IT might be one of those apocryphal things, but there are many people who will tell you with great conviction that York has a pub for every single day of the year. Testing the theory out might be fun, if rather expensive and bad for the liver.

That said, and despite this obvious wealth of ale houses in the city, tears are still shed when one of them is lost for good.

Take the Lord Nelson Inn as a case in point, the day when last orders were called for the last time at this drinkers’ favourite.

But now, rising somewhat phoenix like from its proverbial ashes, the beloved pub’s name will live on in perpetuity in the form of Nelson’s Yard, which is a brand new and exclusive development of just six contemporary town houses together with the conversion of the former 19th century coaching inn to form two period style town houses. The latter being a nice touch we think.

These three-bedroom, high specification homes on Dennis Street have been built by award-winning York based property development and investment company, Northminster. Located in the heart of the city in between Walmgate and Piccadilly this select development is arranged around a private secure courtyard which is accessed via electronically controlled gates. It was completed during the summer after a year and a half’s work with a gross development value of £4.77 million.

You’ll probably have seen the construction going on just behind what used to be Neville Shute’s Airworks factory; another site we’d have liked to see redeveloped rather than demolished, but that’s another story.

At Nelson’s Yard you can almost taste the quality on offer as soon as you cross the threshold. Individually thought out by acclaimed designer Rachel McLane, each of these superb three-bedroom and three-bathroom town houses has been finished to an extremely high quality throughout. Examples of this include feature bespoke kitchens by York family business Richard James Handmade, boasting Siemens built-in appliances, wine fridges, some would say the new must-have in town, and all sanitary ware is by Kohler, which despite its Germanic name is in fact an American plumbing manufacturer based in Kohler, USA. Never let it be said that we don’t include little factoids of our own.

Further evidence of the incredible attention to detail at Nelson’s Yard is the solid oak engineered flooring, then there are imaginatively-designed open-plan living room, kitchen and dining rooms, not to mention some impeccable green credentials which come in the form of solar thermal roof panels and underfloor heating to the bathrooms.

Each property has dedicated on-site car parking within the gated courtyard and will also be sold with an individual garden.

Then there is the location, which really couldn’t be better because Nelson’s Yard is handy for York city centre and close to the hustle and bustle of the shopping quarter, but, being a short walk away from all the goings-on, offers a tranquil setting as well.

The development is also a mere stone’s throw from Fossgate and Walmgate, which is becoming the city’s burgeoning restaurant quarter. So you might not get to use that fantastic Richard James Handmade kitchen after all, nor its Siemens built-in appliances. The wine fridge on the other hand is a different matter.

Couple all this with an easy walk to York’s railway station, not to mention many local amenities and you have to agree that this is a prime residential location.

That’s not all. These townhouses have fantastic views over the city from their upper balconies and on a clear day you can see the Minster.

Priced from £475,000 these new houses are a welcome addition to this part of York. Unashamedly modern in appearance they have already blended in with the neighbourhood and represent another part of Piccadilly’s renaissance.

And another thing. If York really does have a pub for every day of the year, we reckon there’s more than enough left. So don’t shed a tear for the demise of the Lord Nelson, instead raise a glass to its name living in perpetuity as Nelson’s Yard.

For further information please contact Hudson Moody on 01904 650650.