Historic Harrogate home up for auction again with slashed asking price

Pineheath, the derelict mansion on the Duchy estate that failed to find a buyer at auction earlier this month, is to be re-offered for sale at a much reduced price. 

The 17,000 sq ft, 40-room house on Cornwall Road in Harrogate was earlier marketed for £3.5 million, but will now be included in FSS’ next auction with a guide price of £3 million. 

Pineheath was built in the 1890s and from 1927 was the Harrogate home of Sir Dhunjibhoy Bomanji, a wealthy Indian shipping magnate who been knighted in 1922 after reportedly donating £1 million to the war effort during the First World War.  

In its heyday as a family home, Pineheath was fully staffed and had gold-plated taps, a centrally-heated garage of Rolls-Royces, and its distinctive glazed cupola is said to have been covered in gold leaf. 

Following the death of Sir Dhunjibhoy’s daughter in 2012, Pineheath was sold for £2 million to developer Jason Shaw.  

The house currently has planning permission for conversion into 12 flats, and the lot includes the adjoining former chauffeur’s cottage, which has been refurbished into a pair of semi-detached coach houses yielding rent of £51,000 a year.  

Simon Croft, partner at Harrogate estate agent FSS, said: 

“The front runners at the June 8 auction have not been able to finalise funding and we cannot delay the sale any further so it has been included, with a much-reduced guide price of £3 million.  

“This will, we believe, bring in a fresh impetus of buyers and should also allow parties to potentially sell the two already modernised coach houses if vacant possession is obtained, thus recouping capital and leave them with Pineheath as a standalone project. 

“At around £1.6 million this could then be converted to a single residential house, though of course the already implemented planning consent for 12 apartments could also be continued.” 

A 0.545-acre parcel of land behind the site, on Rutland Drive, is believed to be the last undeveloped parcel on the Duchy estate, but also failed to sell at auction for its £1.85 million guide price. 

Mr Croft said: 

“The building plot on Rutland Drive will not be publicly offered at this time as it became clear parties interested in the plot wanted to know Pineheath had sold and would therefore be developed and improved.

“So we will market it again, subject to a successful sale of Pineheath, although a fruitful purchaser of Pineheath will be able to negotiate a purchase of the plot post-sale if desired.” 

Pineheath will be re-offered at auction by FSS on July 13. 

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