When we first visited the embryonic development that was Ashfield House it was obvious that something special was stirring…

And not before time… The sprawling Victorian property may have been located in one of York’s best areas, off Tadcaster Road, but it was desperately in need of new life.

Built in 1850 by architect A J Penty for a family of prominent bankers, it was once one of the city’s grandest homes.

But over the years it had been subjected to what could possibly be termed benign neglect and latterly had fallen from grace to become offices for the nearby college.

(Not, you understand that there is anything wrong with that but somehow it seemed a waste of the house’s splendour).

Designer and developer Kim Gonsalves obviously agreed – and set about restoring this treasure to its original glory.

“I just hope,” she told me when, a year ago, I went to see Ashfield House for the first time, “that we can bring this lovely building back to life.”

Well, Kim has done all that and more. Ashfield House has been lovingly restored in the shape of four superb Georgian-style townhouses, each of them quite beautifully designed and styled.

We took the tour at the weekend, reminding ourselves of just why we thought Ashfield House was to become something special.

First we revisited Number 6, one of the two handsome bookends to the row. It was every bit as grand as we remembered it.

And grand, in the original and best sense of the word, is what all four homes here are all about.

That grandeur is evident from the moment you step into the long, high and handsome hallway of Number 6; from when you step into the large drawing room facing front through big box sash windows and with full room-width folding doors into the huge dining room; to when you stroll into the superbly fitted breakfast kitchen.

Everything here is simply grand. The ceilings are high, the rooms huge and the period details are gleaming in their original splendour, from ceiling roses to deep skirting boards, architraves and cornicing.

The same sense of space and style is in evidence on the first floor where there are four bedrooms, one with a splendid en-suite and a luxury bathroom.

And even the basement-level utility room is kitted out with top-quality fittings (right down to a Belfast sink).

It’s a beautiful blend of period and contemporary throughout… And so, do the other houses live up to the promise of the original?

Well, in a word, definitely. They too, are simply grand… Next door at number 5, for instance, there is an enormous drawing room which opens up onto a hallway on the other side of which is a stunning dining kitchen and utility room. The fittings here whisper quality, from the black granite work surfaces and the impressive central preparation island to the double oven and the integrated American style fridge freezer.

Kim’s eye for detail is everywhere, here and elsewhere nothing has been allowed to intrude upon the house’s air of elegance.

This home has two bedrooms, both with en-suite bathrooms on the first floor and there are a further two bedrooms, sharing a bathroom on the floor above.

One of the other beauties of this development is that no two of the houses share the same design, they are each very much their own, individual selves.

So, for instance, Number 4 has five bedrooms over two floors while downstairs there is a big drawing room, then a living/dining space and then another brilliant breakfast kitchen.

But, if we were to confess to having a favourite among these grand designs, it would be Number 3, the other bookend.

It wasn’t fully completed when we visited (the kitchen was still in the process of assembly and other finishing touches were waiting to be applied) but we could see immediately that this is an ideal home for the discerning family (or property writer).

The drawing room is, as they say, to die for… There is a box bay window to the front, two more windows to the front and another to the side. And, as if the Gods were smiling on the venture, just as we walked into this room the sun came out… The whole space was lit with brilliant, dancing sunshine from all sides. We couldn’t have imagined a better place to idle away our hours… From the drawing room you pass through into the spacious kitchen (which we suspect will be every bit as good as the others already completed) and, another individual touch here, a sunny breakfast room.

Upstairs there is a master bedroom and guest bedroom (both with en-suite) and two further spacious bedrooms and a house bathroom. It is interesting that Ashfield House is within a stroll of The Square, the Nixon Homes development we have previously described as one of the best ever produced in York.

Ashfield House is a fitting neighbour and Kim and her team deserve many plaudits for so beautifully restoring the life of this grand old house… Prices at Ashfield House range from £650,000 to £725,000. For further details contact marketing agents R M English on 01904 697900.