Architecture Wednesday: The Yorkshire Bolthole

This is the Yorkshire bolthole. Bolthole, you say? It sounds a bit perverted but the Cambridge English dictionary defines a bolthole as 'a place you can go to when you want to get away from your usual life and escape'.

Well, this is an escape, though it’s right out there for everyone to see. The Yorkshire Bolthole is also Grade II-listed—defined as a UK building or structure that is "of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it—and  is part of a glorious Georgian country estate.

Sounds fascinating, but what’s the catch? Well, it measures just 10ft 5” by 8ft 6” and just might be Britain’s smallest home at just 406 square feett.

It’s located on the Grimston Park Estate in North Yorkshire, and the Old Gatehouse, as it is more commonly known—doesn’t it sound a wee bit more glamorous than bolthole—is for sale at £225,000, or just a hair under $280,00USD.

It looks like a limestone cube though it conceals a semi-subterranean layout featuring a sunken living room and kitchen, bathroom—with freestanding tub—and a space-saving spiral staircase that connects to the mezzanine bedroom above, and a cozy private garden.

Yeah, it’s a wee house, but how much space does one really need?

The Spaces