DATING from the 12th Century, Stanhope Old Hall in County Durham has the luxury of stunning architectural features as well as modern comforts.

The grade II-listed medieval manor house spans four floors. with five reception rooms and ten bedrooms. It’s full of character, with mullioned windows, flagstone floors, beamed ceilings and inglenook fireplaces.

Susan and Bill Gandy bought the property in 2007 with the aim of living there with their son and daughter-in-law, but when a career change resulted in their son having to relocate last year, the Gandys decided to put it on the market.

“It left us with a ten-bedroomed house. It’s just too big for the two of us,” says Susan. “We love the house, it’s so unique, but it needs a large family or two generations living in it together.”

The building is believed to date back as far as 1139, when William Demonte owned the dwelling. Some remodelling and new additions were made during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods, before it became the family home of the Fetherstonhaughs and a hunting lodge for the Bishops of Durham. In more recent years, it was converted into a hotel before new owners moved in and turned it into a private family home again.

Both the size and layout of the house make it suitable for commercial as well as private use, but it was the original architectural features that first appealed to Susan.

“It’s so special and unique, I think it was its quirkiness that first attracted me to it,”

she says.

The south-facing entrance leads to a lobby and hallway which has flagged flooring, mullioned windows with deep sills, a heavily beamed ceiling and inglenook fireplace.

The study – also with flagstone flooring and mullioned windows, leads to the games room, which has similar features.

The upper hall has oak flooring and exposed stonework and leads to the sitting room, which features a high ceiling, tall sash windows, a deep fireplace recess and connecting walkway to the kitchen.

Few houses have a dining room of “banqueting proportions” but this is one of them.

Complete with ceiling beams, an open grate and stunning views over the gardens, it can seat about 30 people at the dining table and is perfect for entertaining.

Aside from re-decorating throughout, the biggest challenge, according to Susan, was the kitchen. “The only thing that existed in the kitchen when we arrived was an old stainless steel sink, so we had it completely redesigned,”

she says. “It’s been lovingly restored with handmade wooden furniture. The kitchen is large and cosy and is the hub of the house.”

One of the focal points of the kitchen is an original bread oven. It also has an inglenook fireplace and a fitted Rangemaster oven.

A staircase leads up to the upper floors. The second has four large bedrooms. All have fireplaces and lovely views. The family bathroom includes a roll-top reproduction bath with decorative sink, toilet and bidet.

“We brought the bedrooms back to life and refurbished them in keeping with the style of the house because we wanted to retain its character,” says Susan.

A further staircase leads to the attic where there is another en-suite bedroom as well as storage space and potential for an attic conversion.

Outside, huge wooden gates and a sweep-drive lead up to the front entrance.

ample space for parking as well as private gardens extending around three sides of the including a rose garden, lots of mature a stream.

says the grounds have been a huge hit nephews and nieces, who loved playing seek.

wonderful home for children because so many trees,” she says. “With fabulous walks on the doorstep, the area is lovely if dogs and enjoy walking.”

house has been a labour of love. When we it was going to be our ‘forever’ house.

love it and don’t want to move, but it really big for two people.”

the size and layout, the property could equally as well as a hotel or B&B. Susan would even suit someone working from lends itself to many different set-ups.

fabulous home. Hopefully, someone will along and fall in love with it the way we adds.

■ Stanhope Old Hall is on the market with George F White at £895,000. Call 01388-527966 or visit georgefwhite.co.uk