Rare chance to buy a true rural idyll in Arkengarthdale

When he and his wife first viewed Yealands House, in the hamlet of Eskeleth, in Arkengarthdale, they were so enamoured by it that they forgot they had arrived there in separate cars.

“We arrived there when it was semi dark but we could see that the house was a one-off. The setting in what is an amazing landscape is absolutely magical and we fell in love with it immediately. It was everything we wanted. We were so taken by it, it was all we could think of and we forgot that we had arrived in two cars and drove back home in one,” says Lee.

That was 16 years ago and they have no regrets about swapping town living for rural splendour. Their home, which is now on the market for £700,000, is at the end of a short track surrounded by the beautiful and wild Swaledale countryside that features in the first All Creatures Great and Small series.

“We lived in Bedale before and this house was our escape to the country. We have loved living here,” says Lee.

Over the years, the Kettlewells have renovated the old stone house, which was built in 1729. It has been repointed, had a new roof and new windows, and has been modernised. The couple have also added a two-storey extension with its own oil-fired heating and which has potential to be a self-contained annexe.

The property has a porch entrance, a dining kitchen, conservatory, sitting room, four bedrooms, a house bathroom and en-suite and utility room. The extension has a large sitting room and double bedroom with an en-suite above. Although totally secluded, this rural property benefits from modern amenities including a superfast, community-based broadband network. The land includes a garden and a paddock with two stables and a barn bordering Arkle Beck.

Eskeleth is three miles from the village of Reeth. The Kettlewells are selling to move closer to Richmond with their high school-age children but Lee says: “We won’t be going too far from here because we love this area.”

For details of the sale contact: David Phillip, tel: 0113 467 6400, www.davidphillip.co.uk

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