About us
A riverside estate, looked after like a home.
Our story
It started with a search.
It began with a search for a home. I was looking for somewhere I could plant trees and experiment with permaculture — and the moment I saw the Wenning, nestled by the river, that was that. The river, the cluster of old buildings, the sweep of the land: I fell for all of it. It was, admittedly, in a sorry state.
The main house hadn’t been touched since the 1970s and had stood empty for six years — the roof was leaking and it looked more like a horror-film set than a home. The Old Poolhouse was still a poolhouse, complete with a decrepit pool, and what is now Riverbank Cottage was a broken-down barn. An army of builders and tradesmen descended, and within eight months we’d moved in. The restoration was done to the highest standard by Adam Carr Builders, with cutting-edge, energy-saving touches throughout: underfloor heating, solar thermal panels, 200mm of internal wall insulation and whole-house heat-recovery ventilation (MVHR).
In 2019 I needed to relocate, but I couldn’t face selling the estate. Having planted several thousand trees, I wanted to stay and watch them grow — and so the place was reborn as National Park Retreats. These days there is nothing I enjoy more than seeing guests enjoy the place, the river and the land, just as I did.
Phil
Sustainability
Greener by design.
Sustainability isn’t an afterthought here — it’s central. The land is managed with nature in mind, and the several thousand trees planted across it grow a little taller each year. The buildings were rebuilt to match: underfloor heating, solar thermal panels, deep internal wall insulation, with whole-house heat-recovery ventilation Imain house only) keep the properties warm and gentle on energy usage, whatever the Yorkshire weather is doing outside.
Our mission
Space, peace and nature
- Real space, not just square footage
- Considered finishes in every property
- Local knowledge, freely shared