It’s amazing to think that 150 years ago, the headmaster sat in what is our living room and schoolchildren played in our garden,” says Helen Horsman of her Grade II listed home in Clayton, near Bradford that was built in 1859 as a national school.

Built in the decorated gothic-style so beloved by Victorians, in rock-faced stone with a slate roof, the school originally had three classrooms and a school master’s house.

It was extended in 1871 and again in 1895, and a large hall was added. In its later days it was a Middle School for the village, but closed when they were abolished.

The school was converted into several properties in 2004 by a private developer.

“I couldn’t put my finger on what was the ‘wow’ factor for us, but on our first visit my husband Dean and I just fell in love with it,” Helen recalls.

“It felt so right for us. We weren’t even ready to move house and hadn’t looked at any other properties, but we saw this in the paper and were drawn to it.

“We love old properties, but DIY is not our strong point, so this was ideal as it combined the original features of a Grade II listed building with a new interior.

"The builder had very sensitively renovated the school to retain its best features and make sure the quality and style of the new fittings complemented these features.”

There are more period features than you can shake a Grade II listing at, including stone mullion windows, gothic gables and original beams, without sacrificing the modern conveniences like gas central heating.

The stylish conversion turned the former village school into eight stylish properties.

The Horsman family home – which is over three floors – has a downstairs WC, cellar and modern Shaker style kitchen in maple with brushed stainless steel appliances and spotlighting.

A large landing on the first floor doubles as a dining room and there is also a small study and lounge with the original stone fire surround with cast iron inlay, now fitted with a living flame gas fire, and windows on two sides.

On the second floor is a lovely master bedroom with the original gable end stone mullion window, as well as three roof lights.

The room’s fitted furniture includes a walk-in corner wardrobe and four sets of drawers, which complement the exposed beams, and an en-suite with a larger corner shower cubicle and part-tiled walls.

The second bedroom is home to an addition to the family, ten-month-old Lucas.

He’s a lucky boy because his roof has a lovely trio of stone mullion windows set in an arch, reaching almost to the floor, as well as an exposed beam.

The up-to-date version of a Victorian bathroom has a large claw-foot, roll-top bath with telephone style shower taps and a wash basin.

“The main bedroom is my favourite room,” says Helen. “It has an original oak beam in the centre and features the peak of an arched gothic window with blue stained glass, which looks stunning in the sunlight.

"It’s also got a great view of St John’s Church opposite, which is perfect for watching weddings.”

There’s a good deal of outside space, too, with a block-paved drive for parking two vehicles, paved patio and cobbled area with slate chippings, plus a front lawn with flower borders.

“We added the planted borders to give it some colour and personality. I love flowers, so we’ve got plenty of pots on the patio, making it a relaxing place to sit and listen to the birds in the trees.

“We’ve loved inviting people into our home – and it really is a home, not just a house – we get so many lovely comments about how unusual and original it is. The house has a really warm feel to it and the rooms are spacious and bright.

“Clayton’s also a great place to live with everything you need close by – local public houses, all the shops you could possibly need as well as a library, post office, hairdressers and a beautician. There’s a real community feel to the place.

“We’re going to miss everything about the house – its uniqueness and quirkiness. We’ve put a lot of time into making it look and feel right for us and we’ve fallen in love with the place.

"We need to move on so we can extend our family, but we’re hoping to stay local because we want Lucas to go to school here.”

The Old Village School, Clayton, Bradford. Price: £189,950. Agent: Bronte Properties, Queensbury (01274) 884040.