Home on the High Street

Step inside this unique property which offers a family home and high street business opportunity with a rich history of trading in the centre of Kirton in Lindsey.
Rarely available in the high street of the popular town of Kirton in Lindsey, this historic four/five bedroom house offers flexible living with the ideal opportunity to combine family life with a successful business.

Situated in the picturesque market place, this much loved, carefully preserved property has been home to Malcolm and Lesley Jackson for the past 34 years, while the shop is thought to have been trading as a butcher’s from this site for the past 150 years.

“When we bought the property in 1986, we were told that it had been built in the 1600s, but we do not have the original deeds as they were lost when the premises was previously owned,” explains Malcolm. “We know that the Hills family owned the property before it was sold to the Topliss family in the 1960s and then to us, but as far as we know it has always been a family home with a butcher’s shop. We have been told many stories about the shop as it seems a lot of the men in the town have worked in the shop at one time or another.”

When the Jacksons first set eyes on the business, they initially thought that perhaps it was a little small for their needs, but they soon changed their minds.

“On our first visit, Lesley looked around the house while I looked around the shop. Afterwards, we met up outside and I said I loved the shop as I thought we could make it exactly as we wanted, while Lesley agreed that the house was a good family size just right for us. We could never have afforded a house this size in the south.”

The couple agree that the main appeal for buying the property was that Malcolm could do his butchery, making everything from scratch rather than buying in pre-made products, while Lesley made all the pastry products by hand. As a bonus, the house in a small town community also provided the perfect home for the whole family to live together.

UNCOVERING HISTORY
The property is steeped in history, much of which has been uncovered by the Jacksons during careful renovations of the house.

“When we moved in, most of the walls were plastered over and when we removed this, we found the inglenook fireplace, an original leaded light window, two Victorian sash windows and a door that would have led into the shop from the house,” explains Malcolm.

“Outside we discovered a 30ft deep limestone lined well. All was restored using traditional techniques with reeds, horsehair and lime mortar and lime wash.

“We converted the old rooms at the top of the house into a large loft room with ensuite bathroom while keeping as many of the old features as possible, installed a new stair casement to both floors and replaced all the windows with hard wood double glazed units which were handmade by a local carpenter, Dave Lees, and put in a new kitchen and two bathrooms.”

The balance between family home and business is evident from the separate exterior entrances. The family home is accessed from a side entrance leading to a raised level country-style kitchen with fitted cream units and Corian work surfaces.

The welcoming beamed sitting room has retained many original features including the inglenook fireplace with terracotta hearth, while the dining room which looks out onto the market place features an Adam style fireplace and square bay triple sash window.

Directly to the rear of the property there is a block paved walkway which leads from a tall private gate to the side entrance of the house with a separate entrance to the rear of the shop, bakehouse and preparation room.

Extended to the rear of the main property at the back of the kitchen the brick built bakehouse has previously been used for baking and food preparation, and features uPVC double glazed windows with a security timber and steel covered security door.

The enclosed rear garden, which is laid to lawn with raised beds and ornamental pond, features a decked barbecue area, open pergola and decked walkways and with the added bonus of not being overlooked it is the perfect place to relax and soak up the sun.

“We built a three-car garage at the top of the garden and had the garden landscaped,” explains Malcolm. “Although you are in the middle of the town, you can sit in the garden very peacefully and listen to the birds.”

THRIVING COMMUNITY
The popular small town of Kirton in Lindsey has a thriving community and is located approximately 10 miles from Brigg, 12 miles from Gainsborough and 10 miles from Scunthorpe, with excellent links to A-roads and motorways.

Local amenities include a town hall, two small supermarkets, newsagents, bakers, fast food outlets, two pubs and restaurants, as well as a doctor’s surgery and post office, with both primary and senior schools nearby.

The couple say they will be sad to leave this family home, but plan to remain in the town and enjoy their retirement.

“We’ve got lasting memories of bringing up the family in a safe and friendly environment and have enjoyed serving the local community and being involved with events,” says Malcolm. “As our daughter and grandson are moving out, there will now only be two of us and as it has been a family house for many years, we think it’s time for the next family to enjoy the house.

“We believe the property is ideal for a family who would want to set up a business in the town, which is already expanding, or for someone looking for a home where all the family could come and live while also enjoying the facilities to work from home.”

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