A converted farm building with period character - and comfortable mod cons (From York Press)

A converted farm building with period character - and comfortable mod cons

12:11pm Thursday 9th February 2012

“THE thing is,” Fiona Miller says, “that this is a house which has lots of character features but it’s also got all the modern conveniences.”

That, we agree, can make for a fantastic house… And the house in question here, a smart and spacious home in a courtyard collection in Brockett Court on the outskirts of Acaster Malbis, certainly has character.

It was converted some 12 years ago from one of a series of farm outbuildings – in this case a milking shed. “I have a friend who is a vet,” Fiona says, “and she can remember coming out to see to the cows here. Where our living and dining rooms are now is where the cows were milked.”

If there are traces of the house’s origins, however, they are only in the reclaimed beams and tresses that form part of the home’s wonderful individuality. Far from its byre background, this is now very much a stylish and comfortable home, warm and welcoming and with just a touch of grandeur.

Fiona and husband Iain – with more recent arrivals in the shape of their sons James, five, and oneyear- old Adam – have been here for ten years and very much enjoyed their stay.

“Iain was brought up in Glasgow in a Victorian villa-style house with lots of high ceilings and traditional style,” Fiona says. “So we always wanted a house which had that sort of style and character.” (With mod cons, naturally).

It’s a nicely-positioned property, too, on the rural edge, with good walks around and about and plenty of places for Fiona and Iain to enjoy their hobby of cycling – although, as mountain bikers, they often travel further afield.

We start the tour in the living room, a cosy, toasty spot with an exposed brick fireplace, wooden mantel and slate hearth housing a wood-burning stove. There’s plenty of light flooding in from the room’s French windows which look out over a child-friendly garden.

The living room, like many other parts of the house, has solid wood flooring underneath and sturdy overhead beams. There are rich stained wood doors and frames throughout, too.

The dining room is next, again an overhead beam adding character and with similar views over the garden. And, I say, it’s a nice warm room. “It’s a warm house,” Fiona says. “It doesn’t take long to heat up.”

Certainly there is a nice warm feel to the farmhouse-style kitchen with its range of pine-fronted wall and base units and complementary work surfaces. Integrated appliances include an electric oven and four-ring hob and under-counter fridge and freezer and there is a smart slate floor. A downstairs cloakroom – and useful understairs utility room and storage – completes the ground-floor accommodation.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is a pleasant room with windows to both front and back (nice and light) and an en-suite bathroom with bath and separate shower cubicle.

There are three further bedrooms, two doubles and a single (one of them had pride of place as an office which Fiona, who works in marketing, enjoyed until the arrival of Andrew, which ousted her to a smaller room).

And then there is the family bathroom, another character room with a cast-iron free-standing roll-top bath and, again, separate shower cubicle – and it’s a good-sized room. “Not many bathrooms have room for four people and with room to spare,” as Fiona puts it.

That kind of sums up all of this house, a place with lots of space to sprawl around in, lots of individuality and cosily comfortable. And in a good, spot, too.

While it is most definitely a rural location – horses, chickens, the occasional deer and various other animals abound around – it is also, says Fiona, easy to get into town.

In this instance ‘town’ could be London.

When Fiona has meetings in the capital she can drive to York, park up and get the train and zip down to the South. “I can be door-todoor to Holborn in three hours,”

she says. “Then I can be in a noisy wine bar in London and back here in the peace and quiet three hours later.”

Ideal really… a bit like Fiona’s home.

at a glance

2 Brockett Court, Acaster Malbis

Reception rooms: 2

Bedrooms: 4 (master with en-suite) Gardens: Parking to front, garage to side, rear garden with mostly lawned area with patio area, garden shed and store

Wow factor: Solid wood floors, exposed beams and tressles provide masses of character touches

Price: £349,950

Contact: Quantum. Telephone: 01904 631631