Current owner Jane Oakland counts herself rather fortunate to have got her hands on The Old Byre.

“One of my clients lives next door to The Old Byre, and she said she thought it was coming on to the market soon, so I went round and put a note through the door, and the owner rang me the same day,” says beautician Jane.

She was lucky, because the owner didn’t actually live there. He just popped over now and again, and that day happened to have been one of his ‘popping-in’ days.

The Old Byre is set in one of the most attractive parts of Ilkley, in an area known as Middleton – famed for its woods and stunning homes.

Jane says: “The location was the ‘wow’ factor. It’s just one minute’s drive, or a 20-minute walk, from Ilkley, but it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere.”

Jane – who has two young sons, Harry and Ben – has lived at The Old Byre for nearly four years.

“A byre is actually the cowshed,” says Jane. “Fortunately it was converted about 11 years ago, and you can’t smell any of the previous residents!

“The house had a really cosy, family feel. We could see it would be nice and safe for the children to play out. The gardens are completely flat, and there’s a courtyard at the front.”

The Old Byre stands in the corner of this courtyard-style development of a former farmstead, and has Grade II listing.

It’s a characterful five-bedroom home, with an entrance hall with oak floor, cloakroom and sitting room with revealed timbers and beams, plus gas-fired coal-effect stove on a stone hearth. As well as a door into the rear garden and windows to the south-west – letting in plenty of afternoon sunshine – this room has amazing views towards Ilkley Moor and over the surrounding countryside.

The dining kitchen has granite and oak working surfaces, white glazed sink and a range of integrated units including a fridge and freezer, microwave, gas-fired Aga with two hobs and ovens and a matching gas cooker.

There is also a playroom and utility room on the ground floor.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has a range of fitted wardrobes and an en suite shower room, and there are four further bedrooms and the house bathroom with corner bath.

“We didn’t have to do much when we moved in. Upstairs, we just decorated, but we felt that downstairs was rather plain, unlike upstairs, where every room is open to the eaves.

“We fitted solid oak floors and beams in the kitchen, and put in an Aga. The kitchen is my favourite room, with the Aga, which is my ‘baby’. As my partner is a chef, it gets plenty of use.

“The kitchen opens out on to the garden, which is another of my favourite ‘rooms’. It has stone boundary walls, with a little gate into a paddock which we bought not long ago. We always had this dream about having a donkey, but never got round to it. But the boys love it because it’s a great place to play football.

“It’s classed as agricultural land, so you can’t build on it, but I suppose you could put it to a different use, either for a pony or growing your own fruit and vegetables.

“We live in the garden during the summer. We turn off the heating from April to October because it’s such a warm home, so it’s quite economical to run.

“It looks lovely at Christmas, when we put a huge tree by the two farm doors in the lounge. Then in summer you can open up the doors and really bring the garden into the lounge.

“The best thing about living here has been the rural feel. There are some great walks right from the doorstep, and we go up to Middleton Woods when the bluebells are putting on their amazing display. It’s lovely having that so close. Then it’s just a 20-minute walk down to the river.

“I’m really going to miss the house, the neighbours and the location... everything in fact.”

The Old Byre, Hunger Hill, Middleton. Price: £675,000. Agent: Dacre, Son & Hartley, Ilkley (01943) 600655