Estate visited by queen and Churchill for sale

A historical estate complete with the remains of a medieval priory, which was once visited by the late Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill, has gone on sale for £25m.

Located on the edge of the Howardian Hills between the North York Moors and York, the Kirkham Estate is on the market for the first time in more than a century.

The estate includes the Grade II listed country house Kirkham Hall and the remains of an Augustinian priory at Kirkham Abbey.

John Coleman, from estate agents GSC Grays, said they had also discovered a secret room hidden behind a bookcase.

The estate, which was once under the guardianship of The Brotherton Family, was inherited by Anne Henson, who owned it up until her death in 2023.

Before that, its history saw Kirkham Abbey being used by the military for testing equipment in preparation for the D-Day landings in 1944.

Tanks, jeeps and other military vehicles were put through their paces at the priory and on the banks of the nearby River Derwent.

In March that year, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth visited the priory to inspect troops and watch military manoeuvres.

Shortly after, the then Prime Minister Winston Churchill paid a visit to the top-secret base to witness preparations.

Mr Coleman said it was Mrs Henson's wish for the estate, which also included a farming enterprise of about 845 acres, more than 215 acres of managed woodland and 11 cottages, be sold as a whole.

"She wanted someone who could afford to live there and love it as she did," he said.

"The whole place gives you a feeling of glamour and splendour, which you would normally see in a much bigger house like Castle Howard."

Walking around the hall, Mrs Henson's "quirky and interesting" character still left a strong impression, Mr Coleman added.

In the basement area, which was once the staff quarters, drawings on the walls give a snapshot into the informal parties Mrs Henson would hold.

Mr Coleman said: "I only met her briefly, sadly at the end of her life, but she was a great character who loved to entertain.

"There's a wonderful room downstairs, which turned out to be an informal party room with drawings on the wall of caricatures of the great and the good coming here to party over the last 40 or 50 years."

Elsewhere, in the library room, a close-up inspection of one bookcase reveals a secret door that leads to another room.

Mr Coleman explained: "In the olden days, a lot of castles had secret areas where the laird or owner of the house could listen in on conversations and you could still hear what was going on."

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