Steve and Margaret Taylor don’t live on the brink... they live in it! “We were living in the house next-door and saw the ‘for sale’ board three years ago. We had always said that if The Brink came for sale, we should buy it because it would make a lovely home,” says Steve.

“The Brink stands proud and is a very distinguished house, although it was run-down, overgrown and neglected, but it did have fantastic potential. That is what had always attracted us to it.”

This four-bedroom house, with distant views on both sides, was built in 1890 in the classic Victorian style of a door in the middle, chimneys at either end, three windows upstairs and two down.

“We contracted all the work ourselves and it took 18 months to renovate,” says Steve.

“To say we gutted the building would almost be an under-statement. While we had to strip out most of the old plasterwork and plastic double glazing, we managed to retain the beautiful Victorian turned staircase, ornate plasterwork in the lounge and hall, and a gorgeous stained glass stair window was incorporated into a double glazed unit.”

The couple didn’t stop there. While a 60 square metre extension was being built on the back, the roof was felted and turned, new double glazed hardwood windows installed and cast iron gutters and fall pipes fitted. They had to be cast iron because The Brink is in the Oxenhope conservation area near Keighley. The inside gained a new layout and new internal walls were built.

“We needed matching stone for the extension and had a bit of luck when we discovered that Pennine Mill in Denholme was being demolished. One of the buildings was built of exactly the same stone as The Brink, so we managed to buy enough stone for the project.

“The extension was built by two experienced stonemasons who coursed the new stone work to the original building with the idea that in 20 years it will have weathered and the house will look as if it was all built at the same time.”

It is an imposing home, with a mix of modern and traditional that works well thanks to the couple’s hard work and commitment to keeping as much of the original character as possible.

As well as all the home comforts you need like central heating, double glazing, air conditioning and alarm, the interior layout is family friendly, with a hallway, lounge with feature fireplace, sitting room with wood fuel burner, contemporary kitchen, dining room, utility and WC.

Upstairs is a master bedroom with en-suite bathroom, plus a further three bedrooms and family bathroom.

The garden, which was completely overgrown, was redesigned.

“Terraces, rockeries and lawns were installed and planted, but we were able to keep the established apple and plum trees, the raspberries and rhubarb,” says Steve.

“The interior of the house is modern with clean straight lines and high ceilings, which makes the open plan kitchen, living and dining area our favourite room. It has patio doors at one side and folding doors at the other, making it light, bright and airy. It opens on to a sheltered private rear patio and garden, and there is also a small paddock.

“We will miss living at The Brink because the views and its location are fantastic, but it is too big for just the two of us – but we will definitely be staying in Oxenhope.”