A LOVINGLY-MAINTAINED Grade 2 Listed home dating from 1674, with masses of space inside and out and in a sought after area, is not to be ignored. And as SUSAN GOODSON found out, in the careful hands of Andrea and Will Fox it has been beautifully modernised to create a superb family home

LOOKING out over extensive garden grounds to stunning views from a property that has all the charm of the traditional farm house that it is, but now with the added advantages of modern living, it is easy to see why Andrea and Will Fox have called this place home for 20 years.

While there are gardens and lawns stretching out before you, inside are spacious rooms, including a large snooker room with its own full-sized snooker table and while having been carefully developed, it has also been allowed to maintain many of its traditional features.

The New Inn, Biggar Village, Walney, is a beautifully developed and maintained traditional farmhouse with flexible accommodation ideal for family living. To the front are garden grounds, approximately three-quarters of an acre, with views towards Roa Island and a paddock/field.

Accommodation includes an entrance hall, six bedrooms, ground floor shower room, lounge diner, sitting room, kitchen diner, utility room and two ground floor bedrooms. There is also the games/snooker room. To the first floor are four bedrooms and a bathroom.

Outside is a garage, ample parking, back courtyard and to the front walled garden grounds with lawns, patio, outside power and light and a paddock/field. The New Inn has been a home for 50 years and was already in the family when Andrea and Will bought it; before that it was a pub.

Explaining how much they have enjoyed their home, Andrea said: “We renovated all the rooms and divided the huge 50-feet long barn in half to create two bedrooms and a bathroom.

“We have had lots of parties here and the snooker room has been well used. You get to the games room from the entrance hall which has a spiral staircase leading to it.

“The house has plenty of room and it is nice when visitors stay because with one area having two bedrooms and a bathroom they sort of have their own space.

“When our children Ben and Lexi were living at home they loved it here and we had horses and cows.

“The house and grounds are so private and we have great views of the Walney Channel and Piel Island.

“It is a lovely lifestyle and we have loved sitting out on the terrace with a glass of wine just enjoying the quiet. When they have the yacht races we can sit and watch them going by.

“We have kept the house up to date because we like doing that sort of thing, always doing something.”

There are traces of the house which date back to 1674 and others from 1758 and its walls are two-and-a-half feet thick which makes it extremely cosy despite the size of the rooms.

Andrea said: “There is a multi-fuel burning fire in the lounge diner with its original ingle nook feature surround and the ceiling is beamed. There is access to an additional porch which leads outside from here.

“You can tell they used wood from the beach inside the house because, although the kitchen is modern, the main beam was once a ship’s mast.

“This is a huge house and great for social occasions.

"We have a dining room but we also have a table in the kitchen because there is so much room.”

While having respected the traditional features of the house, there is also a modern bathroom with roll top bath, WC, wash basin, fully tiled walls and flooring, down lights and a heated towel rail. The master bedroom is another superb room with beamed ceiling, full length built-in wardrobes, pointed cobble wall and a stable door to the balcony with stunning views to Piel Island

Andrea finished: “We have divided the barn into two so that half are rooms but there is plenty of storage space; the snooker room could be converted into another bedroom and the layout means the new owner could have a B and B if they wanted.

“It is tough for us to sell the house because we love it and the lifestyle but our children have now moved away. We would like to move to be closer to family and are really keen to consider part exchange.”

The house - The New Inn, Biggar Village - is on the market with Ross Estate Agencies for offers in the region of £550,000 and part exchange would be considered.

For further details or to arrange a viewing please call the agent on 01229 825636 or drop into the offices at 16-18 Cavendish Street, Barrow.