Higher Moor Head Farmhouse, Quernmore, Lancaster, LA2 0QS - Matthews Benjamin

Big skies with dark starry nights and breathtaking, elevated panoramic moorland views are the backdrop of life here at this beautifully restored mid 1600s Grade II Listed farmhouse which offers a rare opportunity to enjoy authentic country living without sacrificing everyday comforts or accessibility.

Big skies with dark starry nights and breathtaking, elevated panoramic moorland views are the backdrop of life here at this beautifully restored mid 1600s Grade II Listed farmhouse which offers a rare opportunity to enjoy authentic country living without sacrificing everyday comforts or accessibility. Rich in history, the property was restored during 1996/7 from being previously uninhabited and has since been thoughtfully upgraded by the current owners on an ongoing basis to create a warm and charismatic home.

The heart is the welcoming farmhouse kitchen with Aga, in support is a back kitchen and pantry. There are three reception rooms and a downstairs cloakroom. There are four double bedrooms, two of which are ensuite in addition to a house bathroom. The second floor offers a super attic room, ideal for accessible storage.

Despite its deep immersion in the countryside, Higher Moor Head Farmhouse lies just a short drive from Lancaster city centre, with excellent access to the M6, main west coast train station, schools and general amenities.

Higher Moor Head Farmhouse offers splendid rural isolation with the advantage of neighbours. Protected by the stunning National Landscape of the Forest of Bowland (formerly the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), Higher Moor Head Farmhouse has spectacular views of the undulating hills of the Forest of Bowland with even Morecambe Bay and parts of Wales visible from this elevated position.

What is truly surprising about the location is that within seven miles one is in the heart of the city of Lancaster. This makes commuting, schooling, shopping and socialising all accessible and convenient, affording you the balance between the buzz of city life and the quiet, restorative charms of country living. Lancaster has an established cultural and music scene, bars and restaurants offering cuisines from around the world, an excellent range of high street and independent shops, a wide choice of professional services, further education and good healthcare provision with both private and NHS hospitals.

If you appreciate the appeal of a traditional market town with an active community and calendar of local events then Garstang is under 13 miles and is great for everyday needs; there are branches of Booths, Sainsbury’s and Aldi supermarkets and a great weekly market.

Whether you need to travel for business or love to get out and about for pleasure, transport links are to hand with convenient access onto the M6 at either J33 or J34 (both under 10 miles distant) and a station on the West Coast line at Lancaster.

The house is Grade II listed reflecting the age and original architectural details. The following is extracted from Historic England’s schedule: “…probably mid C18th and C19th with C17th remains, and barn probably late C18th. Sandstone rubble with stone slate roof…... Interior has baffle entry in line with the hearth. One of the boxed ceiling beams is in the correct position to have been a firehood bressumer, suggesting a C17th origin for the house.”

Internally there are exposed beams, stone mullion window surrounds, window seats, two old fireplaces (now fitted with solid fuel stoves), original panel doors and a feature section of the wattle and daub internal wall construction.  The farmhouse originally had a series of workers’ cottages attached, thought to have housed the employees of the adjacent hat factory which occupied the detached stone outbuilding; the hat factory was located here to take advantage of the abundant supply of wool and rabbit fur. It’s now used for storage.

Purchased by the present owners in 1996, it hadn’t been lived in for 14 years and required substantial work and much needed TLC. To make the house fit for modern family life they embarked about a comprehensive restoration and lived on site in a caravan for a year.

Original architectural features were retained where possible and where the house was modernised it was done so in a sympathetic manner to sit comfortably within the period property, for example the beautiful oak and maple parquet floor which has been laid in the dining and sitting rooms, repurposed from a London school. The owners have continued with their upkeep of the property; in 2025 the boiler, oil tank and consumer unit were all replaced, the kitchen was refitted and a new sewage treatment plant was installed. Windows on the south and west elevations were replaced in 2015.

Listing details scraped from www.matthewsbenjamin.co.uk · refreshed daily · first seen 48 days ago