IT was love at first sight when Heather and Richard Humes set eyes on a characterful period property in the centre of Haltwhistle.

And it could be for you too if you are looking to operate a tourism business from your family home.

The Humeses had been renting a cottage in the town after they moved to the North East for Richard's job but snapped up the property they had lost their hearts to.

And for more than 30 years Heather has run a bed and breakfast business from Hall Meadows in Main Street, alongside bringing up their sons Andrew and Daniel.

"We knew Haltwhistle vaguely and weren’t intending to move into the town but we got held up with the sale of our house and lost the property we were after," she said.

"So we rented a cottage in Haltwhistle and Hall Meadows came on the market while we were house-hunting.

"We fell in love with the house as soon as we saw it and were just going to have it as a large family home. But the person whose cottage we were renting said it had previously been a bed and breakfast and she suggested we started a B&B.

"As the boys were at local school, I could work it in with taking them to school and looking after a few guests so this whole new venture was born."

Their children are now long gone and Heather and Richard have decided it is time to give up the house and business.

She said: "It’s a lovely house but just that little bit too big now. We’re no longer in our youth so it’s time to retire and get a little bit of our time back. We’ll miss the guests and it’s interesting talking to them.

"We’ve built up the trade and had some wonderful people in, some of whom pay return visits – it’s like seeing old friends. And the Hadrian’s Wall Trail has helped – we get people from all over the world.

"We have bookings for this year if anyone wanted to take it on as a B&B or those bookings could be rearranged if someone wanted it as a private house. It would be a lovely family home.

"It's also in a good position. We’re centrally situated but just that little back off the main street so you don’t get a lot of noise from the traffic and so on but we’re handy for the shops, you can just pop into the town."

Hall Meadows was built in 1888 and has period features such as high ceilings, coving, fireplaces, parquet flooring, deep skirting boards and wide doors.

There is an entrance lobby with cloakroom, three reception rooms, a study/bedroom, kitchen, utility and rear lobby. Upstairs are three en-suite bedrooms, three further bedrooms, bathroom and toilet.

Externally is an extensive block-paved parking with provision for a number of cars for family or guests.

The south-facing front garden is charming, with a lawn and well-stocked borders. There is also a side garden, separate enclosed lawned garden area and raised vegetable beds.

Heather said: "I do the gardens myself, it’s something I enjoy. In my previous life I was a florist so I love my flowers. Richard starts off vegetables in the greenhouse and we grow quite a lot ourselves.

"We first viewed Hall Meadows before travelling down to my parents in Norfolk so only had half an hour to look round but I felt I could just walk in and put my furniture in.

"It’s a lovely house - you know when you walk into a house and it just feels right? It was like that.

"I think my favourite room is the lounge. It’s south-facing with a nice bay window and in the winter when the coal fire is going, it’s lovely."

Hall Meadows, Main Street, Haltwhistle, is for sale at £320,000 from Foster Maddison, tel. (01434) 605441.