Secrets of 128 Fulford Road York which is on sale for £1m

Well, a quick search of Right Move shows there are more than 20 listings in York priced at £1m or more.

But none quite have the history to match that of 128 Fulford Road – or its hidden secrets.

The new owner will not only be buying a substantial house with double garage, private garden and a location that is hard to beat – just minutes from riverside walks, the bar walls, and a ten-minute stroll into the city centre – but a unique part of York history.

The six-bedroom property makes up the left-hand part of the former Priory Hotel, the magnificently ornate red-brick Victorian building that dates back to the late 19th century.

And inside offers a wonderful insight into how we used to live – including a ‘secret’ room and stunning stained glass roof windows.

Former Priory Hotel in Fulford Road that is now being converted into three homes

The Priory Hotel and St Margaret’s Rectory in the 1960s. Photo Tim Robinson (Image: Supplied)For the past 90 years the property was run as a hotel by the Jackson family, who sold it last year to developers.

But its history is even more fascinating.

The Priory was part of the Fulford Grange Estate – a sprawling piece of land which today would cover the area from the Blue Bridge to Alma Terrace.

York grain merchant Isaac Poad bought the estate in 1876 and soon after built the Priory Hotel for his daughter. In the 1880s, football and rugby games were played in the grounds, and tennis courts were available to hire.

The conversion has been carried out by award-winning York property developers Trinity, headed up by Stephen Hazell.

Stephen took The Press on a guided tour of the house – pointing out many of its unique features, and new ones that he has added.

“None of the original fireplaces were left – so we have replaced them,” he said. Unfortunately, the chimneys have gone too so the fireplaces are purely decorative.

WATCH: Discover the secrets of 128 Fulford Road

On the top-floor, the master bedroom and dressing room are adjoined by a luxury bathroom that looks straight out of a design magazine. But check out the tiny dormer window in the roof line that is filled with stain glass – a delightful reminder of the building’s illustrious pass. Ditto for the carved dark wood banister and impossibly large windows that flood the building with light.

—

READ NEXT:

* Popular York restaurant closes as owner leaves emotional message

*  Inside the luxury £4.5m spa retreat near York with wild swim pond

—

Stephen said: “When we work on a project like this we want to conserve as many of the original features as we can.”

There are some surprises too – not least the fake ‘door’ in the main upstairs room which leads to a ‘secret’ snug.

Depending on whether you use the room as a bedroom or living room, the room could be a dressing room or a cosy office.

The house is on sale with both Savills and Hudson Moody.