County Durham's Oldest Private House For Sale

An opportunity to own the Grade 1 Listed 731-year-old East Deanery, the oldest privately owned house in County Durham

We are delighted to be able to offer for sale a stunning, historic Grade 1 Listed, former Deanery in Bishop Auckland, which is thought to be the oldest privately owned house in County Durham.

Built in 1292 as part of a Benedictine monastery, East Deanery today offers the potential to create a unique multigenerational or family home, set in 1.4 acres of its own grounds on the outskirts of Bishop Auckland. The tiled stone building retains a wealth of historic and ecclesiastical features, with extensive, versatile living space currently comprising a three-bedroom apartment on the top floor with recreational space and storage on the ground floor offering a wealth of opportunity for different uses. 

Our Durham office are offering East Deanery for sale with a Guide Price of £650,000.

Subject to the necessary permissions within the constraints of its Grade 1 listed status, East Deanery has enormous scope for the successful buyer to adapt the living space to their personal requirements, including the possibility of conversion to two homes.

After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1548, the Deanery served as a farmhouse until 1969, and today to maintain that tradition it is being sold with ample land to form a smallholding or alternatively a large garden.

It is very rare indeed for us to bring a residential property to the market with such a long and fascinating history.  East Deanery is full of reminders of its 700 year story, including extraordinary medieval details such as the internal stone spiral staircase and incorporation of carved grave covers as lintels.

But at the same time, it has been restored to create a wonderful contemporary home. It also has the advantage of its potential to be sensitively divided, perhaps into a main home and an annexe, and it has enough land to allow the buyer to create a smallholding, or perhaps keep a horse or pony. It’s a remarkable property with very deep roots in the history of the county, ready and waiting for a new owner to open a new chapter in its life and theirs.

East Deanery is located in a semi-rural setting on the banks of the River Gaunless, with quick and easy access to the amenities of Bishop Auckland, close to the A688 leading to the A1(M).

For further information or to make an appointment to view East Deanery, please call our Durham office on: 0191 370 8530.