“We really do like the place.” says Keith Cumberland, reflecting on life at his Careby home. Keith and Julie have lived in the Lincolnshire property, River House, since 2006, having moved to the county from their native Bedfordshire to be closer to their two grandchildren.

The couple says they were attracted to the area by its secluded location, close village community and idyllic setting, surrounded by arable farmland and flanked by the Saxon church of St Stephens. The parish is home to just 150 people and enjoys a tranquil setting, but with Stamford just seven miles away, there’s plenty of amenities close by.

Set in two acres, the house is sensibly proportioned, too, providing five bedrooms, four reception rooms and sufficient ground for the grandchildren to enjoy without overwhelming its custodians with work.

Despite enjoying a high specification, the couple have still added to the property, with a new kitchen and additional reception room two obvious examples. However, with the property now on the market, Keith and Julie say they are looking for a new family to enjoy the Lincolnshire property as much as they have.

“The previous owners had renovated and really tastefully extended the property beyond its ‘two-up, two-down’ origins.” says Keith. “We, too, have extended the house since we’ve been here, mostly to take advantage of the panoramic views of the garden.” The Lincolnshire property was originally built of local limestone in 1875. When the previous occupier extended it in 2002, he used reclaimed materials that matched exactly, and as a result it’s a seamless extension that really respects the house’s heritage. Stylistically, Victorian architecture has been enhanced with Gothic revivalist influences that suits the age of the house. There’s a large reclaimed oak arched door between the hallway and kitchen, and a similar door on the new wing of the house, as well as large stone fireplaces and flagstone flooring.

With customised joinery, reclaimed materials and warm materials — from honey coloured stone to the new Bradstone Cotswold slate roof, designed to mimic native Collyweston slates — every detail of the property is beautiful and traditional, and reeks of the area’s heritage despite its modern specification. Whilst bathrooms feature designer suites from Peterborough based Porcelanosa, and the kitchen is finished in Farrow and Ball White Tie paint, modern features such as these, and the property’s other executive home features, such as powered gates, give way to a wealth of traditional touches. “The kitchen was installed by an Ancaster company and was a completely bespoke design. There’s a cream Aga, an inset Belfast sink and granite work surfaces, and when we revamped the kitchen we added two windows to allow more light into the room.” says Keith.

A further feature of the kitchen is its breakfast room, which is south facing, beautifully light, decorated with reclaimed beams and Gothic windows. This supplements an elevated dedicated dining room with a flagstone flooring and stone fireplace.

Keith and Julie’s newest edition on the south west wing of the house is a new drawing room with a new entrance porch; “It’s really made the property more welcoming.” says Keith. “It lends itself beautifully to being anentertaining room, with a terrace just outside.”

The paved patio areas also lead down to the garden, bordered by woodland and mostly laid to lawn. At the Western edge of the property is the River West Glen, namesake of the property. The river, for most of the year, is nothing more than a trickle, but does occasionally rise to around a foot in depth. The couple’s young grandchildren, adore exploring the grounds, and can do so in complete safety. Also appreciated by both parents and grandparents like is the proximity of some excellent schooling — the children have just moved on from Witham School, just ten minutes away, to Oakham. For the family’s older residents, however, the accommodation provides plenty of room for family get-togethers and affords grown-ups the proximity of some great restaurants. “There are so many interesting places to visit in the area.” says Keith. “Burghley House, Grimsthorpe Castle, Rutland Water, Tallington Lakes and Barnsdale Gardens. We eat out a lot, and we’re very lucky to have some lovely restaurants and gastro-pubs in the area, particularly the Michelin Starred Olive Branch at Clipsham, which is a real favourite of ours.”

The couple moved to the area to be nearer the grandchildren’s school, but with their relocation to Oakham School, now feel the time is right to move, hence a reluctant decision to put the property on the market. “We’ll really miss the place.” says Keith. “We’ve enjoyed living here and shall miss sitting in the drawing room in particular — but we’ve lots of happy memories to take with us!”