Apple Tree Barn, Wray. 4 bed detached barn conversion with large 825sq m building plot

Apple Tree Barn is full of options and potential. It occupies an attractive position on the outskirts of the picturesque and well-respected Lune Valley village of Wray within the scenically renowned Forest of Bowland AONB. 

An opportunity in two parts. First, the existing barn conversion. Converted in the mid 1990s it offers well-proportioned and characterful living accommodation that has been well cared for and maintained by the present owners who had it converted 30 years ago; it now offers scope for new owners to update fittings, put their own personal stamp on decoration and maybe even consider a degree of remodeling – it’s a wonderful opportunity. It presently provides a central hall, two reception rooms, a dining kitchen, utility room, boot room, two cloakrooms and an integral garage. Upstairs are four double bedrooms, one of which has an ensuite shower room, a house bathroom and separate home office. The large gardens have been designed, planted and maintained by keen gardeners and include lawns, a generous seating terrace, established planting, a kitchen garden and orchard as well as ample gated parking.

Secondly, the unique selling point with Apple Tree Barn is that there will be planning permission for a new build detached dwelling within the grounds/land. The proposed dwelling is of a similar size to Apple Tree Barn with proposed plans indicating a hall, cloakroom, contemporary open plan living kitchen, utility room, four double bedrooms, two ensuite shower rooms and a house bathroom. The accommodation is predominantly on the ground floor to enable single level living, either now or in the future.

The combination of two properties will appeal to multi-generational family living, those looking to create an investment opportunity for holiday or long term lets or developers seeking their next project as there is undoubtedly scope to add value to Apple Tree Barn as well as on the new build development. 

A rare opportunity indeed in the heart of a village in the much sought after Lune Valley, a treasured and much loved area, between the National Parks of the Lakes and the Dales and within the Forest of Bowland AONB – nature and beauty surrounds with a country lifestyle on offer.

Vendor Insight 

" We were moving from the city and were looking for village life with a sense of community. Wray ticked all the boxes and we’ve been very happy here. There’s a lot going on in the village which is great; it’s been a lovely place to raise a family but we’re now ready to downsize into our retirement." 

Location
Nestled in the Forest of Bowland an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Wray is the Scarecrow Village of Lancashire, attracting thousands of visitors every year to its annual Scarecrow Festival and fair which has been held annually since 1992 during the week leading up to May Day. 

Historically the village was a local textile centre, with silk mills, tanners and coopers as well as clog and basket makers, all taking advantage of the convergence of the River Roeburn and River Hindburn.

Truly picturesque, this delightful village has quaint streets where period cottages and houses, conversions and more recent additions all sit side by side. An exceptionally popular village, there is a community run village store (open seven days a week and stocking not just essentials, but local crafts and bike spares as well as offering a dry cleaning service), popular tea rooms and a traditional pub with a reputation for good food. The pre-school, primary school and children’s play area are a great asset for those with children as is the thriving institute which hosts a great array of events and classes. There are also two churches in the village. 

Surrounded by the lush and undulating countryside of the valley, there are walks for every age, ability and depending on whether you have all day to enjoy or a precious hour before work. Cycling is very popular locally with Bridge House Farm Tearooms a much frequented stop off on longer routes.

The village is on the local bus route with services into Kirkby Lonsdale and Lancaster. For older children, school buses stop just a short way along the main street and take pupils in either direction.

The Lune Valley is known for its choice of destination foodie pubs with a choice up and down the valley offering taste sensations as well as many more in the nearby market town of Kirkby Lonsdale, another popular tourist destination with a variety of independent shops as well as a branch of Booths supermarket. Those wishing to read more about local events are directed to the village newsletter,
the Wrayly Mail, available online and from the shop.

Step inside
Apple Tree Barn was converted in the mid 1990s and offers character features and great space. Much use has been made of stained panel doors, skirting boards and architraves, thick walls provide wonderfully deep window cills and on the first floor, exposed roof trusses create striking features. 

Thoughtfully laid out, it’s a practical layout that works well, providing a degree of flexibility, especially on the ground floor with two separate reception rooms as well as a spacious dining kitchen. For those seeking a more open plan layout there are certainly opportunities to open up spaces as well as introducing more contemporary finishes and appointments.

The tall former barn opening now creates an inset entrance with a flagged floor, providing a handy shelter from the elements. Step into the hallway and the staircase design is an attractive feature. Centrally positioned, all rooms lead off the hall and there’s the first of two cloakrooms with a loo and wash basin.

The characterful sitting room is a cracking family space, generously proportioned it’s a super room for cosy family nights by the open fire set within a fabulous stone fire surround and chimney breast. Lending itself to entertaining with plenty of room for friends to gather – the room easily accommodates both seating and dining areas and also has a triple aspect with glazed doors opening to the seating terrace in the main garden.

The heart of any home, the dining kitchen is a lovely, light and sociable room with an island unit incorporating a breakfast bar as well as plenty of room for your table and chairs perfectly positioned to look out to the lovely, landscaped garden. From the kitchen, double opening glass paneled doors open to the second reception room. This is a very versatile room and has seen life as a formal dining room, playroom and as it is now, a cosy snug. A charming pine fire surround with Victorian style inset tiles houses a gas flame effect fire for convenience on a day-to-day basis. Combined with the kitchen it would create a cracking open plan living kitchen.

Leading off the kitchen is a utility room, a superbly practical space with access to a small courtyard situated at the rear of the house where the bins are stored and which has a handy gate if you are walking into the village. With a stone flagged floor and Belfast sink, it has plumbing for a washing machine and a vent for tumble dryer. A cupboard houses the boiler and makes the ideal spot for airing towels and drying off wet outdoor clothing.

The large boot room is an equally great space, again with a hardwearing stone flagged floor, perfect when arriving home in muddy boots or with dogs or prams. There’s excellent storage space here and a second cloakroom with a loo and wash basin, handy if you’re out in the garden. From the boot room a door leads to the integral garage. Best described as a ‘generous single’ there is ample room for a car and room still to accommodate storage either side as well. It has traditional double opening wooden doors, power and light.

Rising to the first floor and the wrap around landing has great character with a distinctive window and exposed roofing timbers, the ceiling rising high to the roof’s apex. There are four good double bedrooms, the principal one having an ensuite shower room, a family bathroom and an ever so useful home office with a fitted desk. All four bedrooms and the office enjoy good views, each one slightly different.

The family bathroom is a good size with room for a bath, separate shower, loo and wash basin. Opportunities certainly exist to remodel the first floor layout and create a second ensuite if this was desired.

In all, it’s a good village house, spacious in its sizing with added character. Now ready for the next generation to make it their own. It would equally suit a growing family or couple, whether professional or retired, simply looking to embrace the space, work from home, indulge hobbies that require dedicated space or entertain and accommodate overnight guests.

Step outside
Turn in off the village road and take the lane around the back of the small attractive new development at the edge of the village – there are five detached houses built in a traditional style that have settled well into the local streetscape. Off here is a private drive, which when taken leads through Apple Tree Barn’s gate into a generous gravel parking area. A flagged path connects to the front door for guests and the boot room for everyday comings and goings. The path extends into a flagged seating area in front of the house which borders the level lawn and offers plenty of room for an assortment of garden furniture.

The front of the house is regarded as the elevation facing the garden with a south easterly aspect and which is adorned with a delightful wisteria and climbing roses in pink and red.

The large garden has been created from scratch and has been thoughtfully stocked and well-tended. It has matured over time and is now well established. In spring there are plenty of bulbs (starting with snowdrops and then following on with crocuses, tulips, daffodils and grape hyacinths) bringing welcome colour after the winter months; this colour and variety extends throughout the seasons with herbaceous plants and flowering shrubs, amongst them hydrangeas, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias.

As keen cooks, the vendors have also planted within the kitchen garden, a wellstocked herb garden ready for any culinary requirement; there is mint, sage, rosemary, thyme, chives, marjoram and fennel. In addition, the kitchen garden has a number of raised beds for cultivating vegetables. The garden also offers a selection of soft fruit bushes including raspberries, strawberries and blackberries as well as a rhubarb patch. The small orchard is home to plum, apple, pear and cherry trees.

Externally, there are 2 Eufy security cameras with lights and sensors covering the garden and driveway which can be monitored on a phone via the app. The roadside courtyard also has a Eufy camera and a doorbell camera. There is an external water supply both by the house and in the vegetable garden. A Podpoint electric vehicle charger is attached to the garage.

Vendor Insight 

" Here on the edge of the village we have enjoyed all the benefits of a large garden and great parking." 

Development opportunity
Apple Tree Barn will be sold with planning permission to build a detached house on land at the end of the landscaped garden. This is a large plot of approximately 825 square metres, which currently contains a wildlife pond, an orchard and wildflower grassland. 

The scheme is for a courtyard style dwelling, externally reminiscent of a traditional arrangement of farming or storage buildings. The minimal exterior uses traditional materials and has limited openings, like that of historical buildings found locally. The courtyard, tucked away out of sight, will provide the opportunity for a more modern appearance with generous amounts of glazing and a connection to the gardens. The layout has been conceived to facilitate primarily single level living, whether for the owners, guests or as a future proofing measure.

Drawings show a hall with cloakroom and an impressive ‘L’ shaped open plan living kitchen with a utility room. The bedroom wing includes a principal bedroom with ensuite, two double bedrooms and a family bathroom. The first floor has another double bedroom with an ensuite shower room. There is an integral double garage and a courtyard garden.

The plans include a separate entrance and driveway from Home Farm Close. All utilities are easily accessible as ducting is already in place for gas, water and electricity.

To view details online go to and search the planning section using the postcode LA2 8QH or reference 24/01251/FUL.

Directions
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Use Sat Nav LA2 8QH with reference to the directions below: 

Driving northbound on the A683 from Lancaster or the M6 (J34) towards Kirkby Lonsdale, turn right onto the B6480 signposted Wray shortly after passing through Claughton (you’ll spot the Fenwick Arms on your left). Proceed into Wray village on Hornby Road. The turning for Main Street is on the right, but carry on, as Hornby Road becomes Wennington Road. At the very end of the village is a turning on the right for Home Farm Close. Turn in here and follow the road round to the right. When you reach the playing field and the road continues left, turn right and the gated entrance to Apple Tree Barn is on the right.

Included in the sale
Fitted carpets, curtains, curtain poles and light fittings. Creda electric oven. Sofa and two chairs in sitting room.. Sofa in second reception room. Additionally, in bedroom 2 the following items are included; the wardrobe, chest of drawers, bedside table, desk and double bed. In bedroom 3 the wardrobe, chest of drawers and bookcase are included. The shelving units in the garage and storeroom/boot room are also all included. As the vendors are downsizing other items would also be considered for inclusion if required.

Services 

Mains electricity, gas, water and drainage. Gas fired central heating from an Ideal boiler in the utility room controllable remotely via the NEST app. Security alarm. External CCTV with remote access available. Electric car charger.

Council Tax - Lancaster City Council - Council Tax Band F 

Tenure - Freehold 

Please note
Home Farm Close is adopted, the access track thereafter is private and owned by the Parish Council with Apple Tree Barn having a legal right of way.