What do the Italian Job and Paddington 2 have in common? Both involve charismatic protagonists getting into a series of ever more complex capers and both are classics of English cinema.

But there is more. Both feature Alice’s antique shop on the Portobello Road, which is amazingly up for sale with Knight Frank for the sum of £4.5 million. For that, you get four floors of mixed-use space, adding up to 2,349sq ft, in one of London’s most famous streets.

Alice's is named after Alice Carter, who founded the store in 1887, and it is now run by her descendant Douglas Carter.

The shop front, which cameoed as Gruber’s Antiques in Paddington 2, is one of the most well-known in London. It has remained in the same family for three generations, and also features a one-bedroom maisonette on the first and second floors. The property is being marketed as for sale with vacant possession, so sadly you will have to bring your own antiques to furnish it.

The interiors of the property are suitably eccentric, which is pleasing to see. A particular highlight is the pink bathroom, and there is also an outdoor terrace that comes with the maisonette, providing a private space away from the Portobello crowds.

Alice's is for sale with Knight Frank for £4.5 million. For more information and picutres, click here

‘The King deserves the credit for starting the whole legacy movement’, says Hugh Petter, director at ADAM Architecture. He is, of course, referring to the ultra-smart developments pursued by the Duchy of Cornwall at Poundbury in Dorset and Nansledan in Cornwall, combining traditional architecture and ingenious masterplanning — and which have kindled fresh interest as the pressure grows to put up 1.5 million houses within the next four and a half years. Both ‘new towns’ are not merely likenesses of old buildings for the sake of it, but the result of an holistic approach to designing settlements that are aesthetically attractive, and aim to be ecologically sustainable and socially responsible.

Big demand for additional homes across the country means little time for the New Towns Taskforce, an independent advisory panel set up in September 2024 to support the government in its quest to ‘create new and expanded places’, to consider the various ways forward. But what makes for a good housing scheme doesn’t mean hastily throwing up identikit buildings in generic styles without the services to back it up.

‘Good planning, design and stewardship are essential to create a successful new town’, points out Neil Jefferson, CEO at the Home Builders Federation, ‘which ensure that all the necessary infrastructure and amenities that make a place a truly sustainable community are provided in the right way and managed effectively in the long term.’

There is much to be gleaned from the Duchy of Cornwall schemes. ‘Nansledan is popular’, confirms Hugh, ‘because the Duchy took a long time to talk to the community to understand local needs and to establish supply chains to ensure that the money generated by the development goes back into the local economy. What started as a scheme of 400 homes [in 2015] has grown to around 4,000 [when complete]. The Duchy’s vision is at least one job per household. To date, 40 small commercial units have been built and occupied and the lists of businesses wanting similar space is a long one. The first new primary school in Cornwall for three decades was built here early on, and there’s now a nursery school, a work hub and a community centre.’ ADAM Architecture helped design the development.

The success of the Duchy developments has inspired multiple other landowner legacy schemes with place-making and long-term viability in mind. But it was not always thus. Once derided as sanitised, pastiche, or even Disneyfied, they have had their detractors. ‘Poundbury is the place that architects love to hate’, says Nicholas Boys Smith, founding director of Create Streets, ‘but it’s also the place that everyone else loves to love. It’s quite simply the best new town built in Britain for over 100 years. Poundbury has created more homes, more affordable homes, more value and more jobs per hectare than any comparable development for a century and all while allowing its residents to tread more lightly upon the planet.’

And it’s a comprehensive approach increasingly adopted by British country estates, modelled on the right formula that combines long-term investment, distinctive identity, spatial layout, built density, local materials, walkability and setting. ‘The art is ensuring that the development is complementary to the main town, without swamping and destroying it — as so many soulless housing estates can do’, points out Ben Pentreath, architectural designer, ‘while sympathetic landscape setting is the single most important aspect. Get that wrong, and all else is wrong. It’s also vital to root the architectural character of the development into the specifics of the place — this is the part everyone notices, and so is almost more important, visually.’

That sensitivity to prevailing aesthetics is a feature of Tornagrain, near Inverness, the town created by Moray Estates, which references the vernacular style of the Highlands with whitewashed façades and black-painted window surrounds, with houses set out on a non-uniform plan, as if they had emerged organically. Chapelton at Elsick is another Scottish endeavour, set five miles out of Aberdeen, also devised by Andrés Duany of Duany Plater-Zyberk, urban planners, working with local architects to construct houses set out in neighbourhoods — formulated in recognisably regional built character.

At Welborne near Fareham in Hampshire, a new garden village is taking shape, envisioned as one of the largest of these types of developments, made up of over 6,000 houses — yet with community at its heart, sustained by stewardship, and an appreciation of handsome architecture. Amenities like a school, a bus service and cycle routes are integral to the scheme. But legacy developments are not without their limitations. The costs of installing services — water, power, along with new transport links — can be prohibitively high, while the planning process can present frustrating obstacles. Former industrial sites might also prove problematic — although the Burghley House Preservation Trust Ltd is a landowner partner in the renewal of a brownfield site near Stamford with the St Martin’s Park development, a scheme which plans for a compelling mix of open spaces, retirement village and affordable homes.

Back in the city, Félicie Krikler, an RIBA Council member, notes that ‘a prime example of successful high-density, low-rise, sustainable social housing is the highly praised Goldsmith Street in Norwich, designed by architects Mikhail Riches. 105 social rent homes are designed around pedestrian friendly streets and with direct access to play. These Passivhaus homes offer residents not only reduced utility bills and economic benefits, but also significantly enhance their quality of life, creating truly life-changing living spaces.’ Elsewhere, Marmalade Lane in Cambridge, an award-winning development of just 42 houses, was based on community facilities like a shared garden, promoting neighbourliness.

If new towns and housing developments are to flourish, then the approach should be a mingling of social fabric and well-planned built environment. The Duchy of Cornwall’s spokesperson notes that ‘we regularly engage with other landowners and developers to discuss our approach to and learnings from forming masterplans for communities that create homes, jobs and training opportunities which meet local needs’.

Let’s build houses for people, which are fit for a King.

Disco balls, insists David Henderson, head of Savills’s Stow-on-the-Wold office, are non-negotiable items when it comes to finishing a party barn. There are those with kitchens where caterers can effortlessly beaver, ones with nightclub-worthy sound systems, a mezzanine to accommodate overflowing overnight guests and sprawling windows to let light flood in.

Nonetheless, it’s the disco balls that set the tone. Welcome to the modern party barn: the ultimate good-time utopia, devoid of the toil of a home gym or the practicalities of a home office — and a world away from the draughty, hay-bales-and-a-hi-fi set-up of yesteryear.

‘Entertaining spaces have always been a key part of the English country house, but, in recent years, party barns have become increasingly versatile and sophisticated,’ says interior designer Emma Sims-Hilditch. ‘Traditionally, these spaces might have been used as billiard rooms or shoot-lunch venues, but, today, they are designed to host everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale celebrations.’

Although some agents might not be able to estimate the premium buyers are willing to pay for one, Mr Henderson apportions ‘really good additional value’. He continues: ‘I’d put a strong £1 per square foot on them, because they’re such versatile buildings—they’re a place to host small family gatherings and large events. If you have a guest room above one and a kitchen in it, your friends can stay and enjoy their own private space, too.’

For Oliver Custance Baker, head of Strutt & Parker’s country department, the value comes down to how the barn works with the rest of the house’s set-up. ‘If you have a tennis court, swimming pool and party barn all linked together, then you can see clearly how that would be used over the summer,’ he explains.

‘Buyers like the idea of them, because it gives a separate space if they’re hosting different age groups at once. Larger families see it as a really good investment, because if they have three or four children, they know that it’s going to be used an awful lot. A party barn can be closed off and forgotten about until you have a houseful, rather than living with an empty room that you find yourself walking past. When they’re separate, they can be filled with all the toys and fun that people want, because the space is dedicated to exactly that.’

When Minette Palmer and her late husband bought the barn next to their Burhunt Farm in the South Downs more than 40 years ago — now on the market with Knight Frank — keeping a roof on it was the priority for years. It wasn’t until 2010, with the help of an inheritance, that a 20-month project with a conservation architect from ADAM Architecture in Winchester to turn it into something more sophisticated began.

‘The University of Oxford kindly came and dated it — it was built between 1513 and 1523 and the wood used would have been saplings in 1377,’ explains Mrs Palmer. ‘I wouldn’t have been allowed to divide it up and quite right, too, because it would have destroyed its character.

The first thing we did was have a party for my mother’s 90th birthday and then, for my 70th, Pavilion Opera performed Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda in it, which was terrific. It’s also a grand playroom: I have teenage grandchildren who go around on their hoverboards and, equally, you can host Christmas lunch for as many as we like; 26 sitting down in the house is rather a squash…’

There might be a romantic lure to the aesthetics of an untouched barn, but, with soaring building costs, they garner the most value when converted, say agents. At Tod-hunter Earle Interiors, designers are working on a listed building that can be used as a private dining room and then turned into a nightclub with a working bar and DJ booth.

Meanwhile, Mrs Sims-Hilditch’s team once designed a party barn with an indoor swimming pool that transforms into a dance floor. ‘The pool had a retractable floor that, within minutes, would rise and lock into place,’ she marvels. ‘It was a feat of engineering and design, but the result was magical and exemplified what we love most about party barns: their ability to evolve and surprise, offering an experience that is both practical and utterly enchanting.

With energy-saving, connectivity and sustainability in mind, many home buyers would happily build a bespoke new house in the countryside, yet are deterred by stringent planning restrictions, which regulate the construction of isolated new homes in rural areas. The launch onto the market of this striking new country house highlights some of the risks and rewards involved should you set out to build the country home of your dreams.

Replacement dwellings are a popular source of new builds in the countryside and this was the approach taken by the owners of The Gable House at Mill Green near Headley, four miles from Kingsclere in north-west Hampshire, when, some 15 years ago, they set out to extend their country cottage set in 5½ acres of wooded gardens and grounds at the end of a long no-through track.

Currently for sale through Alex Barton of Strutt & Parker’s Newbury office at a guide price of £4.25 million, The Gable House is located roughly halfway between the commuter hubs of Newbury and Basingstoke, and within easy reach of leading independent schools, among them Cheam (a mile away), Horris Hill, Downe House and St Gabriel’s.

Working with local architect Alex Oliver, both parties soon decided that a simple extension wouldn’t work and planning consent was sought and eventually granted to rebuild rather than extend the existing house. Commenting on the striking three-gable design from which the new building takes its name, Mr Oliver says: ‘Most new houses built in the countryside tend to be square boxes in the neo-Georgian style and I wanted to create something with a more vernacular exterior that would fit both the setting and the relaxed informal style of the interior. The façades of the house are lime rendered to provide a soft and timeless appearance.’

The Gable House is centred on a large, light-and-airy hallway with a galleried landing above. The downstairs living space is flexible, with a large kitchen that flows into the dining room and out onto the south-west-facing stone terraces that surround the house. Three further reception rooms — drawing room, sitting room and study — and a large laundry room, boot room and wine store complete the ground-floor accommodation.

The first floor houses the principal bedroom suite, three further bedrooms and two bathrooms; these rooms all enjoy delightful views over the gardens, with more distant rural vistas beyond. One of the more ingenious elements of Mr Oliver’s design is the layout of the suite of rooms on the second floor, which adds considerable flexibility to the building’s 5,725sq ft of living space. This area currently comprises two bedrooms, a bathroom and an open-plan central space used for yoga and gym equipment.

The gardens closest to the house are a sumptuous mix of flowering borders and climbing plants. The terraces are positioned to maximise the sun and link with the main living areas. Beyond the formal gardens are wildflower meadows, an orchard, vegetable garden, a large area of flat lawn used for football and family games over the years and a pony paddock in front of the house, which protects the view.

The Gable House is for sale with Strutt & Parker for £4.25 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Perhaps surprisingly, considering where I work, I like modern homes. I like old homes too — you can’t spend as much time here as I have without learning to appreciate an Ionic column or a juicy portico — but I have long been a fan of Modernism as an architectural style. I like sharp lines and creativity. 

There are ‘modern’ homes and then there are modern homes. Greenways in Kent is a modern home, because it was only built last year. Why would you build a home and then immediately sell it? Ours is not to reason why. Ours is to look at some pictures and tell you what I like about this place, in the hope that you will either buy it for yourself or, even better, buy it for me. It is for sale with Savills for £2.15 million.

The property can be found in an elevated position above Sandgate Esplanade, which means lots of nice views, that will be enhanced by all that glass and those lovely balconies. As a new home, it has all the modcons you could possibly desire, such as solar panels, underfloor heating and ruthless efficiency. It is ‘ground-source heat pump’ ready, which I assume means you will have to install your own one.

Set over two floors, the property offers four bedrooms, four bathrooms, four reception rooms and, according to the plans, a kitchen on each floor. I’d never considered having a kitchen on every floor of my house, but it’s a great idea. Nothing worse than having to go up and down stairs chasing snacks. And even if your snacks are on the wrong floor, there is also a lift. 

The interiors are achingly modern, with lots of exposed ceilings and dark brickwork. Some might say it looks a bit like an office, but at least it looks like a nice office, and you can of course always change them — that is the joys of home ownership.

What is most important is that this is clearly a very functional and modern family home. Plenty of space, and lots of luxury. I like the pool/spa room and the sauna. I like the in-built fishtank. I like the kids' playroom and the home office.

Sandgate is a seaside town bursting with amenities on your doorstep, and there are various clubs (golf, tennis, cricket and squash) nearby. A modern seaside home, with all the trimmings.

Greenways is for sale with Savills for £2.15 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Ceiling beams, stone floors and gorgeous gardens at an ivy-clad manor house in one of the most beautiful villages in the Cotswolds

Penny Churchill takes a look at The Manor House, Blockley.

Credit: Nick Ayliffe / DDRE Global

Epic views, land and a ballroom to die for at a Surrey Hills home created by one of the greatest architects of the Arts-and-Crafts movement

Greyfriars is a beautiful 19th century home with an impeccable pedigree, designed by Charles Vosey and with gardens laid out by

The village of Trefor sits on the northern coast of the Llyn Peninsula, on the north-western corner of Wales. It's a delightful place with a harbour, a sandy beach and a few places to stop and eat. It's ringed with three towering hills called Yr Eifl, from which the granite is so pure it's used to produce curling stones for the Winter Olympics. 

It's an enchanted spot, in other words, a place where you can go surfing in the morning and climb mountains in the afternoon.

And it's here where you'll find Plas Yr Eifl, a house named after those amazing granite hills, which is for sale at £1.75 million.

It’s a contemporary home built of local materials, and it offers four bedrooms and 3.4 acres.

That’s all very interesting. But nothing is more interesting than the views. Let us stop and stare.

Whoever built this house is clearly no fool. While it may look relatively unassuming from the roadside, the rear of the property makes the most of its location, with vast windows meaning it’s impossible not to get lost looking out to sea no matter where you are, including the bath.

The house itself has been somewhat flipped, and cleverly. For example, three of the bedrooms (one is currently used as a study) occupy the ground floor, with the enormous open-plan kitchen, lounge and master-bedroom suite on the first floor. No prizes for guessing why.

The house itself has actually been there for some time. Originally the home of the quarry manager, and later a hotel, the property was destroyed by a fire in 2007. It has therefore been reborn, using the original materials, with all the modern trimmings you could ever desire, and paying homage to its industrial heritage. 

When asked what they’ll miss the most, the sellers were quite clear: ‘The setting. Having lived in six different countries around the world, we’ve never experienced anything like this. Nothing has even come close.’ Good enough for me.

Plas Yr Eifl is for sale with Fine and Country for £1.75 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Savills

The grandest townhouse in Britain? A majestic home with Art Nouveau billiard room, ballroom and a spectacular glass dome is up for sale at £2.5 million

Behind the doors of this historic townhouse is an extraordinary interior, with an Art Nouveau billiards room and a glass-domed

Credit: Marcus Newey

Georgian precision and symmetry with eight bedrooms in one of Somerset's best villages

The Wash presents itself perfectly in this Special Landscape Area, and has lashings of amenities on its doorstep to keep

There has long been a mill on the site of Shenfield Mill near Theale, six miles from Pangbourne and nine miles from Reading, for as long as anyone can remember. In medieval times it was a corn mill and fulling mill; in the 19th century it became a paper mill, which burned down in 1877. Those ruins are still there, overlooked by a Grade II-listed, Georgian mill house, whose oldest parts date from 1800 — and whose youngest elements are barely old enough to shave, as we’ll see.

The house stands in 22½ acres of gardens, meadows and woodland on the banks of the River Kennet, overlooking those atmospheric ruins of the former mill. Beautifully renovated by the current owners, the pristine mill-house complex, an undoubted triumph of design and engineering, is now for sale through the country department of Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £11.5m for the whole.

Strutt & Parker were also the agents back in 1979, funnily enough, before if became the home of an up and coming singer called Kate Bush, who used the place both as her residence, her dance studio, her recording studio and her rehearsal studio.

Having sold his business in Tonbridge, Kent, Mike Taylor, a keen fisherman, realised a lifetime dream of owning a house by a river when, in October 2011, he and his wife, Fran, bought the singer’s mill house and outbuildings between the Kennet and Avon Canal and the River Kennet.

For all the studios and history, however, it was the weir pool, originally installed in the 1700s, that persuaded Mr Taylor to buy, as he stood on the bridge and watched barbel spawning on the gravel below.

Working with engineering consultants Renewables First, the Taylors installed a 10ft-diameter Archimedes screw, which, thanks to the continuous flow of water, generates enough power to cover the energy needs of the entire property, as well as exporting a significant surplus back to the grid.

In installing the hydro, they had to remove an old concrete fish pass, which was replaced by a 1,200ft natural pass that enables fish to travel up and down the river far more easily than before. Consequently, Shenfield Mill is now home to an excellent fishery, with kingfishers flying above the water, kestrels nesting in the garden and otters occasionally feeding in the river.

Free electricity and extra wildlife is very much in the win-win bracket, and it means you can have as many under-unit lights as you want in the kitchen without feeling bad about the carbon footprint.

Elsewhere, the couple invested heavily in reinstating the eroding river banks around the old mill ruins, which enabled water to flow once more through the ruins and the River Kennet to flow more smoothly through the grounds.

The picturesque mill ruins, the brickwork of which has been carefully preserved and restored, create a walled garden alongside the mill leat and a striking 75ft steel-and-tile bridge leads across the water from the house into two acres of semi-formal gardens.

The renovation of the mill house itself was a four-year-long labour of love, which saw the building taken back to its original brick, re-roofed and re-pointed, with windows refurbished throughout.

The exacting work was carried out by conservation specialists Stonewood Builders of Castle Combe, Somerset, who undertook the refurbishment of the main house and housekeeper’s cottage.

They also managed the conversion of the recording studio to guest accommodation.

Elsewhere is an extension incorporating a triple garage, kitchen and utility area joined to the main house by a glazed link; and the pièce de résistance, the addition of a shiny new, 1,200sq ft orangery with a large lantern roof and motorised sliding doors opening onto a stone-tiled seating area with steps leading down to the footbridge.

In all, Shenfield Mill offers more than 7,380sq ft of light-filled accommodation, including the orangery, three reception rooms and a study that appears to be very, very full of thrillers.

There's also a Smallbone kitchen plus secondary kitchen/breakfast room, utilities, and four bedrooms with bathrooms en suite.

Further accommodation is provided in the two-bedroom cottage and the converted three-bedroom studio.

Shenfield Mill is for sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

An exhibition that brings together the gun that started the First World War, Hemingway's typewriter, Captain Scott's snow goggle and Sgt Pepper's Drum

The gun used to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Hemingway's typewriter and the drum featured on the cover of Sgt Pepper's

The 21st century sword maker: 'There’s something appealing about getting metal hot and smacking it with a hammer'

Practising ancient techniques to craft modern heirlooms, bladesmith Owen Bush handmakes both decorative and practical knives or weaponry, each with

The nine ladies growing tea in Scotland: 'We liked the idea of doing something that hadn’t been done before'

A group of Scottish growers is defying the weather to produce Britain’s favourite drink, finds Nick Hammond/

Scottie Dogs: Everything you need to know about the wise, brave and sporting Scottish Terrier

Wise, brave and sporting, Scottie dogs were once one of Britain's most popular breeds — and they're now making a comeback.

Down in Wiltshire, Oliver Custance Baker of Strutt & Parker’s country department is overseeing the sale of the Grade II*-listed Jaggards at Neston, two miles from Corsham and 9½ miles from Bath. He quotes a guide price of ‘excess £2.95m’ for this graceful, elegant family home.

What today is essentially a Jacobean manor house is in fact a 700-year-old property that was rebuilt in 1657 for R. Kington, but which still incorporates parts of the original medieval house. And as you can see, it also blends elements of Georgian and Victorian design from the changes made over the centuries, all coming together in a home described by the agent as 'the perfect English country retreat from the modern world '.

According to its Historic England listing, it was part of a holding first referred to in 1340, which was held by the Kington family from about 1560–1766, before passing to J. Shore, the Leir family and, in 1866, to J. B. Fuller of Neston Park.

It was restored for Sir J. M. F. Fuller in 1899 by the eminent architect and archaeologist Harold Brakspear, who lived at Corsham.

Lovingly preserved by the current owner during his 25-year tenure, medieval, Georgian and Victorian interiors blend seamlessly with the Jacobean oak-panelled drawing room and strapwork ceilings where, the agents say, ‘elegance and charm meet functionality’.

Jaggards, which is approached through matching stone gate piers, sits in 2¾ acres of lovely formal gardens that include a rare dovecote with 1,000 nesting boxes, on a pretty country lane on the edge of Neston village.

The house offers more than 8,500sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including numerous ground-floor reception rooms and a large kitchen/breakfast room at the western end of the house.

To the rear, you’ll find a south-facing, neo-Gothic Bath-stone conservatory, ideal for summer entertaining.

There are six bedrooms, four bath/shower rooms and a family room on the first floor, with the principal bedroom suite, a further bedroom and a bathroom located on the second floor.

Jaggards is for sale at £2.95m — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

The best country house architects in Britain

Country Life has once again delved into its to update the list of the finest architects in Britain — an

Classic Georgian houses don’t come any more, well, classic than Grade II*-listed Dougill Hall.

The agents, Blenkin & Co, quote a guide price of £2m for this imposing stone house. For a home of such scale and beauty that seems amazing — particularly when you consider that you might easily spend the same on a dilapidated one-bedroom property in Maida Vale. And at no extra charge, it even has one of those names that you’d never know how to pronounce unless someone told you: it’s ‘dow-gill’, apparently, rather than ‘doo-gill’ or ‘dug-ill’.

No matter how you say it, this home at Summerbridge — four miles from Pateley Bridge and eight miles from Harrogate — is a beauty. It’s an early-18th-century country house (built in 1722 for the Dougill family and extended in 1910) with an annexe, barn and stabling, set in five acres of gardens, grounds and paddocks.

As you can see from the pictures here, it's set in a delightful area, with most of the rooms offering far-reaching views across the Nidderdale Valley.

Inside, it's been sensitively modernised but with a dash of modern flair — this ceiling beams and original brickwork mix with fixtures and fittings that wouldn't look out of place in an East London loft.

The restoration and updating has taken place fairly recently, it offers more than 4,700sq ft of elegant, well-proportioned accommodation on three floors.

On the ground floor you’ll find an entrance porch, three reception rooms and kitchen/breakfast room.

Above are a principal bedroom with bathroom en suite, six further bedrooms and two additional bathrooms.

And there’s a separate, self-contained one-bedroom apartment: The Old Cooling House on the northern wing of the property, ideal for use as a granny flat or even a holiday let.

Dougill Hall is for sale with Blenkin & Co at a guide price of £2m — see more pictures and details.

We here at Country Life dot com always appreciate a property with a bit of history behind it. You know the type: open fireplaces, ornate plasterwork, exposed beams, things of that nature. Usually these things are several hundred years old. Usually you cannot have the period charm unless you have the period.

But what if you could? What if you had all the period charm in a home built in 2018? A home that looks several centuries old, but requires none of the restoration required? A home such as this one, called High Beeches, on Swaines Hill in Hampshire.

For sale with John D Wood, Savills and Knight Frank for £9.45 million (I never said it would be cheap), this property is a delightful seven-bedroom country home that occupies a pristine position in the East Hampshire countryside. It is everything you could ever want; a flawless mix of contemporary elegance and period charm in a splendid location. Pictures? Pictures.

With more than 12,000sq ft of space, there is plenty of room here. And if that isn’t enough room, there are two further ancillary accommodation spaces, a party barn, and a garage with accommodation on the first floor.

The interiors are bright and spacious throughout, with large open spaces providing plenty of space to relax or entertain. All types of room are catered for here: a large kitchen/breakfast room, a family room, a garden room, a day room and a morning room. A room for pretty much every hour of the day.

The principal bedroom suite occupies pretty much the entire eastern wing of the first floor, and features not only his and hers dressing rooms, but also his and hers bathrooms. I can only dream.

The property also comes with 19 acres of gardens and grounds, which include a swimming pool and stable block. The elevated location of the plot ensure great views of the surrounding countryside.

Beeches Hill is for sale for £9.45 million. For more information and pictures, click here

North of England crushes the south in crucial 'can you afford to buy a house' competition

No longer just a safe space for those who didn't get into Oxford or Cambridge, the county of Durham is

If you are going to build a house on the beach, it’s quite important that you make the most of the opportunity. What this means, in practice, is lots of large windows, access to said beach, lots of balconies, and so on. If you’re by the beach, you want to see the beach, and get to the beach.

This seems to have been the sensible ethos employed by the builders and designers of The Chapel at The Whitehouse (referred to as The Retreat, apparently). For sale with Lillicrap Chilcott for £1.25 million, the property is the only detached home at this development that overlooks Watergate Bay.

Built in 2010, the property is for sale for the first time since its construction and offers four bedrooms set over two floors. There are also, as mentioned, plenty of balconies.

Comprising two parts (the older chapel and the new cantilevered extension) the property is bright and spacious with large picture windows. 

Approached via Tregurrian Hill, the property is part of a gated community (known as The Whitehouse), but is the only private home for sale there. Inside, The Chapel takes advantage of its location and contemporary build to offer plenty of open-plan spaces in which to relax and host.

It is also, and I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this, near the beach at Watergate Bay. Not only can you look at it, you can also visit it, via a private path, that also takes you past your own surf locker and shower, because there is nothing worse than sand in the house.

If you do not like the beach, or it’s raining, the good news is that there are plenty of other things to do in this part of Cornwall. Walk the coastal path, visit the restaurants at Watergate Bay or nearby Mawgan Porth. Play golf at Trevose, Newquay and Perranporth. It doesn’t all have to be surfing.

The Chapel (The Retreat) is for sale with Lillicrap Chilcott for £1.25 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Hamptons

A cosy cottage in the North Wessex Downs in which to relax, unwind and revive

Eastside Cottage is a beautiful two-bedroom listed home near Marlborough that is perfect for getting away from it all.

There’s often a lot of chatter online about some of the ruder place names in the UK. I won’t repeat them here, because Google doesn’t like that kind of thing, and lord forbid we upset our masters in Silicon Valley, but I’m sure you know the ones I’m talking about. Things related to genitalia and bowel movements. That kind of thing.

How pleasing, then, to see the exact opposite. Here, we have a property on a road known as Gracious Lane, near Sevenoaks in Kent. The home is known as Beechmont Hall. It is for sale with Savills for, and I’m annoyed I have to type this out, £4,999,999. That’s a whole other article in itself, but I digress.

There’s much to see here, and much to love. The garden is a formal fantasy, and get a load of that bench under the sculpture. The property itself keeps a low profile, but is extremely elegant and has been tastefully modernised. There are solar panels. We like all of these things. There is no onward chain.

A ‘superbly appointed detached home’, per Savills, the property boasts some 7,500sq ft of living space over three floors, which translates into six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and three reception rooms. You might be saying ‘three reception rooms doesn’t sound like a lot’, but they are big ones. The open-plan kitchen/family/dining room is vast. As is the drawing room at the centre of the house. Does an indoor swimming pool count as a reception room? Either way, it has one.There’s also a cinema room, and the sweeping glass-fronted library on the first floor looks pretty special too.

But that’s not all. Look at that view! Thankfully, the owners appreciate a good vista too, and have provided plenty of windows and balconies from which to enjoy it. 

The situation is nothing short of exquisite. Set in 3.2 acres of a conservation area, the property benefits from excellent proximity to Knole park (0.5 miles away on foot), while Sevenoaks itself is 1.5 miles away on foot. 

And if for some reason you don’t like the house, but want to keep the view, there’s planning permission for a brand new house. But honestly, it already all looks perfect to me.

Beechmont Hall is for sale for £4.999999 million. For more information and pictures, click here

It’s been a difficult few months and to be honest it’s felt like a few years. At least once a week (sometimes twice), I head on to the Channel 4 app and check if there are new episodes of Grand Designs. There never are. What happened? 

Thankfully, by working at Country Life Online, I can get my fix of modern housing in other ways. For example, by writing about 300 words or so on properties such as Gwel Teg, which, in English, means The House in the Trees. It should not be too difficult to understand why it is named thusly. It is for sale with Lillicrap Chilcott for £1.75 million. 

Much to say, so little time. Occupying a hidden plot overlooking the Newquay boating lake and with views over the Gannel Estuary, this property is in one of Cornwall’s most sought after spots, combining the joys of city life with privacy and greenery. 

Set over four floors and with more than 2,500sq ft of living space, the property offers five double bedrooms and open-plan living spaces. Kevin McCloud would be thrilled to have a look at it. Other on-site amenities include a gym, a roof terrace and a hot tub. 

First built in 2020, the property is offered for sale for the very first time. It was designed by award-winning architect Michael Tarring and, as well as oozing contemporary charm, features all the latest technology to make the property sustainable as well as comfortable. It may not have featured on Grand Designs the tv show, but it did at least make it into Grand Designs the magazine.

Newquay will of course be well known to readers of this magazine and website, and Gwel Teg occupies a fine position within the city. Trenance Gardens and Boating Lake are on the doorstep, and nearby is also the Pentire Headland as well as the surfing beaches of Fistral and Crantack. Newquay itself has any other amenity you could possibly desire.

Gwel Teg is for sale with Lillicrap Chilcott for £1.75 million. For more information and pictures, click here

A true labour-of-love country house with pool, party barn and endless 19th century charm

Light-filled rooms, dramatic entertaining spaces, exquisitely pretty gardens and a huge list of leisure facilities make Grove House a real

A 700-year-old mill and exquisite mansion come up for sale in one of the prettiest corners of Jersey

The historic mill that sits above Rozel Bay in St Martin, Jersey, has come to the market.

Credit: Michael Graham

Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Jersey: Five of the best properties for sale in Country Life this week

Save a Grade I-listed abbey or move into a £17 million mansion on the Channel Island.

Credit: Jackson Stops

A Lutyens' designed house on the edge of Dartmoor with four bedrooms that survived a fire.

The hand of Sir Edwin Lutyens is in evidence at Littlecourt in Tavistock, Devon.

Amid great pomp and ceremony, Sir Keir Starmer set out his stall in the King’s Speech this week.

Setting the scene, the new Prime Minister spoke about how it’s ‘time to take the brakes off Britain’ and ‘lay the foundations of real change that this country is crying out for’.

Phew, exhilarating stuff.

For those of you who haven’t been keeping a close eye on proceedings, one of the Prime Minister’s key pledges is to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years. And to achieve it, he’s got his eye on a major shake-up of the planning system.

One of the proposals is tucked away in a press release from the Prime Minister's office this week: ‘By enabling democratic engagement with how, not if, homes and infrastructure are built – the major brakes on the planning system will be addressed to support sustainable growth.’

Three important words there: ‘how, not if’. It appears that people might not be able to stop new development in their neighbourhood.

Recent YouGov data suggests that the majority of the public support a large increase in housebuilding in Britain. But unsurprisingly, it's a slightly different story when it comes to the prospect of a large amount of new homes in their local area. Support falls and opposition climbs.

"It isn’t so much NIMBYs who are currently blocking houses getting built as environmental legislation"

Add into the mix, amongst other things, Labour’s ambitions to build on the green belt or, as it’s manifesto puts it, ‘take a more strategic approach to greenbelt land designation and release to build more homes in the right places’, I’d hazard a guess it could be a bumpy road ahead.

We give a taste of things to come — potentially — in this week’s print issue of Country Life: ‘New MPs may find loyalties tested, torn between constituency pleas and Government policy. Seasoned objectors may need to choose their battles, deciding what they can live with and what they cannot—heads versus hearts.’

‘It’s been described by some commentators as a "War on NIMBYs" and it’s not hard to see why,’ says David Hannah, Group Chairman of Cornerstone Tax. ‘The decision to cut red tape and remove blockages to planning make for good soundbites, but we have little clarity as to what this means in practice. Will Labour ignore the concerns of local residents in favour of the ‘greater good’? It remains to be seen.’

But is giving communities a voice on how, not if, homes are built missing the point?

Ross Clark, writing for The Spectator, says that it 'rather ignores the reality: that it isn’t so much NIMBYs who are currently blocking houses getting built as environmental legislation'. It's a good point, albeit made somewhat disingenuously since it's pretty clear that there's a little of both at work.

Clark goes on to add: ‘Labour can’t have it both ways. It can’t claim to be boosting local democracy while at the same time taking away the – very limited – powers which local people have to decide where homes should be built.’

'Developers cannot simply ramp up their output overnight. The new government must create new incentives'

Hannah suggests Labour might be missing a trick. He points out that the plans fail to mention one essential factor: developers.

‘Developers cannot simply ramp up their output overnight. The new government must create new incentives for the sector, and punitive housing targets are not the way to go,’ he explains.

‘Private developers ought to be offered a tax break for the vital services that they provide, encouraging new entrants to the market whilst also stimulating further economic growth.’

Hannah is not alone in highlighting the issue of incentives. Jamie Freeman, director at buying agency Haringtons UK, notes that ‘many developers already possess land but are not proceeding with construction, as the financial incentives to do so are currently insufficient’.

Still, Freeman has some calming words for those who are nervous about a large wave of new homes emerging on the doorstep of their countryside idyll.

‘Quintessential English villages in the countryside lack the infrastructure necessary to support large-scale developments, which means these reforms will predominantly focus on larger projects situated on the outskirts of towns,’ he says. 'Consequently, the idyllic charm of these countryside villages will be preserved.’

Stability, confidence — and lots of new homes: Property experts on what Labour's General Election win mean for the housing market

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In a result that was widely expected in recent weeks, Labour has won the 2024 General Election. Though the result was no surprise, the evening provided plenty of drama as the scale of the result became clear: with over 400 seats, Sir Keir Starmer's majority will allow him and his new government almost unfettered power.

It’s the culmination of a six-week General Election campaign that has prompted some home movers to pause for thought.

'Expect stability and confidence'

Tim Bannister, Rightmove’s property expert, says that the ‘certainty of having the next government in place will be good for the market’. He believes that there could be a slight bounce in housing market activity in the short-term, particularly with the possibility of a cut to interest rates on the horizon and lowering mortgage rates.

‘We now have certainty, and with it we can expect a degree of stability and confidence,’ agrees Sam Butler of Butler Sherborn, a Cotswolds property specialist. ‘For those of us who have lived through a good number of elections, and experienced the property markets under Labour, we know that property can perform better than some may predict under its administration.’

'The biggest boost to affordable housing in a generation'

With a strong majority, Labour has scope to crack on with its pledges. So what could be in store for the housing market? Well, if you’re not already familiar with Labour’s manifesto, here’s some of its key housing commitments…

New homes — and lots of them. The party has vowed to build 1.5 million homes, including a new generation of towns, over the next parliament. It wants to overhaul the planning system, take a brownfield-first approach and release lower quality ‘grey belt’ land for development.

Nick Leeming, chairman of Jackson-Stops, says that Labour’s pledge to create 1.5 million new homes ‘would be the biggest boost to affordable housing in a generation’. But he cautions that ‘such an ambitious target will take significant time, resource and support to achieve’.

Karen Noye, mortgage expert at Quilter, echoes his views: ‘Such ambitious housing targets have historically been challenging to meet, and this is likely to be no different. Building 1.5 million homes within five years is an extremely tall order which will require significant resources, substantial investment and careful planning.’

Still, if achieved, this tranche of new homes could make housing ‘more accessible and affordable’, Noye adds.

Fresh help for first-time buyers

Labour has got first-time buyers in its sights too, with ambitions to help 80,000 aspiring homeowners onto the housing ladder. It plans to give first-time buyers first dibs on new homes and introduce a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme.

Noye points out that the current mortgage guarantee scheme has achieved ‘very little take-up since launch as it does not tackle the fundamental issue of high property prices relative to average incomes’.

Bannister adds: ‘Whilst a permanent mortgage guarantee scheme provides the certainty that this option will be available, from our research we can see that only a small number of first-time buyers are likely to benefit from it’.

His suggestions? ‘Making the existing stamp duty thresholds permanent for first-time buyers would be a start, and then there is an opportunity to look at innovative solutions to help first-time buyers with both their deposit, and being able to borrow enough from a lender in the longer term.’

The tax factor: Non-doms, Stamp Duty and VAT on private schools

There are also potential tax changes in the pipeline. They include proposals to increase stamp duty for non-UK residents buying residential property, scrap non-dom status, and end the use of offshore trusts to avoid inheritance tax.

Matt Thompson, head of sales at Chestertons, believes the plans to increase the stamp duty rate is unlikely to have a major impact on London’s property market.

He explains: ‘The capital remains a global city that attracts international professionals and investors who will simply adapt their property search by lowering their budget or by buying in a part of the city where they get more property for their money.’

There’s also Labour’s desire to abolish tax breaks for private schools. The party’s pledge to levy VAT on schools will ‘inevitably impact on the property market by boosting demand for properties in close proximity to good state schools,’ points out Nigel Bishop of Recoco Property Search. ‘Properties in these catchment areas can already ask a 20% premium. A politically-caused boost in demand for such homes will create an even more competitive market for buyers.’

Butler says: ‘Undoubtedly, there will be initial concerns in respect of increases in stamp duty, Capital Gains Tax and Inheritance Tax, and only after The King’s Speech on 17th July should matters become clearer.’

The party also wants to revamp the private rented sector, something the Conservatives attempted to do with its Renters (Reform) Bill.

So it’s over to Tomer Aboody, director of specialist lender MT Finance, for the final word: ‘The Labour government has its work cut out. Buyers, sellers and lenders all need reassurance and stability alongside proactive policies. I hope this is what we will receive from the new parliament.’

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To Royston, then, where one of the town’s most recognisable homes has hit the market, and what a doozy it is. For sale for the first time in 40 years, this Grade I-listed house has interiors that I am sure a proper architectural historian could describe with intimate accuracy and enthusiasm. I am not a proper architectural historian, so I will instead describe them as ‘extremely cool’.

For sale with Savills for a guide price of £1.85 million, this property was originally conceived in the 1600s as a Jacobean merchant’s home. Set over four floors, the property boasts nine bedrooms, four reception rooms, three bathrooms and some 6,200sq ft of space all on a plot of just over 0.6 acres.

That is all very interesting, but not as interesting as the interiors. The house itself, from the outside, is typically Georgian in its grandeur. Seven bays wide, two chimneys, and an extremely pleasant portico on the entrance.

But stepping through is where the magic happens. Often I like to waffle on about interiors, be they kitchens, bedrooms and so on. I think in this instance, it is better to let the pictures do the talking.

There is wood.

There is marble.

There are exposed beams, no doubt from the original 1600s building.

There is whatever is happening in this bathroom.

There are the Grade I-listed ceiling murals

And the Grade I-listed mantelpieces, completed in 1635.

Properties such as this one do not survive by accident, and respect and gratitude must go to Emad Borno who spent so much time repairing and restoring the property when he bought it in 1985. He did such a fine job, that English Heritage wanted to take on the house, but were prevented due to a lack of funds.

‘Of course, as a family we were horrified when Dad bought the house as it needed so much work doing to it,’ says Borno’s daughter Zahra Akkerhuys. ‘We ended up living on a building site for a couple of years with no heating or hot water which was dreadful at the time, though of course now, with hindsight, I can see Dad’s ambition, vision and appetite for a challenge were quite remarkable.’

‘We are desperately sad to see the house go but it’s time for another family to enjoy it, play hide and seek and run around the garden. The house needs another responsible owner who will care for it and love it as my father did, preserving its unique character.’

This property on Melbourn St is for sale with Savills for £1.85 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Strutt and Parker

A seven-bedroom home near Wimbledon that will make all your modernist fantasies come true

Designed by Maxwell Fry, Miramonte is a delightful 1930s building situated in one of London's most enviable locations. It also

Credit: Inigo

A 300-year-old Jacobean mansion that comes with woodland, orchard and its own mini-village

Frome is where the heart is, so they say. It's easy to see why you might fall in love with

Credit: Hamptons

A 400-year-old house that’s as romantic a country cottage as you could hope to find

How many kinds of sweet flowers grow in an English country garden? Well, head to these magical gardens in Kent

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

If I was to tell you the name of my favourite architect/house-builder, and I will, because it’s my website and I can do what I want, I would say that it’s Frank Lloyd-Wright.

There’s something about his use of light and space that I think elevates his buildings above all others; his ideas of what rooms in a house are important, how we should live, and how things should be laid out and lit are quite remarkable (in my opinion).

Now, there aren’t any Lloyd-Wright designed buildings in the UK, but there are some that are certainly inspired by him and built in a similar style. One such example is this absolute beauty near Richmond Park in London. Named Miramonte, it’s for sale with Strutt & Parker for £6.25 million, and I like it. I like it very much.

For sale for the first time since 2001, the property was designed by Maxwell Fry and built in 1936. It has seven bedrooms in total (six in the main house and one in a detached lodge) and indoor swimming pool, a tennis court and 1.24 acres of gardens. I think it looks amazing and I would very much like to live there.

The interiors sing. Look at the wonderful use of space in the reception rooms and kitchen, flowing from one to the other, while keeping effortless functionality throughout. Observe the office/library, with its sweeping curved wooden bookcase and skylight. The cinema room with its recessed ceiling and wooden speaker cabinets.

So many large windows to sit in front of and enjoy the gardens. Even the indoor swimming pool area (which I usually find a bit over the top in most properties) looks effortlessly stylish. 

The location is just as enviable too, situated on the Coombe House Estate, equidistant between Kingston and Wimbledon town centres. The A3 is nearby, providing fast access either to the centre of London or the countryside, and Richmond Park is on the doorstep. Perfection.

Miramonte is for sale with Strutt and Parker for £6.25 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Credit: Getty Images

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Credit: Inigo

A 300-year-old Jacobean mansion that comes with woodland, orchard and its own mini-village

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The sun is out and therefore I am thinking about the beach. I therefore decided to type ‘Cornwall’ into my little property search bar, and have spent the past 30 minutes looking and sighing at nice houses by the beach. Without breaking the fourth wall too much, a lot of what you see and read on this website is decided by what kind of mood I’m in and where I’d rather be.

One place I’d rather be is Kai Tak in Polzeath. This ‘exceptional and striking’ five-bedroom home, designed with ‘flair and panache’ by Cassell Tarring Architects is on the market with John Bray Estates for £3.25 million and sits in the heart of this surfing paradise.

Set over 4,000sq ft, the only thing more striking than the property’s design is its views over the sea as a result of its elevated position on Dunders Hill. It’s even got an EPC rating of C, making it relatively sustainable to run. 

Open-plan living spaces are the name of the game here, with a sitting room and kitchen/dining/reception room on the ground floor. On the lower ground floor, you’ll find a surf store (of course), tv room, gym, and spa facility. Four bedrooms, and another sitting room (with the best views) make up the first floor.

Terraces to the front and rear are perfect for outside dining and entertaining, while the gardens to the rear face south and are fully enclosed with low-maintenance planting. No garden these days is complete without a pizza oven, and Kai Tak is no exception. If all this wasn’t enough, the property has detailed planning permission approved for a one-bedroom, two-storey annexe.

This is one of those homes where words struggle to do it justice. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Credit: The Country House Department

A five-bedroom home within the golden triangle of the Cotswolds that oozes cosiness and charm

Sarsden Cottage in Oxfordshire might be in one of the most desirable locations in the land, with easy access to

The complaint you hear more often than most these days (at least in architectural circles, which I totally hang out in) is that everything is made of glass. One only needs to wander the streets of central-ish London to see what they mean. Amid the forest of cranes, glass structures bloom in every direction, the unrepentant result of unrestricted development that sees tower after tower being built.

The issue is, I think, not so much that buildings made out of glass are bad, but rather that there are too many of them, too close together. There are plenty of great glass buildings, but they perhaps do not lend themselves to being built in high density, unlike more classical styles of architecture. 

One such great glass building, which is not surrounded by other glass buildings, would be Parkside near Sevenoaks in Kent. For sale with £5.65 million with Savills, the achingly contemporary property is set on one floor, with much glass, and comes with four bedrooms, five bathrooms and is (unsurprisingly) finished to an exceptionally high standard.

As is the wont of many modern buildings, the property features an open-plan layout, with the main reception/kitchen/dining room extending to some 900sq ft and offering near 360 degree views of the surrounding gardens and countryside. The bedrooms are accessed either side of a long corridor and are all en-suite. On the far side of the house is the pool room, gym and spa. Parkside also offers a rather jazzy bar attached to the main kitchen, as well as a private cinema room.

The gardens and grounds extend to some 6.4 acres in total, and feature formal lawned areas interspersed with specimen trees, and established beds, plus plenty of paved spots for al fresco entertaining.

Another highlight of the home is its equestrian facilities, which comprise a detached stable block that links to a yard and sand school. Paddocks are bound by post and rail fencing and there are ample opportunities to ride out and explore the surrounding Kent countryside.

The property is situated just outside the village of Halstead, which boasts an ‘active village community’ and features pubs, a village shop, post office, primary school and church. Mainline services to London can be found from Knockholt station, which is just over 2 miles away, and Sevenoaks is five miles away.

Parkside is for sale with Savills for £5.65 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Fine and Country

A converted barn in West Sussex with some of the most sumptuous advertising copy we've ever read

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Credit: DLMPhotography / Jackson-Stops

An oak-timbered home in a picture-perfect Surrey village with pub, church and village hall, and under an hour from central London

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If you like somewhere with an atmosphere to watch the latest blockbuster, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more unique setting than this: the cinema room at this Sussex mansion has been fashioned out of the entire upper class desk of a Virgin Atlantic plane, called The Lady Scarlet.

Yes, the carcass of the plane has been neatly installed to fit the space. The aviation-themed room has also been kitted out with a high-end Dolby Atmos cinema system for a truly cinematic experience. The agents don't specify, but no doubt you could also programme such a high-end system to recreate the low-level thrumming of jet engines, the random coughing of fellow passengers and the clatter of bottles being wheeled past on a Duty Free trolley, for that truly authentic aeroplane feel.

According to the selling agent, Hamptons, the plane is thought to be one of Richard Branson’s first from the 1980s. If you look close enough, you’ll find its old bar at this contemporary home too.

The sprawling eight-bedroom Northbrooks is on the market for £3,500,000, and it's full of quirky elements. It's a property which — according to the selling agent — ‘is a house that screams fun’.

There’s more to Northbrooks’ aviation links than just its cinema room. During World War II, an RAF reconnaissance photographer fell in love with this corner of West Sussex. After the war, he returned to the area and bought a parcel of land to build a house on. And that is how Northbrooks was born, in 1956.

Totalling more than 9,000 sq ft, Northbrooks is bright, airy and spacious, with high ceilings and a lot of glass.

Many of the rooms on the ground floor have bi-fold doors that open out onto a large patio that wraps around much of the house, perfect for entertaining.

The 30ft kitchen is at the heart of the house and features a huge central island and AGA cooker. There’s a games room to one side of the kitchen, with two sets of bi-fold doors, integrated bar and an adjoining sitting room with a log burner. Nights needn’t be lonely here!

An entrance hall, dining room, office, two WCs, bedroom with ensuite shower room, and the cinema room complete the ground floor.

Upstairs, there are bedrooms, dressing rooms and ensuite bathrooms galore.

Northbrooks comes with an attached annexe, which can be reached via a secret door. You can banish any thoughts of a tired granny flat though. This two-storey annexe includes a bedroom with bi-fold doors that bring the outside in, an ensuite bathroom with twin basins, freestanding bathtub and walk-in shower, and a walk-in dressing room.

With a house of this calibre, you won’t be surprised to discover that there are luxurious features outside too: an outdoor heated swimming pool, pool house with a sauna and open-plan dining room and kitchen, fire pit, and tennis court.

The south-facing garden comprises rolling lawn and boasts far-reaching views across the South Downs National Park.

There are also various other outbuildings, including a detached barn and oak-framed open garage for six cars with electric charging points.

A further seven acres with two homes are available by separate negotiation.

Northbrooks sits on the edge of Hurstpierpoint village, just outside the South Downs, and is surrounded by greenbelt countryside. It’s close to popular Sussex schools, including Brighton College and Hurstpierpoint College.

The A23/M23 offers good access to Brighton, Gatwick Airport and the motorway network, and nearby Hassocks station offers regular train services into London.

Tamsin Kemp, Director of Prime at Hamptons, says: ‘Northbrooks offers the most breathtaking 180-degree view of the South Downs. It comes complete with versatile accommodation that offers superb entertaining space for a family along with an internal annexe which would be ideal for multi-generational living or a family that requires staff.

‘This is a house that screams fun – providing all the toys a family could need with a heated swimming pool, tennis court and land for horses.’

Northbrooks is currently on the market via Hamptons for £3,500,000 — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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A South Downs house for sale that comes with two runways and its own aerodrome

Forget a house with detached garage and parking — this timber-built home in East Sussex has its own airfield.

Credit: Findon Place (Knight Frank)

A spectacular country house on the South Downs with stables and a picture-perfect pool

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To fully take advantage of the joys of the Garden of England, it is advisable to either purchase a property of exceptional quality or build your own. If you do choose to build your own, it would seem that, once finished, it is important to collect as many acronyms as possible, as some kind of certificate of excellence.

Waterfield House, near Goudhurst, is on the market with Savills for £3.95 million. It’s creators chose the ‘build your own’ route, and made a home with more acronyms than I have ever seen before. As previously mentioned, I am assured this is a good thing. 

To kick off with, the property is the RIBA South East architectural winner 2023. It has been shortlisted for the BHA Home for the Year (2,500sq ft and above). It sits in an AONB. It offers MVHR throughout the house (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery). If there is a housing acronym, this place has it.

But enough of that technical jargon. Let’s step back and appreciate the building for what it is — which is a five-bedroom, five-bathroom family home in one of the most desirable parts of one of the country’s more desirable counties. And it’s a beauty.

Set over two floors and in an L-shape, the property makes the most of being dug into the hill in which it sits, flipping conventional norms quite literally by putting the bedrooms, cinema room and gym on the lower floor, while the main reception room and entertaining spaces are on the upper floor, making the most of the surrounding views.

Much has been said and written about the modern country home, either here or elsewhere, but Waterfield House might just be the ideal. Without doubt it is something of this decade, but it blends seamlessly into the landscape and uses the most up-to-date methods to create a sustainable and contemporary living space. However, it is not modern for modernity’s sake, with plenty of fixtures and fittings reminiscent of a more traditional country-house style. It is a delightful mix of the old and the new.

We haven’t even got to the gardens and grounds, which extend to about 5 acres. Planted precisely in the immediate vicinity of the house, they melt into the surrounding countryside the further you get from the home, transforming into the more traditional Kentish parkland.

Goudhurst itself is agent Duncan Petrie’s ‘favourite village’, and boasts an ancient church, duck pond, period buildings, inns and restaurants. Royal Tunbridge Wells is not too far away, neither is Cranbrook, with plenty of good schools nearby and London is only an hour on the train.

Waterfield House is for sale with Savills for £3.95 million. For more information and to see more pictures, click here

Credit: Strutt and Parker

A Scottish country home near St Andrews that once bred championship winning sheep

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A Grade II*-listed hall house in North Yorkshire with Capability Brown gardens

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Giles Kime's executive editor and interiors guru — and the man in charge of putting together our annual Country Life Top

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Set overlooking the tranquil Tresillian river, with beautiful wooded riverbank beyond, five-bedroom (and aptly named) Rivergarth is a ‘stunning, extended and comprehensively remodelled detached marine residence of the highest quality’, according to agents Lillicrap Chilcott. The word garth is a Middle English one, that means gateway, defining the property as a ‘river gateway’, which certainly seems to be an accurate description.

Situated on an elevated position in the village of Malpas, a former port only two miles southeast of Truro, sensibly the property makes the most of its location by offering balconies and windows, meaning it’s almost impossible to move through the house without taking in the views. A ferry service operates from the village to the nearby Roseland peninsula and a local myth suggests that it was a crossing used by Iseult.

Medieval romances aside, Rivergarth is shamelessly modern, oozing quality, opulence and space on every floor (of which there are three). The entrance hall leads directly to the open-plan kitchen/dining room, which extends the width of the property and makes the most of the view over the aforementioned Tresillian river through floor to ceiling windows and a wraparound patio beyond. Also on the ground floor is a sitting room and living room, study, as well as a self-contained annexe with living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. 

On the first floor you will find all four further bedrooms, arranged in an L Shape, and all with views out over the water. The master suite is, for want of a better word, vast, boasting a balcony, views front and back, large dressing room and en-suite with all the trimmings. The remaining bedrooms (all en-suite) are of a good size.

The gardens are fully landscaped and extend to about 0.5 of an acre and, while Malpas is a quiet and small village with one pub, the town of Truro is two miles down the road, offering every other amenity that could be desired, as well as train services to London.

Rivergarth is for sale with Lillicrap Chilcott for offers over £2 million. For more information and pictures, click here

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

The Country Life Podcast

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Farmer Paul Watkin once kept a wall map showing neighbouring villages, with dots marking each roof thatched in the straw he grew on his fourth-generation farm. Chair of the National Thatching Straw Growers Association, Mr Watkin is living proof that the business of thatching is still a hyper-local one. ‘We’ve had people who want to come along and see their straw being threshed,’ he says. ‘We’ve even had them come and watch it cut in the fields.’

Dominic Meek, a thatcher who has worked with the Watkins for 30 years, says that partnerships between farmer and thatcher can last decades. Now, Mr Watkin’s son, Tobias, who is continuing the family tradition, says almost all the straw is used locally. There are exceptions: ‘Three or four years ago, we took half a ton to Reading,’ he recalls, proving the point.

The Watkins’ 100-acre farm started supplying thatching straw in the 1980s, after the preceding decades brought about a sharp decline in the heritage craft. Once a by-product of grain production, thatched roofs had been a cheap and effective way of using the straw left from harvest. In the fertile soils of the lowlands, from Devon to Hampshire and up to Cheshire, old varieties of wheat and rye could grow up to 6ft tall. After the straw was cut and flailed for grain, the flattened stems were bundled into sheaths to cover the roofs of those who worked on the fields. Those who worked in East Anglia often lived under roofs of water reed, cut from the broads of the coast.

Some believed the complexity and thickness of the thatch prevented witches and evil spirits entering the home. Others saw in the pitch of a thatched roof the connection between Heaven and Earth. Whether practical or superstitious, the thatching process was a complex one. If made of straw, the roof had to be stripped of old straw, often back to the original thatch laid when the house was built, which was kept in place and the new straw laid on top. This original layer, protected from the elements by the new straw, meant that it lasted many hundreds of years.

On some buildings, this ‘spar coating’ method has meant thatching more than 6½ft thick. Water reed, however, is laid in only one layer, so must be removed and replaced in its entirety. However, the advent of the combine harvester, the development of cereal varieties with shortened straw to reduce the risk of crop collapse and use of artificial nitrogen — which weakened cereal stems — all spelt bad news for the art of thatching. Together with the destruction of many old cottages and buildings in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a sharp decrease in an industry already in decline following the Industrial Revolution and use of alternative materials, such as slate and tile.

It was, in part, saved by Historic England. In the 1970s, the organisation set about ensuring that materials of historically important buildings could not be changed. A thatching revival began. Now, according to Andrew Raffle of the National Thatching Association, ‘between half and two-thirds of all thatched buildings’ have been saved through this process. It was not only the thatched roofs that were protected. The heritage crop varieties and the ancient craft of thatching, which maintained a link to our rural and cultural history that stretches back to the Bronze Age, were also preserved.

Once a poor man’s choice, re-thatching a roof is now the preserve of the wealthy. It is time-consuming and meticulous work. A master thatcher’s apprenticeship can take up to five years before they are trusted to know how to strip and re-lay material specific to a particular roof, which will then keep a home dry and warm for another five decades. There are an estimated 600–900 thatchers in the UK, a figure that has stayed more or less the same since the 1970s revival.

Clambering over roofs is a young person’s game, however, and many thatchers who were part of that revival are now reaching retirement age. Despite this, Shane Stevens, a 31-year-old, first-generation thatcher from Sussex, whose social-media videos of his craft are watched by some 531,000 followers, is buoyant about the industry’s future. ‘It’s thriving. There are a lot more thatchers about as there is the work for them,’ he believes. ‘There’s such a demand, I’ve never had a day off through there being no work.’

Mr Stevens is regularly contacted by those who want to become his apprentice. ‘There are both first timers and family thatchers, but a lot of youngsters are getting into it,’ he continues, crediting the lure of working outside and the creativity of the craft. ‘Each county has a different style and every thatcher does their ridges slightly differently,’ he explains. ‘I like to put a lot of effort into the woodwork detail.’

Although some regions have a thatching style — in the East, it is sharp and angular, whereas the South-West is ‘shaggier’ — there is often room for individual thatchers to express their own creativity. Joe Thornton, a thatcher working in the Cotswolds, says that there are about a dozen styles of rolled gable, but, whereas places such as Essex have their own style, where he lives, ‘it is the thatcher who puts in the detail. I can go around and tell which thatcher has done which roof’. This is passed down, adds Mr Thornton, ‘from our masters. I enjoy that aspect of it. I’ve got a particular ridge design that’s entirely mine’.

The threats facing the industry mirror those in farming: labour and climate change. Prolonged dry spells in spring and dramatic weather events meant that the Watkins’ family farm lost nearly half its recent wheat-straw harvest when it was flattened in the field. Mr Stevens, meanwhile, sometimes struggles to source the hazel—known as ‘spars’—to fix down the straw onto the roof. Brexit brought further complications in sourcing materials, particularly water reed, which is almost all imported.

However, the use of thatch is starting to catch the attention of modern architects. Mr Thornton reveals that housing developments in his part of the Cotswolds have started to build new thatched homes. Over in the East, The Enterprise Centre at the University of East Anglia used prefabricated thatch panels and, in 2015, was hailed as the country’s greenest building. More recently, The Architectural Review declared a thatching revival, referencing an increased use of the traditional roofing material within contemporary design.

With an estimated 60,000 thatched roofs still in existence in the UK, many protected by regulation, it seems the heritage craft is safe. Now, thanks to better understanding of the material’s ecological and insulating credentials, its use in contemporary buildings might ensure this stays the case long into the future.

Sarah Langford is the author of ‘Rooted: How Regenerative Farming Can Change The World’ (Penguin, £10.99)

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Longing for a home in the countryside where you can realise your dream of living the good life, but the thought of a drafty period property with endless upkeep puts you off? This striking contemporary South Somerset house offers a solution.

It might not have period charm you've dreamed of; but sometimes we come across a house which makes you wonder if that even matters. We live inside, looking out; so a house which is modern, efficient and built to make the most of the views across its fine rural location certainly has plenty of logic to it.

Spring Holton Farm in East Chinnock is on the market at £1,350,000 with Strutt & Parker — a price which includes the thriving free range egg business.

Designed by award-winning environmental architects Orme Architecture, the house features an impressive 47ft first floor open plan sitting room, kitchen and dining room, with reclaimed wooden flooring with a patina finish.

The light-filled space has a triple aspect of full-height, triple and double glazed windows, and sliding glass doors to two roof terraces, perfect to enjoy both the morning and evening sun.

A further sitting room looks over the surrounding garden, woodland and fields. The master bedroom features similar views with an open-plan en suite bathroom and triple aspect full-height windows.

The ground floor provides two further double bedrooms, a family bathroom, utility room and lobby with built in storage.

Roof-mounted solar panels provide electricity, hot water and a feed-in tariff income, plus high speed fibre broadband.

Available as a whole or via three lots, the overall plot encompasses around 40 acres including woodland, pastures, arable farm land, various farm buildings and a profitable free range egg business.

A large hen house currently houses around 11,055 laying birds, who are free range and are kept to a British Lion/RSPCA standard. This area includes a dedicated area of woodland and outside space for the birds to enjoy.

The business can be included or excluded from negotiations for the property.

East Chinnock has a pre-school, church and village hall with travelling post office, while neighbouring West Coker offers a primary school, butcher’s, pub, hotel and doctor's surgery. Nearby Georgian market town Crewkerne has a mainline station and Waitrose, plus independent shops to browse.

Spring Holton Farm is listed with Strutt & Parker at £1,350,000.

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Credit: Savills

A £10 million marvel that 'perfectly blends the contemporary and traditional’ in the heart of the South Downs

With no detail spared in its recent refurbishment, Mundy’s House showcases exquisite design and the best contemporary offerings against the

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

If you’re ploughing your hard-earned savings into buying a new property, you’ll want to make sure it’s watertight, both literally and metaphorically.

You’ve no doubt heard of red flags. But what about beige flags? (No, we’re not referring to the ‘beige flag’ dating trend that’s taken TikTok by storm.)

‘A beige flag is something that’s not necessarily bad, but something to watch out for’, explain We Buy Any Home, whose property expert Terry Fisher has been looking at this issue. ‘While red flags may be deal-breakers while house hunting, beige flags are smaller concerns that could easily go unnoticed.’

In other words, it could, just could, be a sign of trouble ahead.

We Buy Any Home's name suggests that the firm is not fazed by beige or even red flags. Then again, knowing what you're getting in to is always the key, and in that spirit Terry Fisher lists his six beige flags to keep an eye out for when house hunting.

1. Fresh paint

A new lick of paint is probably one of, if not the most common way for sellers to spruce up their property. It can give a tired home a new lease of life. But it could also hide potential problems, such as stains, water damage and mould, warns We Buy Any Home.

2. New plaster

Fresh plaster, like paint, is another well-known way to give a home a bit of a facelift. But it too could be a telltale sign of something more serious.

‘Small cracks might just be from the house settling, but could be a sign of more significant structural issues. Cracks can also be caused by fluctuations in humidity and temperature, and even vibrations from nearby traffic,’ says We Buy Any Home.

‘Look out for plaster above door frames or diagonal plaster that looks like a staircase as these can be signs of structural damage.’

3. Heavy scent

Delicious bread hot out of the oven, newly-cut flowers, a tasteful Diptyque candle, or even a Glade plug-in air freshener… Fresh scent could disguise a fairly innocuous smell of, say, tobacco or the seller’s beloved dog, Molly. But it may also mask a significant issue, such as damp or plumbing issues.

‘Pay attention to strange smells, which could suggest mould, rotting wood, sewer problems, or other concerns,’ says We Buy Any Home.

4. Odd room temperatures

Breaking out into a hot sweat one minute and shivering the next? It may not be a sign that you’re coming down with the dreaded lurgy — rather, it could indicate problems with the heating, ventilation or insulation systems, points out We Buy Any Home. And there’s a host of good reasons why having an energy efficient home is important.

5. Low water pressure

Switching on taps and showers to check the water pressure may not be top of your list to do when house hunting. But low pressure could point to plumbing issues.

We Buy Any Home explains: ‘Some issues, like blocked pipes or faulty taps, can be simple to fix. But some can be more expensive, like corroded water lines and leaky pipes that can even contaminate your drinking water!’ You have been warned.

6. Water stains

Yes, we do live in a country known for its damp climate. But watch out for peeling wallpaper or paint, water marks on walls and ceilings, and a musty smell. These may be signs of a previous leak or ongoing moisture issues, says We Buy Any Home.

If asked to conjure up an image of a stereotypical luxury property buyer, you'd be forgiven for imagining an ageing, male plutocrat sucking on a cigar and calling the shots for the rest of his family.

Those days, though, are gone. Young, highly-educated, powerful and — increasingly — female buyers are beginning to take a bigger and bigger share of the market. That's one of the headline findings of the latest State of Luxury Real Estate report from Luxury Portfolio International (the SOLRE report).

LPI polled their global network of luxury property estate agents - a collection of over 250 independently-run real estate brokerages in more than 35 countries - to get their input for the new report, and the results are fascinating. Women make up 54% of luxury property buyers under 35 - a significant shift from the 35-64 age bracket, in which men make up 59% of owners. As women strive towards equality in the work place, and increasingly fill leadership roles at big companies,

What's more, owners of luxury property are getting younger as a whole. News reports might talk about the difficulty many millennials face getting on the property ladder, but in the luxury real estate market the opposite seems to be true: buyers of top-end international homes are getting younger, often buying top-end places to live even before getting married. 'Younger individuals are making significant strides early in their careers, acquiring luxury homes at a faster pace than previous generations,' says Mickey Alam Khan, president of LPI.

Why is this, though? LPI's report identifies six key factors behind what they call the 'the evolving demographics of luxury homeowners':

• The influence of the tech jobs and finance jobs rewarding young high-flyers with salaries big enough to allow accumulation of wealth
• An 'investment mindset' when it comes to property, with the under-35s keen to improve their finances via the housing market just as their parents and grandparents have
• Growing financial literacy, prompting young buyers to find better ways to grow their nest eggs
• The historically low interest rates which have prevailed in the last decade and a half, not withstanding the shocks of the past year
• An increasing shift for older generations to pass on family wealth, particularly in property
• And finally, remote working, which allows many workers, particularly in finance and tech, to earn metropolitan wages without paying city centre living costs.

The upshot is that the buyers of the world's finest homes are making those deals at a younger age than those who came before them. 'It follows a broader trend among the affluent that the "first luxury experience" is happening earlier in life now for today’s young people compared to generations past,' adds Mr Alam Khan.

This demographic shift brings with it other changes, too. 'Younger luxury homeowners are increasingly focused on sustainability, social responsibility, intergenerational wealth preservation and technology,' the report states. To quote but one example: 62% of buyers aged 35-64 agreed that environmental sustainability was a factor for them while looking to buy a house. Among the under-35s, that number was 74%.

The report mentions what we might dub the 'Stella McCartney effect', by referring to the designer's groundbreaking 'Green Carpet Collection' of 2012, which put sustainable materials and ethical production front and centre alongside luxury and quality. This ethos has now gone far beyond the battle against fast fasion, reaching in to every area of life. 'We are witnessing a significant shift in luxury homeowners’ preferences, particularly among the younger generation,' the SOLRE report concludes. 'They expect the brands they patronise to be socially responsible and environmentally conscious.'

That's not to say that the new wave of youngers buyers will compromise on quality. Just as they would with theor Louis Vuitton luggage or the Aston Martin on the driveway, factors such as quality, originality and heritage are just as popular among under-35s.

And they're also just as confident as the previous generation that property remains a good investment, with what Mickey Alam Khan calls 'a whopping 91%' of luxury homeowners considering further real estate investments.

Luxury property, it seems, will remain just as popular as it ever has.

You can read the SOLRE report in its entirety at www.luxuryportfolio.com/reports.

It’s hard to know where to start with a property like Mundy’s House, so we’ll begin with the basics — its location. The estate sits betwixt Southampton (approximately 10 miles) and Winchester (just over eight miles), in the rural village of Upham, within the rolling South Downs National Park.

The property itself – now on the market via Savills with a guide price of £10 million — is approached through iron gates which lead to a central courtyard, in which is a prominent fountain pool, created by sculptor Simon Allison.

Woodlands, paddocks and open fields surround Mundy’s, creating a sense of total seclusion and privacy. It’s set within approximately 19 acres of grounds and has handsome red-bricked, foliage-clad exteriors, interjected by large lattice sash windows.

The interplay between the more traditional elements of the property and the newer sections harmonise effortlessly.

To the right of the property, for example, is the new spa and indoor pool complex. Floor-to-ceiling windows span all three external walls, drawing the picturesque gardens and natural daylight in whilst you’re in the pool. The same can be said for the glazed sauna and spacious gym area also.

Inside, every turn and door uncovers another awe-inspiring space. There are four, large ensuite bedrooms, two of which have doors which lead onto a shared balcony, from which you can access a spacious sun terrace, whilst the principal bedroom enjoys access directly onto the terrace.

Two further bedrooms are located in a self-contained staff/guest apartment with its own kitchen and sitting room, on the first floor.

There’s also a mezzanine-style study and library which leads up from the double-height reception hall, flooded with natural light.

The interiors feature limestone and wooden flooring, gothic-style doors, marble fireplaces, a beautiful cantilevered staircase and striking use of glass glazing (from Nero Glass Design) as a way to sync the older and newer parts of the house.

As you’d expect from a house of this calibre, the appliances and fixtures are high-end. The bespoke cabinetry is from furniture designer Toby Winteringham and the appliances in the kitchen and bathrooms include those from Gaggenau, Miele, Dombracht and Grohe.

Perhaps most enticing of all though is the bespoke Eurocave wine cellar and tasting room, found as part of the glazed corridor leading off from the reception hall, with space for up to an astonishing 3,500 bottles.

The rest of the accommodation is curated from formal and informal spaces — cosy snug and office rooms, alongside bright, entertaining rooms like the kitchen and dining room, both of which enjoy access out to the gardens.

Outside is another world completely, perfectly set up for equestrian life. There are eight garages and a large workshop set around a pretty quadrangle, and a stable yard with five loose Monarch horse boxes, a horse solarium, tack room; plus a kitchenette, bathroom and commercial Miele washer dryer amongst lots of storage.

Further outbuildings include the recreation barn (which is currently set up with an indoor golf simulator) with its own living space, kitchenette and bathroom. Behind this is space for eight cars.

The remaining gardens and grounds have been shown the same meticulous attention to detail as the property itself. A large terrace/BBQ area leads off from the house (accessed via the kitchen and dining room), and lawns slope down to a large lake. There’s also a tennis court, four paddocks and a mixture of formal gardens against mature trees and woodland which blend into the pastoral landscape.

The village of Upham is home to Upham C of E Primary School, two pubs and a recreation ground. Just four miles away is the medieval market town of Bishops Waltham (winner of the ‘best place to live in the UK award’), which hosts a weekly market, plus everything you could need for day-to-day living, including local supermarkets, pharmacies, a butcher and fishmonger, doctors’ surgery and dentist.

Alongside a wealth of sporting and recreational pursuits (such as walking in the national park, golf and sailing on the Solent) the schooling in the area is also fantastic. There are two outstanding primary schools less than three miles from the property, and the highly regarded Winchester College, St Swithun's School for Girls, Beadales and Peter Symonds College are also all located close by.

Mundy’s House is, without a doubt, a complete rural idyll that you’ll never want to leave. Close enough to all the major road and rail networks, yet hidden away in the picturesque South Downs National Park.

What could be better?

Mundy's House is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £10 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

We're always on the lookout for something a little different and Checkendon Hill House certainly fits the bill: this is a modern take on the Arts-and-Craft house, built in 2010 with an exotic inside-out living arrangement, fully-glazed walls, huge living spaces — including double-height rooms — and a system of walkways which have to be seen.

It first came on the market during the tail-end of the Pandemic at £3.5m without a sale going through; today it's for sale once more, this time via a new agent, Fine & Country, who have given this house just outside the hamlet of Stichens Green in Berkshire a £3m price tag.

Designed by architect Richard Cutler and built in 2010, the property is set in a prime hillside location in the North Wessex Downs, with incredible interior vistas from which to enjoy the surrounding grounds: almost two acres and are a mix of lawns, shrubs and wildflower meadows.

Set in leafy grounds surrounded by open countryside, it has glazing on several floors to make the most of the magnificent views.

The 6,027sq ft interiors combine open plan with traditional living and meld seamlessly outdoor and indoor spaces, with those views served up through huge windows — in particular a height-of-the-house glass wall whose asymmetric design seems inspired in part by Charles Rennie Mackintosh

A covered bridge leads to the entrance door, into the building’s ‘central tower’ from which half a flight of steps gives access to the upper ground floor.

Here are the vaulted dining room, with French doors opening onto a deck, and the spectacular drawing room, also vaulted and with a feature fireplace and bifold doors leading to a covered deck.

Internal balconies overlook both rooms, forming a three-level library. Also on the ground floor is the striking contemporary kitchen, which enjoys fine country views, and two bedrooms.

The first floor has three bedrooms, including the huge master suite, which has a dressing room and private balcony. One more bedroom is on the top floor, while the lower-ground level houses a media and games room and a family room, as well as the garage.

Outside, the 1.8-acre grounds are primarily laid to lawn, overlooked by the decked terrace and veranda that wraps around the property, where a hot tub provides the perfect place to relax and soak up the views.

Checkendon Hill House is for sale at £3.5 million via Knight Frank — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Streatley-on-Thames: What you need to know

• Location: Streatley-on-Thames is between Reading and Wallingford, just a short drive from the M4 and A34.
• Atmosphere: This pretty village on the banks of the Thames shares its shops and transport with the equally delightful Goring-on-Thames on the opposite bank of the river. It has a pub, a hotel and restaurant and a golf club.
• Things to do: Play gold at the local club, try cycling on the hills (the area is famous for competitive hill climbs), watch the Goring and Streatley Regatta, or simply take walks on National Trust land.
• Schools: A wide range of excellent schools are within easy reach, from the Streatley C.E. Voluntary Controlled School (rated Good by Ofsted) to Downe House, Bradfield College, Abingdon School and Radley College.Find more properties in the area.

Credit: Knight Frank

A home in one — a mesmerising Georgian country house tucked away in Kent that has a golf course in the garden

Quornden. A name you probably won't have come across before, but one we can guarantee you won't be able to

Choose the architect

The process can begin from some desktop research — and the annual Country Life Top 100 is a good place to start. Look through the work of Britain's best architects and earmark practices that appeal. ‘You want to play to their strengths, so there’s little point commissioning a modern masterpiece from a practice that usually works with traditional designs,’ recommends Rupert Cunningham, a director at architectural practice Ben Pentreath. ‘Then meet the principal or one of the directors to see if they are a good fit.’

If there’s a plan to sell the house in the future, be cautious about designing something too outlandish, adds Ross Sharpe of Yiangou Architects. ‘Highly architectural projects that we as architects like may only have a limited number of admirers within the buying public, so it’s worth seeking advice about the layout and design from estate agents.’

The right location

Although the temptation is to focus on the needs of today, a certain amount of crystal-ball gazing needs to be factored into the process of building a new family house. For example, consider the location carefully, recommends Jonathan Dinnewell of Smallwood Architects. ‘Does it allow easy access to infrastructure and nearby facilities? A secluded spot might seem perfect to raise young children, but be prepared to have to ferry them miles to and from school or extra activities.’

Planning the layout

‘Designing should be like a Rubik’s Cube, with everything fitting together,’ suggests Philippa Thorp, founder of Thorp Design. Doing this well avoids ending up with rooms that aren’t used or big empty corridors that need heating. ‘You want to avoid walking miles around the kitchen and connect spaces that allow all ages to live together, but separately. It’s an art and requires a lot of consideration and thought.’

After years of open-plan layouts, houses are becoming more cellular in design and each room’s function needs to be carefully considered. ‘The future for dining rooms is far from certain,’ adds Hugh Petter of ADAM Architecture. ‘Whereas there was once a formal and family side of the house, that distinction is diminishing now.’

In the post-covid world, the need for quiet spaces to work at home — both for parents and children — has become ever greater. Cinema rooms are on the rise, as are gyms or yoga studios. ‘We’ve recently designed a number of indoor pools with moveable floors on electric jacks so that they can be raised and turned into party spaces,’ adds Mr Petter. ‘Rooms are being used more intensively than ever before.’

It’s also sensible to have a space on the ground level that’s comfortable to spend time in, believes Mr Dinnewell. ‘It might start off as a playroom, but could become a spare bedroom should someone break a leg or if access needs change.’

A masterplan

Develop a masterplan that shows the house in the context of its site and any ancillary buildings, pools and landscaping. ‘Although all areas may not be achievable in one phase, it helps to futureproof the development with the right strategy from the start,’ says Tim Moulding of R. Moulding & Co, one of Britain's best builders. Annexes — that morph between accommodating a granny flat, boomerang children or a holiday cottage — are another consideration. ‘We’re increasingly seeing clients renting out these spaces on Airbnb when they aren’t in use, but then taking them back into the fold when the wider family or friends descend for Christmas and birthdays,’ says Mr Petter.

Commission a schematic

This design, typically done with CAD (computer-aided design, which creates 2D drawings and 3D models), will allow you to review the position of the house, the internal layout and external elevations, as well as schedule all the detailing, such as the position of sockets and doors. ‘This is money well spent,’ says Mr Cunningham. ‘Many people struggle to read architectural drawings, but this will really produce a visual of the house and iron out any problems at the start — the most expensive thing to do is to make a change mid build.’

Another tip is not to start building until all the architectural drawings and schedules are finalised and every cost envisaged. ‘Many want to start too early, but that puts the cart before the horse from where costs only escalate,’ says Mrs Thorp.

Be patient

Building a new country house is not a quick process — it will take years. The same is true when re-modelling a listed building, adds Mr Sharpe. One of the most significant hold-ups currently is securing planning, particularly in England. What, before the pandemic, used to take a matter of eight weeks, and sometimes a few more, now drags out over several months and even years.

‘The path of least resistance is the knock-down-and-rebuild route,’ explains Mr Cunningham. ‘But even when you’re presenting a project that lies within policy of the relevant local authority, the planning system is now a shambles. We have projects that have been waiting more than a year for a green light and our hands are totally tied.

‘My advice for those who need to be in the house within a two-year window is that this isn’t the route to take; you are much better off to buy something that’s already built.’

Be realistic

A considerable number of projects will go down the route of securing planning (eventually) and then fall apart because of costs. Architects aren’t always good at predicting build costs: ‘If there’s an optimism bias in the world, it’s held by clients and then by architects in that order,’ says Mr Pentreath. It’s imperative to consult a quantity surveyor to develop a fully priced plan for the project.

Building a new country house isn’t cheap — particularly in the current climate. ‘Be realistic about the costs, and then add a bit more,’ recommends Mr Cunningham. Volume builders, even those of ‘executive homes’, may be able to build for £250 to £350 per sq ft, but a bespoke new house will cost significantly more, says Mr Sharpe.

Control the budget

There are two ways to control the cost of a building: size and specification, including the materials and internal finishes. ‘It’s rather like buying a suit. They all look much the same on the outside, but the cut, preparation, extent of hand work and degree of craft will influence the price dramatically,’ adds Mr Pentreath.

Running costs

From electric-vehicle chargers installed at the outset to photovoltaic panels and ground-source heat pumps, figuring out how the energy supply and source needs to happen from day one. ‘This wouldn’t have appeared in my top three pieces of advice 10 years ago, which shows how much has changed,’ says Mr Moulding. ‘But, nowadays, you need to develop an energy strategy for the entire site that includes renewable solutions.’

Green solutions are expensive, with long payback times, warns Mrs Thorp. ‘My experience to date is that most people don’t choose to go down this road once they’ve done the maths unless they are expecting to live in the house for a long time.’

Do it

If there’s the desire, and means, to design a new house, few will ever regret taking on such a project, says Mr Cunningham. ‘The result will be a bespoke and beautiful house that should bring joy to the family in years to come.’

In South Yorkshire, Ian Marriott of Savills quotes a guide price of £2m for Grade II*-listed Slade Hooton Hall in the hamlet of Slade Hooton.

Poll tax records from 1379 show that John Mirfin, a blacksmith, and his family farmed much of the surrounding land and eventually became the main freeholders of the hamlet.

More than 300 years later, in 1698, another John Mirfin built Slade Hooton Hall in the William-and-Mary style of local limestone under a Cornish-slate roof, making it one of the earliest examples of a classically designed house in the area.

The stable block and barn were added in 1702 and 1705. The imposing main house, which sits in 3¾ acres of gardens, paddocks and outbuildings, has been sympathetically restored and renovated by its current owners — and we're delighted to say that they've retained what might be the biggest Aga we've ever seen, and freshly painted it in fire engine red.

The house as it is today offers 5,536sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including four reception rooms, eight bedrooms, a kitchen/diner and a games room/cinema.

The former coach house has been converted to an office/study with an adjoining wine store and a heated indoor swimming pool with a sauna and shower room.

As for the curious name of Slade Hooton? This tiny settlement takes its name from the Saxon hoo meaning ‘hill town’, whereas Slade derives from slaed, the Norse term for ‘a valley’. It's a hamlet that lies to the north of the Saxon village of Laughton en le Morthen, within easy reach of Sheffield, Doncaster and Rotherham. Historically it was located in the West Riding of Yorkshire, but became part of South Yorkshire in April 1974.

Slade Hooton Hall is for sale at £2m — see more details and pictures.

ade

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

I managed to find the bolthole of my dreams through the magic of Google Maps. This wasn’t some ethereal getaway inspired by the pages of travel magazines or Grand Designs, but rather a real place that was burned into my memory more than 30 years ago. But I had no idea where it was until I stumbled on it.

Northumberland, that’s all I knew. A two-room log cabin on the most glorious grouse moor you’ve ever seen, miles from civilisation and unreachable by car. I stayed there, aged eight, with my mother in the summer of 1989. It belonged to a close friend of my great aunt Margaret. His father, an army doctor during the First World War, had built it in the 1920s as a haven, I would later discover, to escape the terrors of his post-traumatic stress. I suppose, in a similar vein, that’s why my great aunt suggested it for a break. My dad had dropped dead a few months earlier and abluting in a cold stream does help take one’s mind off things. It was the most wonderful holiday and I’d never forgotten it.

Many decades later, with some satellite sleuthing and a lengthy traipse across the heather to an uncertain destination, I struck upon it again. It was exactly as I remembered; a time capsule in the trees, with a small fireplace, sepia portraits, century-old biscuit tins, a crystal-radio set and a library of National Geographics dating from before the moon landing. I left a note and the owner got in touch, inviting me to return this past August.

"He's able to ‘live like a king on £11,000-a-year.’"

In addition to enjoying the wild location, it seemed to be the perfect place in which to write. I had a book deadline approaching and decided to knuckle down here. No electricity was a problem. Typewriter? This biography wasn’t going to get nailed with inky ribbons, Tip-Ex and no internet. Also, there’s no running water and no loo, but I knew I could easily survive that for a week, treating stream water with purification tablets, cooking on my gas camping stove and doing what bears do. I’d live off instant noodles and warm myself with the log fire and a hipflask full of King’s Ginger.

The field mice mostly left me alone, although a rat or stoat helped itself to some cocktail sausages by gnawing a large hole through a freezer bag. Pleasingly, despite being in the most remote spot in England, I had excellent 4G and could hotspot the internet to my laptop. I used a portable power station the size of two car batteries to keep my computer and iPhone going, charging it via a fold-out solar panel. Those were my essentials in order to earn a living while still living off the grid. Everything else I could do without.

Secluded cottages have long served reclusive artistic types well, particularly painters, poets and pop stars. For baby boomers, the chap who really put the idea on the OS map of ditching the bright lights for the croft was Paul McCartney. Macca and family moved up to Scotland’s Kintyre peninsula in 1970 to escape The Beatles. Intriguingly, Sir Paul’s occasional song-writing partner Kanye West (neither producing their best work) has followed suit. He purchased a ranch in Wyoming, US, from which to record the Ye album and battle his bi-polar disorder. David Bowie saw out his autumn years in the wilderness of the Catskill mountains, New York State, US, where he produced Heathen.

Famous musicians have always been able to call the geographical shots, but then the pandemic came along and, 2½ years later, many of us are still able to work from home. Bosses and clients have become flexible. Most meetings are now virtual. Digital technology is in rapid advance. Culture has changed. We can be Bowie if we want to be. In 2020, a friend of mine who is a senior Downing Street advisor — let’s call her Mary — abandoned her flat in Clapham for a bleak bungalow in the Borders that was snowed in for months on end. From here, she dictated covid strategies over Zoom. She still hasn’t returned to the capital, yet I’m pretty sure the snow has melted. She and her boyfriend have adopted a Brazilian street puppy, who, no doubt, had an even more extreme transition to make, trading Ipanema for Innerleithen.

"A hut in the Pennines, an axe and a sleeping bag is as good a place to start as any"

Another chum, with whom I used to run a Formula One magazine, Adam Carbajal, quit flying around the Grand Prix circuit to buy a plot on the Hawaiian island of Maui and live in a yurt. He used a small petrol generator for power, built a water-catch system with a 500-gallon capacity (it’s pretty rainy in his spot), heated his water via propane and powered the pump with solar. In this environment, he was still able to produce quality magazines for publishers back in Europe. He spent seven years in that yurt, until finally finishing the building of a proper house right next to it, in which he now lives. The land and construction came to £385,000 and it’s now valued at £1.14 million. It only required seven years of doing his business in a bucket.

Others have maintained their jet-setting ways at the same time as embracing a minimalist life. Take investor Nicolas Berggruen, who owns 100 properties in Berlin, but, until relatively recently, didn’t have a place to call his own. Dubbed ‘the homeless billionaire’, he didn’t even possess a watch or a car. He kept his meagre possessions in a paper bag and slept on his Gulfstream — the one luxury he couldn’t dispense with.

In the age of the influencer, some have managed to turn off-grid lifestyles into commercial enterprises. Foster Huntington was a designer for Ralph Lauren in New York, but jacked it in to journey around America, living out of a van. He is credited with starting the #vanlife movement on Instagram, taking breathtaking photos of his travels for brands such as Patagonia and making stylish books showing off-grid life, landscapes and hipster design, the type of which you find selling at Urban Outfitters. Meanwhile, 30-something architects Dan Deckert and Kika Mevs left Atlanta to sail the world with a small electric sailing boat named Uma. They’ve launched a successful YouTube channel and are currently anchored off Spain. Their lifestyle is financed by ‘donations from social-media patrons’ and platform advertising revenue.

Far from exhausted by the rustic travails, I left Northumberland energised and yearning to return. I wondered whether, if the energy crisis grips the nation harder still, I ought to think about living off the land and sun.

The pandemic lockdowns brought into focus what’s important to us, what we really need. For many, space, independence, family and fresh air have taken precedence over salaries, shopping and the rat race. Laurence Manchee worked in finance in London, Hong Kong and Singapore. Now, he lives in rural Portugal. Passionate about sustainability, he’s built a yoga retreat and teaches permaculture and agroforestry on his 52 acres. Mr Manchee is now self-sufficient, able to ‘live like a king on £11,000-a-year.’

Others are looking to escape more hardcore situations. Julius Strauss was one such chap, an accomplished war reporter for the Daily Telegraph. As it did my Northumberland cabin’s creator, PTSD caught up with him. Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone; the straw that broke the camel’s back was a school massacre in southern Russia, where 186 kids were killed. ‘I thought then: “I can’t do this anymore.” I needed a change and the idea of Canada came up.’ He and his girlfriend bought a ranch in the middle of nowhere and Julius became a grizzly-bear guide. The wilderness, he thinks, saved his life.

Barrister and naturalist Charles Foster took his fascination with wildlife to the extreme. He decided to live as a badger, an urban fox, a red deer, an otter and a swift, in order to see the world through their eyes. This involved spending weeks under the earth in a sett in the Black Mountains and scavenging the bins of east London at night — on all fours.

Mr Foster’s idea of living off grid probably strikes you as odd. He might be described as one of Britain’s greatest living eccentrics. But you needn’t eat worms or sleep in a bird’s nest to change your way of living for the wilder. A hut in the Pennines, an axe and a sleeping bag is as good a place to start as any, or a yurt, a boat or the Mull of Kintyre. Sometimes, you simply need to cut loose.

The lives, luxuries and lasciviousness of past and present gentleman racers

Cigars and brandy during pitstops may be a distant memory, but there are still those who pay for the privilege

Credit: Alamy

Curious Questions: Does 'Red Sky at Night' actually work? And why?

It's the oldest weather forecasting adage of them all – and you'd be surprised at how accurate it is. Jay Griffiths

When George Gardner moved from architecture into furniture, he took a new perspective on the way that fitted and freestanding furniture is designed and crafted. He set out to design furniture with the capacity for longevity, a quality he feels is absent from the market.

At this event, which coincided with the Design Centre’s Formed With Future Heritage exhibition, he explained how an unwavering focus on distinctive design, functionality and space efficiency have been at the heart of timeless design throughout history — and should be today.

Guests had an opportunity to explore how Mr Gardner’s ideas are being put into practice to create highly innovative designs that are an exciting new addition the world of kitchens and furniture.

Hambledon Classic Cuvée — made near Mr Gardner’s Hampshire headquarters — was served.

The humble kitchen cabinet, as reinvented by an award-winning architect

When choosing his kitchen, George Gardener felt uninspired by the choice of cabinetry — and took a rather unusual step to doing

‘I am the home of a 20^th century family that loves air, sun and open country’ states the opening sentence on the website listing for High and Over.

No, we’re not at some warped self-help class for houses on the market with an identity crisis, instead, these words were apparently written when the house was first completed in 1931.

And although we’re no longer in the 20^th century, the pretty general statement of loving ‘air, sun and open country’ is sure to resonate with a lot of buyers; after all, if that past two years have taught us anything, it is surely that of our love of air, sun and the country.

The house itself, however, is a little bit more niche. Buyers who love air? Well, that’s kind of a given. Buyers who love Modernist homes built in the inter war eras? Probably less so.

If you double took the age of the property, then you’re not alone. High and Over is remarkable from a design perspective which intriguingly fuses ‘Modernism with classical references and proportions,’ note selling agents Unique Property Company, who bring the house to market with a guide price of £3 million.

The utilitarian modernism projected throughout High and Over will not be for everyone. For anyone who’s spent a bit of time in the middle east, the external façade will seem familiar, as it is fairly reflective of the type of properties more destined to countries with 40-degree + temperatures (I’m excluding our UK summer heatwave) and is a far cry from a two-up, two-down thatched Cotswold Cottage.

The imposing white concrete property was designed by Amyas Connell, of Connell Ward & Lucas, for Professor Bernard Ashmole, the Keeper of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the British Museum. The irony of an antiques professor commissioning a modern, innovatively designed home is not lost on us, and certainly reinforces the notion of keeping your work and home life separate.

Softness and hardness interplay throughout the house. A utilitarian kitchen in various shades of grey and icy blue is muted by the floor to ceiling wood panelled dining room.

The near circular reception hall forks into three fronds in a ‘Y’ shape, from which the kitchen and dining room, a large library and the drawing room are accessed. Stairs lead up to the first floor where you’ll find five of the six bedrooms.

On the second floor is a large winged roof terrace (causing the house to acquire the nickname ‘Aeroplane House’), a central lounge and the sixth bedroom with a dressing room and study.

The gardens and grounds extend to just under two acres, formed of mature woodland, lawn and steps leading down to a circular swimming pool and terraced seating area.

The English poet, writer and broadcaster, John Betjeman, was not a fan. ‘In 1931 all Buckinghamshire was scandalised by the appearance, high above Amersham of a concrete house in the shape of a letter ‘Y’’, was his response to High and Over. However, Pevsner’s Buildings of England, Taschen’s World Architecture and Irving’s 100 Buildings to See Before You Die all regarded the property as an ‘iconic masterpiece.’

It’s situated in an elevated position near to Amersham with sweeping views across the Chilterns. Central London is a little over 30 minutes away on the Chiltern or Metropolitan line and just 10 minutes to the M40 and M25.

Amersham is considered one of the most photographic market towns in the Chilterns, with its timbered houses and iconic Market Hall. There are a range of independent boutiques and shops in both the older and newer part of the town, as well as plenty of cafes, pubs and restaurants.

The River Misbourne flows through the town before meeting the River Colne, providing several pretty water-side walks, and for those looking to immerse further into nature, head to Chesham Bois Wood nature reserve.

The selling agents state that High and Over is a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to acquire a house of ‘distinction’ and ‘important architectural provenance,’ and although its style won’t be for everyone, for those searching for a fusion of modernism, innovative design and great views, look no further.

High and Over is currently on the market via Unique Property Company with a guide price of £3 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Several years before Lutyens completed Munstead Wood — another notable property for sale in the area — the young architect received an early commission to design nearby Munstead Place in Heath Lane, Busbridge, for wine merchant Charles Heatley and his wife, Constance, on the recommendation of Jekyll.

According to listing details based on Pevsner’s Buildings of England: Surrey (1971), the house, listed Grade II and originally known as Munstead Corner, was built ‘in 1891–92, with hoppers dated 1899 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Gertrude Jekyll’.

The two-storey house is described as being built of ‘coursed and snecked Bargate stone below, half-timbered above with rendered infill, plain tiled roofs and tall brick stacks on left and right…’

In his book, Sir Edwin Lutyens, the Arts and Crafts Houses, Australian architect David Cole highlights the appeal of Lutyens’s distinctive design, which is ‘evident throughout, with fine joinery, well-proportioned fireplaces, leaded casement windows set in oak mullions and transoms, together with the main stair, considered to be “one of Lutyens’s finest, of any period”’.

Although no documents survive to confirm Jekyll’s involvement, Mr Cole suggests that she would almost certainly have been a party to it, ‘given her acquaintance with the Heatleys, the proximity of her home and the distinctive Jekyll hallmarks in the beautifully-structured garden design’.

Now, following an extensive three-year renovation programme diligently executed between 2009 and 2012 by the current owners, the immaculate six-bedroom house, set in 7¾ acres of gardens and grounds that include a tennis court, cricket wicket, croquet court and five-a-side football pitch, with planning consent for a swimming pool and pool house,  is for sale through Phillippa Dalby-Welsh of Savills, who quotes a guide price of ‘excess £9m’.

Munstead Place is currently on the market via Savills for offers over £9 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Godalming: What you need to know

Location: About 6 miles south of Guildford and just over 30 miles from central London. Godalming train station is located just 1.5 miles from the property, where it runs a regular service into London Waterloo. The A3 provides great access to the M25, and Heathrow, Gatwick and Farnborough airports are all within easy reach.

Atmosphere: Godalming is a bustling market town with a superb array of amenities with many boutique shops, coffee shops, pubs, restaurants and two supermarkets. Nearby Guildford offers a more extensive range of shops as well as sporting and leisure facilities.

Things to do: There are several sports clubs situated close to the property including The Queen’s Sports Centre at Charterhouse and the West Surrey Golf and Tennis Club in Enton. For walkers, riders and cyclists, the Surrey Hills AONB is essentially on the doorstep.

Schools: Plenty of great options in the area with St Catherine’s in Bramley, the Royal Grammar School, Guildford High School, Charterhouse, Prior’s Field, St Hiliary’s and Godalming Sixth Form College

See more property for sale in the area.

The opening of a new show home from London Square is creating waves in SE1 this summer, as visitors can finally view a fully-furnished penthouse in The Blackwell Collection, a rare example of elevated loft living currently on offer in the area.

A handful of exclusive penthouses located within The Pickle Factory building in the heart of buzzing Bermondsey, The Blackwell Collection is a prime example of how to combine old with new. The show home allows would-be buyers to see for themselves how the building’s remaining industrial elements can be seamlessly integrated into an overall design to produce bright, open spaces with a chic warehouse feel.

Interior design experts Honky provided the show home’s interior and design director Paul Dawson said the company was delighted to work on the project: ‘We drew our inspiration from a combination of the space, location and heritage,’ he commented. ‘We have showcased elevated urban penthouse living — amazing city vistas are viewed through oversized Crittall windows that flood every room in this heritage building with light. The success of the warehouse aesthetic is reliant on a cleverly curated mix of furniture and oversize stand-alone art pieces.’

The Blackwell Collection’s considered mix of styles and finishes works particularly well in the open-plan living area, where the scrubbed oak dining table sits next to mid-century-style chairs; the regular geometry of the beautiful windows also calls for a mix of textures to complement the interior space. Outside, each of the show home’s three terraces — a wonderful extension of the living space — has its own specific purpose, from alfresco dining for ten to the perfect spot for sunbathing. Each of the penthouses is configured differently, boasting its own skyline views of the city, but all are finished to the same exacting specifications, with state-of-the-art fixtures and fittings that include smart induction hobs, wine coolers, fitted wardrobes and elegant bathrooms.

A visit to the show home is an insight into how it feels to live in one of these exceptional penthouses, of which only three remain on the market: viewing, as the saying goes, is highly recommended.

The final two-bedroom penthouse is priced at £1.475 million and three-bedroom ones from £2.4 million. To request a show home tour please email bermondsey@londonsquare.co.uk, or visit www.londonsquare.co.uk. 

Images depict previous Pickle Factory show homes, and CGIs depict The Pickle Factory and Blackwell Collection at London Square Bermondsey, indicative only. Details and prices correct at time of going to press.

Building back Bermondsey: The new development breathing fresh life into one of London's vibrant areas

The new London Square Bermondsey development is at the heart of all the good things happening in this part of

The story behind Warner House weaves together so many of the threads of Britain’s impressive textile heritage. It’s a narrative that includes the Huguenot silk weaving tradition and some of the greatest interior designers of the 20th century. There’s royal history, too; the company received commissions to create the cloth of gold for coronations, a tradition that dates back to Edward I. Today, it still proudly maintains those royal connections with a Royal Warrant.

Warner House is not only a business founded on 150 years of creativity and design excellence, but also one that reimagines the past with a 21st-century look. The Warner House collection offers more than 700 fabrics including printed linens and velvets, plains, cut velvets and intricate weaves, and an extensive range of more than 500 wallpapers printed on top-quality, non-woven paper.

The range showcases a myriad of beautiful designs, including exotic botanicals, damask, animal print, ikats, historical toiles and more whimsical pieces.

The Warner House paint range complements the fabric and wallpaper collections. Sustainably produced in the UK, it delivers a rich depth of colour across a spectrum of delightful shades inspired by hundreds of historic silk yarns. The company also offers a hand-crafted furniture range, made to measure curtains and blinds, and beautiful home furnishing accessories.

Earlier this year, Warner House unveiled its new archival design collection of printed linen-mix fabrics and co-ordinating wallpapers that works beautifully with the current offering. Taking inspiration from historic documents, this collection of more than 60 new prints features a combination of large and small-scale designs in both bold and more muted palettes to fit seamlessly into a range of interior styles.

This marks the beginning of exciting things to come from Warner House, with new designs, exciting collaborations and further range expansions all in the pipeline, cementing its position as a luxury interiors brand. Exploring the company’s wealth of fabrics couldn’t be easier, thanks to its online offering, which puts sampling and moodboards never further away than a phone, tablet or laptop.

To explore Warner House, please visit www.warner-house.com

A 21st-century architectural masterpiece: The Pavilion, Esmond and Susie Bulmer’s new house in the grounds of Redlynch Park, near Bruton, Somerset, was memorably described as ‘a West Country Ziggurat’ by Marcus Binney in Country Life (May 28, 2014) following its completion.

Currently for sale through Savills and Knight Frank at a guide price of £6.5m, The Pavilion was designed by the architect William Bertram, best known for his work for The Prince of Wales and who worked closely with the owners at every stage of its construction.

The house stands on a steeply rising hillside above the site of one of England’s lost country houses, Redlynch Park, which was dramatically burnt down by Suffragettes in 1914. Set in two acres of gardens on three levels, it appears to cascade down the hillside in a series of terraces, each one overlooking the gardens and smaller than the one below, a design that makes the most of the surrounding panoramic views.

The ground floor, which incorporates an earlier 1990s house built in what Mr Bertram wickedly describes as ‘the neo-Georgian telephone-exchange idiom’, has been transformed into the main living area, comprising a dramatic entrance hall, three reception rooms, a study, kitchen breakfast room and butler’s pantry.

The lower-ground floor houses the library, two bedroom suites, three further bedrooms and bathrooms, an integrated double garage, plant room and store rooms.

The base of the ‘ziggurat’ is the garden floor, which boasts a spectacular indoor swimming pool opening onto the gardens, together with changing rooms, therapy room and bar. The nearby former engine house to Redlynch Park has been converted to a cinema, store rooms and boiler room, behind which a generator is concealed.

A secluded country house in miniature, for Crispin Holborow of Savills, ‘The Pavilion is the ideal Londoner’s weekend retreat—easily managed with little or no need for staff, and perfectly protected by the surrounding Redlynch Park estate’.

The Pavilion is currently on the market via Savills and Knight Frank with a guide price of £6.5 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Bruton: What you need to know

Location: In Somerset, about 17 miles east of Glastonbury, about 8.5 miles south east of Shepton Mallet and close to the Cranbourne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Castle Cary train station is about 7 miles away which runs services to London Paddington.

Atmosphere: The highly sought-after market town has become increasingly popular in recent years, helped by restaurants such as Osip, The Chapel and Matt's Kitchen. Joining the line up is The Hauser and Wirth Art Gallery, Durslade Farm Shop, a doctor's surgery, plus a selection of independent shops and a supermarket.

Things to do: The renowned Newt Hotel is just a few miles away, and the Roman town of Bath is just under 30 miles with its wider range of shops, restaurants and theatres. A visit to The Hauser and Wirth Art Gallery should be high on your list, as well as exploring the surrounding rolling Somerset countryside.

Schools: King's Bruton, Sexey's School, Millfield School and Bruton Primary School are all local to the area.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Even in areas of high demand such as the Cotswolds, there’s nothing more dispiriting than sales that fall through at the last minute—even if the reasons are genuinely unavoidable. Such is the case of Little Ham at Burford, 10 miles from Stow-on-the-Wold and 20 miles from Oxford, which returns to the market with the local office of Jackson-Stops at a revised guide price of £2.14m, following the withdrawal of the prospective purchaser due to ill health, as selling agent Kathryn Anderson reveals.

Manicured gardens complete with gurgling fountain and alfresco dining area welcome visitors to the five-bedroom house—which is listed Grade II and dates from the late 18th century, albeit with later additions — which are equally as elegant, thanks to a careful renovation programme that blended contemporary finishes with period details.

Little Ham was acquired three years ago by the present vendor, an interior designer who has painstakingly refurbished the house. It is now finished in a mix of old and new, with white the predominant colour.

Among the highlights of the 3,319sq ft interior are the panelled dining room with mullion windows and stone fireplace, the panelled sitting room with panoramic garden views and the bespoke kitchen with handmade cabinets. There’s also a ground-floor annexe and a striking stone summerhouse at the northern end of the garden.

Four of the bedrooms can be found across the first floor, with the fifth in the aforementioned annexe.

The garden and grounds are especially breathtaking as the house is approached through solid wooden gates and up a winding paved driveway. The garden is surrounded by a privet hedge and Cotswold stone boundary which offers the utmost privacy, whilst a lawn surrounded by beautiful flower beds and a striking water feature create an altogether impressive vista.

Little Ham is currently on the market via Jackson-Stops with a guide price of £2.14 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Burford: What you need to know

Location: Tucked away in the Windrush Valley in West Oxfordshire. The A40 and M40 offers great links into London and trains run from Charlbury to London Paddington.

Atmosphere: The old Cotswold market town is known as 'The Gateway to the Cotswolds,' and is home to a number of shops, pubs, a village school and church.

Things to do: From here, explore the beautiful surrounding countryside, or visit Oxford and Cheltenham for a dose of culture.

Schools: Burford Primary School and Burford School are both local to the village, but there are many more options in the wider area.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Set amid the rolling grassland of north Northamptonshire, the historic village of Naseby sits in a commanding position on one of the highest parts of the Northamptonshire uplands, close to the county border with Leicestershire.

It’s best known as the site of the Battle of Naseby during the English Civil War, which ended in a decisive Royalist defeat and Cromwell’s accession to power; today, the rolling acres around the village are a little slice of heaven on earth. And that’s where you’ll find Naseby Lodge, for sale with a £5m price tag via Stephen King of Leicestershire-based King West and Rupert Sweeting of Knight Frank — a house that is absolutely not your typical country pile.

Naseby Lodge is an outstanding Scandinavian-style country house built in 2007 to designs by RAAB Design of Pipewell, Northamptonshire, and set within 83 acres of spectacular landscape with unfettered panoramic views over pasture and woodland towards neighbouring Cottesbrooke Park.

This pristine country estate comes with two cottages, a party barn, covered heated swimming pool and state-of-the-art equestrian facilities, including barn stabling for six horses, a tack room and barn, a well-raked outdoor school and a solar array of 195 panels that provides a useful income.

With its sweeping copper roof, rendered elevations and curving oak beams inside, the main house was designed to blend discreetly with the surrounding period cottages and farm buildings.

Approached by a 150-yard-long, tree-lined drive with extensive landscaped gardens to the south and west, Naseby Lodge offers 9,216sq ft of light-filled living space on two floors.

There is a dramatic reception hall and an open-plan kitchen/breakfast/living room that — well, suffice to say, it's as far from flagstone tiles and an Aga as it's possible to get. It's truly striking, but might make you crave a bar of Cadbury's Dairy Milk.

Beyond that are dining and drawing rooms, a full-height galleried landing, spacious principal bedroom suite, six further bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Naseby Lodge is for sale via King West and Knight Frank at £5m — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

In the 1920s, Matrix Island was a steel-construction coal barge chugging down the River Seine; now, with a hull painted pale grey and sporting a natty orange stripe, she’s possibly the most luxurious houseboat on the Thames, floating next to her private pontoon (a rented mooring) at St Katharine’s Docks.

The unique vessel is currently on the market with joint agents Dexters and River Homes for £3 million.

More than 5,000sq ft of accommodation over two levels includes five spacious bedrooms, a walk-in wardrobe, four bathrooms, sauna and a vast open-plan kitchen/dining/living room, plus another sitting room with an unusual hanging log-burner, an office with a view of Tower Bridge and lots of storage areas, not to mention a 50ft fore deck with a retractable glass enclosure, open deck area and a jet ski/tender platform.

Matrix Island was originally converted by a French film producer.

Matrix Island is currently on the market via joint agents Dexters and River Homes for £3 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.

St Katharine Docks: What you need to know

Location: In Central London, just east of the city. Tower Hill Underground offers Circle and District lines, Tower Gateway offers DLR services and London Fenchurch Street offers National Rail services.

Atmosphere: As central London's only marina — and with Tower Bridge and the Tower of London as neighbours, the diverse marina enjoys a thriving waterside community and welcomes vessels from all over the world, and crowds often gather to watch them dock.

Things to do: Every Friday the dock hosts the World Food Market and there are coffee shops, restaurants and supermarkets within the vicinity.

Schools: Hermitage Primary School and St Peter's London Docks C of E Primary School are two local options. For secondary there is Wapping High School, Mulberry School for Girls and The City of London School.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Artichoke

Taking centre stage in this family kitchen in a country house on the south coast is a substantial cook’s table, hand-finished to look as if its layers of terracotta-coloured paint have accumulated over time, with an aged sycamore top. Bespoke kitchen by Artichoke, prices from £200,000 — 01934 745270; www.artichoke-ltd.com

Ercol

Established in 1920 by Lucian Ercolani, Ercol continues to manufacture furniture in Buckinghamshire today. Its latest collection is inspired by mid-century design, for which the brand is so well known, reimagined for the present day. Heritage love seat, £799; armchair £449; chair £349 — 01844 271800; www.ercol.com

Halstock

Constructed in European oak finished with a subtle limewash, the island and double-doored baking cupboard add to the ‘unfitted’ style of the furniture in this custom-made kitchen by Halstock in a 16th-century barn. Kitchen prices from £240,000 — 01935 891762; www.halstock.com

Kaelo

Described as the ‘first ever social kitchen appliance’, Kaelo, from £996, is designed to keep an open bottle of wine chilled as you drink it. Gather around the island with friends, put the bottle into the patented cylindrical chamber built into your worktop and dry-cold technology will keep your wine to within 1˚–2˚ of its opening temperature. 020–7870 1115; www.kaelo.co.uk

Ledbury Studio

Hand-finished solid zinc Metallics Collection doors make a striking feature in this kitchen by Charlie Smallbone, founder of Ledbury Studio, teamed with stained-glass windows by artist Brian Clarke. Kitchen prices from £50,000 — 020–7566 6794; www.ledburystudio.com

Neptune

A mix of soft neutral tones creates a tranquil mood in this Suffolk kitchen by Neptune, where punches of black add definition. Kitchen prices from £12,000; Suffolk bar stools in seasoned oak, £370 each; and Browning lanterns, £290 each — 01793 934011; www.neptune.com

Officine Gullo

Officine Gullo is known for its bespoke kitchens and professional-style cooking appliances, handcrafted in Florence to your individual colour specification. The pink and polished copper Fiorentina 120 dual-fuel range cooker costs, £24,978, 128cm; Professional hood, £9,804; and Professional freestanding fridge freezer, £19,050 — 020–7036 1632; www.officinegullo.com

The Modern British Kitchen Company

Newcomer The Modern British Kitchen Company specialises in bespoke hardwood kitchens with a contemporary twist, such as this fresh interpretation of classic Shaker furniture. Handmade in Hampshire. Kitchen prices from £35,000 — 01329 283123; www.modern-british.com

Tom Howley

Imaginative use of colour will personalise any kitchen, as Tom Howley shows in his new showroom at 1, Canberra House, London Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire. Seen here, Devine furniture painted in Serpentine, Hartford in Pink Dusk. Kitchen prices from £20,000 — 0161–848 1200; www.tomhowley.co.uk

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‘If there’s a prettier house in Cornwall than Great Treverran, we aren’t aware of it,’ says Truro-based agent Jonathan Cunliffe of the exquisite, Grade II*-listed gem of a country house set amid rolling countryside in the parish of Tywardreath, to the west of the Fowey estuary and south of the riverside town of Lostwithiel.

The town of Fowey itself is four miles south. Tywardreath means ‘The House on the Strand’ — the title of one of du Maurier’s more obscure novels, inspired by Kilmarth, the house where she lived after leaving Menabilly. The book includes several references to Great Treverran.

Mr Cunliffe quotes a guide price of £1.65m for the classic Queen Anne house — a rarity in these parts — the first reference to which was in the Lay Subsidy Roll of 1327, when ‘Treveryan’ was the seat of a branch of the Courtenay family.

In 1700, they sold it to John Thomas, who built the present house in about 1704. Thomas’s grandson, Henry, inherited the property in 1817, but died childless, after which it was sold to Richard Foster of nearby Lanlivery.

Described in its listing as ‘a fine early-18th-century house [built of] Pentewan stone masonry with granite dressings’, Great Treverran benefits from its construction using local materials and skilled craftsmen.

Distinctive features of the south front are the four full-height, granite Ionic columns, which extend through the eaves with a continuous granite cornice.

Not large, but perfectly formed and remarkably unspoilt, Great Treverran faces south over its 5½ acres of well-kept gardens and grounds towards undulating farmland beyond.

It offers 3,250sq ft of comfortable and well-proportioned accommodation, including two main reception rooms either side of the wide central hallway, with a kitchen and spacious breakfast room at the rear.

There are three bedrooms, a bathroom and shower room on the first floor, with a further bedroom and nursery on the second floor. It comes with a studio/workshop and other useful outbuildings.

Great Treverran is currently on the market via Jonathan Cunliffe — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.

Fowey: What you need to know

Location: The port town is situated at the mouth of the River Fowey in south Cornwall. Par is approximately 4 miles away, St Austell is approximately 8 miles, and there are mainline rail services from Par and Lostwithiel (7 miles).

Atmosphere: The epitome of Cornish coastal charm. Fowey continues to be a popular destination for sailors, holiday makers and those looking to escape to the country. The bustling high street is home to a number of independent shops, restaurants and pubs — becoming an epicentre for all things water-based during the summer season.

Things to do: If visiting the nearby spectacular beaches, river and coastal walks seem too obvious, then head to St Catherine's Castle at the entrance to the Fowey River. There is also a five mile circular 'creeks and coves' walk, plus numerous gardens to explore.

Schools: Fowey Primary School and Tywardreath School are both rated 'good' in Ofsted reviews. Secondary options include Fowey River Academy.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Luxury meets sustainability at this unashamedly contemporary house in Taplow, which is currently on the market via Savills for offers in excess of £4 million. 

Set in grounds of 1½ acres overlooking the surrounding countryside, Skyfall is entirely carbon-free and energy efficient: it has a green heating system combining air-source heat pump, solar panels and a thermal energy storage system, plus high levels of insulation and sedum roofs.

None of this impinges on the opulent feel of the property, with its 6,367sq ft of accommodation (all with home automation system for lighting and sound).

The ground floor is mainly taken up by a magnificent, open-plan living space, which flows seamlessly into a sitting room with floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors to the terrace.

On the lower ground floor, reached via a striking glass-and-concrete staircase, are five bedroom suites, including a vast master bedroom with dressing room and a spectacular bathroom. There is also a cinema room and gym.

Skyfall is currently on the market via Savills for offers in excess of £4 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Taplow: What you need to know

Location: Taplow is a village in Berkshire, located approximately 1 hour outside of London, to the West. There is a train station within the village which offers connections into London Paddington in less than 40 minutes. The cross rail will also connect Taplow with Bond Street. Heathrow airport is also 13 miles away and Windsor 7 miles.

Atmosphere: The village has a thriving high street with a number of shops and a local pub — The Oak and Saw.

Things to do: Row on the Thames as part of the Maidenhead rowing club, or visit the larger market town of Maidenhead (accessed via tfl rail and an approximate 3 minute journey) for more shopping and leisure facilities. London is also easily accessible for theatres, restaurants and nightlife.

Schools: St Nicolas' Church of England Combined School, St Peter's Church of England Primary School and Lent Rise School were all rated 'good' by Ofsted. Good local secondary options are Furze Platt Senior School and Newlands Girls' School — rated outstanding by Ofsted.

See more property for sale in the area.

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We often come across properties that fuse contemporary style with period features — however, we've not come across any that do it as well, or as effortlessly as Leigh Hill Farm, which has recently undergone a complete renovation and is now on the market with Knight Frank at a guide price of £2.25 million.

The most striking and prominent feature is the newly added glass 'sunroom' — so seamlessly designed and in keeping with the original brick and timber facade that you could almost miss it.

A challenge not to be overlooked, as any listed homeowner will tell you how rigorous and laborious obtaining planning can be.

From the inside, the sunroom looks out over the west facing garden, comprised of lawn, trees and flower beds — which has an element of Provence about it (thanks to the Lavender which decorates the path borders).

The stone floor and huge glass panels help to create a space which is somewhere in-between indoor and outdoor living.

Also helping to transport you to the south of France is an outdoor swimming pool (plus boiling and changing room) and a terrace for balmy al-fresco dining, plus a wonderfully rustic timber seating area.

Inside, the kitchen/breakfast room is finished to the highest quality, as you would expect from a recent refurbishment, and is separated via a glass staircase that leads from a downstairs entrance door to the upstairs living space.

Juxtaposing with such a modern space is the living room, complete with exposed beams and a large inglenook fireplace. Also completing the downstairs space is a family room, a current music room — which offers really adaptable living space, and a bathroom.

The master suite, with dressing room and bathroom can be found on the first floor, with views over the rear garden. Also on this floor are two further bedrooms, shower room and family bathroom.

The remaining bedroom is located on the second floor, but again, this could easily be adapted into a playroom/den/library.

Leigh Hill Farm is the perfect example of contemporary living with period charm done well.

Leigh Hill Farm is currently on the market via Knight Frank at a guide price of £2.25 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Cobham: What you need to know

Location: Cobham is a large village in Surrey, 17 miles south west of London, located on the River Mole. There is a train station within the village — Cobham & Stoke d'Abernon which offers direct services to London Waterloo.

Atmosphere: With riverside charm, rural familiarity and within easy reach of London, Cobham is one of the most popular places to live in Surrey. It's bustling high street has a number of high-end restaurant chains and shops, including The Ivy Cobham and The Coppa Club, plus a number of independent boutiques.

Things to do: Once you've explored the village and surrounding parks, head to Painshill — an 18th century landscaped garden, and The Cobham Mill, near the banks of the River Mole.

Schools: The area is inundated with fantastic school choices, from St Andrews C of E Primary School, ACS Cobham International School, Notre Dame School, Parkside School and Reed's School.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Kestrel, in West Wittering, is designed to make the most of the light and the fine views towards the coast and the South Downs. The contemporary property, designed by Adam Knibb architects is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £2 million.

An open-plan living space occupies the first floor, which is glazed to take in the panorama; some panels slide to give seamless access to two outside spaces—a 21ft-wide balcony and a roof terrace that’s a perfect place to watch the sun rise.

But perhaps the best place to relax and enjoy the surroundings is the second floor’s Sky Room, which has a triangular apex window looking out towards the coast.

A glass bridge links this bedroom to its dressing room and bathroom. Three more bedrooms are situated on the ground floor.

Kestrel is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £2 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.

West Wittering: What you need to know

Location: West Wittering is a coastal village located on the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex. It is an approximately 20 minute drive from Chichester, and a 35 minute drive from the Naval town of Portsmouth. Ferry services are also available to the nearby Isle of Wight. The nearest train station is located in Chichester, offering main line services.

Atmosphere: The coastal village is a mecca for beach and watersport lovers, and was named one of the best beaches in Sussex. There are several shops within the village, including small independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

Things to do: West Wittering Beach is a picturesque spot with long stretches of sand and colourful beach huts. Here, you can learn how to surf, SUP, windsurf and kitesurf — and attracts visitors of all ages. You can also walk from West Wittering to East Wittering.

Schools: West Wittering Parochial Church of England School and East Wittering Community Primary School are both rated 'good' by Ofsted, with Birdham CE Primary School 'requiring improvement'.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Just metres from the dramatic White Cliffs that run along the south east English coastline, in-between St Margaret's Bay and Deal, are two plots of land with enviable views out over the English Channel, the smaller of which is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £850,000.

The current owner has been granted planning consent for two minimalist, modern homes, designed by William Matthews Associates — experts in water-side designs, as seen in their creation of a new link between Tintagel Castle and the mainland. The artist's renders on this page show the sort of thing that has been agreed.

In their proposal for Hope Bay Studios, they state that 'the material palette is simple: white render, anodised glazing profiles, low iron glass and polished concrete floors.'

The aim: to create a home that will effortlessly blend into the surrounding Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, ensuring privacy, all whilst making the most of the unique cliff-top location.

The plot in question is designed to offer a superb quality home that amounts to approximately 290 sq m, with a large open-plan living/dining/kitchen, a wrap-around balcony, an en-suite master room plus two addition generous bedrooms and family bathroom, a home office and utility space.

A swimming pool is also included in the plans, as is an integral, two-car garage.

Just don't stand too close to the edge...

Hope Bay Studios is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £850,000 — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Kingsdown: What you need to know

Location: Kingsdown is a village located on the coast, in between Deal and St Margaret's Bay, approximately 7 miles from Dover. The nearest rail stations are located at Martin Mill, Walmer and Deal, which offer Southeastern services. The port of Dover, Channel Tunnel and Eurostar all offer access to Europe.

Atmosphere: This small seaside village benefits from a strong local community and visitors, thanks to its stunning setting on the White Cliffs. Within the village is an excellent primary school, and a number of local shops, including a farm shop, village store and butchers. The nearby towns of Deal, Dover and Canterbury provide more in the way of shopping and leisure facilities.

Things to do: This stretch of coastline is famed for its White Cliffs, that poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy describes as 'the sea's gift to the land.' There are miles of coastal walks to explore, plus numerous beaches. Walmer castle and Gardens attract visitors throughout the year, or if you're looking for a slice of history, visit the Wartime Tunnels at Dover castle.

Schools: St Margaret's-at-Cliffe Primary school received an 'outstanding' Ofsted review. There are also numerous options for secondary within the area, including Dover College, Northbourne Park and The King's School, Canterbury.

See more property for sale in the area.

Ninety years after it was built, one of Britain’s most controversial and iconic country houses, Grade II*-listed High and Over at Amersham, Buckinghamshire, has come back to the market through Savills at a guide price of £2.5 million.

In all, High and Over offers 5,000sq ft of accommodation on three floors. On the ground floor are the grand reception rooms, which include a triple-aspect drawing room with fireplace, a triple-aspect library and a formal dining room.

A grand staircase leads to the upper floors, which house six bedrooms, plus two more that are currently used as dressing room and study. A 1,000sq ft roof terrace commands far-reaching views over Old Amersham to the Misbourne Valley.

The property, where the current owners have restored many of the original features, retains some 1.7 acres of its original grounds, with terraces and steps leading down to the circular swimming pool, lawns and a lightly wooded backdrop.

Ground-breaking for its time, the property wasn’t universally welcomed. Its Historic England listing describes the striking Y-shaped property — built in 1929–31 and known locally as the ‘Aeroplane House’ for its three wings leading off a hexagonal reception hall — as being ‘of outstanding importance as the first truly convincing essay in the international style in England, one of only two buildings included in The International Style Exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1932’.

Back home, the reaction was less enthusiastic. Sir John Betjeman commented: ‘In 1931 all Buckinghamshire was scandalised by the appearance, high above Amersham, of a concrete house in the shape of a letter “Y”. It was built for a young professor, by a young architect... It started a style called moderne.’

The professor was Bernard Ashmole, of Classical Archaeology at London University, and the architect was Amyas Connell, who won the prestigious Rome Scholarship; he later became part of the pioneering architectural practice of Connell, Ward & Lucas.

Although England wasn’t quite ready for ‘moderne’ and plans for the house were passed by the local authority only ‘with extreme reluctance’, (Country Life, September 19, 1931) took the opposing stance, hailing High and Over as ‘sound and stimulating architecture, a brilliant synthesis of contemporary thought with contemporary materials’.

The article continues: ‘There is nothing in its clean level lines nor in its whiteness that does not harmonise with the rolling chalk uplands. It does, in fact, conform carefully to the contours of the site. It makes no pretence to having grown out of the soil but says frankly “I am the home of a 20th-century family that loves air and sunlight and open country”.’

Connell planned a formal garden for the estate. Instead, in 1993, the lower part of the 12-acre site was sold and a series of smaller, but similar ‘Sun Houses’ were built to the design of Basil Ward, Connell’s partner and brother- in-law. The main house was later sold by the Ashmole family.

After the Second World War, buildings designed by the pioneers of Modern architecture were no longer fashionable and few could afford to live in the grand manner. In the 1960s, High and Over was saved from demolition by being divided into two separate houses, but was reinstated as one dwelling in the 1990s.

The use of the landmark building as a film set for period dramas such as the ‘Poirot’ series provides a useful income from time to time. Another bonus is the planning consent granted in April 2018 for the replacement of the garage by a single-storey annexe, ideal as a home office or studio.

Families looking for ‘air, sunlight and open country’, allied to the grace and space of early-20th-century architecture, can find it all in favoured corners of the Home Counties.

High and Over is for sale at £2.5 million via Savills — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Amersham: What you need to know

• Location:Amersham iswell connected to London with both the Metropolitan and the Chiltern Line linking to Baker Street and Marylebone respectively
• Atmosphere: Amersham is really two towns: the Old Town and Amersham on the Hill. The former has a high street full of period buildings, with boutiques, pubs and coffee shops, while the latter has an even wider range of shopping opportunities, including Waitrose and Marks & Spencer food halls.
• Things to do: Amersham has an unusual Fair Organ museum that's well worth a visit and plenty of local parks to walk in — the Memorial garden has glorious floral displays. Golf, cricket and riding are all available locally.
• Schools: There are plenty of good options locally, not least Dr Challoner’s Grammar School for boys in Amersham and the High School for girls in Little Chalfont
• Find more properties in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

Story has it that James Bond’s nemesis, Auric Goldfinger, was named after Ernö Goldfinger because Ian Fleming loathed the somewhat brutal Modernist building that the Hungarian-born architect had designed at 2, Willow Road, in London’s Hampstead (as a result, Goldfinger, who had a bad temper, threatened to sue Fleming).

Certainly, Teesdale, in Windlesham, Surrey — a Grade II-listed house designed by Goldfinger, which is now for sale with Knight Frank at an asking price of £3 million — would make the perfect abode for the Bond villain, who lived in the lap of luxury at a stud farm in Kentucky.

Set in magnificent countryside, the four-bedroom house, which spans 3319sq ft all one a single floor, makes the most of the magnificent views.

The pièce de resistance is the light-filled, open-plan drawing and dining room, which flows seamlessly into a south-facing terrace, creating an extraordinary space for indoor and outdoor entertaining. The kitchen is tucked away at the end of this room, serving both the informal dining area in it and a separate, formal glass dining hall that affords magnificent views of the garden’s water features at the front and the countryside at the back.

Beyond the hall is the bedroom ‘wing’, which includes a gigantic, panoramic master suite. Teesdale also has one of the most inspirational offices you could possibly want to work in—it has two glass walls taking in the leafy grounds.

Outside are about four acres of lawns and grounds, screened by matures trees, hedges, shrubs and plants, with the terraced water feature at the front of the house.

The property is not only notable for its James Bond connection but also because it’s the only Goldfinger-design post-war home in Britain to have remained in its original condition, according to Historic England.

Teesdale is for sale at £3 million via Knight Frank — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Windlesham: What you need to know

• Location: Windlesham is about a mile from the station at Sunningdale and about two from Bagshot and Ascot. Rail and road connections make it very easy to get in and out of London.
• Atmosphere: At this delightful village, 'people do get involved in everything that's going on,' according to Country Life's own Windlesham insider, Rosie Paterson. 'And there's a lovely, quite big Field of Remembrance with a big playground and lots of dog-walking space.'
• Things to do: There's golf at the Windlesham Golf Club (and many other courses in the area), walking on Windsor Great Park and Lightwater Country Park and plenty of culture, shopping and entertaining in nearby Windsor (including, for children, Legoland)
• Schools: Woodcote House Prep is 'a thriving family-owned school', according to the Good School guide. In the state sector, Windlesham Village Infant School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

See more property for sale in the area

No Mr Bond, I expect you to buy: The most expensive Bond villains' lairs

When it comes to water views, few properties can match Highfield House, in Hambleton, Rutland. The property, which is for sale through James Sellicks at £3.5 million, has been designed by award-winning architects to make the most of the panorama across Rutland Water.

Made from ironstone, steel and glass, it features wall-to-wall windows, balconies and terraces to soak up the vista and maybe catch a glimpse of the red kites and ospreys that call the reservoir home.

But the 5,950sq ft interiors are nearly as impressive as the views. The door opens onto a huge reception hall with open hearth and 16ft ceilings.

This in turn leads to a panoramic sitting room that flows into the dining room and has a floating wall that can slide back to create a vast entertaining space.

Also on the ground floor are the enormous kitchen and family room, the music room, which has its own terrace, the library, with its home cinema screen and an office with archive room.

Upstairs are six bedrooms, including the master suite, which its own sitting area with a balcony overlooking Rutland water.

There is also a studio above the garage that is suited to becoming a gym or a games room.

The grounds stretch to 4.5 acres and include a tennis-court-sized Sports Bowl, a half basketball court, professional-standard cricket nets, wooded walkways and a three-acre field that’s perfect for outdoor entertaining.

Highfield House is for sale at £3.5 via James Sellick — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Hambleton: What you need to know

• Location:Set on a peninsula overlooking Rutland water, Hambleton stands three miles from the pretty market town of Oakham
• Atmosphere: A delightful village, Hambleton has a Michelin-starred Hambleton Hall Hotel and an 18th-century pub, The Finch's Arms
• Things to do: There are plenty of outdoor pursuits on the doorstep, from walks to cycling, sailing and wildlife spotting
• Schools: nearby Oakham is home to two exceptionally well known public schools, Uppingham and Oundle

Find more properties in the area.

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