A quieter kind of luxury

House & Heritage are delighted to introduce ‘Deerwood Barn’, an exceptional country home that captures the calm and character of rural living, privately tucked away along Plex Moss Lane in Halsall, West Lancashire.

Here, the landscape opens out into big skies and sweeping fields, yet the address remains discreet and distinguished, a place where evenings are marked by the soft call of birds across open countryside and mornings by mist lifting slowly from the moss.

At first glimpse, Deerwood Barn feels every inch the classic Lancashire barn, weathered brick, generous proportions and an understated presence that sits comfortably in its surroundings. Step inside, however, and the house reveals a different story, one of thoughtful reinvention, where contemporary comfort and timeless rural character have been woven together with care.

Extensively renovated and sensitively extended by the current owners, this captivating home now offers close to 3,000 square feet of beautifully considered living space, its rooms unfolding in a series of warm, light filled spaces that invite both convivial entertaining and quiet retreat. A single small party wall is all that connects it to its neighbour, yet in both feel and function it reads as wholly detached, a private sanctuary framed by gardens, fields and sky.

Beyond the main house, a detached one bedroom lodge annexe, of around 400 square feet, offers a further layer of possibility, an elegant guest retreat, a secluded workspace, or a luxurious pied à terre for extended family. With its own sense of privacy and comfort, it complements the main residence beautifully, adding depth and flexibility to the way the property can be enjoyed.

Plex Moss Lane itself is one of Halsall’s most desirable rural addresses, perfectly poised between country calm and everyday convenience. Highly regarded schools, independent shops and well loved village pubs are all within easy reach, while nearby leisure facilities and transport links connect you effortlessly to surrounding towns, the coast and the wider North West.

For those seeking more than just a house, for those drawn to space, atmosphere and a slower, richer rhythm of life, Deerwood Barn offers a rare opportunity, a refined country home where modern luxuries and pastoral peace exist in easy, natural harmony.

A hidden rural home, crafted for calm, comfort and connection

A home designed for the gentle rhythm of country life, Deerwood Barn unfolds as a collection of beautifully composed spaces made for gathering, unwinding and simply being at home in a rural landscape.

On the ground floor, four inviting reception rooms offer a choice of moods and moments, from cosy evenings by the inglenook fireplace with its working log burner, to sunlit daytime spaces framed by large picture windows and modern French doors that draw the gardens and fields into daily life. Each room feels distinct yet connected, creating an easy flow for entertaining, family living or quiet retreat, with the practical comfort of a ground floor bathroom and a dedicated utility and laundry room keeping the business of everyday life discreetly in the background.

At the heart of the house, the kitchen is very much a cook’s domain, with solid oak shaker-style cabinetry, granite work surfaces and a central island that invites conversation over coffee or a glass of wine while supper is prepared. High-end integrated appliances sit comfortably alongside the rustic warmth of the materials, giving the space a refined yet relaxed feel that suits both informal suppers and more generous gatherings.

Upstairs, the first floor has been shaped around two expansive bedroom suites, creating a sense of boutique, hotel-style calm beneath the rustic timber beams. Originally planned as four bedrooms, the layout could be reimagined with ease, but as it stands it offers luxurious, grown-up space: a principal suite with characterful windows, twin dressing rooms and a wonderfully indulgent en-suite bathroom with walk-in shower, freestanding bath and his-and-hers vanity basins. A further generous bedroom completes this floor, its calm proportions and considered detailing adding to the sense of boutique comfort that runs throughout this rural retreat.

A home that embraces and inspires

The large sitting room is the dramatic heart of Deerwood Barn, a wonderfully atmospheric space where country living takes on a sense of quiet grandeur. A soaring double height ceiling, exposed beams and a handsome brick chimney breast with inset log burner create a focal point that feels equally suited to relaxed Sunday afternoons as it does to winter gatherings by the fire. Full height arched glazing frames the garden beyond, drawing in soft natural light by day and giving the room a lantern like glow after dusk. From here, the gallery landing above offers a charming vantage point, adding a touch of theatre to the room and reinforcing the sense of volume and airiness at the centre of the home. This room  is located just off the kitchen so would also make a wonderful formal dining room to entertain guests.

Beyond this main reception, the remaining living spaces unfold in a series of more intimate rooms, each with its own mood and purpose, all grounded in the same rustic brickwork, timber detailing and connection to the outside. A generous lounge offers a more informal setting, ideal as a family room or everyday sitting room, with gas flame fire and a relaxed aspect over the gardens that keeps greenery close to daily life. The adjoining TV room forms a comfortable central hub between the two principal living spaces, making it a natural place to gather, unwind and move easily from one room to the other. To the front, a versatile reception currently arranged as an office overlooks the cobbled courtyard, providing a quieter corner of the house that feels perfectly suited to home working or reading. Together, these rooms create a considered suite of spaces that support a relaxed, layered rural lifestyle, with somewhere to suit every season and every moment of the day.

A kitchen designed for the easy elegance of country life

The kitchen at Deerwood Barn is the hub of the home, a generous, beautifully finished space that invites slow weekend breakfasts, midweek suppers and everything in between. Solid oak and painted cabinetry are paired with dark granite worktops and a central island, creating a classic, tailored look that feels both robust and refined, while the layout allows more than enough room for cooking, conversation and informal dining to happen all at once.

Double ovens, a large fridge freezer and extensive storage are all neatly built in, giving the room a calm, ordered character that suits both keen cooks and effortless everyday living. Light tiling underfoot and soft downlighting add to the sense of warmth and welcome, making this a natural gathering place at the heart of the home.

Just beyond, a well equipped utility room and a practical downstairs cloakroom and WC keep the working side of country life neatly tucked away, ideal for muddy boots, dogs and gardening kit after time spent outdoors

Draw a bath, open the window, let the countryside in

The bedroom accommodation at Deerwood Barn has a quietly indulgent, almost suite like feel, where exposed beams, brickwork and soft angles create spaces that feel both characterful and deeply restful. The principal bedroom stretches out beneath the rafters, a generous room with vaulted ceiling, brick gable wall and circular window, giving it the air of a private loft retreat tucked above the gardens.

Beyond, dressing areas and landing spaces are treated as rooms in their own right rather than mere corridors, with warm timber joinery, soft carpeting and glimpses back down to the main reception below reinforcing the sense of this being a home to move through slowly and enjoy. The secondary bedroom suite mirrors this feeling of calm, with beams overhead, roof lights and cottage style windows framing treetop views, creating an ideal guest or family space with room for lounging as well as sleeping.

Bathrooms continue the theme of country luxury with a contemporary edge. The principal bathroom feels more like a private spa than a simple washroom, a calm, lofted space where light, height and carefully chosen finishes combine to create a sanctuary at the top of the house. A vaulted ceiling with dark exposed beams draws the eye upwards, while a pair of roof lights wash the room with soft daylight, reflecting gently off the pale stone floor tiles and warm neutral walls.

At its centre, a contemporary freestanding tub takes pride of place, perfectly positioned for long evening soaks, with twin basins set along the far wall offering a luxurious, hotel style start and end to the day. To one side, a generous walk in shower with clear glass enclosure and sleek fittings keeps the look modern and uncluttered, balanced by the practicality of a discreetly placed WC and heated towel rails.

Touches of greenery and natural texture echo the rural setting without disturbing the sense of order and calm, making this a room that invites lingering rather than rushing, and underlining the considered, retreat like feel of the bedroom suite it serves.

The Cottage

The detached lodge at Deerwood Barn feels like a private rural retreat within the wider estate, a self contained cottage that offers guests or extended family their own front door, their own rhythm and their own slice of countryside calm. On the ground floor, a welcoming living and dining space is framed by cottage style windows, warm timber joinery and soft lighting, creating an easy, informal room for reading, working or unwinding after a walk through the gardens.

Alongside, a well appointed kitchen continues the theme of understated country comfort, with oak cabinetry, dark worktops and everything needed to cook and dine independently, whether for a weekend stay or something longer term. A modern bathroom and hall complete this level on the floor plan, keeping day to day living practical and self sufficient while still just a short stroll from the main house.

Upstairs, the first floor bedroom shown on the plan offers a peaceful, tucked away sleeping space under the eaves, giving the lodge the feel of a cosy cottage hideaway that sits lightly within the surrounding trees and gardens.

An English country garden in full voice

Approached along a quiet private track serving just a handful of country homes, Deerwood Barn reveals itself gradually, like a secret well kept. The lane slips between open fields before the gates come into view. Once they swing open, the driveway sweeps in a generous curve through dappled shade, gathering into a broad gravel turning circle that feels more country house than simple parking. Garages, a gym and useful stores sit neatly to one side, together with extensive covered bays for cars, leaving the heart of the setting to the gardens themselves, which wrap the house in colour and texture from every angle.

The gardens have the poise of a show garden and the soul of a much loved private space. Long, velvety lawns flow out from the house in soft swathes, acting as green avenues between deep, layered borders where structure and softness have been carefully balanced. Evergreens, clipped hedges and mature trees frame looser drifts of perennials, shrubs and seasonal planting, chosen not only for colour but for form, scent and the way they catch the light. Each border feels considered, planting suited to the open, rural environment and the changing seasons, so that there is always something new to notice, from spring blossom to the rich tones of late autumn. Seating areas are tucked in at every turn, from a cobbled courtyard enclosed in ivy clad brick, to terraces that spill straight from the barn and a charming summerhouse at the far end of the lawn, each one offering a different mood and a different view of the garden and the wide countryside beyond.

Along the outer edges, the cultivated planting loosens and blends into the surrounding farmland, with a simple timber gate leading straight out to endless fields and big skies. Here, the boundary between garden and landscape has been consciously shaped to welcome nature in. Bees move lazily through the borders, birds flit along the hedgerows and sing from the trees, and it is not uncommon to glimpse foxes or deer at the field margins as the light fades. Within the walls and hedges, the feeling is one of complete seclusion and privacy, yet the ever present views and wildlife keep the garden connected to the wider landscape. It is, in every sense, a retreat from everyday life, a carefully composed English country garden designed not only to look beautiful, but to be lived in, wandered through and shared.

In the owners’ own words

Originally, the barn belonged to a client of mine and was used intermittently for farming purposes. Unlike many other local barns that are located along the roadside, this one was tucked away and private but not cut off, being just 15 minutes from Ormskirk and 20 minutes from my office in Southport. I could see its potential as a beautiful home for me and my family and, every year, I would ask my client if the barn was for sale. Each time he would let me down gently, until in 1990 he said yes.

Over the years, we have lovingly renovated the barn, making a feature of the slate roof tiles, exposed beams and brickwork, and always trying to respect the character of the local landscape. It has been a real labour of love, and the interior has grown with us. We have adapted and converted different parts over the years, from the bedrooms and main living spaces to the detached lodge, so that everything flows properly and suits how we use it, whether that is having friends and family to stay or just enjoying a quiet evening by the fire.

The garden is what we have loved most. Originally a farmer’s field, countless weekends and evenings have been spent out there, planting, tweaking and slowly turning it into the English country garden we had always imagined. Even after 35 years, when we come home and the iron gates open to reveal our gravel drive under a canopy of trees and manicured gardens, beyond which our barn waits to welcome us back, it still feels so special – an oasis of calm and an escape from the outside world.

At the same time, we really appreciate that Liverpool, the coast and international airports are all easy to get to, so we never feel isolated, just nicely removed when we want to be.

The barn will be very hard to leave because so much time, care and so many memories are tied up in these rooms and in the garden, but we hope the next owners will feel the same sense of calm and escape that we have experienced during our time here.

Tenure: We are advised by our client that the property is Freehold

Council Tax Band: F



 

Disclaimer

Every care has been taken with the preparation of these property details but they are for general guidance only and complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If there is any point, which is of particular importance professional verification should be sought. These property details do not constitute a contract or part of a contract. We are not qualified to verify tenure of property. Prospective purchasers should seek to obtain verification of tenure from their solicitor. The mention of any appliances, fixtures or fittings does not imply they are in working order. Photographs are reproduced for general information and it cannot be inferred that any item shown is included in the sale. All dimensions are approximate.