The last official passenger train left the picturesque village of Redmire, in the Dales National Park, in 1954. Last year, the Wensleydale line was reopened and once again, old ladies can take the train to Leyburn to shop. Sheltered to the north by limestone hills, Redmire stands between Wensley and Castle Bolton, looking south across the Ure valley to the plateau of Penhill, three miles away. The village is a collection of pale stone cottages scattered round a green criss-crossed by footpaths and narrow unfenced roads. The base of a medieval cross supports a pillar commemorating Queen Victoria's jubilee in 1887; 90 years later, it was topped-off with a lamp to mark that of Elizabeth II. On the opposite side of the green is the post office, built as a drill hall for the Dales Volunteers during the Napoleonic wars. Despite its air of timeless tranquillity, Redmire is still a thriving community, where houses are much sought-after by buyers working in towns close to the national park, such as Darlington and Northallerton. The Darlington office of Jackson-Stops & Staff (01325-489948) is asking £725,000 for Scarth Nick House, with four acres of gardens and paddock on the south-facing slopes of Wensleydale, a mile from Redmire. Built in 1933 of local stone under a tiled roof, it was extended 15 years ago to provide three reception rooms, four bedrooms and three shower/bathrooms.
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A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National ParkOld House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
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The UK gets its first ‘European stork village’ — and it's in West SussexAlthough the mortality rate among white storks can be up to 90%, the future looks rosy for breeding pairs in southern England.
