Country feel in the suburbs.

Byline: Victoria Watson

THE unconventional layout of Bullock Steads Farm caught the attention of the Stirrat family when they moved into the property 17 years ago.

The former granary is a Grade II-listed property, which was converted in 1990.

"The thing that struck us is that it is an upside down house. It is an old granary that was working until the 1980s. It was owned by a family called the Rutherfords, who ran the farm," explains Allan Stirrat, an orthopaedic surgeon. "It was part of a redevelopment of farm buildings and we were the first occupants."

Allan, 53, lives at the property with Julie, and daughter Alice, 16, a sixth form student. Son, Andrew, 27, moved away recently.

The large property, in the Newcastle suburb of Kenton Bank Foot, has a real country feel while being close to the city.

It has four bedrooms on the ground floor, two with en suites, a family bathroom and a utility room. The first floor has a lounge, breakfasting kitchen and a dining room.

"When we moved in it was effectively bare apart from the spectacular land. So we set it up the way we wanted it. It was largely down to Julie's skills as an interior designer. The lounge is the striking feature of the house," said Allan.

The large open-plan room has a beamed ceiling and stairs to a mezzanine gallery.

Allan's favourite room is the kitchen, newly fitted four years ago. It has a Belfast sink, breakfast bar and oak flooring that runs throughout the upstairs of the house.

The property has a rural feel but is still handy for shops and facilities and has easy access to Gosforth, Kingston Park and Newcastle.

"It's extremely convenient for local facilities and is close to a Metro station," said Allan. "It is handy for Newcastle Airport but we have no problems with noise."

The property has a double garage and good outdoor space, making it an ideal home for a family. There is a large garden to the rear of the property and a courtyard.

"It has an excellent garden in which our children used to play. We used to have a trampoline, swing and pools there. We also used to have a dog. There's plenty of outdoor space for those with pets."

With Alice going off to university soon, and Andrew moving out last year, the family are looking to downsize, perhaps to Gosforth or Jesmond.

Allan says he will miss living at the old granary, particularly having the country feel and living in such an open space.

Bullock Steads Farm, Kenton Bank Foot, is being auctioned through Pattinson estate agents at their next auction, at Kingston Park Rugby Club, Newcastle, on November 24. Bidding starts at pounds 575,000. For more information, tel: [phone] or go to www.pattinson.co.uk

CAPTION(S):

SUBURBAN STYLE Bullock Steads Farm is an impressive conversion, with four bedrooms and good outside space.