A SPACIOUS and characterful family home in the Furness village of Scales is this week's featured property.

Spring House is a period property with wonderful gardens, lots of parking and a successful, established cattery business that can be closed if not needed by the new owners.

Milne Moser, the agents, describe the house as "an excellent lifestyle opportunity", and it is on the market for £615,000.

A sweeping gravelled driveway leads up to the stone-built front porch, where a leaded double-glazed door opens into the entrance hall, with its two deep double cupboards for coats.

The impressive, double-height central hall creates a dramatic welcome with its Gothic-inspired panelling, fine ceiling woodwork and gallery staircase.

The dining room looks out over open countryside and has an open fireplace with attractive, carved wooden fire surround. Alcoves with corbels, an ornate ceiling rose and cornicing give a feeling of heritage.

Rural views can also be enjoyed from the lounge, which has windows on two sides. This good-sized room features a Stovax cream enamel multi-fuel stove set into a tiled hearth with carved wooden surround; alcove storage; a decorative ceiling rose and cornices.

Parquet flooring and a corner stone fireplace with green slate hearth add character to the study. The sun room, meanwhile, offers a view over fields and the valley to Mere Tarn, and there is a door to the side patio.

At the heart of Spring House is a farmhouse-style dining kitchen fitted with handmade Pippy oak cupboards, granite worktops and brass knobs. The Stanley range has two hotplates for cooking, plus a warming plate and two ovens, and also supplies the heating. There is plenty of space for a decent-sized table, and a large window with seat overlooks the driveway and village.

A utility room with sink has plumbing for a washing machine, and a large airing cupboard houses the hot water cylinder and linen shelves. In the cellar, which has light and power, is a wall-mounted safe and a slate-slab shelf.

Moving upstairs, the master bedroom overlooking the garden has plenty of storage thanks to a good-sized walk-in wardrobe/dressing room with hanging space and shelves. The large en-suite is oak-floored and comprises a corner bath with telephone-style mixer, period-style vanity basin, shower cubicle and toilet.

The second bedroom has windows on two sides looking onto the garden and fields towards Mere Tarn. A walk-in cupboard runs the length of the room. The third bedroom offers similar views from its window seat, and the fourth has a traditional-style fire surround and bespoke cabin bed.

A heritage-inspired suite in the house bathroom carries a pretty floral motif and features a shower cubicle, corner bath with mixer, pedestal basin and toilet.

Behind Spring House is a raised lawn with fruit trees, wildlife ponds with water features and hedges. The gardens are described as a great space for keen gardeners to develop further or for children to play.

www.milnemoser.co.uk; tel 01539-725582.