Cottage with annexe in national park beats Cornwall hands down

Christine and Stephen Marriott-Smalley dreamed of retiring to Cornwall, so when work took them there, they were delighted.

However, the reality of life in St Ives did not live up to expectation thanks to the poor transport links to London.

They found the answer to this problem at Spring Cottage in the idyllic, North York Moors village of Lastingham, even though it is 250 miles away from the capital.

“We wanted to live in the country but still have access to London where we have friends and family, but we realised after moving to Cornwall how bad the rail links are there. When Stephen got the chance to work in Yorkshire we decided to move here,” says Christine.

“We rented first and got to know the area then we bought the cottage. It’s in a lovely spot and my daughter can catch the 6.30pm train from London to York on a Friday night and be here by 9pm having a glass of wine and supper.”

She and Stephen bought the property in 2009 after being captivated by the location, the charming, historic features and its guest annexe.

They have since re-roofed the house, redecorated with Farrow and Ball and installed a handmade kitchen.

Christine owns Lavender and Moor in Hutton-le-Hole, which specialises in painted furniture and soft furnishings, and evidence of her work can be seen throughout her home. She also had the beams in the kitchen and the sitting room painted white to make the space appear lighter and brighter.

Spring Cottage is believed to date from the mid 1700s and retains many original features, including beams, Yorkshire sliding windows, working shutters and stone flagged floors.

It has an entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, garden room and a large living kitchen plus utility. On the first floor, there is a main bedroom with en-suite bathroom, three further bedrooms and a house bathroom.

Outside, there is an enclosed courtyard garden with traditional stone and pantile stores. The detached guest annexe provides open plan living accommodation , including a kitchen/dining area, bed/living Room and en-suite shower room.

The Marriott-Smalleys are selling to downsize but are staying in the area.

“We love it here. The moor is on the doorstep and there is a real community with a good social life and a great pub, the Blacksmiths Arms,” says Christine.

Philip Procter, of Humberts, says: “Lastingham has a well- deserved reputation as being one of the most picturesque villages in the National Park.” Contact Humberts, York, tel: 01904 611828, www.humberts.com