Stunning home near coast has great views
High Springfield, Castleton £800,000 www.myhendersons.co.uk
It’s an amazing place to sit and take in the views and watch the sunset.
High Springfield had languished on the market for a few years before Barry and Louise Smith bought it in 2014.
They spotted what others had failed to see and that was the potential to create a fabulous home with exceptional long range views.
“We had lived in the Castleton area for 25 years but our previous houses were more remote farms and small holdings and we wanted a change,” says Barry.
The property’s position in the popular village was a selling point but it was the opportunity to make more of the rural outlook at the rear that sold it to them
Built in 1988, the house had been well kept, was in need of updating and the Smiths spared no expense on everything from new plumbing and electrics to underfloor heating.
What was a series of small rooms were brought together to form one large, open plan living area, while retaining a separate room as a study.
The pièce de résistance is the single storey extension at the rear, which has floor-to-ceiling windows which bring light and incredible views of the moors into the living space.
“We also put a balcony on the first floor rear of the house, accessed from two of the bedrooms,” says Louise. “It’s an amazing place to sit and take in the views and to watch the sunset.”
The couple are selling the fivebedroom home now that their children have flown the nest.
“This house is too big for the two of us and we now have a residence in France and plan to buy a smaller property here,” says Barry.
The house is set over three floors, with a ground floor lounge/ kitchen/diner with central island, log burner. The ground floor also has a study, WC, utility room, storeroom and integral garage.
A floating staircase leads to the first floor, where there are four bedrooms and a bathroom. The master bedroom has an ensuite. A fifth bedroom with a bathroom is on the second floor, where there is a large area used as a gym.
Outside, the driveway has parking for several vehicles and at the rear is a garden and a summer house with log burner, electric supply and wi-fi.
■ Castleton is a half hour drive to both Whitby and Helmsley. It has two pubs, a Co-op store, a deli, a well-regarded primary school and a railway station with trains to Whitby, the Esk Valley and Teesside.