The character, space and views were the immediate attractions for Maggie and Neil Baldwin when they came across the three-storey barn conversion that has been their home for the past 20 years.

"Living as we were then in a semi-detached on a housing estate, with a small kitchen and one living/dining room, this house seemed so different," said Maggie.

"I loved the colour of the stone, that it had three floors, some original beams, an open fireplace and fabulous views."

The couple moved from Egremont with their two daughters and only knew St Bees only as somewhere to take the girls to the beach.

"We didn’t know this courtyard even existed as it’s hidden from the road. The house is more than 120 years old and originally this was a farm, with the various sandstone buildings and barns built around a central farm yard.

"They have all been converted into lovely very individual homes and apparently ours was the haybarn!"

The Baldwins have gradually turned the house into their home, respecting its history while creating a contemporary interior.

They have replaced the roof, boiler, bathrooms and kitchen, turned a downstairs room into a utility room, had Everest double glazing installed throughout and Hammond fitted wardrobes in the largest bedroom.

"We decided to make another room into a separate dining room, as we’d never had one although it could be a bedroom as we have a ground-floor shower room," Maggie said.

On the first floor is a front balcony with steps down, a lounge, bedroom and toilet while the master bedroom, third bedroom and bathroom are on the top floor.

Maggie said: "I love to cook, and thanks to my high-quality Lawrence Eden kitchen have plenty of space to work and storage for all my pots and pans. The granite worktops are great for making pastry. My husband calls the kitchen Maggie’s Bistro and says it’s his favourite place to eat in the world!

"I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, and love sitting at the kitchen table, reading, chatting over a cuppa with a neighbour, or with my husband after a candlelit meal."

She has other favourite spots too: "The nice thing about the house is that there's enough space never to get in each other’s way. Even when we had two teenagers at home, with three floors there was always somewhere to do your own thing.

"The lounge is very special, light and spacious with lovely views over the priory towards the hills and woodland. Rain or shine it’s a beautiful place to sit and gaze out of the windows.

"When I want to be quiet, I also like being up in the bedrooms on the top floor, where the views are even more far-reaching - and I do love my terrace.

"It's elevated and we sit out in the sun, have barbecues and so on, and there's a lower area planted with shrubs and trees. We aren’t great gardeners so it’s been perfect for us."

Maggie thinks that the views will be a real selling point for any viewer, plus the lounge: "People are always taken by surprise when they go upstairs into the lounge for the first time, and say how fabulous it is. It comes into its own at Christmas, too.

"I’m a big fan of candles and fairy lights, and this is a house that lends itself to that. We put an enormous tree in the corner, have a real fire, coloured lights in the tree down below in the garden, and of course, the wonderful view of the priory, which is illuminated throughout December. We’ve had some lovely parties here."

Sitting in the garden is very peaceful too: "Although we are so close to the village, we are set back so it's quiet. We sat out the other evening when it was warm: the bats were flitting, the blackbird was singing and the air was perfumed with honeysuckle. We both agreed it’s a magic we might not find again."

She and Neil love everything about the house, the views, the privacy, the neighbours but have a perfect reason to up sticks.

"We are moving to be closer to our daughter and grandchild in Yorkshire. Quite unexpectedly, we find we can’t bear being so far away from them. But St Bees is brilliant and although we want to go, we don’t want to leave."

10 Abbey Farm, St Bees, is for sale at £300,000 from PFK Estate Agents. See here for more details.