A five-bedroom home in East Yorkshire with a history stretching back to the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary has come onto the property market, listed at £1.3 million.
The property, named The Kings House, sits on nearly one acre of land in Cottingham and offers close to 5,000 sq ft of living space. Though constructed in the 1930s, it has been carefully updated in recent years while keeping its original Art Deco character largely intact.
The story behind the house is what sets it apart. In 1935, architect C. Baresford Marshall designed a full-scale show home that was presented at the Ideal Home Exhibition in London as part of the monarchs' Silver Jubilee commemorations. That original "King's House" stood in Surrey and drew considerable public attention at the time.
A Hull-based lung specialist, Dr Maurice Jacobs, was so taken with the design that he obtained permission to replicate it and built his own version in Cottingham during the mid-1930s. He both lived and worked there, going as far as adapting parts of the building to care for tuberculosis patients, who would rest on a purpose-built balcony as part of their recovery.
After Dr Jacobs died in 1965, he left the property to the University of Hull. It went on to serve as the official residence of the university's Vice-Chancellor for several decades.
Inside, the home opens into a galleried entrance hallway with generous proportions. There are four reception rooms, large windows that bring in plenty of natural light, and a kitchen fitted with high-specification appliances.
The overall layout reflects the ambition of its original design, combining space with a sense of occasion. Estate agents Fine and Country, who have listed the property, describe it as a home that offers not just size and location but "a story" of its own.
For buyers looking for something beyond the ordinary, a house built from a royal blueprint and shaped by nearly a century of remarkable history is a rare find at any price.
