IF you're looking for a quiet country home full of character and with wooded gardens hosting an abundance of wildlife, then Dene House could be just right.

It is a stone-built detached home of enormous charm and character, quietly tucked away within walking distance of the and substantial secure footbridge.

"My husband Peter and I have lived here for 21 years and it has been a wonderful home," said owner Carol Barrett.

"We moved here as it was a house full of character but with scope for improvement. It's located in an area of outstanding natural beauty which is rural but within commuting distance of Newcastle where Peter, who is an IT consultant, was working at the time. And the surrounding countryside is great for walking, cycling and a host of other outdoor activities."

Dene House has spacious and well-presented accommodation comprising two reception rooms and three bedrooms, a newly-fitted bathroom and outdoor buildings include a large garage and two stores.

"The house has been updated and refurbished throughout," Carol said. "A damp-proof course was fitted and at some point every room has been stripped back and re-plastered while retaining character and original features.

"In the kitchen Fired Earth antique terracotta floor tiles have been laid and a dual-fuel range cooker has been installed. The en-suite master bedroom has new bespoke fitted oak wardrobes and a drawer/cupboard unit and a feature ceiling.

"Both bathrooms have been updated with new suites and tiling and the central heating system has been updated with a new Worcester Bosch condensing boiler and revised pipework to improve circulation."

Dene House, which the Barretts believe dates from the early 1800s, is entered by way of a porch with an attractive tiled floor and two steps up to the reception hall. This has a dado rail and doots to the reception rooms.

The sitting room is spacious with original window shutters and ceiling coving, an exposed stone wall, deep inglenook fireplace with open grate and lovely duel-aspect views. The dining room has a vaulted ceiling with exposed stone wall and views of the garden.

The large breakfasting kitchen has a Belfast sink with vintage tiles in its splashback, cupboards, butcher's blocks and double French doors to the dining room. A utility room and kitchen lead off and a study with Velux roof light completes the ground-floor accommodation. The property has superfast broadband.

Upstairs are two large double bedrooms, the master with an en-suite bathroom and the other with bespoke fitted wardrobes, and a smaller double bedroom.

The gardens are a particular feature of Dene House, with a patio area, lawn, trees, shrubs, a burn with two waterfalls and a footbridge and a woodland area.

Carol said: "The garden has been redesigned and the bridge across the burn has recently been replaced. It's my favourite spot, among the trees listening to bird song.

"The woodland is rich in wildlife including deer, red squirrels, hedgehogs and an abundance of woodland and river birds including heron, wagtails, dippers, flycatchers, treecreepers, nuthatches woodpeckers and tawny and barn owls.

"We're really going to miss this wildlife - and the village with its amenities and active community spirit - but we're relocating south, to be closer to our daughter and grandson in the Cotswolds."

Dene House, The Dene, Allendale, is for sale at £430,000 from Rook Matthews Sayer.