Gatesyde Place, Eskdale

Detached new-build £490,000

PFK Estate Agents (01946) 695535

People who live in the country get used to seeing deer around the place but Richard and Lorraine Hutchings have a closer view than most – as their garden is frequently full of amorous hinds, sniffing around the resident stag.

“Then they wander away,” said Richard. “We never know whether they’re relieved or disappointed when they discover that the object of their attentions is made of metal.

“It’s an incredibly realistic sculpture made by one of our friends and as it weighs 200k and is fixed into concrete – it won’t be moving with us.”

Another standout feature of the gardens surrounding his stunning home in Eskdale is the enormous pink rockery. This was made from more than 2,000 tonnes of the local granite dug out by the construction team when the house was built in 2003. It attracts visitors every year when Richard and Lorraine open their garden to help support the village primary school.

The couple have lived in Gatesyde Place, Eskdale, since the small development of nine homes was built. They relocated from Wiltshire for Richard’s new role at Sellafield.

“Originally our plan was to be here for at least another five years but we want to be closer to our two sons and their families in Dorset,” Richard said.

The new owners will reap the benefits of the improvements carried out over the past few years. These include solar panels on the roof – which generate an annual income of over £2,000, free of tax and index-linked, according to Richard – and a large sun room at the back of the upside-down house.

“The sun room faces due south and looks over the fells. It’s a lovely view of Muncaster Fell and down to Ravenglass. We changed the internal layout so we get the views and the lounge, dining room and kitchen are all upstairs, apart from a guest suite on the ground floor,” said Richard.

“We put a new oak floor right through the house upstairs, upgraded the bathrooms – there are two, plus a shower room and a cloakroom – and put in a brand new kitchen. That was all done two years ago so it’s all really high-spec. We spent a lot of money on it.

“As well as the solar panels there is an outside charging point for electric vehicles because we have a hybrid car. When it’s sunny, we can charge it for free from our solar panels so it’s a future-proofing of the house.”

Complementing the guest suite are an en-suite master bedroom on the first floor, two further bedrooms and a contemporary bathroom. The garden room on this floor provides breathtaking views of the gardens and fells beyond and French doors lead out to a patio.

Richard’s name may be familiar as he has had two books published: “I took early retirement from Sellafield to concentrate on writing,” he said. “I’ve had a memoir and a revision of it published and I’m now working on a murder mystery. The first book was called Special Forces Pilot and a television documentary was made about it. It was about the part I and my colleagues had to play when I was a Royal Marine in the Falklands War in 1982. I did a lot of Special Forces work and I couldn’t tell anybody about any of it for a long time.”

He and Lorraine are going to miss Eskdale when they move to Dorset: “It’s a very friendly place and there’s a great village spirit here. It’s a lovely quiet, crime-free spot. We’re really going to miss it, not just the house and the area but the people, they’re so friendly, so open.”

JO BLAKEMORE