Ghost house!

"It took a lot of time, effort and cost, and it was very stressful. But I'd do it all again tomorrow, " he says.

I've lived within a mile or so of this house for many years with a favourite dog walking route taking me around the edge of the walled garden, with just the odd glimpse of the house in the distance.

Having an affection for old houses - this one was built in 1627 - I've always wanted to live there, so jumped at the chance to look round when I found it was on the market.

Bolton Old Hall is tucked away on the outskirts of Wrose, and when it was built for a wealthy wool merchant it was probably the first house in the area.

While the area has grown, Bolton Old Hall has remained set apart - many people who have lived in Wrose for years don't know it is there.

"We've even got a ghost, " says Billy, pointing at a circular window in the gable. I wasn't quite sure how to respond to this. Most home owners would rather I didn't mention any ghostly visitors they may have, but Billy is proud of Blue Mary, as she is known.

"I've never seen her, but I've felt her presence, " he says. "So have lots of visitors but I don't know anything about her."

According to my research, the ghost has been mentioned since around the end of the 19th Century, when she was credited with various misdeeds such as affecting the milk yield of the local cows. At one time the residents of the hall took the ghost seriously enough to hang horseshoes and bottles full of needles to placate it.

The garden is a particularly lovely feature of the home. At more than an acre, it is broken up into a series of 'rooms', each giving a different view of the house. The most unusual feature is the huge raised Koi pond with a glass panel at the front so that you can see these huge fish swimming underwater. Some were well over two feet long, but these gentle giant fish let me hand feed them.

It was hard to tear myself away as we went round to the front, where Billy pointed out a small monument. "That's where I keep my mum's ashes, " he says, but any prospective owner needn't worry, and he will be taking her with him when he leaves. "I always give her a little wave goodnight!"

There have been no structural changes to the inside, but Billy, who works in demolition, is responsible for many of the items used in the interior. There's the pine ceiling in the kitchen which came from a church in Leeds, and the beautiful Edwardian bed which he discovered in the cellar of a house he was demolishing.

On the ground floor there's an entrance hallway with laminate flooring and dado rail, below which Billy has used Lincrusta wallpaper for that touch of authenticity. Off the hallway is a shower room and a dining room with an impressive brick fireplace, beams, pine ceiling and the original stone flagged floor.

There are two more reception rooms - a lounge and sitting room - both of which have an Adam style fire surround with living flame gas fire and exposed beams.

Throughout the reception rooms there is an eclectic mix of furniture from all over the world, which Billy bought at various auctions.

The kitchen, which opens on to the dining room, is very much in a country style with a Belfast sink, ample work surfaces and showcase units, plus a range style gas cooker, tiled flooring and spot lighting.

There's also a useful utility room with plumbing for an automatic washing machine, a similar pine ceiling to that in the kitchen and a stable door to the rear patio, where the Koi pond takes pride of place.

Because the house features in history books of the area, Billy occasionally has visitors who are interested in its past. "I've even had people from Australia to look round, " he says.

Upstairs there's an impressive stained glass window on the landing, three bedrooms, a study and bathroom. All the bedrooms, which are double rooms, have a cast iron fireplace and the second bedroom also has access to the study, which could easily be converted to a dressing room or en-suite.

In the bathroom there is a three-piece Victorian style suite, with chrome shower over the bath, tiled floor and pine ceiling.

But the house doesn't stop there - an added bonus is the one bedroom cottage in the grounds which offers a lot of possibilities - granny annexe, teenager's suite or even a home office.

It has a plethora of features like window seats and built-in wardrobes in the bedroom, and exposed stone walls, polished floor and exposed beamed ceiling in the bedroom and lounge, which is open plan into the fitted kitchen. There's also a part-tiled bathroom with three-piece suite and spot lighting.

There's more - three garages and a workshop along with building potential, subject to the relevant planning permission.

As I left through the electronic gates I was glad I'd finally taken the chance to look around a home I had admired for years and that it had lived up to my expectations.