A 200-year-old farmhouse in Farnworth is up for sale - with a £1 million price tag.

Top o'th' Cow Farm, in Plodder Lane, which was originally part of the Bridgewater Estate, has been owned by Peel Holdings since 1987.

It is being put up for sale following the retirement of an elderly tenant farmer who lived there.

Five neighbouring barns, which are not included in the sale, have been earmarked for conversion into separate homes.

The red-bricked farmhouse has mains water and electricity and an L-shaped wing at the back.

After a refurbishment, it could form a four-bedroom, two bathroom house, according to Peel Holdings.

Ross Radclyffe, a spokesman for the company, said: "The location is spot on - it's just off junction 4 of the M61, close to good schools in Bolton and surrounded by beautiful green belt countryside with uninterrupted views.

"The tenant farmer had no children and was finding it increasingly difficult to keep the farm viable, so decided to retire.

"This isn't an opportunity that comes along every day of the week."

Peel Holdings has submitted a planning application to Bolton Council for permission to convert the five barns into five sizeable family homes.

It has put in another application to develop stables and an all-weather horse exercising yard at the site.

Mr Radclyffe described the farm as a 'very special place' and said there had already been a lot of interest.

He said: "There is a huge demand from people who want to keep horses here."

He said the small cluster of buildings, which is accessed by a private track off Plodder Lane, would eventually form a small hamlet.

A spokesman for Bolton Council's planning department said: "There are two applications, one for building the stables and exercise yard, and another for the conversion of the five barns into five houses.

"Both are due to go before council."

He added that a number of objections had been received from neighbours concerned at the impact the development would have on traffic in the area.