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WHEN YOU’RE BUYING OR SELLING PROPERT Y . . . IT HAS TO B BSPC
Kirkton Farmhouse, Kirkton
Kirkton Farmhouse has all the attributes that make a happy -ever-after family home - plus some unexpected extras Kirkton is one of those un-signposted blink-and-you-miss-it country parishes in south Roxburghshire that never made it onto a map, given it comprises only a few houses in a picturesque hamlet along with a farm and church building. This gives it all the attributes of a tranquil rural lifestyle but with easy access to Denholm, Hawick and transport links to both Edinburgh and Newcastle. Dating back to the mid 1800s, Kirkton Farmhouse has been beautifully upgraded by present owners Roger and Julia Jackson, which makes it an easy property to fall in love with. But when Julia first saw it in 2006, its desirability shone through despite the interior clearly requiring work. “The property was habitable but not much more than that,” recalls Julia. “Yet within two seconds I knew I would live here. As Roger was away at the time and hadn’t seen it, I must have been very convincing, because he took a giant leap of faith and trusted me to buy it. And it was the right decision. This is a happy house and we have been very happy living in it,” she adds. With a clear vision of how she wanted it to look, Julia managed the whole refurbishment of the two-storey former farmhouse, which included turning three rooms into one to create a stunning 28ft kitchen/dining/living area that forms the heart of this family home.
One of the unique selling points is a substantial walk-in pantry, a traditional feature that is now making a major comeback. New bathrooms and a utility/laundry were installed and original period features, including pitch pine shutters that hadn’t been used in 50 years, were reinstated. The result is a stylish interior finished to an exacting specification throughout. The ground floor has an elegant bay windowed reception room on either side of the entrance vestibule, beautifully proportioned rooms that both have working window shutters and traditional fireplaces – in the drawing room, housing a wood-burning stove. The entrance hall continues, past the staircase, to a cloakroom, study, kitchen/dining/living room (pantry and utility off), and finally, a useful boot room and back door to the garden. Upstairs are five double bedrooms – one with en suite bathroom (roll-top bath) – plus shower room, and at the end of the landing, a luxurious and surprisingly spacious 20ft bathroom with freestanding bath and separate walk-in shower.