Eric and Beryl Wright live in the beautiful Cumbrian village of Caldbeck, in a picture postcard cottage that undoubtedly features on the holiday snaps of many of the tourists who flock to the popular spot, as well as on numerous publications highlighting attractive Lake District properties.

They've lived in Elizabeth’s Cottage - named after the previous owner's wife - for the past 13 years since they retired.

Eric said: "We kept the name when we came here, just my wife and I as the family had long since left home.

"We knew Caldbeck quite well. We used to live in Workington and we retired and have always liked Cumbrian, although neither of us is a born Cumbrian.

"So we just prowled around wondering where in Cumbria we might like to retire to and spotted the For Sale sign outside this house. We liked Caldbeck and the position of the house."

The pretty cottage has a beck running outside which gives the row of terraced cottages its name. Inside, the home has a large dual-aspect sitting room, breakfasting kitchen, porch, covered passage and downstairs toilet. Upstairs are three bedrooms and the bathroom.

"Since we moved it, we haven’t needed to do any structural work," said Eric, "but we have put in two new doors, front and back, and double-glazed windows at the back. They were already double glazed at the front. Inside we’ve laid a new kitchen floor and got a new bath in the bathroom.

"It’s an old house, although it's not listed. It used to be two pubs, way back in the 18th century, and they’ve been knocked into houses. A resident in the village has written a history of Caldbeck and on the front of the booklet is a picture of our house as it was. I think it dates from 1790, way back, so I don’t think any one knows what I was called as a pub, which is a shame.

"Caldbeck is really cold beck - there are two becks which run from the hills into Caldbeck and one of them is the Cald Beck and the other is Gill Beck. They both meet not too far from our house. Gill Beck runs in front of our house which is why the street is Riverside."

The beck doesn't attract much wildlife, he said, although small fish are rumoured to live there and the occasional duck from the village pond.

The gardens are now a credit to the property, with lawns, trees and shrubs. They're also a credit to the Wrights, who have presided over all the work.

Eric explained: " The front garden was reasonable but not brilliant. We asked Hayes Garden World of Ambleside to come over and titivate it so they’ve removed some conifers and put a path up the side of the lawn and planted some flowers.

"It’s been nice ever since and we’ve looked after it – I do the hack work like clipping trees and lawn mowing and Beryl does the planting as she has green fingers.

Caldbeck is a lovely little village. There are two famous people in Caldbeck, both of whom are dead. One of them is the famous huntsman John Peel; there’s a song named after him, he’s buried in our churchyard.

"And there was an attractive young woman called Mary Robinson. Melvyn Bragg wrote a book about her which he entitled The Maid of Buttermere. She also is buried in our churchyard and people know about it so when they come, they prefer the dead to the living.

"Having said that, we’ve got a post office, a village shop, other little shops, a pub, a cricket club, a tennis court, a primary school and it’s nice. We’re doing well.

"It perks up more in the summer with visitors. People love to walk from here, they can go on the fells."

Elizabeth's Cottage, Riverside, Caldbeck, is for sale at £290,000 from Hayward Tod, tel. 01228 810300. For more details, see here .