It’s time to join the Stray Ferret Business Club. The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district. Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.

Land and property specialist Strutt and Parker has moved to new offices in Harrogate town centre.

The business, which has been based in Princes Square for nearly 50 years, has moved to a new premises at Westgate House on Albert Street.

Nick Bramley, senior director at the firm, said the move will help Strutt and Parker continue to offer a “high quality” service in the district.

He said:

“This is an exciting opportunity for us as a team and reinforces Strutt & Parker long-standing commitment to the town of Harrogate and our business operation across the North of England.

“The location of the new office is fantastic and the space on offer will provide a first-class working environment for our growing team. Having a new office which our team and clients enjoy spending time in will help us to continue to deliver high-quality estate agency and rural services across Yorkshire and neighbouring counties.”

The new office will have 16 staff led by director James Wort who has been helping buyers and sellers move for nearly 25 years.

The Harrogate office also offers land management services to estates, farms and other rural business owners.

Harrogate rental company reports ‘good progress’ despite inflation

A Harrogate-based rental company has reported “good progress” since its last round of results.

In a trading update, Vp, which is based at Central House on Beckwith Knowle, said the firm has shown “resilience and growth” despite soaring inflation and volatile markets.

The update added that it expects to report results for the full year in line with the board’s expectations.

In its last round of results which covered the six months up to September 2022, Vp reported revenues of £186.5 million compared with £176.1 million on the same period last year.

Neil Stothard, chief executive of Vp, said: 

“Since we reported our interim results last November, the group has continued to make good progress across our core markets and we are pleased that our performance for the full year will be in line with the Board’s expectations.

“In the period, we have worked hard to successfully mitigate cost inflationary pressures and we believe that the group is well placed to optimise performance in the current environment.  We are confident that we will continue to deliver value growth for our shareholders and will be able to react quickly to both challenges and opportunities as specific markets recover.”

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• Business Breakfast: Funding review could result in sale of Black Sheep Brewery
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It has to be the quirkiest home in the Harrogate district — yet it appears nobody is in a rush to buy it.

Skelton Windmill has seven floors and offers rooftop views of Ripon Cathedral, York Minster and the white horse at Kilburn.

Built in 1822, it was the windmill for Newby Hall until the First World War. It then remained derelict until it was converted to a home in the 1990s.

Wendy Wilby, a priest, and her husband Peter, a composer, have lived in it since 1998 but are now looking to sell. With their children grown up, the four-bedroom, grade two listed building and accompanying half acre of land is too big.

But after four months on the market it remains unsold, with the seven flights of stairs a drawback to some potential buyers. It’s now on the market for £850,000.

The windmill was built 200 years ago.

Ms Wilby said:

“It’s unique and quirky but you have got to love old buildings and feel the poetry of it.

“My husband is a composer and he finds it an extremely inspiring place to live.”

“We love it but we are getting older. I’m 73 and it’s all right now but in another 10 years it won’t be quite so easy.”

The windmill, which is between Boroughbridge and Ripon, has 70 steps leading to a trap door on to the roof.

Harrogate estate agents Strutt and Parker, which is marketing the property, describes the windmill as ‘one of the most complete windmills surviving in the country’ with ‘stunning views across the North Yorkshire countryside’.

Inside the windmill

The windmill comes with half an acre of land.

Read more:

• New heritage map reveals Boroughbridge’s rich history
• The Queen’s funeral to be televised at Ripon Cathedral