Cleadon Tower, the oldest occupied house in Tyne and Wear, dating from 1485, has, since 1980, been home to the Spencer family. Sarah Foster discovers its charm

AMONG the long list of residents at Cleadon Tower, there are rumoured to have been two ghosts. The non-living occupants are mentioned more than once in the stack of old documents belonging to the present owners, Gavin and Eileen Spencer. When asked if they have ever encountered them, however, Gavin only laughs.

"No. Never," he says. "I think they saw us coming here with four children and a Great Dane and we scared them off." Eileen gives further weight to this with the observation: "Funnily enough, I don't think there have been a lot of children in this house before."

Tucked behind a wall in the heart of Cleadon, a small village just over the boundary from Sunderland into South Tyneside, Cleadon Tower is a haphazard, yet instantly charming, vision in white. The turret from which it takes its name pokes awkwardly from the roof and, unusually, the front door leads into the kitchen.

Inside, the house continues in a random way. The kitchen is split into two parts, with a corridor in between, and an Aga lies beneath a stone Tudor fireplace at the far end of what the Spencers call the breakfast room. Painted cream with a large oak table and checked sofas, the couple use this as their main living room, and it has a warm, traditional feel to it. When the Spencers' 11 grandchildren come to visit, says Gavin, they use the Aga to warm their feet.

Along the passage with its curved wall is the more formal living room, which is Georgian-style with a heavy glass chandelier and ornate furniture. Next to this is the dining room, with an original stone floor and another cavernous, Tudor fireplace - this one decorated with blue and white Delft tiles whose design is reflected throughout the room.

This has been the setting for many family gatherings over the years, and Eileen, 65, has fond memories of them. "We've had many lovely meals in the dining room," she says. "It's lovely at Christmas when all the candles are lit."

Upstairs are six double bedrooms, all of which are unique in style and have their own historic features. Eileen points out a rounded door frame, which, like the house itself, is listed; and a crest above a fireplace belonging to the Chambers family, the original owners of Cleadon Tower.

Outside, the garden, with a vast expanse of lawn, an orchard, and a host of outbuildings; extends to an acre. A grand Tudor faà §ade - the real front of the house - looks out over neatly trimmed grass and delicate roses.

The Spencers moved to Cleadon Tower in 1980 from an ordinary, semi-detached house in Sunderland, wanting more space for their family. They fell in love with its uniqueness - but it was a challenge to transform it into their vision of a comfortable home.

"It took us a long time to find a house that we actually wanted," Eileen recalls. "When I first saw this, I thought it was amazing. It was really big compared to the house we had but it looked so dark because it was grey inside and out. It also needed re-wiring.

"It was quite a big task when we moved in. We got it in November, and, by Christmas Eve, the decorator had painted his way out. The carpet fitters also came on Christmas Eve."

Cleadon Tower proved an ideal family home, with plenty of room for two Great Danes, a cat and a pony, along with the children and all their friends. Now grown up, Gavin and Eileen's two sons and two daughters have moved away, but often return to visit with their own children - making the couple feel they still have need for ample space.

Part of the house's charm is its rich heritage, which has sparked the interest of both historians and the local community. "We had a visit from a really elderly man who used to work here," says Eileen. "He used to work with the firewood and never came into the house. The last owner was Mrs Brigham, whose husband owned the Brigham & Cowan shipyard in Sunderland. She lived here a long time. Her husband had died earlier and they didn't have any family, but she had a housekeeper who lived with her."

Another fascinating story concerns the Catholic Chambers family, who, during the Corn Laws, used a secret tunnel to take their corn to the Britannia pub and grind it there illegally. There were discovered and excommunicated, and, on their deaths, were denied Christian burials.

Adjoining the house is a building that was once the village Post Office, which Gavin and Eileen have bought and converted. They are now hoping to sell it as a traditional yet fully-modernised cottage.

Despite being close to a busy road, Cleadon Tower is shrouded in silence, adding the feel of seclusion. The garden is also a restful place where Gavin and Eileen enjoy spending time. Gavin, 66, owns the diamond drilling company Lloyd Drilling, based in Washington, but often works from his office in an outbuilding.

As someone who enjoys interior design, Eileen has always taken pleasure in styling the house to her taste. Her latest project is to modernise it, starting at the top and working her way down, as she did when she first moved in. Already, she has transformed the attic by painting the walls and beams white and adding a contemporary bathroom. Working on a house so old and unconventional has both rewards and challenges.

"We wouldn't ever do anything that would harm the character of the house, so it's really hard," says Eileen. "If you get it wrong, it's a big mistake, but the house is lovely to work on. It's a really nice canvas because of all the features. You don't have to do too much to make it look good."

Life would, perhaps, be easier for the Spencers if they moved, and Eileen has considered North Yorkshire - being closer to their family in the South and not too far from the friends they cherish. When they think of leaving the home whose history they have become embedded in, however, Gavin and Eileen doubt they could.

"There aren't many houses in the immediate area that are as old as this and have the history this has, and I think that's what makes it unique," says Gavin. Eileen adds: "It's been a lovely, happy house and we've loved living here. I don't know whether I could bring myself to actually move out."

l The Old Post Office in Cleadon is for sale at £300,000, 0191-536 7333.