MAYBE it is the summer sunshine, maybe a time of life thing, a yearning for the idea of village living… or it could just be a spot of serendipity.

Having discovered one superb country cottage as featured on this week’s front page, we promptly tumbled over another, this one a very attractive period home in Castle Cottages in the equally attractive village of Husthwaite.

The front of the property is postcard pretty, a white façade with a riot of colour splashing around the garden, ably signalling the pleasures to come.

The property dates back to the early 17th century and there is plenty of character on show, including overhead exposed beams, solid wood floors underfoot and exposed stone Inglenook-style fireplaces.

But this is also a home which has been beautifully upgraded with a lot of smart, modern styling blending with the period pieces.

Let us start with the sitting room, a super spot with a light, bright and airy feel and featuring sash windows, overhead beams and trusses and exposed wood flooring.

The aforementioned fireplace is at the heart of this room, an imposing stone and brick construction with an oak mantel and quarry tiled hearth housing a cast-iron wood-burning stove.

The sitting room faces front while at the back, beyond a freezer area, there is a delightful breakfast kitchen, stylishly put together with a range of Shaker-style cream coloured wall and base units complemented by wood grain work surfaces and including an electric oven and hob and an integral dishwasher.

The kitchen has a window looking out over, and a door opening onto, a very pretty enclosed, west-facing, rear garden with a patio and graveled areas and an open aspect (more of which in a moment).

From here we can pop upstairs to find the master bedroom with a deep walk-in wardrobe, plenty of space (it presently has a very impressive four-poster bed so that gives you an idea of its size) and with views down to the cottage garden below.

On this floor there is also a luxurious house bathroom, styled in contemporary fashion and with a bath and separate walk-in shower cubicle and half-panelled walls.

And then we find another bedroom on the second floor, a charming room with overhead beams and truss and with two big Velux windows which provide fantastic views of the surrounding countryside out towards The White Horse at Kilburn.

Throughout, the cottage has been stylishly and elegantly presented and decorated and with pretty walled front and rear gardens is a highly attractive package.

It also benefits from its location – Husthwaite is around four miles to the north of Easingwold and is well situated for access to the Yorkshire Moors National Park and the Hambleton Hills, as well as for commuting routes to York, Leeds and Teesside. The village itself is also well served with a village shop, pub/restaurant, village hall and primary school with a nursery.

If the idea of rural life appeals then this is definitely one worth a look.

• FURTHER INFORMATION: 4 Castle Cottages, Husthwaite, is offered at a guide price of £225,000 by Williamsons at Easingwold (Phone: 01347 822800).