Wanted - someone special to live in an outstandingly beautiful area and run a business catering for walkers and cyclists. That’s the proposition for the buyers of a guesthouse and tearoom near Alston.

Current owner Stephen Beimers said: “It’s not for your average everyday person, it has to be someone who loves the countryside in all weathers - a very special person who wants to take on the business but also enjoy where we’re living.

“If you’re in a town and want to move out to a rural area, you couldn’t get more rural than this.”

He’s talking about his home at West Nattrass Gill, a mile to the south of Alston, where for the past eight years he has run a tearoom and guesthouse with wife Gina and the occasional help of their teenage daughters Olive-Nicole and Stephanie.

The family relocated from Jesmond, Newcastle, when the girls were small.

Stephen said: “We literally saw the advert in the Courant for this place, came out and fell in love with it the minute we got here, not just the house but the surroundings which during the summer months are fantastic.

“One of the big selling points is the wildlife, there’s not a day goes past that we’re not treated to the sight of a hare or a deer, all variety of birdlife, owls, bats and, of course, wildflower meadows which is a huge bonus.”

Taking advantage of their beautiful panoramic surroundings, and the fact that their home is on the Coast-to-Coast cycle route, they started up the guesthouse in a barn that is now attached to, yet separate from, the main house.

It has a reception area and two en-suite bedrooms. An extension was built on for the tearooms, which can seat up to 35.

“We started this to have a business to run from home,” said Stephen. “We have only two rooms so are up against the other hotels and things down in Alston but we’ve made a little bit of money and for anyone who wants to come in and work it up from here, it’s already established and there’s the opportunity to add value.

“We’ve got a very good write-up and comments on TripAdvisor which is where we excel most.”

The main family house retains much of its original charm with inglenook fireplace, coving and exposed beams. The downstairs rooms include lounge, dining room, farmhouse-style kitchen and breakfast/sun room and upstairs are five bedrooms set over two storeys.

On the top floor is the room which is Stephen’s favourite, a beautiful 27ft attic. “It’s more of a leisure room cum cinema,” he said. “It’s very sunny in the evenings with fantastic views to Cross Fell and the Lakes. On a clear day you can see almost as far as Hartside.”

The Beimers have made several improvements to their house, including a professionally installed kitchen, woodburner and biomass wood supply boiler system. Their gardens are low-maintenance, mostly grass and shrubs and they have their own parking area, garaging and barn.

In addition to the guesthouse and tearooms, Stephen also runs a Newcastle business, Jesmond Tree Surgeons. The family is selling up in Alston to make his commute easier.

Stephen said: “The one thing I would like to emphasise is that the surroundings here really sell the place, we’ve got fantastic panoramic views, 360 degrees, it’s a fantastic place.

“On one side there are the wonderful fields which the local farmers cut for hay, you’ve got Cross Fell through another window and views down the garden.

“There’s skiing six miles away, tobogganing and, of course, sheep in the fields and in spring there’s lambing. It’s fantastic to see the lambs gambolling around.”