Farrar House, Farriers Yard, Caton, Lancaster, LA2 9QJ

Welcome to Farrar House, Farriers Yard, Caton, Lancaster, LA2 9QJ

Easy to miss when passing through the village, but once spotted never forgotten, Farrar House is tucked away within a private courtyard in the heart of Caton village. A rare and historic gem that is a quirky and intriguing option for those who seek a property that is unique and interesting, spacious and characterful, befitting its Grade II listed status. 

For buyers seeking the benefits of village life, this thriving Lune valley village offers an enjoyable lifestyle with not just great access to local countryside but also excellent transportation links with Lancaster eminently commutable, J34 of the M6 easy to reach and the main line train station highly accessible. 

Believed to be a former coaching inn, Historic England lists the house as dating back to 1780; it showcases a rich array of original architectural features including exposed beams and lintels, stone mullion windows as well as unusual casement windows, original doors, stone flagged floors, a vaulted cellar room and a delightful stone fireplaces. Comfortable and inviting, this is very much a house that lends itself to modern family life, to welcoming family and friends for long leisurely weekend lunches, to atmospheric dinner parties and barbecues in the sunny and sheltered courtyard garden. Plus, with five good bedrooms there is likely to be plenty of room to offer overnight accommodation to guests.  

The front door opens to a wide hall, there are two charismatic reception rooms, an impressive dining kitchen, a games room in the vaulted cellar, a shower room with laundry area and a large side hall. Off a generous first floor landing are five bedrooms (four are double) and two bathrooms. Set well back from the road behind a hedge, the front garden is lawned and provides off road parking. The rear courtyard is enclosed and private with a woodstore and access to the ground floor of the former barn, now providing a workshop/store and a playroom/den but with scope for a variety of uses, subject to consent. 

For those seeking space, character and something that’s a complete one off all in a highly accessible and well serviced village, Farrar House is highly recommended. 

Vendor insight

When we first viewed the house we had an incredible sense of ‘coming home’. We have felt like custodians of Farrar House; it’s one of the oldest houses in the village and we feel honoured to have been a chapter of its history. 

We’ve gently updated the house to a certain extent but have always been mindful of protecting its character. We feel like we lead a modern family life here in every respect but within a traditional and very individual setting. 

Location

The village of Caton sits within the Forest of Bowland, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and thus has a lovely countryside backdrop whilst also boasting excellent transportation links, with easy access onto the M6 (and Lancaster’s Park and Ride) and just a short drive into the city of Lancaster where there is the West Coast mainline train station offering good services to Manchester, Manchester airport, London (Euston), Edinburgh and Glasgow. 

The surrounding open countryside offers fantastic routes for walking, running and cycling. With its sprawling heather moorland, the Forest of Bowland lies to the south of the village.  To the north is the broad sweep of the Lune Valley, an attractive stretch of unspoilt countryside, peppered with attractive villages, destination foodie pubs all ensconced by gently undulating hills, at the heart of which is the meandering river. Further afield are the neighbouring National Parks of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales offering yet more opportunities for fresh air, exploration and outdoor adventure. 

As one of the larger villages in the Lune Valley, Caton provides a full range of local amenities including a Co-op store, doctors’ surgery and pharmacy, fuel and vehicle repair garage, vets and dog groomers, a cafe and a cake shop and two popular pubs with a third in Brookhouse, also within walking distance. A pizza van visits twice a week which has proved exceptionally popular with residents. For family buyers, there is a well-regarded primary school in the village with sought after secondary schools in Lancaster.  

Caton offers traditional village life yet remains highly accessible by road for a slice of city centre living with Lancaster so close by. The historic and university city of Lancaster is thriving and offers a full range of commercial and recreational facilities including a wide selection of places to dine, a great shopping experience in the largely pedestrianised centre, a choice of theatres and cinemas and two hospitals. 

Vendor insight

Caton is very community minded and has welcomed us in. The school has been fantastic for our son and enabled him to flourish. 

Step inside 

Whilst capturing echoes of the past, Grade II listed Farrar House is firmly set in the present and offers an enviable lifestyle with a unique backdrop of one-off period features. 

Stone built under a flagged roof, the first impression of picturesque Farrar House is one of traditional, timeless beauty.  The door has a stone surround above which is an oval plaque with the initials 'IHM'. According to Historic England the date of 1780 has been re-painted to read '1689'. 

Cross the threshold into the wide entrance hall with stone flagged floor, there are oak doors into the two main reception rooms, both of which look out to the front garden and have wide oak floorboards, oak window seats and characterful stone mullion windows. Both the sitting room and snug also have stone fire surrounds, the one in the sitting room is a multifuel stove, the second in the study being solely for wood. The beamed sitting room also has a spice or salt cupboard. Incredibly atmospheric and welcoming, these are a delightful pair of rooms. The stairs lead off the front hall, under them a laundry area and beyond that a shower room. 

Steps lead up into the back hall, a versatile space that could be used as a seating, study or library area, a high ceiling, exposed stone walls and a stone flagged floor provide great character. A door opens to the courtyard garden with short flights of stone steps leading both down to the vaulted cellar (currently used as a games room, but previously purposed as a dining room) and up to the dining kitchen. The vaulted cellar creates a striking setting for either a game of pool or a dinner party. The steps are a unique and interesting architectural detail giving a unique angle to both the cellar and the kitchen. 

Full of personality, the dual aspect dining kitchen is flooded with natural light – especially over breakfast time. The ceiling rises to the apex of the roof with exposed roofing timbers adding a touch of drama, as does the massive back door going out to a second courtyard garden. The quintessential character kitchen essential, an Aga, takes centre stage and creates a welcoming and homely atmosphere. The handcrafted and painted solid wooden cabinets are topped with stunning local Burlington slate worktops and stretch around the kitchen offering ample storage space; they incorporate a substantial pantry cupboard, integrated fridge freezer, dishwasher and double Belfast sink. 

The first floor rooms are all accessed off the landing, lovely and light it is generous in proportion and characterful with exposed stone and timberwork. A deep cupboard provides useful storage. There are four good double bedrooms and a fifth bedroom that’s a large single or small double. Three bedrooms are within the oldest part of the house and between them feature exposed timbers, stonework and mullion windows. The principal bedroom enjoys a lovely front aspect with an oak window seat and an inset store cupboard. An unusual period detail here is the wall between this room and the bedroom to the rear as there is an internal wall with exposed timber uprights, plastered between the wood. 

The landing continues to the first floor of what was historically an attached barn. Long since converted it now provides a further two bedrooms and a pair of bathrooms. Individual in their provision, one has a roll top bath claw and ball feet, the other a bath with a paneled surround and a separate shower. Both feature painted tongue and groove paneling to dado height for added charm. 

The accommodation is ideal for family life but would also be well suited to a couple looking to work from home, indulge hobbies or welcome guests to their charismatic and highly individual home.   

Vendor insight

We’ve found it to be the ultimate Christmas house as it looks magical dressed and is the perfect house for inviting friends and family over. Over the holidays we’ve the bedrooms for overnight stays and have the reception rooms so we can all be together under one roof but doing different things – board games by the fire, a game of pool or music and films in the den.  

The snug has made a great home office for us, the view out to the garden is lovely and we can conveniently see if there are any callers or deliveries. 

Step outside

Farriers Yard leads to the private parking area in front of Farrar House. Level and screened with established planting the front garden is mainly laid to lawn, a lovely place for children to play. 

The rear courtyard is a south facing suntrap that creates a beautiful haven surrounded by stone walls. There is ample space for several arrangements of outdoor furniture to suit both outside dining and also reclining. It’s here you’ll find the useful wood store. 

The ground floor of the former barn is accessed from the courtyard and is split into two rooms, the first, a good workshop or store and the second, a den or hobbies room – sure to be a hit if you have any teenagers in your life! It could also be used as a garage with access from the front. If you are looking for extra space to incorporate into the property, these areas offer great potential for conversion, subject to relevant planning consents. 

The final outside area is the kitchen garden, a smaller courtyard with potential for landscaping and growing your own fruit and vegetables. 

Vendor insight

Summer days in the back garden are lovely, it’s sheltered and a real suntrap. We barbecue and eat outside whenever we can. 

Services

Mains electricity, gas, water and drainage. Gas fired central heating from a Main Eco Compact combination boiler in the barn. 

External CCTV cameras and doorbell accessible through the Ring App.

Broadband

Full fibre gigabit broadband available from B4RN (Broadband for the Rural North) B4RN customers receive gigabit (1,000Mbps) speed.

Mobile

Indoor: O2 is reported as providing ‘likely’ Voice and Data services. EE, Three and Vodafone are reported as providing ‘limited’ services for both Voice and Data.

Outdoor: EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone are all reported as providing ‘likely’ services for both Voice and Data. 

Broadband and mobile information provided by Ofcom.

Local Authority charges 

Lancaster City Council – Council Tax band F

Tenure

Freehold 

Included in the sale 

Fitted carpets, curtains, curtain poles, blinds, light fittings and integral kitchen appliances as follows: the Aga, fridge freezer and Bosch dishwasher. 

Please note

Farriers Yard is owned by a third party. Farrar House is likely to be responsible for a contribution towards upkeep on an ‘as and when’ basis. 

Directions 

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Use Sat Nav LA2 9QJ with reference to the directions below:

Leave Lancaster or the M6 and head north up the Lune Valley on the A683. Entering Caton, the entrance to Farriers Yard is located on the right immediately after the Ship Inn. Farrar House is the first property on the left.