MARKET House is a home full of history and surprises. Built in 1769, owners Fiona and Nick Renner Thompson have transformed the Northumberland property from a derelict shell into a stunning family home. The couple, who have two sons, Guy, 18, and Hugh, 15, have lived in the four-bedroom property for 33 years. It has a fantastic location five minutes from the Bamburgh coast at Belford.
Fiona explains how she first viewed the house. “I thought the outside was too big for the inside,” she said. “And I found a broken window and managed to get through it and found another house sort of attached and all locked up.” The house has been completely overhauled and only one original internal wall remains. The other walls and ceilings are new, while all the other original features such as fireplaces and shutters have been kept and restored. Fiona, who used to be an interior designer, designed all the rooms in the house and says her favourite rooms are the kitchen and drawing room. “The kitchen is brilliant to work in. It’s very sociable and everything is behind doors so everything keeps clean,” she said. “The 28ft drawing room is absolutely stunning. It would be a brilliant family home, holiday home or home for a couple. It’s very versatile and it’s right in the centre of the village so you have beautiful views. The market place is very elegant and pretty and we also have stunning views over the countryside.” The house boasts four bedrooms, a living room, dining room, formal drawing room, study and a walled garden. It’s 50 miles from Newcastle and 15 miles from Alnwick and Berwick. Also available by separate negotiation is a garage/store area, which Fiona’s father bought for his haulage business. Still in its original condition, this building has a lot of potential for redevelopment. “It would be great for storing a boat or a canoe if they had anything like that,” said Fiona. “It could be used as a garage or it could be converted to residential with the necessary consents. I did plan that you could have one or two bedrooms and a living room combined.” The family are moving because they need more land to keep their horses. As Nick is a local farmer and businessman, they intend to stay near the village. Said Fiona: “It’s a bit sad to be leaving all of our neighbours because they’re brilliant and it’s very entertaining living here because you see everything that’s going on in the village so you’re a part of everything, but we really need to be near the horses.” Market House, Belford, Northumberland is for sale through George F White at a guide price of £375,000. The garage storage area is for sale separately at £25,000. Tel 01665 603581. | 
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