Escape to the country in this barn conversion
Balk Lane, Upper Cumberworth £300,000 www.simonblyth.co.uk
The pandemic sparked a home moving frenzy and Lauren Robinson was one of those who upped sticks in search of a better quality of life and easy access to countryside.
She made the decision to move from her flat in Leeds to the sought-after village of
Upper Cumberworth, which sits between Shepley and Denby Dale.
“I was living in a one-bedroom flat in the middle of Horsforth so moving to somewhere more rural with character really appealed,” says Lauren.
Luck was on her side when she spotted a Grade II listed, mid-terraced barn conversion in the oldest building in Upper Cumberworth.
She put an offer in for the three-bedroom property in September 2020 and got the keys two months later and says: “I loved the character and the feel of the property. It was converted in the 1990s but it still has its original beams plus the location is so peaceful.”
Since moving in, Lauren has updated the decor and given the barn a more contemporary feel while respecting the history of the former farm building.
The walls are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Elephant’s Breath, there are new carpets, the kitchen has had a makeover and nothing fights with the views.
Lauren is selling after meeting her partner. The couple now plan to buy a home together but she says: “I have loved living in the barn conversion. It is incredibly peaceful and the location is very picturesque.
“The view from the rear window takes in the valley over to Emley moor and there are country walks from the doorstep.”
On the ground floor of the property there is an entrance with vestibule, a breakfast kitchen with Neff appliances, a pantry and a generously proportioned sitting room where the focal point is the cast iron living flame-effect stove fire, which is set on a raised stone hearth.
The first floor, which features exposed trusses and beams, has a principal double bedroom with exposed stonework, timber lintels over the windows, and a partly exposed timber truss to the ceiling.
There is a second double bedroom plus a single bedroom and a bathroom.
Outside, there is a block paved courtyard to the front with a private allocated parking space at the end of the hamlet.