WHEN Gary and Sharon Lynch were looking for a home they had a list of must-haves including a detached home with character, privacy, near schools, with trees to climb and, of course, a football pitch.

FROZEN in time is how Gary and Sharon Lynch describe their home when they first walked through the doors 30 years go.

Built in 1898, even the Victorian gas lamps were in working order and three decades later the couple still feel more like the custodians rather than the owners of the house.

Since moving in extensive but well thought out modernisation has taken place to bring the house to its high standard while ensuring all of the character and charm of the property remained in tact.

The house - Wheat Close House, 13 Wheatclose Road, Barrow - is in a highly sought-after residential location and is a traditional detached family home built with Yorkshire stone and many traditional features throughout.

The property has gas central heating, feature fireplaces and a deep-set extensive lawn garden front with a drive to the garage and off-road parking.

Inside there is a vestibule, entrance hall, lounge, living room, dining room, extended kitchen and to the first floor three bedrooms with an en-suite to the master room and a family bathroom.

At the back of the property is a low-maintenance flagged courtyard, patio area and store shed.

Gary and Sharon spent more than six months searching for their perfect home and during that time they looked at an awful lot of properties.

Then a trip up a tree-lined drive revealed a nicely secluded house that really caught their attention and finally became their home.

A lot of practical work had to be carried out to bring the property up to the standard Gary and Sharon wanted. This included having central heating installed, rewiring, all new plumbing and developing the outbuildings.

However, when it came to the house itself not a lot of structural work had to be done. Houses of that era were built to last and Wheat Close House is a prime example.

Entering the house the hall has colourful Victorian floor tiling and a lounge with an imposing marble fireplace surrounding a traditional open fire which is very welcome on cold winter nights. Twin sash windows give a superb view of the front lawn with its trees, hedging and shrubs.

The second reception room also has a beautiful fireplace and has proved to be a great family space.

Sharon said: “What we now call the study has previously been known as the toy room, the piano room, the homework room and the computer room, which tells a story of family life.”

The kitchen diner is a blend of old and new and the recent extension has resulted in the installation of twin Velux windows which flood the area with light. A Rangemaster cooker is a centrepiece for the modern and well equipped workspace.

The knocked through extension also highlights the extent of the property’s external stone walls.

Gary said: “They were built to last and are now into their third century.”

The dining room, which has an open arch entrance to the kitchen, has a superb original range in excellent condition but as a feature only. It has the original tiled floor and a handy under stairs storage cupboard.

A mahogany banister staircase leads to the first floor with two double bedrooms, a single bedroom and the family bathroom. The master bedroom has an en-suite and a walk-in wardrobe. All the bedrooms are wired for television and have the original feature fireplaces.

A boarded loft space is a sizeable storage area.

The house has revealed its own surprises during the thirty years the family has lived in it.

Gary said: “With us being here so long I’ve been over every inch of this amazingly well-built property and during maintenance and refurbishment work I’ve found vintage cigarette packets, board games, shirt collars, old bottles and newspapers, amongst other things.

“I’ve put them all back for posterity but I feel the house still has more secrets to reveal.”

For easy access to the grounds a door from the kitchen leads out on to the enclosed courtyard and patio at the back of the house. There is also a well-equipped garage and store room.

Gary added: “The patio area is south facing and in the summer gets the sun until the late evening; it’s great for alfresco dining, barbecues and get-togethers and the outdoor lighting can provide an atmospheric setting.

“We have also spent many summer evenings in the small arbor enjoying long chats over a glass of wine.

“Being in such a green environment we get regular close encounters with nature including bats, squirrels, hedgehogs, frogs and birds galore including a resident sparrow hawk for a while.”

Sharon finished: “The house has lots of places to relax inside and out and for parties and entertaining, summer or winter, it’s been ideal.

“Shortly there’ll be just the two of us so we are looking for something smaller.”

The house - 13 Wheatclose Road, Barrow - is on the market with Ross Estate Agency inviting offers for £385,000.