Farmstead near Ilkley on the market with sensational contemporary barn conversion and a holiday let

The property, on the market for £2.495m with Dacre, Son & Hartley, comes with stables and 12 acres of land and it sits in countryside just two miles from Baildon and a 15 minute drive from Ilkley.

While it is one in a long line of renovations undertaken by Sonia and Matt over the years, it is by far the most memorable and most remarkable.

The project began when the couple spotted the former cattle farm for sale. Matt had always wanted to tackle a barn conversion and this was his chance.

“The property had been in the same family for 70 years and the farmhouse was damp with just a two-bar electric fire for heat but the barn was enormous and we could see the potential in it,” says Sonia.

They sold their own house, sealed the deal on Ash House Farm and bought a static caravan to live in while they renovated the farmhouse.

Filled with period features, the house now has a living room, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, utility and a ground floor W.C.

Upstairs are three ensuite bedrooms and the property is heated via wood-burning stoves and a biomass boiler. Outside, there is a walled garden and a garage.

The plan was that this would be home until the barn was converted but, as with any “Grand Design” style project, there were hurdles, the biggest being the effect that the global financial crisis had on mortgages.

“We were all set to start work on the barn when the mortgage affordability rules changed and it took us a year to find a lender.

“At one point we thought we’d have to sell but then Swedish bank Handelsbanken agreed to give us a mortgage and they were brilliant,” says Sonia.

There were other bumps in the road, including the need for new water pipes and filtration system and replacing single phase electricity with triple phase but it was nothing this upbeat couple couldn’t handle.

The 5,000 sq.ft barn conversion is undoubtedly their most architecturally impressive legacy.

It was to their own design and also involved demolishing an adjoining storage shed and replacing it with a double garage with guest accommodation above.

The property includes an entrance hall with floating staircase, along with a series of light-filled, interconnected, open plan living spaces, including a spectacular dining kitchen by Eastburn Pine with two islands and a separate Butler's kitchen which also works as a bar area.

This leads to a family room, a more formal living room, a games room, an office, gym, utility room, two W.C.’s. and access to the double garage.

The first floor has three ensuite bedrooms and there are three further double bedrooms, an ensuite and a shower room in an attached guest wing,

Outside there is parking, stables, stone outbuildings, a terrace with a hot tub and a barrel sauna and a lawned garden with access to the orchard.

The interiors are a mix of contemporary, reclaimed and vintage finds and include a dining table and chairs from Calligaris at Redbrick Mill, while the blown glass lights with fringing above the dining table are by Rothschild and Bickers.

One of the biggest costs was the ground-source heat pump, which provides heat and hot water to the barn, but that and the biomass boiler fueling the farmhouse looks set to be one of the property’s biggest selling points due to the energy crisis.

Another attraction is the potential in some of the outbuildings, which could become holiday cottages, subject to planning permission.

Sonia says: “We will miss living here. It is so peaceful and private and the views and wildlife are wonderful. We have nightingales nesting here every year and you look out of the window and see deer and grouse.

“ It is a real rural escape that feels like you’re away from it all but, in fact, you are five minutes drive from Baildon, 10 minutes from Guiseley and 15 minutes from Ilkley.”

*Sonia’s renvation and conversion tips: Never think you can do a project cheaper than advised. You can’t. Whatever you think it will be, double it and then double the time you think it will take.

*It is important to ake time to find a good builder and make sure you talk to their previous clients about their experiences.

*High street banks don’t like anything non-standard and they don’t tend to lend unless a property has a kitchen and bathroom but we found that Swedish Handelsbanken are very supportive.

For details of the sale contact Dacre, Son & Hartley, Baildon, tel: 01274 532323, www.dacres.co.uk