For sale: where old meets new in the beautiful Shibden Valley

After bringing three derelict properties back to life, Adam and Beverley Carey vowed to take a break and buy a ready-made home.

Moving back to Yorkshire from London, the couple had a wide search area that included the whole of west and north Yorkshire but after considering 140 properties they still hadn’t found “the one”.

It took an 18th century cottage and farmstead overlooking the beautiful Shibden Valley to steal their hearts, though there was a compromise.

“We saw it in The Yorkshire Post and Beverley convinced me to look at it even though it was derelict. The views and location were amazing and that’s when we decided to buy it,” says Adam.

The couple have since turned the cottage, its coach house and an outbuilding into a sensational, 10,000 sq ft family home and they have no regrets about taking on what was an enormous project.

“We looked at a lot of places but this area is fantastic for rail and road links and this is the prettiest valley in Yorkshire,” says Adam, whose business is based in London.

The house, which they bought 16 year ago, comes with eight acres of land land is also within walking distance of one of Britain’s best pubs, the Shibden Mill Inn.

No expense was spared on the sensitive renovation and conversion at Springfield Farm, where the original features have been preserved and modern amenities, such as Cat 5 wiring, a Sonos sound system, CCTV and underfloor heating have been added.

The property now has an open-plan living space with kitchen, dining and sitting areas warmed by a dual aspect multi fuel stove and a gas-fired Aga. The ground floor also includes a utility room, pantry, study, office, sitting room, games room and music room. On the first floor, there is a galleried landing, a master bedroom suite with dressing area and en-suite, along with French doors onto a terrace. There are four further bedrooms and three bathrooms. There is also planning permission to convert the cellar into a garden room. Outside, there is an acre of gardens with a sun terrace and hot tub.

There is an adjoining barn, along with a detached outbuilding, which has planning permission for a swimming pool with leisure area, garage and stables. The property also has seven acres of grazing land,

Adam and Beverley are selling to divide their time between London and a smaller property in the Shibden Valley. “We will be very sad to leave this house,” says Beverley. “It’s been a really happy home.”

*For details visit www.charnockbates.co.uk, tel: 01422 380100,