Inside the former Hillam farmhouse converted over 15 years to create home for growing family
Inside the former Hillam farmhouse converted over 15 years to create home for growing family
It was Hilltop Farm’s rural appeal that first called to Graeme and Jayne Byers, but with a growing family it was its adaptability that stood the test of time.
The four-bedroom former farmhouse in Hillam’s conservation area, close to Monk Fryston, had been a far cry from where it is now when the couple first bought it in 1996.
Once weather torn outbuildings, skilfully restored over 15 years, create a two-bedroom detached barn conversion and workshops.
The farmhouse itself, part of the village’s streetscene since the mid 19th century, has been remodelled to conserve its character and 200-year-old stonework.
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The couple, who had previously lived in Roundhay in Leeds, had been looking for space and a sense of community to raise a family.
Hilltop grew with the children, says Graeme, with the barn later becoming home to their daughter.
“Looking back, if we hadn’t moved here we would probably have moved three or four times in 25 years,” he said.
“As children grow, families’ needs change a lot. This was somewhere everybody could call home, and come back to, and have happy memories of.
“It’s only now, as the children have grown and we’ve retired, that the time has come to sell the property and return to Scotland.”
In the mid 18th century, Hilltop would have been a smallholding, with outbuildings, a barn, and a small amount of land.
“Even 100 years ago there would have been a dozen farms in the village,” said Graeme. “Most of these old properties, from a time when people lived off the land, have disappeared.”
The first project for the couple had been the farmhouse, bringing in a bit of luxury with high end bathrooms and a spacious breakfast kitchen.
The family room, with vaulted ceilings, opens onto a sun terrace while the old farmyard has become a central courtyard.
The greatest transformation is in the two-storey barn, with original oak beams restored alongside stone arches, while there are workshops adjoining.
The property is marketed with Dacre, Son & Hartley, and director Paul Baxter said the couple have maximised its potential.
“The result is a welcoming period family home with the valuable benefit of a high-quality barn conversion ideal for guests, dependant relatives or home working space,” he said.
Hilltop Farm is on the market with estate agent Dacre, Son & Hartley, for £675,000.
