practical family areas. The home is situated around a central courtyard with the front door entrance porchway leading into the great hall. Rooms touched with columns and moldings and marble fireplaces are updated with modern touches. We only have a few listing pictures but they show an extraordinary residence. There is also planning permission for an indoor swimming pool to be created within the courtyard. The home has over 80 acres that include formal lawns, a cricket pitch, pastureland and river frontage with the opportunity to moor a boat.

Those with deep pockets and no fear of curses can purchase this home for £6 million through Savills.

Gallery: Howsham Hall