The conversion of a former bank in Helmsley into two apartments and a shop was not easy but it now looks a million dollars

There were certainly times when Jill and Henry White wished they had never bought the Grade II-listed building, which originally belonged to the Duncombe Park estate.

They won the bidding at auction in March 2019 and perhaps it was fate because there is no doubt that they were the right people for the job of giving the old bank a new life. Jill is a chartered surveyor and property industry high flyer with a hugely impressive CV, while Henry is a site engineer.

“I was fed-up of seeing old buildings in market towns turned into charity shops and coffee shops so when I saw the bank was up for sale, I thought there was an opportunity to create retail premises on the ground floor with two serviced apartments above,” says Jill, whose first hurdle was getting permission for change of use to mixed use.

While it would’ve been much easier to make the building fully residential, Jill persevered and worked with the planners to get the go-ahead. Archaeology reports and a subsequent dig was the next hold-up and this was followed by conservation requirements and building regulations that compromised Jill’s proposed designs.

Rather than lime pointing, hydrolysed lime was specified by the conservation officer and, instead of concrete floors, lime concrete had to be used, both of which caused delays to the schedule as they take a long time to cure. “I think everything that could’ve been thrown at us was thrown at us. The building was in poor condition externally and internally and what should’ve been an eight-month project took 18 months,” says Jill, a stickler for attention to detail who was on site every day.

While a 10-month delay was galling, it could have been longer had it not been for swerving hold-ups caused by the pandemic. Super-organised Jill had previously ordered almost everything needed, from building materials, doors and boilers to staircases, radiators, sofas and beds and was able to store them in outbuildings at her home in Ampleforth.

“A lot came from local suppliers because I’m a big believer in keeping it local and also upcycling where possible,” says Jill, who invested heavily in the interior design. “When I go away I want to stay somewhere equally as good or better than home so that’s the premise I worked on.

The two lets have been named the Pheasant and the Partridge at the Old Bank and are aimed at the holiday/short break market and also at those who travel to the area for country pursuits, hence the addition of an A7 gun safe. Both have an open-plan living area and two ensuite bedrooms while the Pheasant can sleep an extra two on its mezzanine.

To say that Jill has gone above and beyond in catering for the needs of her guests is an understatement. Each bedroom has a Dyson hot and cool purifying fan that removes dust and allergens and each apartment has a Wintersteiger drying, disinfecting and deodorising unit for coats, boots, gloves and hats. “You usually find these in very high-end ski chalets but I thought they would be useful here,” adds Jill, who also added a TV above the bath.

The kitchens in the two apartments are from Ripon Interiors, with granite from Dales of Thirsk. The beds are from Leeds-based Harrison Spinks, which uses local sheeps wool in its luxury mattresses. Pickering-based designer maker George Gold made the fitted wardrobes and the gas log burners are by Dru. The sofas had to be bespoke to ensure they would fit into the rooms, though the extra expense came with an added bonus as Jill was able to have them upholstered in her favourite Linwood fabrics.

The lights in the Pheasant were also made bespoke for the apartment by Industville, as were the headboards, designed by Jill and made by Peter Silk of Helmsley. Art and antiques also play a big part in making the lets extra special. Among the original paintings are a moorland scene by Leeds artist Judith Leven and a large depiction of a local pack of hounds by Anthony Dobson.

There are also paintings by Laura Rich, Debbie Boon, Charlotte Elizabeth, Paul Bailey and Andrew Morris, while Nick Bentley, of Harrogate-based gallery Bils & Rye, helped Jill place the pictures for maximum impact. The antiques add character and include a silver chandelier that came via a Dugglebys auction from the Throne Room of Auckland Castle, in Bishop Auckland, and now hangs in The Pheasant.

The mahogany fire surround in the Partridge was taken out of the British Waterways head office at No 1 Dock Street in Leeds over 20 years ago. “It’s been in storage in our stables ever since but we knew we would eventually find a project for it,” adds Jill, who also added a Georgian desk, an old settle and vintage cruise liner chairs. The latter came via Henry’s grandfather who worked at Vickers shipyard.

Outside, the Old Bank has a paved terrace and an eight-person hydrotherapy hot tub, which has been a big hit with guests. The final piece of the Old Bank’s rebirth was finding a suitable retailer for the ground-floor unit, which has been let to Fairfax & Favour, a specialist in luxury boots, shoes, clothes and accessories inspired by country life.

Like most challenging projects, this one went over budget by about 20 per cent and, while the end result was worth the hassle and the expense, Jill says: “I would shy away from doing work on a listed building again as this wasn’t an easy ride but I think it’s something we can be proud of and that’s important to us.”

For details of the Pheasant and the Partridge apartments at the Old Bank, Helmsley, visit www.beautifulescapes.co.uk.