I already have an inkling of what to expect when I visit James and Lucy Scott at their home. I've already peered inside their sitting room, I have decided that if I was to spend a night in self-catering luxury, it would be bedroom one that I would choose as my own, and after reclining in the clew-foot bath with a glass of wine, I'd move downstairs to settle in front of the wood burning fire in the Alice in Wonderland sofa. I know that due to the winter weather, I won't be able to utilise the curbing deck area with a view to the sea, but that there are plenty of rooms and book reading chairs to hide away in. Ah, the wonders of the internet.

Following the maze of roads tightly hugged by scrabbling hedgerows, by the time I arrive at Fentafriddle farm – which mean ‘gushing stream' in Cornish – there's no doubt that it is a hideaway. Squirreled away at the end of a gravel driveway, a warm glow emanates through the windows of the sympathetically restored, characterful farmhouse.

here's a freshness to the antiquated buildings that can be seen in everything from the duck-egg blue window frames that blink against the grey skies, to the stone and slate-clad façade and vibrant neat lawn inside the confines of a carefully balanced stone wall.

When James and Lucy visited the property back in 2004, they were greeted by four barns and a farmhouse sitting atop a whopping 50 acres of land. “The agent warned us that the buildings weren't up to much, but nothing could detract from the location. We knew that we could do something with the bricks and mortar,” says James of the 300-year-old property.

They decided to take on the project in bite-sized chunks, transforming their home – the farmhouse – first, before embarking on the conversion of the first of their self-catering properties, which took a few short months – from September to April – to complete. Barn number two is on schedule for being unveiled next April, whilst barn three is a project for the very near future.

James confesses to having a “passion for property” but of all the renovations that the couple have carried out, including a property in Port Isaac, Fentafiddle's rebuild has proved their biggest project. A photo-collage on the kitchen wall offers a mere snapshot of the extensive work that has taken place.

As wall as the structural basics – transforming the barn from a one-into a two-storey property, the couple were clear what they wanted to create for their letting property.

As in their farmhouse, they were keen to achieve a feel of continuity with rooms that seamlessly meld from the sitting room to the dining room and kitchen; and to create spacious and luxurious en suite bedrooms. “We want this to be very much a home from home,” explains Lucy.

Maintaining the character of the property was always top of the couple's agenda. This can be seen in the round-edged walls and rough-edged slate sills that combine with exposed A-frames. The rebuilding of the roundhouse – we're sitting where a donkey would previously have turned the mill – has been transformed into a circular second sitting room.

Exposed lintels break up the paintwork over doorways. A sea view can be spied through windowed pigeon nesting boxes that look out to sea.

Amid its characterful features, the barn doesn't lack home comforts. Drenching showers, hotel quality beds, broadband internet and Sky television are just some of the luxury features that you might need after a day of power walking the coast path, but they certainly don't dominate. The TV is hidden away inside a cabinet; it is books as opposed to remote controls that you're likely to find in the bedrooms. James believes it is this combination of creature comforts, added luxuries and traditional charm that contributed to Fentafridde achieving a five-star aware from the tourist board this year.

From employing a team of local workmen to using Delabole slate and Cornish oak, James and Lucy are keen to incorporate as many ecologically sound features as possible into their properties. Fentafriddle already benefits from its own water supply, and a rainwater trough ensures that there's plenty of water fro the garden too. Slate window sills, lintels and the garden walls are all recycled pieces that were found in the grounds of the property. The couple's plans for barn two include a geothermal heating system, and they are keen to utilise their windswept position to generate their own electricity through a wind turbine.

It is this combining the old with the new that lend a comfortable feel to Fentafriddle. The walls are adorned with artwork collected by the couple over the years, patterned rugs, knotty underfoot; whilst aged leather furniture adds character and charm. A bust of George Bernard Shaw, salvaged from the Royal Court Theatre where James and Lucy met, overseas visitors in the roundhouse.

“James is the building brain and I'm the interiors,” admits Lucy, who has been responsible for everything from the wall colours to the curtain fabric in the barn. Warm, off-white hues dominate the walls, floral designs adorn bedspreads and cushion covers, but there is nothing formulaic about the décor. “We've tried to keep cohesion, yet make each room individual,” explains Lucy. Quirky touches include the claw-foot bath that, instead of being relegated to the bathroom, has found a place in the main bedroom. From here you can enjoy a clear view of Tintagel.

And what a view. Disguised by an overgrown garden when the couple first moved in, once the greenery was cleared and the power cabled repositioned underground, an unimpeded view to Trevose Head and across to Tintagel can be appreciated. “We have privacy without isolation, “ Lucy explains. They can easily walk to Trebarwith Strand or visit their daughter and grandchildren in Port Isaac. And whilst visitors to Fentafriddle might not even be aware that the couple is living next door – especially once they have their own separate top driveway put in – there are benefits to them being on site.

Lucy can ensure that a hamper of Cornish goodies is in place for when guests arrive, from a chilled bottle of wine to eggs and bacon for breakfast. For guests that don't want to cook or find somewhere to eat, meals can be ordered from a menu created by the couple's chef daughter Emily. And for people looking to fish for their supper, Emily's husband John can take guests out on his boat. Future plans include a kitchen garden vegetable patch and even a brood of chickens – this really is the good life.

Both James and Lucy are relieved that their renovation project has been a success. “You get so close to a project and when it's finished you wonder whether anyone will come to stay. Then you read the comments in the guest book and it's all worthwhile,” smiles James.

“When can I move in?” asks one happy customer, and after just a few hours spent here, I'd have to ask the same.

Website: www.fentafriddle.com

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