Spout House Stannington: Historic Yorkshire home where couple tragically died in fire is put up for sale

Leonard and Freda Ewing, described as a ‘private but lovely’ couple, were killed when flames tore through their Grade II-listed home, Spout House, on Spout Lane, Stannington, in November 2016.

The building, which they had lovingly restored when they moved in several decades earlier, is one of the oldest in Sheffield.

The original house is believed to date from 1545, with later additions in 1678, and the adjoining cottage is thought to have been built before 1423.

The property, which was badly damaged in the fire and has yet to be restored, has been listed for auction, with a guide price of £900,000. It is described as an ‘outstanding development project’.

The buildings are set in grounds of 1.3 acres, the listing states, with consent granted for the repair and restoration of the original house, including the creation of a single storey extension and alterations to form an annexe, a luxury barn conversion and a ‘substantial’ new dwelling.

A new planning application for the site was submitted in February this year, with Sheffield City Council’s planning portal stating that approval has yet to be granted for these plans.

An inquest heard how Mr and Mrs Ewing, who were both in their 90s, died after a fire started when the cooker was left on one night and ignited papers which were stacked in the kitchen.

Freda was described as ‘lovely and happy’, while Leonard’s nephew called him ‘one of a kind’, adding that he was ‘very intelligent and academically inclined’.