DI YEOMANS had a wish list when she and husband John set out to create their ideal home. It basically asked for lots of light, bright open-plan spaces, windows and doors placed to make the most of the extensive views of the surrounding countryside – and a sense of individual character throughout.

Their new house was to emerge on the site of a huge old bus depot and sheds in North Back Lane, Terrington, just a short stretch away from the cottage they were living in at the time with their children.

The dream scenario was presented to local architect Keith Groom and builder Andrew Wiseman and the Yeomans sat back to watch and wait from that handily placed nearby vantage point.

That was in the summer of 1994. They moved into the house – newly named Owlers Lodge – in November of the following year.

And was Di’s dream realised? “It was even better than I had imagined,” she says. “It was all I wanted and more.”

And it remains so today – a quite brilliant home in all senses of the word, dancing with light, sprawling with space and with a wonderful sense of charm and character. And an array of simply stunning rural views.

“I think perhaps it is the views I love the most,” John says, as we stand by an arched French door with deep windows to either side gazing out towards Bulmer and the Howardian Hills in the distance. “When the sun falls just right Bulmer is illuminated, absolutely lit up, it’s quite wonderful.”

But then there are many different views to be found here and, cleverly, this is a property with a lot of windows to make the most of the panoramas – far and near.

From the living room, for instance, you can look down on what was once a dairy farm where the cows would come home for milking twice a day but now is a pasture and orchard – and visited these days only by geese arriving to be fattened for Christmas or the pair of already quite plump pigeons I can see perched on the branches of a yew tree.

We are looking down on this scene because, ingeniously, this is an “upside down” house, with the living areas designed into the upstairs to maximise those splendid views.

And it is on the top floor where you find Di’s desire for open plan living spaces has really been best realised.

Coming up the open staircase from the hallway you find a dining area with large windows to one side and a set of doors that roll back to create a seamless flow into the kitchen (or to be closed if you prefer to have the two rooms separated) on the other.

l Continues from previous page The kitchen is stylishly fitted with a range of contemporary high white wall and base units with granite worktops and with an impressive double Aga Range cooker in an exposed brick surround. There is a tiled floor underfoot and an arched ceiling overhead.

From the windows here Di has yet another interesting view. She can see across to the Terrington Hall Preparatory School where, before retirement, she was deputy head for many years. “It was an easy commute,” she laughs.

John had a slightly longer journey to work. He was a senior partner with the York law firm Harrowells before retirement. He was, and still is, well known for his great efforts on behalf of York’s business and tourism communities (and has a Lifetime Achievement award from The Press in honour of those good works).

Both John and Di are sociable people and you can see how this is a house built for social get-togethers.

“Oh, it’s a very good party house,” Di says, “because of the open spaces and the open-plan design, it is great for entertaining.”

From the kitchen and dining room we slip easily into a real wow factor spot, a living area which epitomises the house’s mix of light brightness and cosy character. It has rich, exposed beams and trusses stretching across the ceiling, a log-burning stove set into a brick surround with heavy oak inset mantel over and that arched door and a run of windows to three aspects giving more of those gorgeous views.

The sun is streaming in and outside on the balcony birds including blue tits and a stout little red robin are chipping merrily away at a hanging feeder.

Down below you can see the courtyard garden, an ideal, private and sheltered, spot for taking your morning coffee.

This is a hard room to tear away from but we have a lot more to see yet… Next on the tour, having doubled back on ourselves before tripping up a set of stairs to a mezzanine level, is a large guest bedroom with en-suite – and, naturally, windows to three aspects which, again naturally, show more splendid scenery.

It’s a big space, this, an almost self-contained apartment in itself (which was pretty much how it was used by one of the Yeoman’s children before he flew the nest).

The rest of the bedrooms are down on the ground floor and include a master bedroom with a smart range of fitted wardrobes, two more double bedrooms and two bathrooms.

And then comes another bonus, a family room/study, a large, light and airy room lined with bookshelves. It’s an ideal get away from it all spot – or a tremendous office for the home worker… or even both.

“When I was deputy head I had quite a lot of work to do at home so I had this kitted out as my office/library/den,” Di says.

“Although John is allowed in now and then…”

John, for his part, has dug out an old map of the area and tells me how they came up with the name for their home.

“I was looking at this map and there was an Owlers Plantation and an Owlers Wood,” he says. “The only other significant landmark was called Bawdy Hill – and I didn’t fancy living in Bawdy House.”

Di has a memento of another kind. She shows me a framed architect’s drawing for the house. And alongside it in the frame is a written list…Di’s original wish-list letter.

Sometimes, it seems, wishes really do come true.

At a glance...

Reception rooms: 3

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 3

Garden: Courtyard garden with flagged terrace and patio areas and mature shrubs and hedging. Hard standing and car port to the front.

Wow factor: The entire open plan living/dining area to the first floor is stunning with fantastic rural views.

Price: £475,000.

Contact: Your Move Anscombs.

Tele: 01904 621532