IT’S not everyone that can say they have enjoyed a light breakfast on a sun-drenched terrace before then strolling down to the bottom of the garden – and launching into the skies in their own hot air balloon.

But that’s one of the many pleasures Martin Baynes can recall enjoying during his time at Hill Farm House.

“It was one of the great joys of my life,” he says.

And, one supposes, one of the great joys of having a house with some two acres of gardens – providing plenty of space for an airship launching pad. But then this is a home that has lots and lots of space, inside and out.

Martin, who when he was not flying ballons was a well-known dentist with surgeries in Dunnington, Strensall and Poppleton, and his wife Christine came to this house, in the heart of the village of Warthill, 35 years ago.

Things then were a little different. Martin shows me a picture of the original farmhouse as it was when they bought it at auction.

“It was pretty much derelict,” he said. “We knew there would be a lot of work to do.”

And work they did, over those 35 years, extending and improving and turning the old shell into a very fine country house with a huge amount of character and style – while also turning the rough, neglected land around it into delightfully cultivated gardens.

Oh, and there was the little matter of raising their four children while they were at it… “There have been times when it’s been hard work,” Christine says. “But we’ve had a very happy time here. It’s been a lovely, warm family house.”

And there is the interesting thing. While this is a grand home, with four bedrooms and four reception rooms – all of them generously proportioned – it manages still to create a cosy, comfortable atmosphere, one with, as Christine says, a lovely warm feeling.

Nowhere is that more evident than in the dual sitting room/living room. This area was once two rooms - with the back part dating the original house back to the 1700s – so it is sizeable and yet, to labour the point, still warm and welcoming.

That may be in no small part to the great log burning stove set into a brick surround in an Inglenook recess with large curved wooden beam over.

Or it may be due to sunshine streaming in from French doors that open onto a large south-facing stone paved terrace to the side. Or to the deep, sweeping window to the front of the house.

Or maybe just, as Christine would have it, the warmth of happy memories.

“When you have a family of six you need a big room,” she adds, before leading me through to the next bright, light space, which she describes, with a smile, as “the music room.”

It wasn’t grandly named as such but became known that way over time simply because it was where the children came to play and listen to music.

Whatever, it is a lovely spot, with another set of French doors opening to the terrace and to land dropping down to the village pond and with the renowned Agar Arms pub opposite.

“The pub’s no bother,” says Martin. “You get more noise from the ducks.”

Now we double back on ourselves and step into the farmhouse-style kitchen where, from another big window, you get sweeping views down the garden and across open fields into the distance.

“I love the view from here,” says Christine. “It is constantly changing, even during each day, depending on where the sun is.”

The ground floor is completed by a formal dining room, another pleasantly sunny dual aspect room, and then a utility room and a cloakroom and… a sauna.

“That was Martin’s treat when we had the extension put on,” Christine says.

Actually it was not his only treat. As we tour the upstairs rooms we tumble into a superb study, a large and tranquil area, again with great views from two aspects.

“Yes, I suppose this is my own little den,” Martin says, a trifle sheephishly, “a little hideaway.”

Well, there is enough room in this house to indulge – so why not?

The master bedroom is a pretty room, fitted with a range of floor to ceiling wardrobes and enjoying an en-suite shower room. There are three further good-sized bedrooms and a house bathroom to this floor, all reached from a landing which has a large window giving an outlook across open land and, in the distance, a glimpse of York Minster.

And that’s another attraction to Hill Farm House. While it is a distinctly rural property in one of the area’s nicest villages it is just five minutes from the A64 and 20 minutes or so from York. It has a popular primary school and a bus tootles in and out to pick up and drop off children attending the well-regarded Huntington secondary school.

Not quite in the middle of nowhere… Although you could be forgiven for thinking so when you get lost in those extensive gardens.

You get a little sense of the grandness of the estate when you drive through the big gates at the front of the house and up the drive with a rolling lawn to one side, fringed by a mix of mature trees.

From here you can walk down the side of the house and then the view of the rear gardens comes alive.

There is a paved patio to the side which immediately drops to a large rockery before opening up to a rolling lawn, long hedges, mature trees including an orchard and seating and play areas.

This is, all of this superb two acres, one great play area for young and old.

“What the garden needs,” Christine says, “just as what the house really needs, is three boisterous boys running around it. That’s what I would really like, I would love to see a new family to come here because it has been such a lovely family home for us.”

With or without that hot air balloon launchpad…

 

At a glance

Reception rooms: 4 plus first a first-floor study (and a groundfloor sauna)

Bedrooms: 4/5.

Gardens: Superb, cultivated and extensive gardens running to almost two acres and including lawns, rockery, terraces, patio and driveway and double garage and store.

Wow factor: Those fantastic gardens outside – and the brilliant living room/sitting room indoors.

Price: £795,000.

Contact: Naish. Phone: 01904 640067