Caroline Grove, 59 Galgate, Barnard Castle

The house, built in 1725, has immeasurable style and kerb appeal. As you step into the front garden through the wrought iron gate and up some lovely shallow stone steps, you are greeted with a beguiling traditional front door with appealing brassware. This immediately primes your appetite and sets the standard for what may lie within. The entrance hall with its tall, arched window, which extends up two floors, and its original balustrade staircase offers a friendly welcome to a family home. Warmth from the stove in the parlour just ahead, can be felt from here, welcoming and enticing you into the kitchen. In the parlour, sometimes called the breakfast room, you will find a beautiful fireplace with a high mantlepiece, in the centre of which there sits a multi-fuel stove. There is an option to merge the breakfast room and kitchen together to form one open-plan kitchen. Heat sources include gas central heating, which combines nicely with the lovely fire places that abound. Besides this, the vendor has also installed solar panels on the rear of the property which feed the national grid, creating more options for the buyer to curb inevitable bills.

Five substantial bedrooms with excellent proportions, await your energies and vision, as these could be converted to ensuites. 59A, the adjoining "cottage", can be reached either internally from upstairs, through the adjoining door, or through its own separate front entrance. This entrance, on similar lines to that of the main house, has an oak-panelled hallway. This substantial "cottage", has two floors, and has been rented out privately in recent times. This presents buyers with either a ready-made business opportunity, or an excellent multi-generational living space. It has a good-size kitchen, a bathroom, two bedrooms and two substantial reception rooms. It has a charming wrought iron, spiral staircase leading to the rear garden.

Should you wish to convert 59 and 59A back into one property so that it becomes one family home, there are a number of configurations possible. For example, buyers could add bedrooms in place of reception rooms in the cottage. What is being used as a gym could be either a dressing room or an ensuite, depending upon requirements. The landing of the cottage could be a further bedroom or bathroom, and the cottage dining room could be another bedroom. There are endless options, and potemtially 7 bedrooms could be generated. We have seen ways to do this, which we are happy to share. We would be delighted to hear from you. Please, contact us on .

The main house has a substantial drawing room overlooking the south-facing garden. This has an elegant fireplace and could easily accommodate a very large extended family at Christmas. It looks out onto the garden through bow-fronted windows. There are doors opening into the garden from the drawing room, adding an additional bonus to the whole experience. There is space for a conservatory on the back, leading from the drawing room, if required. Planning permission has successfully been sought for this purpose although, due to circumstances, this was never realised. A mature, private garden, laid to lawn, equipped with greenhouse, terracing and patio, faces south. The buyer will be able to make the best of our English summer's sunshine in this peaceful sanctuary with family and friends.

There is a large formal dining room which has been divided at some stage into two in the main house, and the rear has been made into a ground floor bedroom. In its heyday, it would have extended into 57 Galgate through two doorways that are now bookcases. Equally Caroline Grove also once had a coach house where there is now 59B Galgate. So without doubt, it is a house that is full of intrigue. A viewing is an absolute must, to fully appreciate the character of the property being described. There are many original features remaining including the large cellar. This is ideal for storage or being used as a workshop,

Caroline Grove is only 25 minutes drive to Darlington Station, from where you can take the express service to London Kings Cross, Newcastle or Durham. There is a new car park there with CCTV coverage, ensuring your vehicle is safe whilst you are away. The property is excellently located, it being just three minutes walk away from the High Street and seven from The Surgery. The High Street is well-equipped, with a full complement of shops ranging from mainstream to artisan. The town is known as The Antiques Centre Of The North. The town Post Office sits on the other side of the road from Caroline Grove, from where it's possible to catch a bus. Your children would be able to walk from home to any of the highly-rated schools, right here in historic Barnard Castle.

As well as being in a great location, the town and surrounding area offer a rich lifestyle. Set on the edge of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in beautiful Teesdale, you would have access to the countryside for walks and bike rides. The town originally built around the castle itself, has a rich array of listed buildings and interesting architecture, including grade l listed bridges over the River Tees. There is also The Bowes, a purpose-built Museum. The latter, built like a French chateau is set in formal grounds with fountains and is full of art and other curiosities, including the famous Silver Swan. If sports is your focus, there is a leisure centre equipped with a gym and swimming pool and multiple classes suitable for a wide range of abilities. There are many sports clubs, including golf, tennis, athletics, rugby and cricket to name just a few. There are a number of successful drama and musical outlets, such as the Teesdale Operatic Society, The Castle Players and The Choral Society, who sing every year in Durham Cathedral.

Don't miss your opportunity to be the next owner of this beautiful house, here in the centre of Barnard Castle, close to all amenities. Please call for a viewing of Caroline Grove, on .

Council Tax Band: C
Tenure: Freehold