A HOUSE and adjoining cottage have come on to the market in Tynedale, offering an opportunity for a variety of uses, from family home with accommodation for a relative, main home with holiday let or even two holiday homes. They could be bought as separate lots.

The properties are in the sought-after village of Warden, with its ancient church and well-regarded pub and excellent transport links via the A69 or a scenic drive to the Military Road.

The Meeting of the Waters – where the North and South Tyne join – is also nearby.

Westboat and Westboat Cottages were bought as a package 30 years ago by Dr Helen Gillis and her daughter Laura, who is now a well-known local vet.

The cottage had a longtime sitting tenant, an elderly lady, and when she moved into a sheltered home, Helen continued to rent out the property.

“We moved from Stocksfield and it was the location on the river that attracted me,” Helen, a retired teacher, said. “I was also delighted with the size of the garden, which is south-facing.

“I’ve always loved gardening and I planted this one myself. It’s full of mature shrubs and trees and has a vegetable garden too. There’s nothing in it at the moment, but I’ve grown beans and potatoes in the past.

“At the back of the garden is the old railway embankment which is a wildlife haven. I’ve planted trees up there as well and it gets lots of birds – woodpeckers, lots of different types of songbird, blackbirds and thrushes, lots of different types of tits, long-tailed tits and blue tits, etc. I also get hedgehogs, but fortunately no deer!”

Westboat needed a lot of work when Helen bought it: “It had to be gutted and we added a single-storey extension which is now the lounge.

“That’s my favourite room. It has a nice fireplace and I put a wood-burner in. There are windows on all sides, ceiling coving and it’s a really good size – more than 22ft – with views into the garden through the double-glazed French doors.”

The lounge and dining room have exposed and stained floorboards and are linked by an arch with double doors.

The dining room has a double-glazed sash window, a feature fireplace with tiled hearth and a built-in cupboard.

The kitchen has an electric Aga installed by Helen and upstairs there are two bedrooms, one with built-in cupboards and a timber ceiling.

The first floor landing has a skylight window and hatch to the loft, while the three-piece bathroom has a wooden floor, part-tiled walls and built-in cupboards.

Outside, a parking space at the front of the house leads round to the large, landscaped back garden which has a large lawn as well as a paved sun terrace and greenhouse.

Helen said: “I think the house and cottage were built in the 1850s. The cottage might attract someone who wants to buy it as a holiday let, or the main home could be lived in as a permanent home.

“It’s very versatile. People might want to buy it and use the cottage as an annex for a relative or something like that. I could sell the properties separately or together.”

Westboat Cottage has been recently refurbished, with a new kitchen, wood-burner, part double glazing and stained floorboards.

It could make an ideal first home for a couple or small family with two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and three-piece bathroom. Outside is parking to the front and a lawned back garden.

Helen said: “The house has a nice atmosphere, very homely. I noticed that when I first looked around, even though it wasn’t in great repair.

“The location and the garden appealed to me. I’ll miss the house when I leave, but the garden is too big for me by myself now.”

Westboat, Warden, is for sale at £250,000 and Westboat Cottages at £140,000 through Keith Pattinson, tel. (01434) 605376.