What’s in a name? Quite a lot, according to Jackie Reeve who lives in a property with the monicker of ‘house’ but which was previously a lodge and initially an inn. Swan Inn and Swan House fair enough... but St Bathan’s Lodge?

“Nobody could ever find us as this place just doesn’t look like a lodge,” Jackie said. “And although we think Bathan is an Irish name, we couldn’t find out so we thought it was best to rename it.

“We saw on the deeds that, when it was built, this place was called Swan Inn. That was fine then, when it was a coaching inn, but not suitable for now which is why we called it Swan House in a nod to its former existence.”

Jackie and her husband Chris bought Swan House 20 years ago after living for the previous 10 years a couple of miles away at Blennerhasset.

They had seen the outside of it while passing and liked the look of it and they liked the bustling rural village of Bothel.

Jackie, who works in a bank, said: “It just seemed a really nice house and when we moved in we were pleased to discover that we didn’t need to do very much to it in the way of updating or renovating, although one of the things we’ve done over the years is to put in a new kitchen.

“It was built in 1799 and is a Grade II-listed building which was formerly an old coaching inn. It has period features remaining – beams, exposed wood and coving.

“There are sitting rooms at either end of the building, one on the left with a glazed door and also a window here which makes it very light. The other sitting room is self-contained, smaller, with a coal fire. They’re both nice rooms.”

Jackie and Chris moved into Swan House with their daughter Victoria, who was two. A week later Jackie found out she was expecting her second daughter, Samphire.

Both girls have now left home. Victoria is working as an actor in London after attending the East 15 Acting School in Essex. She has had roles in Romeo and Juliet and The Red Candle – Mermaids in the East, a play attended by the Earl of Wessex. Samphire is in her second year at the University of East Anglia studying computer science.

Swan House is a striking property with several reception rooms including the two sitting rooms, a dining room and study. The kitchen has modern fitted units in cream and there is a ground-floor shower room.

Upstairs are five bedrooms, the master and one other with fitted wardrobes. On the top floor a ladder leads to the loft space which is fully boarded with insulation and lighting and is ideal for storage.

Thick walls keep the temperatures cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Jackie said: “I don’t think I have a favourite room but one of the nicest aspects of the house is the fantastic, really wide staircase. It’s obviously original from the property’s days as a coaching inn. Everybody comments on it but unfortunately I don’t know what it’s made of.”

Externally Swan House has gardens to front, side and back. There’s a large drive with parking for numerous cars at the front and shrub borders, lawns and trees on either side of the drive. The large grassed side area has fruit bushes and an orchard and leads round to the back garden which has a large patio area, steps up to a pagoda and an upper lawned area with borders, shrubs and trees.

A large double garage currently houses a car and dinghy used for sailing holidays.

“This was our family home for a lot of years and it’s a lovely, homely house,” said Jackie. “We’ll miss it because it’s where the kids grew up but now the girls have gone we’re taking the opportunity to downsize.”

Swan House, Bothel, is for sale at £335,000 from Smeatons, tel. 01900 825918.