RURAL SPOT IS THE TOPS

Jack McKeown has a look around Easter Newburn, a fantastic Fife steading conversion with 10 acres of land

2022-08-13 -

Iturn round the bend on to the country lane Easter Newburn Steading sits on and the sweep of the East Neuk coastline swings into view. From the clustered rooftops of Leven to the golden sands of Shell Bay and the jutting headland where Elie lies, it’s a fantastic vista. Easter Newburn Steading is a former farm building that was converted into a house in the 1990s and has been substantially added to since then.

On a minor road off the A915 it’s roughly halfway between Upper Largo and Largoward. In addition to a garden of almost an acre it comes with a 9.1 acre field.

John and Jane Banks bought Easter Newburn 11 years ago, having previously lived near Balmullo.

“We came to see it in the summertime and as soon as we turned off the main road and saw the view we were captured,” Jane says. “The quiet location and the view were what we loved best about it.”

Easter Newburn is a traditional former agricultural steading. Four wings create a square shape with an internal courtyard.

Part of the building was converted into a two-bedroom house by the original owners in the 1990s. The next set of owners developed more of the steading, creating another four bedrooms. Jane and John added their mark to the property, putting a stunning living/dining area with mezzanine level into what was once the milking shed.

“What’s really nice is that each owner has added their own stamp to the house,” Jane explains. “There are still plenty of outbuildings left undeveloped so we hope the next owner will continue the tradition.”

A glazed door in an arched window opens into the bright farmhouse style kitchen. Next to this is a snug that is used as a dining room and has a wood-burning stove. “It’s really nice to cosy up in here on a winter’s day,” Jane smiles.

A hallway has a family bathroom and a large utility room. From here a door opens into the wonderful open-plan living/dining room the couple added to the house in 2014.

The ceiling leaps upwards to full roof height where there are rows of exposed timbers. The couple used the house’s gently sloping site to their advantage, creating a jaw-dropping multi-level room.

AMAZING EXTENSION

A dining area occupies the high ground. Steps drop down to the living area which has bi-fold doors on to decking. From here you have fantastic views over Largo Law and along the coast to Leven.

A spiral staircase leads up to the mezzanine level where there’s a Velux and a gable-end window that looks straight out across the sea. A comfortable chair is perfectly placed to take advantage of the view.

Jane adds: “In the winter when the trees are

bare you can see right across to Edinburgh. At New Year we sometimes sit up here and watch the fireworks.

“We spend a lot of time in this part of the house. It’s so well insulated that we have the doors folded open even on cooler days.”

Up a flight of stairs are four spacious double bedrooms. A guest bedroom has its own toilet and sink. One of the bedrooms connects to the master bedroom and is used as a dressing room by Jane and John. It also has a spacious en suite bathroom. An upper hallway has a family bathroom off it and leads to another bedroom.

A second set of stairs drops down to the far end of the house where there are two more bedrooms and a WC. The larger of the two bedrooms has a glazed door that opens on to a terrace. “You could actually lock off one wing of the house and have it as a self-contained annexe,” Jane explains.

GARAGE AND OUTBUILDINGS

At the behest of car fanatic John, the couple added a huge double garage with electric door.

Running along the far side of the house are a row of outbuildings – three sets of stables, a tackroom and store.

There is also a large workshop with an attic-level office above.

“What we like about the house is its flexibility,” Jane explains. “If you have horses the field is perfect, but if you don’t, the farmer’s happy to rent it – and he has expressed interest in buying it.

“The house can be a fantastic family home or a holiday home. It could also be subdivided or you could create an annexe. The outbuildings could be converted into a cottage.

“And it’s a fantastic place to work from home. We’re due to get fibre broadband in

September which should give internet speeds of 900mbps.”

The garden at Easter Newburn Steading stretches to almost an acre. There is decking and lawn facing west and enjoying views along the coast as far as Kinghorn.

To the east is a large stretch of grass and trees with a small burn tricking quietly down the boundary line. The courtyard also has its own garden and patio which make sheltered outdoor spots on windy days.

Accessed through a gate is a 9.1-acre field which the couple rent to a local farmer.

OFFICE SPACE

Jane, 49, and John, 47, both work from home, utilising the two-storey outbuilding as their workshop and office space. Jane runs a successful laser cutting and engraving business. Meanwhile, former GP John gave up being a doctor to pursue his enthusiasm for cars. He set up a company, Dyno Spectrum, that specialises in remapping and modifying high-end cars to produce much more power.

“I sell a lot of the technology I developed in America,” John says. “They really love to get their cars up to 1,000bhp there.”

After more than a decade at Easter Newburn the couple are selling up and moving to the Isle of Man – famous for hosting the TT motorbike race. What could possibly be the attraction of moving to an island with no speed limits?

John laughs. “It’s a fantastic place for motorsports and living there has always appealed to us. It feels like the ideal place to continue growing my car-tuning business.”

Jane adds: “We’ve been here for 11 years which is long enough. We will miss it but it feels like time to begin a new adventure.”

Easter Newburn Steading is on sale with Rettie for offers over £785,000.