Carl Murgatroyd would quite happily spend his holidays on the patio at the back of his home in Ryecroft, apart from one thing. "It lacks a golf course - all I want is 18 holes!" he says.

Avid golf fan Carl wasn't put off five years ago when he bought listed Fields Barn, because there was another, more powerful pull.

"The huge cornerstone is not only dated 1743; it also had the initials EM carved into it, which were my father's initials. Being superstitious, I thought it was a good omen."

In was such as good portent that Carl and his partner Rachel only took 30 minutes to decide that this was the home for them.

Fields Barn, in the tucked away hamlet of Rycroft in Harden, didn't have a very auspicious start in life. It was a cow mistal belonging to the Ferrands family of St Ives and Bingley. In the 1990s the semi-derelict barn was owned by a Mrs Field who lived in the cottage next door The lady in question sold the derelict barn to a developer well known for his work in carrying out unusual conversions, including the Stone Cross development of the old Weslyan church in Wilsden.

"He dropped it and rebuilt it using the original stone, and then named it after the previous owner. We fell in love with it the minute we saw it, after spotting an advert in the Telegraph & Argus. So we were the first occupiers," says Carl.

"Ryecroft is a beautiful hamlet, a conservation area that few people know about. It has a history that dates back centuries."

Carl isn't wrong. In the medieval period, Rievaulx Abbey - the first Cistercian outpost in the North - was granted land and other rights near Ryecroft, although the name isn't mentioned until the 14th Century when accounts show that it was owned by a member of the Midgley family, a surname which can be seen in documents all the way up to the 19th Century.

This lead to the discovery that the initials on the date stone of Fields Barn stand for Edward Midgley, a member of the most prominent family living in the hamlet, who died in 1746 at the age of 82.

From the outside Fields Barn looks typical of its type, but inside the modern decor sits happily alongside the exposed stone walls and ceiling beams. Thanks to no less than 19 windows the interior is light and airy, which is sometimes difficult to achieve in the conversion of an agricultural building.

It also has a few surprises up its sleeve, like the huge entrance hall surrounded on all sides by a minstrels' gallery. The most striking thing about this space is that it is open to the eaves with a huge chandelier as a centrepiece which the developer had made in Sheffield.

"When the candles are lit it looks like a medieval banqueting hall," says Carl.

To the right of the hall is a 29ft lounge with a stone fireplace large enough to roast an ox. "The developer had to winch the bricks in one by one for the fireplace. There's a woodburning stove which is fantastic in winter, although the walls are so thick that it feels like a warm home anyway.

"The lounge is my favourite room because it is so massive, and I like the feel of it. We've tried to make a very traditional home look contemporary.

"Everyone who visits just says wow'. It has a lovely homely feel. Some barns feel like a barn, but this feels like a home."

Throughout the house are examples of Carl's other passion - apart from golf that is - his abstract paintings, which add to the unique feel of the home.

The dining kitchen is another large room with more exposed stone and plenty of room for a large family to dine together.

Upstairs, off one side of the gallery, is the main bedroom, a truly massive space with an en-suite with an ultra-modern feel, which is echoed by the family bathroom which serves the three other bedrooms.

Also off the master bedroom, up three stone steps, is a morning room with balcony overlooking the hallway, which Carl uses as a second sitting room.

Carl and Rachel have also put their stamp on the outside of the barn with a waterfall set in a rockery at the back, lawns and borders and a stone patio which Carl's partner says is the best suntrap she's ever sat in, with sun from around 11am until it goes down.

There's also plenty of wildlife. "I was sat in the bath looking out of the window when I saw something jump over a hedge. I only saw its ears so I stood up to have a look and it was a fawn - an amazing little creature which fortunately couldn't see me. But we get all kinds of wildlife, including foxes.

"I'm going to miss the tranquillity and the fantastic neighbours. The children have enjoyed pastimes they probably wouldn't have even thought of if they lived in a town, like spending time with the farmer when it's lambing. It's also very safe.

"You feel like you're a million miles from civilisation, but Bingley is just a mile down the road with everything you could need."

Fields Barn at Ryecroft, near Harden, is on the market for £550,000 with Halifax, Bingley, (01274) 568240.