Raygill House Farm: Yorkshire Dales farm put on the market for the first time in a century

Raygill House Farm, near Harrogate, covers 300 acres and sits over-looking the Dales and its far-reaching landscape with views over Gouthwaite Reservoir, up towards Ramsgill Moor, and is also near Pateley Bridge.

The property is within the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

(AONB) and adjoins SSSI Moorland which characterises the valley.

The selling estate agent, Hardcastle Rural Surveyors, say that Raygill House Farm has been in the ownership of the same family for more than a century and is currently run as a commercial upland livestock farm with potential to carry that on, but, that also there are a range of modern farm buildings and well-maintained traditional buildings which could be developed into additional accommodation subject to planning permission.

Raygill House Farm has been run with a flock of hefted sheep that stretch back many generations and which graze over the adjoining open moorland. Raygill has 332 sheep gaits over Ramsgill Moor, which is a registered common.

Ramsgill Moor covers around 2,354 acres and is also managed as a commercial grouse shoot. There are a total of 1,132 gaits over the moor but at the moment only the rights belonging to Raygill House Farm are being exercised, the agent added.

The holding is entered into a range of stewardship schemes, which it is said are offering a stable income, with scope for additional environmental management, woodland creation, natural capital enhancements and possibilities for Biodiversity Net Gain off-setting.

Hardcastle Rural Surveyors say that the moor is in a 10-year Countryside Stewardship Scheme Higher Tier Agreement running from January 2022 and an agreement exists between the owner and the grazier with an annual payment made to the owner of Raygill House Farm for the correct grazing, shepherding and management of the sheep flock.

The most recent annual payment was some £9,000 and this is understood to be transferable to a new owner should they wish to continue to manage a moorland flock.

The traditional style stone built farmhouse lies in a prominent setting overlooking the surrounding land and with fantastic views over the dale. It has been modernised to a high standard and has five bedrooms so is suited to modern family living.

The house features an open plan kitchen/diner and a sitting room that enjoys the views and is fitted with a log burner.

Three of the five bedrooms are en-suite and there is also a garage and utility room attached to the house.

Andrew Hardcastle, d irector at Hardcastle Rural Surveyors who is overseeing the sale said: “Raygill House Farm offers a very rare prospect to purchase a ring fenced commercial farm in Nidderdale, one of the first in over 15 years.

"The market for farms in the region is strong and the property offers scope for a range of environmental enhancements and natural capital improvements which is a growing market across the UK.”