The population of Britain at the start of Queen Victoria’s reign in 1837 was about 14 million. 63 years later, when her days came to an end, it had more than doubled to nearly 31 million.

With the nation riding a wave of wealth and influence, and the population become increasingly urbanised over that same period, an explosion in housebuilding took place that reshaped countless towns and cities across the country.

Perhaps most extraordinary, though, is how prized those Victorian properties are even today, thanks to their grand proportions, elegance and abundance of natural light. Here's some of our favourites on the market.

West Lothian — £1.465 million

James Lovell, wealthy proprietor of Avon Paper Mills, commissioned big, beautiful Glenavon House in 1886 and it not only reflects the progressive architectural movement of the time, but anticipates the Edwardian Arts-and-Crafts style that would follow. Unsurprisingly Grade B listed, this sympathetically modernised, seven-bedroom property is rich in eye-catching period detail, with enough Victorian flourishes to have visiting architectural enthusiasts reaching for their cameras to snap the elaborate cornicing to the principal reception rooms, the dark-wood staircase with panelling in the main hall and the timber-moulded door surrounds throughout.

‘The dining room is particularly notable, featuring a heavily carved Renaissance fireplace and a moulded plasterwork ceiling,’ notes the agent, who also picks out the ‘leaded and frosted internal windows with floral detailing’ that they say ‘add charm and natural light’. Glenavon House sits in 2¼ acres of land and within the historic Royal Burgh of Linlithgow. It is 21 miles from Edinburgh and 33 miles from Glasgow.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Cheshire — £1.895 million

The Gables was built not long after Queen Victoria ascended the throne, at about the time the Penny Post was introduced, the first modern census taken and Brunel’s Thames Tunnel opened in London. Typical of many grand houses of the period (when there was no need for planning permission), it enjoys an elevated setting in the village of Alderley Edge, which isn’t only known for its glorious views, but also as the place where Champagne flows (it is often termed the Champagne capital of Britain).

Offering five bedrooms and three reception rooms, the latter consist of a 29½ft by 13½ft drawing room, plus a dining room and a family room, all with bay windows. The kitchen/dining area is on the opposite side of the reception hall and there is a study, too, for work or reflection. Parts of the house offer the option for reconfiguration if required. The mature trees that surround the grounds ensure plenty of privacy.

For sale via Jackson-Stops — see more details and pictures.

Leicestershire — £925,000

The Firs dates from about 1860, several centuries after its location, Norton Juxta Twycross, featured in the Domesday survey when its overlord was Lady Godiva, who failed to keep her clothes on when riding through Coventry. Back in the present day, with clothing de rigueur, any interested parties will find that the grand front door of this detached four-bedroom Victorian home leads to a glazed and timber porch, an entrance hall and then a dining room and a sitting room with working fireplaces and large windows that let the light flood in.

The kitchen/dining room has exposed beams, a tiled floor and an Aga. A garden room gives access, via French doors, to the private walled garden. The second floor houses a spacious loft room, and outside an annexe is currently used as a home office, but it could perhaps become a teenager’s cosy hideaway or a bolthole for the senior citizens in the family.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Suffolk — £900,000

Six-bedroom Ballitore has many beguiling features, but perhaps none more captivating than the rainbow-coloured, floor-to-ceiling, stained-glass window that can be seen up close from the sweeping, stripped-wood staircase that leads from the grand reception hall to the galleried landing. This hall also offers access to the various reception rooms, including the sitting room, with its sash bay window, decorative ceiling cornicing and open marble fireplace.

The 15½ft by 18ft dining room, opposite the breakfast room, features a circular bay sash window. The living room also has sash windows and a Victorian-style feature fireplace, so plenty of period detailing to keep devotees of that era happy. Ballitore, which also has a cellar, sits within about one-third of an acre of grounds, opposite Ipswich’s 124-acre Chantry Park.

For sale via Fine & Country — see more details and pictures.

Dumfries and Galloway — £1.4 million

Walter Newall (1780–1863), an architect who designed many farms and villas in Dumfriesshire, is thought to have been responsible for Burnfoot House, Westerkirk, and, if so, he certainly went to town when it came to the house he created for William Elphinstone Malcolm in 1850 in the picturesque ‘Tudor’ style. With its seven bedrooms and four reception rooms, it covers 14,000sq ft and the dual-aspect 21ft by 24ft drawing room is only one example of the multitude of period features offered in this B-listed home, for this space alone boasts high ceilings, ornate ceiling cornice work, tall wooden sash windows and a ‘captain’s’ stove set within an impressive surround.

Neptune designed the eye-catching kitchen/breakfast room that is painted in a subtle hue and is comprised of solid-wood cabinetry with granite work surfaces. The second (top) floor plays host to a two-bedroom apartment.

The asking price also includes a former stable block that has been converted into five cottages, providing an income-generating opportunity or the chance to house offspring who don’t want to leave home. The exterior of Burnfoot House is equally as impressive as the interior and consists of about 14 acres and — irrisistible for keen anglers — one mile of fishing on the River Esk.

For sale via Fine & Country — see more details and pictures.

A version of this feature appeared in the print edition of Country Life on June 17, 2026. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Down in Somerset, not far from the Cadbury Castle Iron Age hill fort, you'll find the ancient village of Corton Denham. Situated some five miles north of Sherborne and about 10 miles south of Bruton (the village dubbed 'the New Notting Hill'), Corton Denham is thought to have been settled in pre-Roman times, and appears as 'Corfeton' in the Domesday Survey.

By those standards, the old rectory is relatively new, having been built only 400 years, and rebuilt in 1750. The succeeding centuries have been kind to the place, and this exquisitely beautiful home — now named Corton Denham House — is for sale through George Nares of Blue Book at a guide price of £6 million.

This exquisitely symmetrical Georgian house — listed Grade II — stands in more than 10 acres of enchanting gardens, which have been created by the current owners over the past 25 years.

There are lakes and bridges, lawns and flower beds, formal areas and wildly beautiful shady spots at every turn. It's like stepping to the fantasy of an English Country Garden.

The house itself is equally beguiling. Constructed of the local stone with ashlar dressings, it offers more than 7,860sq ft of serene living space spread across the three floors.

Venture past the entrance hall on the ground floor and you'll find four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room and domestic offices and cellars.

Above, a large principal bedroom suite with underfloor heating and two dressing rooms is the highlight, and seven bedrooms and three further bathrooms arranged across the first and second floors.

The first floor has one of the real curiosities of the place: Cordon Denham's very own 'Bridge of Sighs', which connects the main house to Stable Cottage, one of the other properties included in the sale.

The first floor of the cottage is a separate, self-contained two-bedroom apartment, tailor-made for guests, staff, or multi-generational living. The ground floor of Stable Cottage provides different types of space: a games room, freezer room, workshop, store and a garage.

Another separate building, The Clock House, is set up as a three-bedroom apartment, while other outbuildings include stores, stables, a potting shed, a garden machinery barn and a very fine pool house, with a kitchen-diner on its first floor.

It is, in other words, the epitome of a modern country house — quite astonishing when you consider that Corton Denham House was originally built as the village rectory, and served as such until 1929.

Corton Denham House is for sale through Blue Book — see more details.

Surrey — £3.995 million

Party barn, sauna, and Jacuzzi meet flagstone floors, leaded windows and a gorgeously curved staircase at this farmhouse in the village of Dunsfold, near Godalming and Haslemere.

There's huge character throughout — and the swimming pool benath a roof of ancient beams is the perfect example.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Hertfordshire – £2 million

An 800-year-old, Grade I-listed manor house near the hugely popular (and easily commutable) village of Harpenden. The original features — including plasterwork, wood carving and centuries-old paintings — is beyond belief.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Surrey — £8.95 million

A 13,000 sq ft house expanded by the current owners — with help from architect Ian Adam-Smith — in the spectacular and unspoilt Surrey Hills landscape south of Farnham.

The interiors — stylish and exotic — are also a highlight.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Buckinghamshire — £2.25 million

This barn in Great Horwood has been converted into a Scandinavian-style retreat, with class walls, floating staircases and huge, light living areas.

The equestrian facilities — including stables, manege and paddock — are outstanding too.

For sale via Michael Graham — see more details and pictures.

Berkshire — £4 million

There's a slight hitch with this 6,000sq ft country house: it doesn't yet exist. What does exist is the five acres of grounds with planning permission all in place to create an inforgettable and private sanctuary in the North Wessed Downs. The approved design is for a family house arranged over three floors with five reception rooms, seven bedrooms and a detached triple garage.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Cornwall — £4.5 million

This former vicarage with views of the River Fowey is the sort of place you dream of inviting guests to at the weekend: seven bedrooms, tennis court, swimming pool and four and a half acres of gardens. A total joy.

For sale via Lillicrap Chilcott — see more details and pictures.

The King visited Kirtlington Park frequently during his polo-playing days and he no doubt liked what he saw when he stepped inside the glorious Grade I-listed, Palladian house. The same could be said of ballerina Dame Darcey Bussell, who held her 1997 wedding reception in the great hall. Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor is said to have once tried to purchase the place, but was turned away.

Set in 29 acres of glorious gardens and parkland on the edge of the Oxfordshire village of Kirtlington, six miles from Woodstock and 11 miles from Oxford, Kirtlington Park House enjoys spectacular views over the surrounding estate towards the Chiltern Hills. Now, following a comprehensive programme of restoration and enhancement, it is for sale for the first time in 54 years, at a guide price of £12 million through Crispin Holborow of Savills Private Office and Charles Elsmore-Wickens of Savills in Oxford.

The Dashwood family were large-scale landowners in Oxfordshire for more than two centuries from 1682, when Robert Dashwood acquired the manor of Kirtlington on his marriage to the heiress Penelope Chamberlayne; the creation of the Kirtlington baronetcy followed in 1684.

Kirtlington House was built for Robert’s grandson, Sir James Dashwood, 2nd Baronet, between 1742 and 1746 by master-builder William Smith of Warwick, with interiors by the architect John Sanderson, who finalised plans originally put forward by James Gibbs, the designer of Oxford’s Radcliffe Camera and nearby Ditchley Park. Kirtlington’s famous parkland was probably laid out by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown in the early 1750s.

Sir James and his family moved into Kirtlington Park House in 1745, although some parts of the building were still unfinished when he died in 1779, because he had been forced to settle huge debts run up by his son, Sir Henry Dashwood, a compulsive gambler. The saloon and the main staircase were eventually completed in the 1820s by Sir Henry’s son, Sir George Dashwood, 4th Baronet.

The Dashwood family lived at Kirtlington Park until 1909, when the 3,000-acre estate was sold twice in two decades, firstly to the Earl of Leven and Melville and then, in 1921, to Hubert Budgett. It was he who, in 1926, founded the Kirtlington Park Polo Club, which is still run by the family today.

In 1931, Budgett sold Kirtlington Park’s entire Rococo dining room to the Metro-politan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains one of the American museum’s most important English period rooms. The money raised by the sale helped the Budgett family tackle dry rot, which had been found in the house at the time.

In 1972, property developer Christopher Buxton acquired Kirtlington Park House, gardens and the immediate Capability Brown parkland, and he converted the east and west wings into separate residential units, which were sold on 99-year leases. Buxton lived at Kirtlington Park House until his death in 2017, when it passed to his kinsman, Peter Buxton, and his wife, Eleanor.

During their tenure, they have improved and redecorated the house and enjoyed it as a much-loved family home at the same time as building an exclusive wedding and events business to help fund the renovation works. These included repairs to the roof, stonework, windows and interiors, with upgrades to plumbing, electrical and wifi systems, and the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms.

Approached via a long, sweeping drive from the edge of the village, Kirtlington Park House comprises a central block of four floors flanked by two wings, and entered via a grand external staircase that leads to the piano nobile — the principal floor centred around an impressive hall with plasterwork by Thomas Roberts of Oxford.

Over the great fireplace carved by John Cheere is a magnificent Grinling Gibbons carving of 1695, acquired by the Dashwood family long before they built the main house.

The saloon to the rear of the house is a ball-room with a 36ft-high ceiling. Radiating from this is a series of elegant reception rooms, including the drawing room, the original dining room (the marble fireplace of which is a skilful copy of the original by John Cheere, now in the Metropolitan Museum), the library, with its splendid Rococo interior and exquisite plasterwork ceiling, the dining room and the morning room.

Perhaps the most charming of all, however, is the celebrated monkey room with its decorative ceiling, painted in 1760 by the French artist Andien de Clermont and depicting monkeys engaged in human sporting pursuits in the mid-18th-century style known as singerie.

The ground floor offers secondary and leisure accommodation, including a billiards room, gym, butler’s pantry, wine cellars, stores, plant rooms and a catering kitchen, with the arched former servants hall serving as a games room and cinema.

In all, Kirtlington Park House offers some 37,000sq ft of elegant accommodation, including 17 bedrooms and 15 bathrooms, which are laid out across the two top floors.

In recent years, parts of the gardens have been thoughtfully refined with guidance from Tom Stuart-Smith, always respecting the original vision of Capability Brown. Meanwhile, a defining feature of the landscape is Brown’s lake in the far distance, which creates a masterful sense of perspective from the house and gardens.

Kirtlington Park House is for sale through Savills — see more details.

A version of this feature originally appeared in the June 17, 2026, print edition of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

A quick search for 'homes of Formula 1 stars' brings up a plethora of results — and almost all focus on glitz and glamour. Lewis Hamilton, unsurprisingly, is the focus of many pieces: the seven-times world champion apparently has homes in London, Geneva and Monaco, but is also said to have a penthouse in Manhattan that's worth between £30 million and £60 million, depending on whom you believe.

There are a few other drivers who live — or have lived — in similar style: current world champion Lando Norris is a neighbour of Hamilton's in Monaco, and the recently-retired Daniel Ricciardo has a movie star-style house in Los Angeles.

But read beyond those names, and a funny thing starts to happen: you'll notice that a huge number of F1 drivers seem to crave country life. Michael Schumacher, arguably the greatest driver ever to don a helmet, has long lived in a 15-acre estate on the shores of Lake Geneva, while four-time champion Sebastian Vettel lives in a Swiss farmhouse, and has been studying for a degree in agriculture.

British stars of the past are no different: Damon Hill apparently lives in a very nice house in the Surrey village of Chiddingfold, and when Nigel Mansell retired from F1 he bought a golf course in Devon, and built a house on the grounds.

Jody Scheckter, who won the F1 title with Ferrari in 1979, had an even grander country estate: Laverstoke, which came on to the market via Savills last year at £58 million, where Scheckter pioneered biodynamic farming on the 2,500-acre holding.

The greats of the golden years of motor racing in the 1950s and 1960s Jim Clark was a sheep farmer before he got in to F1, while Jackie Steward spent most of his post-racing life on a rolling country estate in the Chilterns. True, Stirling Moss bucked the trend (he lived in a high-tech home in Mayfair, with a dining table 'that goes up into the kitchen where it can be laid for dinner and then descends into the dining room below'), but most seem happiest when going from life in the fast lane to life in the country lane.

The great John Surtees is unique in the history of motor racing: he is the only man ever to win the world championship on both two wheels and four wheels. Surtees won the Grand Prix motorcycle 500cc title (the equivalent of MotoGP today) four times between 1956 and 1960, and after switching to Formula 1 he was crowned champion in 1964. Not bad for a lad from a village in Surrey.

The rewards for drivers were tiny back then compared to today's cohort, and after his racing career ended Surtees actually ran a motorcycle ship and a Honda car dealership in Kent. He may not have had a harbourside penthouse in Monaco, but he did well enough to have a fine country home in Kent — and that house is currently for sale through John D. Wood at £3.5 million.

It's very lovely indeed: a restored 16th-century farmhouse set in some 23 acres of idyllic formal gardens, paddocks and rolling fields bordered by oak woodland.

The present owners have actually been here for 23 years (they bought it after Surtees and his wife downsized) and they've maintained it impeccably and upgraded it sensitively.

The house offers 5,000 sq ft of well-proportioned accommodation on three floors, including, on the ground floor, a double-aspect drawing room, a formal dining room, a charming sitting room and a superb country-style kitchen.

The first and second floors contain eight bedrooms and three bath/shower rooms. The gardens and grounds create a magical backdrop to the house, with leisure facilities including a tennis court and swimming pool.

There's also another home of a great British Formula 1 driver of the past for sale at the moment too. Tony Brooks, a six-times Grand Prix winner, spent 35 years of his life living in an apartment within the grand country pile that is Ottershaw Park; and, following his death in 2022, the apartment is now for sale at £1.1 million through Savills.

There are three bedrooms, three bathrooms and three reception rooms in this generously-sized flat, which is called 'The Baron Suite'. It's one of the oldest and most characterful homes within this Grade II-listed building.

Ther's a drawing room, sitting room and a living room as well as a kitchen-diner, with the living space at one end of the flat and the three bedrooms at the other.

At the end of the hallway, and accessible from both the sitting room and living room, a 43ft balcony stretches the entire , giving views over the beautiful grounds.

Those grounds are communal, and part of living at Ottershaw Park — as are the heated indoor swimming pool, tennis courts, games room, extensive landscaped gardens, formal terraces and sweeping parkland.

John Surtees's former home is for sale through John D. Wood — see more details.

The Baron Suite at Ottershaw Park is for sale through Savills — see more details.

The past few years have not been kind to buyers trying to move up the housing ladder. Higher mortgage rates and cost of living pressures combined with a sluggish housing market have hit them hard.

‘Despite mortgage rates easing from their peak, they remain elevated, making it challenging for households looking to upsize — particularly in London and the South East,’ says Lucian Cook, of Savills.

‘At the same time, weaker demand for flats and broader economic uncertainty have meant equity accumulation has been weaker than usual, running around 24% below the longrun average.’

But pockets of opportunity are emerging for upsizers — although they may need to cast their net wider than their immediate area, according to Cook.

So where should buyers looking for more space set their sights? Thankfully, Savills has pinpointed 31 top spots across England for trading up. From this shortlist, we’ve picked one area in each region for upsizers to consider. The North East is not included, as no locations in the region met Savills’ criteria (for full details on those criteria, see the bottom of the page).

Home counties haven: North West Hampshire

If it’s good enough for the Earl of Grantham, it’s good enough for us. Highclere Castle in north-west Hampshire was the filming location for the much-loved Downton Abbey. While a stately pile is out of most buyers’ reach, there’s certainly no shortage of period properties in the area.

Much of this scenic spot sits within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape. Think rolling countryside and buzzing villages.

Laura Reed, Associate at Knight Frank, says: ‘The larger villages such as Kingsclere and Overton feel genuinely lived-in, with cosy pubs, practical shops, amenities and fantastic schools — both local and independent ones — within reach.’

Commuting is also a doddle, thanks to direct trains to London and the M3 and M4 nearby.

It’s this combination that attracts upsizers, adds Reed: the ability to have a home with a garden large enough for a vegetable patch and a football goal, along with a commute into London of just over an hour.

Little wonder it’s a sought-after pocket of the Home Counties.

West country living: South West Wiltshire

South West Wiltshire has rural charm in spades — picturesque countryside and market towns and villages brimming with historic stone buildings. Like north west Hampshire, much of it is designated a National Landscape — Cranborne Chase in this case. It's well-connected too, with the A303 running through and direct trains to London.

Ashley Rawlings, of Savills Salisbury, says: ‘South West Wiltshire draws people for its rural setting, excellent schools and quality of life. It also remains commutable to London, which makes it particularly appealing to those looking for a better balance between country living and access to the capital.’

Rob Fanshawe, Partner and Head of Country at Property Vision, adds: ‘Buyers have historically relocated from neighbouring counties in search of excellent starter schools and a quintessential rural lifestyle, but limited availability means the best houses now command significant premiums.’

According to Rawlings, Tisbury is a popular commuter village, with a mainline train station and a thriving high street.

In Fanshawe’s view, the Chalke Valley is one of the standout locations: ‘One of the county’s most beautiful and unspoilt areas, it is known for its chalk streams, farmland and quintessential English villages. Its proximity to Salisbury makes it especially attractive to buyers seeking rural beauty without sacrificing convenience, culture or strong local amenities,’ he says.

The Notswolds vibe: Corby & East Northamptonshire

It’s a little over an hour from London by train, but this corner of the Midlands feels a world away from the capital. Its countryside is peppered with historic towns and villages — attractive limestone properties are a particular feature of the landscape.

Schools are a major draw. The area is home to Oundle School, and Uppingham School, Oakham School and Stamford School are not far away either.

Unsurprisingly, the market town of Oundle and its surrounding villages are particularly popular. Demand is also strong around Brigstock and Thrapston, where buyers can often find better value while enjoying the same village feel, strong community networks and easy access to Oundle, reports Brendan May, Partner at Jackson-Stops.

‘Oundle itself, along with the surrounding villages, retains a notably independent feel. It has avoided over-commercialisation, with no major chains dominating the high street, instead offering a strong mix of independent shops, cafés, and boutiques,’ says May. ‘This gives it a Cotswolds-like charm while remaining more accessible in terms of price point and location.’

Midlands magic: Cannock Chase

Located just north of Birmingham, Cannock Chase offers the best of both worlds.

At its heart is England’s smallest National Landscape, Cannock Chase. A mix of heathland and woodland, it was recently named one of the country’s finest forests by the Telegraph. It’s a magnet for the outdoorsy sort.

The area also has three key towns and a smattering of villages. According to Paige Tarbuck, of Connells Cannock, popular locations include Hednesford, Cannock, Norton Canes and Huntington. There’s a strong supply of new-build homes coming back onto the market in the area, making it an ideal choice for buyers looking to trade up, she adds.

Commuting is easy peasy too. Cannock Chase benefits from good rail links to Birmingham (and London beyond), plus the M6 and M6 toll are both nearby.

Tarbuck says: ‘We have an abundance of outdoor activities, walks and access to green space here, alongside strong transport links and great local employment opportunities, including the new McArthurGlen Designer Outlet.’

The East Anglian angle: Ely & East Cambridgeshire

Quick transport links to London and Cambridge, well-regarded schools and a thriving cultural scene put the cathedral city of Ely and the surrounding area on the map.

Set in the Fens, Ely is packed with character and history. It’s school options include King's Ely — an independent school, Ely College and several good primary schools.

According to Joe Pluck, of Cheffins in Ely, the city and its surrounding villages are competitively-priced compared with other parts of East Anglia. A three-bedroom period townhouse in the heart of Ely can cost £500,000 — £600,000, while newly-built three- to four-bedroom homes on the outskirts often start around £400,000, he points out.

‘Ely has also seen a noticeable uplift in independent culture in recent years, with a fantastic food scene, the regular farmers market, plenty of craft-style pubs and restaurants,’ says Pluck. New destinations, such as Ben’s Yard and Willow Grange Farm Shop and Cafe, have boosted the area’s appeal.

Littleport, Haddenham, Soham and Little Downham are also key locations for upsizers, he adds.

God's own county: Selby, North Yorkshire

When it comes to connectivity, Selby and the surrounding North Yorkshire countryside take some beating.

The market town of Selby boasts direct trains to Leeds, York, Doncaster, Hull and London, and the A1 and M62 are both close at hand. In short, it’s a commuter’s dream.

Chris Moffat, of Reeds Rains Selby, says: ‘This connectivity, combined with a more affordable housing market and a good range of local amenities, has helped sustain demand in recent months.’

Anchored by the historic abbey, Selby retains a traditional market-town, with a regular market and a high street lined with independents and well-known brands.

It also has great schools and nurseries, making it a natural destination for families looking to put down roots, says the branch manager of William H Brown in Selby: ‘People come to Selby for its balance of lifestyle and practicality. Buyers are drawn to the more rural feel here compared with nearby York, while still benefiting from a good variety of family-friendly facilities, excellent commuting links and greater affordability.’

Sought-after villages surrounding Selby include Barlby, Cliffe, Brayton and Eggborough.

The North-west: Stretford and Urmston, Greater Manchester

Located on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, Stretford and Urmston offer excellent transport links and big-city amenities just a stone’s throw from countryside.

Connectivity is a big draw. Metrolink trams serve the local area, while direct trains connect Urmston with Manchester and Liverpool city centres. The M62 and M60 are also on the doorstep.

There’s plenty to see and do, with some of Manchester’s most recognisable destinations in the area, including the Trafford Centre, Old Trafford cricket ground and Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium.

Buyers looking to upsize are well-catered for in this neck of the woods, with housing ranging from modern homes to rows of attractive period properties.

Still, it’s easy to escape the hustle and bustle. Beyond the built-up area, the River Mersey winds its way through the countryside, and there’s a couple of golf clubs to boot.

London life: Beckenham and Penge

Beckenham and Penge in south east London offer strong community vibes, top schools and quick links into the heart of the capital.

The area around Penge East and Penge West stations is particularly popular, according to Aaron Watson, of Winkworth.

‘Penge East serves Victoria in about 18 minutes. Penge West is on the Overground line, so you can get to Canada Water in about 15-20 minutes. It's a really well-connected spot,’ he explains. ‘The schools are fantastic as well. There’s a couple of Ofsted-Outstanding schools within walking distance. It caters for all needs.’

Penge has a lively independent scene and it’s a hop, skip and a jump to Crystal Palace Park, which is home to a food market and lifelike dinosaur statues.

It’s a similar story in Beckenham. James Waight, Head of Sales at John D Wood & Co, says: ‘Beckenham has a true village feel — the kind where people still say good morning on the high street. Yet it’s only 20-25 minutes from central London.’

The high street boasts the sort of line-up that Amanda from Amandaland could only dream of: big names such as Waitrose, M&S Simply Food and Gail’s sit alongside independents. And there’s Beckenham Place Park, which also has a food market and more unusually, a wild-swimming lake.

Waight adds: ‘The abundance of high-performing state schools remains a key driver, notably Langley Girls and Langley Boys, which is a huge draw for families looking to avoid London’s private school premiums.’

The criteria

Savills’ research included all the areas in England that meet the following criteria:

• The cost of upsizing from a two-bedroom to a three-bedroom home and social deprivation levels are below the regional average;

• The proportion of 35- to 39-year-olds is above the national average;

• The proportion of mortgaged owner-occupiers to private renters is above the regional average.

A few weeks ago we popped around to some friends to watch the Eurovision Song Contest. No, there's no need to feel sorry for me, for we had several things on hand to ease the pain of three hours of Euro-pop, toe-curling banter and bizarre costumes. First, we had the company of friends. Second, we had alcohol and snacks. And third, we had the Eurovision Bingo Card.

The latter gave a reason — perhaps the only conceivable reason — to pay close attention to proceedings. Does this song features a glitter cannon — tick! Did the singer just wink at the camera? Tick! Singing out of tune after a key change — tick! You get the idea. Lots of fun had by all.

What made Eurovision bingo pop into my head today? Taking a look at the almost-tautologically-named Crakehall Hall in North Yorkshire, which has just come to the market via Knight Frank at £3 million. For if we ever put together a Country Life Property Bingo Card, we could use the place as a template for all things country house.

It really is remarkable. Elegant Georgian architecture? Tick. Ivy, rose and-wisteria clad walls? Tick. A grand piano in the drawing room? Tick. Walled garden? Tick. Open fires, 12ft ceilings and an Aga in the kitchen? Tick, tick and tick again. It's really got the lot, right down to the fact that it overlooks a village green on which cricket is played on summer afternoons.

The Grade II*-listed Crakehall Hall is a beautifully preserved, early-Georgian house in the picturesque village (surely another tick on the bingo card?) of Crakehall in North Yorkshire, a tiny place (population: 630) that sits on the River Beck, three miles from the charming market town of Bedale.

The hall celebrates its 303rd birthday this year, having been built in 1723 as part of the Crakehall manorial estate with links to the Duke of Leeds. Built of stone on three storeys, with a symmetrical front of seven bays and a three-storey rear wing, the hall has been lovingly restored in recent years by its present owner, a leading light of the York Georgian Society.

Set in 2¾ acres of immaculate gardens, including a vast rear walled garden arranged as a series of well-planned outdoor ‘rooms’, the house showcases original Georgian crafts-manship throughout, with high ceilings, sash windows with working shutters, refined fireplaces, exquisite joinery and a sweeping staircase lit by Venetian windows.

It provides stylish family accommodation on three floors, including five reception rooms, nine bedrooms and six bathrooms, with extensive cellars beneath.

Highlights include a grand reception hall, the aforementioned splendid drawing room (one of the rooms that looks over the village green), an elegant library and a fine kitchen/family room — the undisputed heart of the home — with vaulted ceiling and French doors leading out to the garden.

All in all, there is more than 11,900sq ft of space on offer, making it ideal for a large family, multigenerational living, or the mother of all Eurovision Song Contest parties. Don't forget the bingo cards.

Crakehall Hall is for sale via Knight Frank at £3 million — see more details. .

It's that time of every-four-years again: football's World Cup has kicked off.

Who will win? Speaking as a former sports journalist I'm happy to admit that I have absolutely no idea, and am sceptical of anyone who says otherwise. There will be enough matches played at both very high temperatures and very high altitudes to suggest that it probably won't be a team from a cool, temperate climates.

So while things don't look too promising on the pitch, let's instead focus on who might win if this was a World Cup of property. We've pitted the top seven nations in FIFA's world rankings, plus Scotland (ranked 41st), looking at the finest homes in each country currently for sale through our UK and international property search pages to see who'd come up on top.

This piece is the quarter-final stage — the semi-finals and final will come next week.

The Property World Cup quarter-final draw (seeding in brackets)

Argentina (1) vs Scotland (8)

Spain (2) vs Morocco (7)

France (3) vs Brazil (6)

England (4) vs Portugal (5)

Quarter-finals

Match 1: Scotland vs Argentina

Scotland might have come in to this as wildcards, but their lowly seeding belies the wonderful homes you find in this magical part of the world. The Portmore Estate is one such slice of perfection: £15 million, almost 3,500 acres and a 10-bedroom house, for sale in Peebles through Galbraith.

Argentina has plenty to offer too, however — this house on Lake Nahuel Huapi, with the Andes as a backdrop, is undeniably breathtaking.

That said, this new-build cabin on an Andean lake has a bit of a drawback: it's a 20-hour drive from the capital, Buenos Aires. Peebles, meanwhile, is about an hour's drive from Edinburgh, and 1hr 15mins from Glasgow.

Winner: Scotland

Match 2: Spain vs Morocco

A fascinating match-up, not least because the geographical and historical links between the two countries. Indeed, Andalucia only becamse part of Spain in 1492, having previously been part of the Muslim empire; even the name itself was originally the Arabic, Al-Andalus.

In terms of football, though, the powerhouse cities of Spain are Madrid and Barcelona, so we've chosen a house near the latter: a century-old, 10-bedroom, 10,000sq ft mansion dating to 1925 in Capellades, an hour's drive from Barcelona itself. It's for sale at €1.2 million through Amat Luxury, and it's grand and impressive inside and out.

Morocco's equivalent luxury properties tend to be newer-style rural homes or traditional riads in cities such as Marrakech. The latter offer all the drama and exotic beauty you'd hope to see — and the €2.37 million Riad Damanos is a perfect example, with nine bedrooms, a roof terrace and a location in the medina, just minutes from Bahia Palace itself. It's actually run as a guest house at the moment.

A tempting prospect, but Spain gets the win this time. Being In the middle of Marrakech is a lot, while a Catalan escape in a town in the hills, an hour from one of the world's greatest cities, feels like a better mix.

Winner: Spain

Match 3: France vs Brazil

France pull out the big guns for this clash of two great footballing nations: a €28,900,000 house in Cannes that is both traditional chateau and exquisite Cote d'Azur home. There are eight bedrooms, magnificent views and a pool to die for.

But Brazil have plenty of game too, and pull out a surprise in the shape of a house that is a sort of dream jungle lodge. This £2.2 million house in Bahia is the sort of place where you could forget about the world.

It's far harder to get to (it's a two-hour flight just to get as far as Rio), but the journey is surely worth it.

Winner: Brazil

Match 4: England vs Portugal

Portugal have been something of a bogey team for England at World Cups and European Championships; who can forget a winking Ronaldo badgering the referee as he tried to get his then-team-mate Wayne Rooney sent off in Germany in 2006? And it looks like it could be more of the same in the World Cup of Property, as they step up with a truly beautiful home in the iconic mega-resort that is Quinta do Lago.

The €24.5 million home has six bedrooms, a cinema and a yoga courtyard (that's a new one on us), and it's close enough to the golf course to have fine views, but not so close that you'll end up with a few stray Titleists in the pool.

Yet what is sun and golf when compared to the charm of a great Cotswolds home? The wonderful St Catherine's Court in Somerset, within easy striking distance of Bath, is a magnificent, Grade I-listed house that is the former home of the actress (and iconic Bond girl) Jane Seymour.

At £12.5 million, it's basically half the price of the Portugal house, and far, far prettier. This is the equivalent of an easy 3-0 win.

Winner: England

After all that, here's the draw for the Property World Cup semi-finals next week:

Scotland vs Spain

Brazil vs England

The phrase 'if these walls could talk' feels like it could have been coined with Number 41, Carlton Hill in mind. This beautiful period home — for sale through Aston Chase at £4.25 million — sits on one of the most sought-after streets in St John's Wood, and was for years the London home of Eric Idle, the actor, writer, musician and comedian who was one of the founding members of Monty Python.

Idle is one of the rare creatures able to pull off the trick of being both naturally funny and musically gifted (see also: Victoria Wood, Dudley Moore and Hugh Laurie), and it's hard not to wonder if he sat in this very kitchen while first humming the tune for Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, the unforgettable, blackly-comic song at the end of Monty Python's Life of Brian.

Idle, incidentally, is credited with coming up with the idea for the film: the story goes that a journalist kept badgering him about the Pythons' third movie, a film which the group hadn't even thought about yet. He flippantly replied that it would be called Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory — and from that seed, the iconic parallel life fable emerged.

Life of Brian came out in 1979, a time when the Pythons were at the height of their fame — and Idle often hosted A-list friends at his St John's Wood pads (he owned two houses on the street), from the cast of Star Wars (a story Idle told on television in 2018) to The Rolling Stones.

Some of those friends stayed even longer. Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia in the Star Wars films, rented the house for a few months in 1979 while she was in London filming The Empire Strikes Back at Elstree Studios, and Idle was away making Life of Brian. Her co-star (and one-time lover) Harrison Ford himself rented the house a couple of years later, while shooting the studio scenes for Raiders of the Lost Ark, also up at Elstree.

The home itself is a classic London townhouse, with a façade of white stucco and brick, with elegant sash windows and fine proportions.

Inside, it's deceptively large, set over four floors — with the main living space being the 30ft kitchen-dining-family room space on the garden floor, which opens out through a garden room to the outside space.

The first floor is almost entirely taken up by a huge drawing room, which has a terrace at one end, though there's also a separate study at the back of the house.

The four bedrooms are split across the first and second floors — though no evenly. The first floor is entirely taken up by the principal bedrooms, with its dressing room and huge en-suite bathroom. All three remaining bedrooms are above, as is a smaller bathroom.

There's also a surprise lurking at the base of the house: the lower ground floor has been set up as a space that's ideal for any successful actor: it's a gym by day, and a home cinema by night. What more could any iconic movie star wish for?

The house on Carlton Hill, St John's Wood, London is for sale through Aston Chase — see more details.

'Reached through woods, it stands next to golden cornfields, broken by hedges, without another human habitation to be seen,' wrote Clive Aslet in Country Life following a visit to Downley House. 'This is the sort of site that a medieval builder might have chosen, for shelter rather than show. But don't think that Downley House is unassuming; on the contrary, it squeezes every drop of drama that can be had from a family house.'

Clive — a former editor of the magazine — was writing back in 2013, not long after Downley had been completed, with owner Chris Taee and his family having moved in after a two-year build. Today, with the children having grown up and the family moving on, Downley Park is looking for a new owner; it's for sale through House at £4.25 million.

Chris was in the fortunate position to take a couple of years away from work to project manage the build himself, a time of his life that he describes as 'memorable, stressful, but fabulous'. The award-winning end result — designed by architects Birds Portchmouth Russum — took a site that once contained a dilapidated house and turned it into something very special indeed: a five bedroom house with over 7,000sq ft, in which 'space flows through the building like a stream' (in Clive's words).

Nowhere is that more evident that in the room that is without doubt the showstopper, a bold, challenging vaulted dining room that is akin to a medieval great hall, where the roof is formed with curved, laminated timber, with copper elements adding extra drama.

It's an extraordinary space that's full of light, and offers wonderful views of the sheltered valley that the house sits in; 'you can sit back and bask in the sunshine, or watch the weather roll in up the valley', says Chris. It probably helps that there's a superb wine cellar in which to keep something special to sip while you enjoy those views.

The danger of high ceilings and glass walls in new builds is that the resulting building 'can feel austere, cold and vacuous,' Chris adds. 'But everyone who comes here comments on how cosy it feels. It's not a cold place to be.'

That's a statement which is literally true, as well as metaphorically, as Clive's piece in 2013 explained. Downley House's design includes, 'hyper-insulation, a geothermal heat pump and a ventilation system that passes incoming air through pipes buried 5ft underground and extracts heat from the exhausted air.'

As the 2012 vs 2026 pictures on this page show nicely, the house has settled into its landscape over the years. Walls which once stood out against the South Downs backdrop are now covered in the characterful creeping which the Taees planted when the house was built, and the cherry trees that went in are now the best part of a decade and a half old.

That was always the plan, Chris explains, but it's evidently very gratifying to see it coming to fruition: 'Its only right for a country house in a setting like this to blend into its surroundings,' he says.

The pull of the property isn't just about the house and its two and a half acres of the South Downs, however. Harting Down, with its mix of protected woodland and wide open spaces, is on the doorstep, and the market town of Petersfield — with its superb schools and fast trains to London Waterloo — is ten minutes up the road. Not surprisingly, then, Chris says what he'll miss most about moving on is the mix of tranquility, beauty and practicality; or, as Clive put it back in 2013: 'This house is not only a work of art. At every level, it works.'

Downley House is for sale through House Parternship at £4.25 million — see more details.

West Sussex — £4,950,000

A little bit of everything at this wonderful a house a literal stone's throw from Bosham Harbour, near Chichester. Ancient charm in the older parts of the house sit well alongside the newly-added sections, plus there's a pool and large grounds — including lawns, trees and a walled garden.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Dorset — £10,600,000

An incredibly rare chance has come up to buy almost 1,000 acres of land in Dorset, with views of Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon. Most of the property is arable land, but there is also a fine, four-bedroom barn conversion included in the sale.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Berkshire — £3,000,000

A historic country house with centuries of history, walled garden and tennis court, set in 18 acres. As well as the main house, a four-bedroom cottage and two-bedroom lodge are part of the package.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Buckinghamshire — £2,500,000

Outstanding equestrian facilities (five paddocks, stables and a manege) and a private fishing lake are a huge part of the appeal of this 1930s house. Inside, it's bright, airy and surprsingly modern — while the location is within catchment for Aylesbury's grammar schools.

For sale via Michael Graham — see more details and pictures.

East Lothian — £3,000,000

The family who've been at Kingston House are moving on after more than a century here. There's a little updating to be done in some rooms, but the house has clearly been looked after wonderfully well — and it has a superb location close to the charming town of North Berwick.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

West Sussex — £3,250,000

A magical country pile for sale in Rogate, a West Sussex village not far from Petersfield. More than 7,000sq ft of space, Grade II*-listed and superb views across the South Downs.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

There is not much to do in Blean, the small, sleepy Kentish village sandwiched between Canterbury and Whitstable, but it is, nevertheless, the best place on earth. There are two pubs, a church, a garden centre that does incredibly good sausage baps and an excellent primary school where the children are forced to wear the awful combination of yellow and brown as part of their unflattering uniform. It is where I dream about getting married and where I hope I will be laid to rest when I die. Although it may not be much to write home about, I've actually never needed to, because Blean is where I’m from.

This is why, with perfect certainty, I can say that there have only ever been two even remotely famous incidents to occur in Blean. I was alerted to the first when, to my unemployed delight whilst living at home, a job advertisement on LinkedIn appeared one fateful day for a Bison Wrangler. Blean made national headlines (something that almost never happens) when our woods were chosen as the first place in which to reintroduce bison to the UK — not something that happens just everyday. My dreams of donning a cowboy hat and riding around the Kentish countryside with a lasso, manfully herding the mighty beasts while gleefully bellowing ‘Yeehaw!’ were crushed, however, when I accepted a job instead at Country Life. Alas, what could have been.

Blean’s biggest claim to fame, however, has not been our burgeoning bison population, but the legacy of the magnificent Peter Firmin. Alongside Oliver Postgate, he co-founded Smallfilms, the production company that dreamt up the delightful 1960s and 1970s children’s shows The Clangers and ‘the most important, the most beautiful, the most magical saggy old cloth cat in the whole wide world’, Bagpuss. At Hillside Farm, 36 Blean Hill, which is just a stone’s throw from where I grew up, the latter was created and filmed — and now you have a chance to buy Blean’s most famous property.

Firmin’s former home, which might I add is my dream home, is on the market with Finn’s estate agents for £1.2 million. Being so close to home, and such a tantalising piece of local history, obviously I had to go and have a look for myself.

I have walked past Hillside Farm many times on my way to Canterbury and not known that a slice of British TV history had been hiding just down the winding driveway all along. It was here where Firmin’s wife, Joan, helped make some of the props used on the set of Bagpuss. Smallfilms also made The Clangers, Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog but it was Bagpuss that was the winner in a BBC poll for British children’s favourite TV programme in 1999. Firmin sadly passed away in 2018, but his legacy lives on. A new film starring the beloved wrinkly cat is set to be released in 2027.

‘It’s the sort of house you’d drive straight past. You wouldn’t even know it's here,’ says Paul Robertson of Finn’s, who meets us at Hillside Farm. The garden of the property is charming. Winding roses and creeping sweet peas grow around the iconic blue-framed windows that are recognisable from the TV show.

The house, which dates from the early 1800s, Paul thinks, is like stepping back in time. You can’t put a price on this kind of originality. The kitchen, with its bright green walls, yellow-tiles and gorgeous AGA is as whimsical and magical as Firmin’s creations were. There is a pantry, the door to which proudly has the heights and dates of the various Firmin children and grandchildren scrawled on it. The current owners, the very same grandchildren, now grown up, have clearly inherited his creative streak. Papier-mâché sculptures of animals that I recognise from the popular local Mexican restaurant Café des Amis are stationed at points around the room. They are the creations of Emily, Firmin’s granddaughter, who sells her kooky artwork through her business, Total Pap. She was the little girl in Bagpuss. A small puppy with angel wings, one of her creations, guards the kitchen’s entryway. A delftware style plate which reads ‘The artist Peter Firmin lived here’ stands proudly on a dresser, into the bottom of which is built a cosy dog bed.

The other rooms are the same, old-fashioned, clearly well-loved cosy spaces filled with art and knicknacks, and plenty of Smallfilms memorabilia. Several Bagpuss toys are scattered throughout the house and a picture of Firmin and Postgate taken outside Canterbury Cathedral hangs on one wall. They are holding Bagpuss and all three of them have mortarboards merrily perched on their heads. The place is such a moment in time, it makes you feel as though Firmin could, at any moment, appear from the other room with a cup of tea held in one hand, and his beloved cat tucked underneath the opposite arm, humming a familiar tune.

The buyers of this four-bedroom property will have to do a bit of work to restore the house to its former glory, but such a house is undeniably well worth the effort. I had taken my incredibly practical Dad along for a nose around and even he, usually the enemy of any home features that would need ‘plenty being done to’, was won over by the property’s innate charm and utter originality. Paul calls it ‘completely untouched,’ which is, Dad and I agree, just as it should be.

‘We’ve had lots of viewings,’ Paul adds. ‘It’s just such a one-off and so close to Canterbury.’ It has been mostly families so far, he says. I ask Paul if they’ve had many Bagpuss-fanatics book viewings. ‘Fortunately, no,’ he says, sounding relieved. My favourite room is the large upstairs drawing room, which was added to the property in the 90s. With high wooden beams and plenty of natural light it would be the perfect place to curl up with a cup of tea and a book whilst gazing at the gardens below. Which, by the way, are hardly insubstantial.

The private dwelling sits within over 6 acres of gardens and woodland and comes with its very own Kentish barn, which could easily be repurposed as a writer’s retreat (which is what I would do) for the lucky buyers. There are also stables, a paddock where an alpaca currently roams, a pond with a tiny makeshift boat and another outhouse, in which you'll find a pottery studio and old-fashioned printing press. A working well is used by the current owners to water the plants in the garden, which was dug by Firmin himself, according to his grandson.

Hillside Farm evokes a sense of nostalgia for Firmin’s day, where TV was just beginning and filming something magical about a pink-and-white cat could be done from your living room. It makes you wonder how his family can bear to part with it.

Although I dream of living there myself, I am currently about £1.2 million short. Until I have saved up the funds, some other well-meaning custodians will have to look after it for me in my absence. So, let this be my public plea to the new owners. Please do your very best to preserve a slice of the magic of Bagpuss’s former home, so that when I finally have the money to buy Hillside Farm from you one day, Firmin’s legacy will continue to live on within its beautiful walls. As my Dad said when we left, it truly is ‘unique and timeless’.

This property which the Country Life team are now cheerfully referring to as 'Bagpuss's House' (formerly known as Hillside Farm) is on the market with Finn's. Potential buyers should note that when Country Life's Digital Writer Lotte Brundle has amassed the requisite funds she will be more than happy to succeed them as its next owner.

The idea of giving a glamorous nickname is, at its heart, a clever bit of marketing. Yet there's no denying that it works: recent figures suggest it can bring as much as a 20% uplift to house prices.

It's also nothing new, going back at least as far as the Victorians, who dubbed the area around Torbay — Torquay, Paignton and Brixham — as 'The English Riviera'.

What started out as a neat idea to sell a few extra train tickets to tourists coming down from London has stuck, for The English Riviera is indelibly linked to the warm, pleasant and palm-tree lined beaches and coves of South Devon.

True, there was a time when, like most seaside towns in Britain, the area was down on its luck; and the classic sitcom Fawlty Towers, set in Torquay, probably didn't help much. But the area is having a bit of a resurgence, even earning UNESCO recognition recently to celebrate '22 miles of intricate coastline which provides a real mix of quiet wildlife-rich secluded coves, dramatic cliffs and headlands to family friendly beaches, bustling seafront proms and protected harbours.'

For those keen to move down here, there's good news: one of the prettiest houses in Torquay is up for sale. Brim Hill is a Grade II-listed Regency villa with sensational sea views, and it has the X-factor everybody wants: a sea view.

The view is glorious from the gardens and terrace, but even better from the full-width first-floor balcony, reached via French doors from the dressing room adjoining the principal bedroom, and it provides a front-row seat to this coastal panorama.

The rest of the house is also worth writing home about. Built in the early 1830s, Brim Hill retains many period details within its five bedrooms and five reception rooms.

There are newer touches too: bifold doors connect the sitting room and drawing room, and can be pushed back to create a large entertaining space.

The kitchen, too, is made for catering for convivial gatherings. Also on the ground floor, there is a dining room, family room and study, while outside a detached annexe lends itself to a variety of uses. And, naturally, there's a pool.

Brim Hill is for sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details.

'Cosy' and 'grand' aren't exactly opposites — but neither are they friends.

Calling a house cosy conjures up images of roaring fires, characterful decorations and comfortable furniture. Grand makes you think of high ceilings, gleaming floors and properties built on an epic scale. When it comes to looking for a new home, it's almost always an either/or equation: you can get the cosy, or the grand, but not both at once.

I say 'almost always', because once in a while we come across a house that somehow manages this most difficult of tricks: bringing cosy and grand together. It's so rare that it probably deserves its own word; no doubt the Germans have one, but since we're communicating in English, it's probably time to invent one. 'Crand', perhaps? Or how about 'Grosy'?

The house that inspires this tangent is a delight: Fyning House, on the outskirts of a village called Rogate, in a green and rolling spot in the South Downs between Midhurst and Petersfield, which is for sale through Savills at £3.25 million.

Fyning House is a place that has it all. Its grandeur is evident the moment you pull up the driveway and stop outside a huge, blue front door sheltered from the elements by a portico. This Grade II*-listed home is in essence an early-Georgian building dating to 1730, though it was built on the site of an existing manor house and thus some parts of the building date back to 1589.

The building is huge, and was actually split into three separate dwellings — Fyning House, Old Fyning House and Old Bell Cottage — in the second half of the 20th century. The original listing at Historic England dates to 1959, when it was all still one house; that listing has subsequently been updated to reflect the changes that have happened here.

The portion that is for sale at the moment is Fyning House, effectively the west wing, that includes that magnificent early-Georgian façade. With 7,000 sq ft, six bedrooms and in a wonderful setting, it's the sort of place they could use to film Bridgerton.

Yet for all its impressive proportions, this is very much a house that gives off homely vibes within. The furniture and fittings are entirely right for the era of the house, yet without ever making it feel like you're walking around a National Trust property.

The utterly charming kitchen is a case in point: the cupboards are painted in a sort of cornflower blue, with a small table in the centre of the space that's warmed in winter by the Aga.

The bedrooms also get this right, with calming colour schemes, patchwork quilts and furniture that's not afraid to mix in a bit of Ikea flat-pack with some choice pieces that are probably sourced from one of the many antique shops in nearby Midhurst.

And while this is a house that's obviously been dressed beautifully ahead of the Savills photographer arriving, it never feels forced or unnatural. This is a house made for living in.

Not just a house, actually: there are also the gardens (a little over two and a half acres) that include a swimming pool (watertight, but apparently in need of attention before use), a walled garden, a laburnam walk, a gothic-inspired summer house and a brick-built, detached double garage. The latter could be turned into a home office or gym with relative ease, the agents casually suggest (while knowing full well it won't be their job to find a decent builder).

The options don't stop there, actually. There are a series of cellars on the lower ground floor, currently used for storage (one corner is designated as a superbly pretty wine cellar) but which could probably be turned into some sort of man-cave (or teenager cave); and on top of that the entire second floor is configured to be usable as a self-contained apartment. It makes multi-generational living a viable option.

As far as we can see the only downside is that you're splitting the building with the neighbours; many will appreciate the security that brings with it, but it does take away from the feeling of having your own little corner of the world.

Then again, this is very much a village house for those who wish to be in the country but among people: Rogate has a little shop, a nice pub and a strong community feel, which Fyning House is very much a part of. 'A more delightful period village house is hard to imagine,' says agent Phillippa Dalby-Welsh. We're inclined to agree.

Fyning House is for sale through Savills at £3.25 million — see more details.

Where was your first house in the country?

In mid Wales, in the middle of nowhere, specifically in Llanddewi Brefi of Little Britain fame.

A quick description.

It was a three-up, two-down derelict stone cottage on the edge of the village, but affordable — it only cost £29,500 in 1997. People often ask me what the perfect house is and I believe it’s the one that makes you want to embrace its imperfections.

How did it come about?

I had studied archaeology at the University of Wales, Lampeter, and lived in Llanddewi. I fell in love with the community. I’d left and was working as an archaeologist when a friend called to tell me a cottage in the village was coming up for sale. I rushed to Wales and loved the wreck.

Was it a smooth process?

Buying a derelict property was risky and I wouldn’t recommend it. At no point did I have a survey, and I had to get a scheme that underwrote the mortgage. Early on, I looked at the four walls with no roof and wondered if I’d bitten off more than I could chew, but I found a brilliant builder called George and he and his team did a great job. Transforming it was a joy and, after the house, I turned my attetions to the garden. You can spend a fortune on a property, but if you don’t frame it with a decent garden you’re missing out.

Favourite aspect?

The place had a strange magic and, rather like the words of the song Hotel California, you could check out any time you liked, but you could never truly leave. I loved the characters I met and the dramatic, rolling landscape on that southern edge of the Cambrian Mountains.

Biggest indulgence?

An Esse Ironheart Wood Fired Cook Stove, which I installed in the kitchen I created in an adjacent barn.

What happened to it?

I kept the cottage for 20-odd years, but after I met Tania, who would become my wife, we lived at either end of the M4 and needed to buy somewhere more sensibly located, and so we moved to the Welsh borders. It was difficult emotionally to move on, but it was the right thing to do.

‘Escape to the Country’ presenter Jules Hudson is celebrating 30 years in television with the release of his autobiography ‘Wild at Heart — My Journey to a Country Life’ (Mirror Books, £22).

The exquisite Britwell Priors is located in charmed spot: Longparish, a Hampshire village that derives its name from the five settlements of Middleton, East and West Aston, Forton and Longparish Station, which stretch for some four miles along the River Test. The house, every bit as glorious as its setting, is for sale through Lindsay Cuthill at Blue Book, for £3 million.

Set discreetly behind hedging in more than 10 acres of glorious gardens and grounds just outside the village, the main part of the house is a late-16th-century, Tudor timber-frame building.

If you'd come here in the year 1600, however, you'd have found no house. Quite astonishingly the entire place was originally located in Oxfordshire, but was painstakingly dismantled and reconstructed, piece by piece, in the late 1920s.

Why would anyone go to such lengths? A mixture of friendship and fishing. It was owned at the time by Captain Charles King and Lady Clare Noel, who were both avid anglers and close friends of Major-General Guy Dawnay of nearby Longparish Manor. The whole 'location, location, location' mantra suddenly seems less relevant if you can literally up sticks — and beams, and floorboards, and roof tiles — and take your house with you anywhere you fancy.

That unusual history leads to another anomaly. Despite its age, and wealth of original features — including ancient timbers, open fireplaces and leaded windows — Britwell Priors is unlisted, which would normally be pretty much unthinkable for a house that's over four and a half centuries old.

As such, there's an unusual degree of flexibility for those who might wish to reconfigure and adapt the layout. And there's precedent for just such things: in 1965, the property passed to the Tennant family, who added a low modern extension to create additional living space and house an important art collection.

The interplay between historic and modern creates a natural flow throughout the house, where all the main rooms look out across the gardens and the countryside beyond.

There are also no near neighbours to obstruct or spoil the view: 'Britwell Priors is one of those rare, quiet houses which offers utter privacy and seclusion,' says Lindsay, 'sitting amongst 10 acres of fabulous gardens and grounds in its own section of the Test Valley.'

The main house offers more than 4,800sq ft of accommodation on three floors and includes a series of light-filled, well-proportioned reception rooms, seven bedrooms and four bathrooms.

The triple-aspect drawing room is a particularly charming space, with painted panelling, a Tudor fireplace and a bay window. The dining room connects directly to the formal gardens.

A long corridor lined with bookcases leads through to the 1960s wing and the garden room, which floods with natural light.

The spacious principal bedroom suite enjoys far-reaching views across the gardens and down towards the Test.

Britwell Priors is for sale through Blue Book at £3 million — see more details.

The clear chalkstreams of Hampshire valley ‘a natural wonder and a national treasure’, wrote Charles Rangely-Wilson in Country Life in 2024. They ‘are the most biodiverse of any freshwater habitat’, he added, and create ‘the most perfect conditions for an abundance of natural life.’

Unsurprisingly, then, homes along the River Test and the River Itchen ­— where the waters ‘slide silently, occasionally gossip and chatter over a gravel bar, but never roar’ — are among the most in the south of England, particularly among those who adore fishing. And one of those homes is for sale today: the idyllic, Grade II-listed Longstock Mill in the charming medieval town of Stockbridge. Myddelton & Major are handling the sale at a guide price of £2.7 million.

Longstock Mill House is on the market for the first time in almost 80 years, and was the childhood home of the present vendor, who was a year old when, in the late 1940s, her parents bought the landmark mill complex. For the past 45 years, it has been a much-loved home shared with her husband and family.

Situated less than one-third of a mile north of Stockbridge’s lively high street, Longstock Mill House is built of brick under a traditional tiled roof and is currently arranged as a four-bedroom main house on three floors, with a large, one-bedroom annexe to the rear.

This layout provides independent living accommodation for two generations of the present family, but could easily be re-integrated within the main house by a subsequent owner.

The Mill House offers more than 3,400sq ft of light-filled accommodation, including, on the ground floor, two good reception rooms and a large kitchen/breakfast room, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor and two further bedrooms on the floor above.

The signature bay window in the sitting room was designed by the architect Ernst Freud — youngest son of psychoanalyst Sigmund and father of painter Lucian — who left Germany to establish a successful north London practice in the early 1930s.

Although no fishing rights are included in the sale, there is ample fishing to be had elsewhere along the Test, says Mr McKillop.

The house is set in 2½ acres of enchanting gardens and grounds, scattered with some fine specimen trees planted soon after her parents’ arrival, the complex enjoys captivating views across the Test to the water meadows beyond.

There’s been a mill on the site since Domesday, although the present Longstock Mill, listed Grade II in its own right, dates from the mid 18th century, with an 1893 extension added by its then owner, Mr J. H. Broadfield. Built in four storeys, reduced to two in the late 1940s, this was one of the first of the revolutionary new roller mills that today are the backbone of every large-scale milling operation worldwide.

The earlier 18th-century building is a corn mill and attic with mill streams at either end, driven by a breast-shot water wheel that was removed when the mill ceased operation in the 1930s.

Also included in the sale is The Cottage, previously two mill-workers’ cottages that were knocked together to create one two-bedroom dwelling after Longstock Mill House, the mill buildings and cottages were sold in 1948 by the exclusive Houghton Club, the world’s oldest fly-fishing club, founded in 1822.

Outbuildings include a pretty, Grade II-listed granary, garages and a small open-fronted barn in the nearby field.

Longstock Mill House is for sale via Myddleton & Major — see more details.

The New Forest was a source of inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who is said to have discovered secluded Bignell Wood at Brook, near Lyndhurst, when researching the material for The White Company (1891), his historical novel about the Hundred Years War.

He was so taken with the house, which sits just inside the national park and is also unlisted, that he bought it as a birthday present for his second wife, Jean, and lived there from 1924 until his death in 1930. It was here that he wrote The Adventure of the Retired Colourman (1927), one of the last of his 56 novels and short stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, reputedly sitting at his desk in the drawing room, looking out across the gardens to the forest beyond.

The house is for sale through George Clarendon of Knight Frank in Winchester at a guide price of £3.25 million, and you can see why Conan-Doyle was entranced. Bignell Wood is set in six tranquil acres of woodland gardens and grounds, and has been beautifully restored by its present owners.

They might be leaving the house, but they're not leaving the New Forest: they plan instead to move deeper into the forest, according to Mr Clarendon.

It offers a total of eight reception rooms — among them a playroom, an office and a boot room, as well as the usual living spaces — and a Plain English kitchen, which opens out onto a dining room that has french windows opening onto the grounds.

Upstairs there are seven bedrooms (it could be eight, depending on how you configure the space) and four bathrooms.

The house also has a garage, a gym and a picturesque, one-bedroom cottage reached by a wooden footbridge and a winding path. It's ideal guest accommodation... but it sounds like it'd make a wonderful spot to sit, enjoy the tranquility, and write a few detective stories.

Bignell Wood is for sale through Knight Frank — see more details.

Cheshire — £9.5 million

A 278-acre estate that takes in lakes, woodland wonderful equestrian and sporting facilities (including two pools, a golf driving range and a full-scale gym). The house itself is full of charm, and there's a helipad to make it quicker to get to and from.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Battersea — £16 million

Seven bedrooms across four storeys in this magnificent riverside home, which according to the agents is thought to have been designed by Sir Christopher Wren.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Cornwall — £3.5 million

The agent calls this 'of Fowey's finest townhouses', and with magnificent views and a superb interior, it's not hard to agree.

For sale via Jonathan Cunliffe — see more details and pictures.

Buckinghamshire — £2.85 million

A 17th century house of over 4,500 sq ft, and a real mix of gnarled beams and modern comfort. There's also a separate converted barn.

For sale via Michael Graham — see more details and pictures.

Winchester — £2,650,000

This real rarity is a Huf Haus-designed house full of 'glass, light and precision design'. It's on a quiet, leafy road — yet you're just a short walk from the centre of beautiful Winchester, and the mainline railway station to London.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Pennington House's story started well. Originally built in an elaborate Classical style in 1735, it was extended in 1840 and again in the early 20th century, when Lord Lurgan’s parents added a service wing, having bought the house in 1916.

For much of the remainder of the 20th century, things took a turn for the worse. By the early 1990s it was in a dire state, riddled with dry rot and rising damp, and in need of a new roof, new electrics, new plumbing and decoration.

The grounds didn't fare too badly — so long as you took care not to look to closely at the walled garden, where what was once a pretty vegetable plot had been overrun with nettles and brambles.

Thankfully, salvation was at hand: new owners came along and lavished care, attention and no doubt plenty of money on the place over the course of the next three decades. It's now their moment to pass on the reins, and Ed Cunningham of Knight Frank and Ed Sugden of Savills are joint agents in the sale at £8.25 million. That buys the handsome, Grade II-listed Pennington House itself, and the 42 acres of gardens around it.

The present owners' 34-year tenure has returned this Grade II-listed Georgian mansion to glory. As it stands today, Pennington offers impressive accommodation on three floors including, on the ground floor, an entrance hall, large sitting room/reception hall, drawing room, dining room, library and study.

There's also a kitchen/breakfast room, pantry, wine cellar and self-contained office.

Upstairs are seven double bedrooms, three of which enjoy far-reaching southerly views towards the Solent and the Isle of Wight, and five bath/shower rooms. For those who need more space, or who are looking for multi-generational living, there are two further properties on the estate, Rose Cottage and Meadow Cottage, for sale at £1.25 million and £1.5 million respectively.

It's not just a wonderful home, but a wonderful home in a beautiful part of the world. Pennington sits on Hampshire coast at the southern end of the New Forest National Park, with views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.

This is a place with a wonderful parkland setting, with two large lakes, an area of woodland, a walled vegetable garden, and pleasure gardens that have been open to the public under the National Garden Scheme.

Close by is the yachting mecca of Lymington, which offers year-round competitive sailing from its two marinas, the Lymington Yacht Haven and the prestigious Royal Lymington Yacht Club.

Pennington House is for sale through Knight Frank and Savills at £8.25 million.

The abolition of the UK’s 200-year-old ‘non-dom’ status — first established to ensure colonialists didn’t pay tax on their overseas holdings — in April 2025 triggered what Mark Parkinson and Tom Hudson of Middleton Advisors, a buying agency, call ‘the biggest structural shift in prime London [property] in a generation’. They add that this pillar of prime-central London demand, which had stood for decades, has now gone. As well as destinations in the Middle East, the team cites Milan, Geneva and Monaco as receiving the bulk of these wealthy relocators.

‘Countries offering stable tax regimes and predictable governance continue to draw the most interest,’ says Mark Harvey, head of Knight Frank’s International Department. Although the Italian government has changed its flat tax regime for high-net-worth individuals relocating to Italy this year, the Monegasque system is stable. It charges no inheritance, wealth or capital gains taxes on residents. ‘In the 33 years that I’ve lived here, the system has remained untouched — the Principality is so small, there’s no need to raise more taxes,’ observes Irene Luke, co-head of Savills Monaco. ‘That proves extremely reassuring for the ultra-wealthy.’

The demographic make-up of the Principality has changed noticeably in recent years. ‘Today’s market is largely driven either by wealthy families with children looking for large apartments or by older couples whose children have already grown up,’ says Christoph Aversano of Magrey Monaco, an affiliate of John D. Wood & Co.

The nationality mix has changed, too, he adds. ‘Russian buyers, who were previously a major force in the Monaco market, have largely disappeared in recent years. At the same time, there has been increased interest from British buyers.’

Although many purchasers would have previously weighed up Dubai against Monaco — the former has much lower entry prices — some are now choosing Monaco for long-term stability, security and safety. ‘At the same time, Nice airport is becoming increasingly well connected; Monaco has evolved into a place to live rather than a fiscal base,’ says Luke.

Higher demand means pressure on prices. Monaco has long had some of the most expensive in the world, but prices reached new heights in 2025 — especially for new-builds, which can be more than five times more expensive than existing properties. In the Larvotto district, values exceeded €70,000 per sq m for the first time, according to figures from Savills.

Across the Principality, there was a 5.8% increase in transactions. In the recent Knight Frank Wealth Report, analysis revealed that a budget of US$1 million buys only 16 sq m (172 sq ft) of prime property compared with 33 sq m (355 sq ft) in London, according to figures from the last quarter of 2025.

The combination of high prices and a limited supply of large or new-build properties leaves families looking to relocate to Monaco with two options. Some buyers are securing a bolt-hole in Monaco and also searching for a larger property along the French Riviera. According to Knight Frank, Roquebrune-Cap-Marin recorded several transactions between $30 million and $70 million, largely to Monaco-based buyers seeking turn-key homes. Les Parcs de St Tropez, Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat and select addresses in Cannes also saw high-value sales.

Others are choosing to rent, explains James Davies, head of Knight Frank’s super-prime sales. Rental pricing remains resilient, with a limited supply of apartments in either good or very good condition. ‘There is plenty of demand. The rental market between €30,000 and €75,000 per month is probably the most active segment, but there is still a lot of interest in those that are available for more than €100,000 per month. Some deals have recently been agreed far in excess of this, too,’ he says.

This feature originally appeared in the print edition of Country Life on June 3, 2026. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Liss — £995,000

A somewhat gnarled wooden gate with a sign ‘Old London’ (also pictured at the top of the page) proclaims arrival at this three-bedroom property in Liss with 17th-century origins and myriad exposed interior ceiling timbers that are thought to have originated from ships once moored in Portsmouth. ‘Old London represents a rare opportunity to acquire a characterful, peaceful home steeped in history, yet perfectly equipped for modern rural living,’ run the agent’s details.

The kitchen (which has plenty of the aforementioned ceiling timbers) also boasts built-in and free-standing cabinetry and would suit those who enjoy lazy breakfasts and lively dinner parties alike. Panoramic views are on full display in the conservatory, reached via the dining room. The triple-aspect sitting room enjoys an abundance of natural light and also features an inglenook fireplace that casts a warm, inviting glow on chilly evenings.

Centuries ago, apparently, a London baker settled here and cultivated the garden that gave the cottage its original name—The Londoners’ Garden. Today, this part of the property consists of lawn, flower beds and mature shrubs and hedging.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Kings Somborne — £675,000

A classic thatched roof sits atop the whitewashed elevations of Riverside Cottage in the sought-after village of Kings Somborne, which boasts a village shop, a Post Office and a traditional pub, all of which sit within a conservation area. Bustling Stockbridge, with its independent shops, cafés and restaurants, is only three miles away. However, once installed, will the new owners be able to prise themselves away from their four-bedroom chocolate-box purchase? Sage-green wall and floor units grace the beguiling kitchen/breakfast room.

The open-plan sitting and dining room feature a flagstone floor, as well as doors that lead out to the well-stocked garden and terrace — the perfect place for alfresco dining and entertaining. Keen Good Lifers will no doubt love the vegetable plot where the new incumbents will find raspberries, gooseberries and red currants already growing and the chance to expand the offering for further self-sufficiency. Out of the four bedrooms, three are situated on the first floor, with one in the self-contained annexe — providing an income-generating opportunity or simply a bolthole for family and friends.

For sale via Myddelton Major — see more details and pictures.

Bentworth — £595,000

What does a buyer look for in a period home? Time-worn features balanced with modern interiors, definitely; exposed timber beams, quite probably; inglenook or brick fireplaces, certainly; cottage gardens filled with mature plantings and lawns, hopefully; and light-filled reception rooms — naturally. Four-bedroomed No 1, Church Street in Bentworth seems to tick all of these boxes and more.

Exposed beams and brickwork can be found in the cosy sitting room and in the kitchen/dining room with its handcrafted pale-green cabinetry. Part of this room occupies a relatively recent rear extension that offers an impressive vaulted ceiling, underfloor heating and French doors out to the rear garden.

The brick fireplace keeps draughts and the cold at bay during the winter in the sitting room/entrance hall. The garden, with a shaped lawn and well-stocked flower borders, is as attractive as the surprisingly spacious cottage it frames.

For sale via Hamptons — see more details and pictures.

Crondall — £595,000

Victoria Cottage in Crondall, with its picture-postcard front picket gate and low-level brick wall, has found favour with property agent Helen Pack, for she says: ‘I love the character in every room of the cottage and its central village position.’ Every room? She must be thinking of the inviting sitting room with a brick fireplace that will play host to cosy nights in; the adjoining attractive dining area with its characterful cupboards; and the 19ft by 10ft kitchen/breakfast room with its chic cabinetry, wooden worktops, classic Belfast sink and striking, deep-red Lacanche range cooker.

However, this property’s abundant charm and thoughtful styling doesn’t stop there. The three bedrooms on the first floor offer a calm, restful feel, being tastefully presented, as is the family bathroom. Beyond the confines of the house and at the far end of the partially enclosed and private garden sits a timber studio that would make a home-working space or a peaceful retreat for the new owners. Grade II-listed Victoria Cottage is only four miles from the Georgian market town of Farnham.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Vernham Dean — £795,000

Vernham Dean is set within the Bourne Valley and Grade II-listed Pond Cottage is located within this vibrant village, which has a pub called The George and a well-regarded primary school. The commuter station of Andover is only a 6½-mile drive away. Pond Cottage wears its history well, with exposed timber beams and other historic features that have been beautifully emphasised by the latest updating. Externally, a tiled and characterful thatched roof lend the house a timeless charm from the moment of arrival.

Out of the four bedrooms on the first floor, one not only benefits from under-eaves storage, but also a 21ft by 12ft roof terrace, from which the new owners can perhaps savour an early-morning coffee or watch the changing seasons unfold across the surrounding landscape.

The sitting room features an exposed-brick fireplace and brick flooring; the light-filled drawing room has French doors that open onto the garden with its lawns, brick pathways and stone walling; and the breakfast room and kitchen, with its eye-catching blue Aga, is ideal for those who love to cook and entertain in the heart of the home.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

This feature originally appeared in the print edition of Country Life on June 3, 2026. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Property auctions has always thrown some fascinating tales our way. Regular readers might remember this magical, 12-acre Devon house selling for £250,000, the Art Deco seaside lift in Ramsgate with a guide price of £20,000, or the house where Henry VIII dallied with Anne Boleyn while he was still married to Catherine of Aragon.

These fascinating places feed our bricks-and-mortar dreams — even if those dreams don't always come out quite how we'd imagine. The cautionary tale of Ribbesford House is the perfect example: bought for £800,000 some eight years ago, millions spent on building work, and yet sold for £450,000 earlier in 2026.

Our guide to buying a house at auction is full of expert tips that can steer you through many of the potential pitfalls — it's required reading for anyone even vaguely thinking of buying a home this way, and will point you in the direction of getting the expert advice you need.

Once your homework is done, the upcoming Savills property auction — taking place on June 9 — has all manner of buildings for sale, from kebab shops in Bristol to swanky flats in Knightsbridge. But among all this are some quite astonishing gems which any self-respecting Country Life reader will be fascinated by.

Top of the list is Breadstone House in Gloucestershire, just down the road from Berkeley Castle, which has been the seat of the Berkeley family since the 12th century. Breadstone isn't quite that grand (it's also pictured at the top of this page), but it is an elegant, Grade II-listed house set in two acres of land on the edge of the Cotswolds AONB, half-way between Gloucester and Bristol.

The house originally dates to the 18th century, but was expanded a couple of times in the 19th century to create the pretty, Gothick style appearance it has today. More change came in the 20th and 21st centuries, and Breadstone ended up becoming a nursing home for some years — a business which, judging from the state of affairs inside, didn't end well. There is a vast amount of work to be done, both to the main house and the auxiliary buildings where you'll find the majority of the 34 bedrooms.

Given the location (the M5 is easily accessed from here) it seems likely a developer might be keen to turn the place into smaller homes — and permission is in place to turn it into nine apartments. That said, subject to new permission it could become a family home once more — and the high ceilings, sweeping staircases and huge windows give it wonderful potential. With a guide price of £810,000 it certainly offers a vast amount of space for the money.

Should you be looking for something just as pretty but more affordable, an apartment in a grand country house is for sale at one-ninth of Breadstone's price. It's set in Lyndhurst, in the New Forest, with a guide price of £90,000.

Number 2, Castle Malwood Lodge is tiny — a 324 sq ft studio apartment, with bathroom, kitchen and living space — but offers the grandeur of living in a converted, Grade II-listed 19th-century hunting lodge, with beautiful communal gardens. The lease has almost 1,000 years remaining, but you'll have to make sure you're clued up about any service charges; this is simple living in one of the prettiest parts of southern England.

For those seeking something historic — and immensely striking — then Thwaite Mill, in Leeds could be perfect. The guide price of £600,000 buys 19 acres of what was originally a 17th century fulling mill, but which has long since become a museum, event space and wedding venue. It's also been used as a filming location, most recently in Channel 4's A Woman of Substance.

A string of beautiful. Grade II-listed buildings are on the site — but this is a place of special historic interest, and will likely have to remain as such rather than offering scope for change to residential usage. There are also some legal provisos in the listing, including one noting that 'the purchaser will be required to enter into an agreement with the vendor releasing them from environmental liability'. This could be wonderful, but any buyer will have to go in with their eyes wide open to what they're getting in to.

And finally, there's a property for sale that is absolutely not a house, in any way — but it is a building which seems ripe for someone keen to get themselves on to Grand Designs. Broomhill Water Tower, in a Northumberland village between Morpeth and Alnwick, close to the beautiful, unspoilt coast. Amid this bucolic splendour, the tower rises above the landscape looking like a cross between a giant bunsen burner and the house in The Jetsons — all hewn in austere, Brutalist-style concrete.

Plans have been drawn up to turn it into a three-bedroom home, but it seems that permission has not yet been granted for the change of use. The guide price is £55,000 — we can't decide if it's a bargain, or a disaster waiting to happen. Either way, Kevin McCloud is sure to be on the phone to whoever wins the auction.

The Savills property auction is on June 9 — see more details.

Chawton is one of the best-known villages in England — yet if you didn't know it was there, you'd easily blast right past it. The A31 — a dual-carriageway that's one of the main traffic arteries in this part of north-east Hampshire — carries thousands of cars a day between Winchester and Farnham, and precious few realise that as they speed along listening to their true crime podcasts, they're within half a mile of the celebrated cottage that was home to Jane Austen.

The writer lived here in the charming Chawton Cottage from 1809 until her death in 1817, and for most of the 209 years since then it's been a place of pilgrimage for all those who love her pithy, amusing and often wildly romantic novels. Last year, Austen-mania hit new heights: 2025 marked the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth, and there were great celebrations at several of the places she once lived — not least her cottage itself, which has been the Jane Austen's House Museum since 1949.

Anybody who's visited Chawton will be struck not just by the plethora of Austen-related attractions, but also by the overriding beauty of this quaint village. Many of the houses here are half a millennium old, with wonderful gardens and effortless rural charm — so it's a cause for celebration when one of those homes comes up for sale, as is the case this week: James Machell of Strutt & Parker’s country department is overseeing the sale of Grade II-listed Baigens, which sits not just on the same road as Austen's house, but is literally just a couple of doors down.

The agents are asking £2.5 million for this delightful Tudor house, which oozes period character and charm, and is set in 1½ acres of lovely gardens that include a freshly-re-laid tennis court, boules court (or maybe that should be pitch? rink?) and a small but productive orchard.

On top of that, as previously noted, it's an easy place to get to: Alton (with its direct trains to London) is three miles away, both Winchester and Farnham are an easy drive, and you're right in the South Downs National Park.

Built of mellow brick under a gabled tile roof, Baigens offers more than 4,800sq ft of well-proportioned living space on three floors, including three reception rooms, six bedrooms and four bathrooms.

A particular highlight is the drawing room, which boasts a series of Elizabethan fresco paintings, as mentioned in the house's listing with Historic England.

And while the nice people at Historic England (or Strutt & Parker for that matter) would never make so bold a claim, you can be almost 100% sure that Jane Austen herself must have paid a visit and sat in this very room. Quite possibly she went home afterwards and wrote scathing commentary about gaffes committed by the then-owners, but as her letters and diaries were burnt after her death, we'll never know for sure.

Baigens is for sale through Strutt & Parker at £2.5 million — see more details.

Over here, you'll see Ben Nevis; across there, Glencoe. Look along the Loch one way, and you'll come to Fort William; head down the other side, and you'll hit Duart Castle. Wander over the hills behind you, and you'll see the Isle of Mull. If ever a house was a microcosm of the glorious pleasures of the Highlands and Islands, it's Ard Daraich. And it's currently on the market, with Knight Frank asking for offers over £750,000.

The breathtaking views speak for themselves — we make no apologies for going a bit mad with the photographs.

But the house itself is just as lovely: this is a charmingly traditional four-bedroom lodge that retains the same look and feel that it's probably had since it was built in 1919, with floors of stone and timber, Chesterfield sofas, four-poster beds and wood-panelled walls.

Yet don't be deceived: the house has been very carefully updated, and thus you'll find modern kitchen units, central heating and various other touches which mean this is much more than a museum piece.

If you have already fallen in love with the place you're in good company, for this was once the Highland home of one of the most remarkable women of the 20th century: Constance Spry.

After a conventional start to her adult life, Spry left her (abusive) first husband during the First World War, taking her two young children with her to start a new life in Barrow-in-Furness. She joined the civil service, working as head of women's welfare in the Ministry of Aircraft Production, though after the war she moved into education, becoming headmistress of a school in London.

Part of her remit at the Homerton and South Hackney Day Continuation School was teaching flower arranging to the girls in her charge, something which started her on a road to becoming one of Britain's most influential florists. She was enormously successful, doing the flowers for Elizabeth II — first for her wedding, and then six years later for the Coronation itself.

Even more remarkably, her role in the Coronation went beyond the flowers. Spry and her Cordon Bleu-trained friend Rosemary Hume were asked to create a special dish to be served to the foreign delegates attending the event. The dish they created? Coronation chicken.

At this point, you won't even be vaguely surprised that when David Austin created his very first rose, he named it Constance Spry. Nor will you be surprised to hear that the six and a half acres of gardens and grounds included with the purchase price are as beautiful as anything you'll find at these latitudes. Just wonderful.

Ard Daraich is for sale through Knight Frank — see more details.

35, Sagg Road doesn't sound like the most auspicious of locations (sag: 'to drop down to a lower level in the middle'), but it's located in one of the it in the heart of one the Hamptons' most exclusive post codes (11962). Addresses, it seems, can be deceiving.

The house at number 35 is one of only sixteen designated historic structures in the village of Sagaponack, on Long Island's South Fork, and it was built nearly three decades before the first Independence Day celebrations were held (July 4, 1777). It's for sale with Douglas Elliman for $3,995,000 (about £3 million).

Properties from this period are hard to come by in America — in fact only about 12% of all homes were built before 1940. The oldest indigenous building on mainland USA is Ocmulgee Earth Lodge, built in around 1015AD, but the oldest colonial buildings are the Palace of Governors, New Mexico (1610) and Fairbanks House, Massachusetts (1641).

35, Sagg Road has just remerged from an extensive programme of restoration works and poke around behind the historic façade and you'll find new plumbing, high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), Nest smart systems and full soundproofing between floors. Thankfully, plenty of 35's character has been preserved, including the original 18th century beams, and the sellers, and the sellers spared little expense when it came to the new fittings. Think custom millwork, period-style paneling, solid oak doors with brass rim locks and unlacquered brass hardware. It shows.

There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms, a study, den and garage — and a landscaped garden with a swimming pool and a a 1,500‑square‑foot barn that's ripe for future development. The total plot measures nearly one acre.

Our favourite room is the kitchen with its Michelangelo marble, a Shaw farmhouse sink and premium appliances.

Sagaponack has around 450 year-round residents and, until the 20th century, was dominated by massive potato farms (it takes its name from a Shinnecock phrase meaning 'the land of the big ground nuts', referring to wild potatoes). Acres of Sagaponack’s original potato farms are protected as agricultural reserves which means that the area has a myriad unobstructed views out to the ocean.

It's something that hasn't gone unnoticed by second home owners who have transformed the area and driven prices up by so much that the village has ranked among the three most expensive post codes in the USA for more than a decade (and the single most expensive one in New York State).

In 2025, PropertyShark placed the median sale price at just under $6 million — which, if you think about it, means 35, Sagg Road is a bit of a bargain.

35, Sagg Road is for sale via Douglas Elliman — see more details.

Oxfordshire – £12 million

You could easily run out of superlatives to describe Kirtlington Park. Listed Grade I, designed by James Gibbs, refined by John Sanderson and with gardens by Capablity Brown, it's a greatest hits of English architectural elegance. Something like this only comes to the market very, very rarely. And what a joy when it does.

Featuring 17 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms and seven reception rooms, the house is astounding in almost every way, and has recently been restored and refurbished. All set in 29 acres of gardens and grounds, with a variety of amenities and outbuildings.

For sale via Savills – Click here for more details and pictures

Lincolnshire – £2.25 million

The Gothic mansion of Northorpe Hall is one of Lincolnshire's finest family homes, offering eight bedrooms, seven reception rooms and six bathrooms over its 10,000sq ft of living space.

There is much to love here, but most of all the interiors are where this property sings, with lashings of stained glass throughout, and elegant and rich reception rooms. The property also features 6.5 acres of gardens, grounds and parkland, and extensive garaging for up to 10 cars.

For sale via Strutt & Parker— see more details and pictures.

Surrey – £15 million

Few properties are as desirable as a home on the Wentworth Estate, and it's even more rare when something as architecturally significant as this mid-century Modernist property comes to market, with views over the world-famous West Course.

Six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and outstandingly well appointed, this home once served as the country estate of US ambassador John Hay Whitney. Originally built in the 1930s by Oliver Hill, the house is inspired by the works of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.

For sale via Knight Frank and Savills — see more details and pictures.

Essex – £1.75 million

There are 'old vicarages', and then there's the Old Vicarage in Castle Hedingham. A superbly presented Grade II*-listed home, praised by Pevsner, the property must surely be one of the finest in the county.

The interiors are grand and spacious, but do need a little bit of love, and offer eight bedrooms set over three floors. A particular highlight is the acre of gardens that surround the property, as well as the achingly contemporary pool that has been seamlessly blended into the surrounding landscape.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Bedfordshire – £2.75 million

This list wouldn't be complete without a delightful bit of thatch, and that can be found at Strawberry Farm, just outside Milton Keynes.

Five well proportioned bedrooms are married to a plethora of period interiors, making this a country house that is vanishingly traditional. Set in 10 acres of land, with extensive grounds, outbuildings and bags of potential, the property is also within easy reach of London, giving you the best of both worlds.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Savills agent Ben Rivett calls Saham Lodge, in the village of Saham Toney, ‘the rare commodity of a fully renovated country house, with scale and style, not to mention privacy among the 17½ acres’, which seems to sum up this Grade II-listed country house to a T.

Other words you could use to sum up this home would be ‘white’, ‘in Norfolk’, ‘elegant’, ‘immaculately presented’ and ‘quite large’, which are all things we are big fans of here at Country Life. The property is for sale with Savills for £2.35 million.

The renovations weren’t merely superficial and saw the entire house re-plumbed and re-wired, windows replaced or reconditioned, the roof overhauled and the entire exterior painted. The joy of finding a country house in such condition is a rare one, and the fact that it is effectively ‘ready to move into’ surely makes it one of the finer propositions on the market.

‘The finer elements of the project are a triumph, with complete interior decoration,’ state the details and, indeed, every reception room, from the dining room to the drawing room, as well as the kitchen, is painted in a harmonious blend of hues, as are the eight bedrooms and six luxury bathrooms.

The property is a real country-house classic, featuring a pantry, library, second (butler’s) pantry, all elegantly arranged in an L-shape over two floors and with more than 7,000sq ft of living space.

In clement weather, paved terraces enable al-fresco dining and the chance to admire the views, for this Georgian house sits in the centre of its own grounds, where a sense of peace is ever-present A range of outbuildings includes the original mellow brick stabling with half-moon windows, a car lodge and garage, workshop and barn.

The situation is ideal, as beyond the perfectly manicured garden and grounds, the property sits on the edge of Saham Toney, a west Norfolk village that features its own pub, primary school, village shop, golf course and tennis courts. Further amenities can be found in nearby Swaffham, while Downham Market station is 19 miles away, providing a direct line to London’s Kings Cross in 1hr and 45mins.

Saham Lodge is for sale with Savills for £2.35 million. For more information and images, click here.

There’s an argument to be made that many little boys, if they grew up to be men with more money than sense, would build their own Batman-style lair. And that, I presume, is what happened to the Anglo-Russian tech billionaire Sergey Frolovichev. His London mansion, now on the market with Draper London, has its very own secret ‘Batcave’ in the basement.

The £29.95 million mansion's basement was inspired by Frolovichev’s favourite film, The Dark Night. Previously instrumental in the inner workings of dating apps Bumble and Badoo, the business man’s property is located in Greenaway Gardens in Hampstead. It was designed by architects and interior designers at SHH.

The 1,347 square metre property has seven bedrooms, a media room and health spa, in addition to its superhero selling point. A secret entrance concealed by retracting floorboards welcomes you to the former, just for more pizazz. There is also a swimming pool that drains to become a dance floor, wonderfully convenient for if you ever intended on having a paddle. but suddenly find the urge to break out into a paso doble mid-stroke.

The house was originally built by English architect Chalres Henry Bourne Quennell in around 1934. The majority of his original Arts and Crafts-style design details have since been lost.

Craig Draper of Draper London calls the property a ‘unique trophy mansion… that will appeal to an ultra-high-net-worth individual.'

If you are not a The Dark Night fan, however, no bother. May I, instead, propose a different tech millionaire mansion on the other side of the pond. In California, 600, Moore Road, Woodside, is on the market for a guide price of $14.9 million (about £11.08 million) — and it has no connection to Batman at all.

Instead it has been inspired by the French sense of art de vivre, a nod to its owner’s heritage — not a natural bedfellow to the global epicentre of technology and venture capital, but there you have it.

Global tech investor Jeff Clavier and his wife Bernadette, formerly a director from Stanford's Graduate School of Business, have taken an anti-Frolovichev approach, choosing to restore the hidden grandeur from the property’s past. Featuring a stone villa, cottage, guest house, detached fitness center and ample gardens, there’s not much this property doesn’t have (except a Batcave, the couple instead chose to convert the basement into a 3,000-bottle temperature controlled cellar. Much more chic, in my humble opinion). It also has a pool, tennis court and, from the look's of the listing, a golf course.

Set across 3.2 acres, former residents of Woodside include Steve Jobs and Michelle Pfeiffer — but not Bruce Wayne. Bernadette describes the property ‘a magical and sophisticated family heaven.’

If you can’t decide between the two, may I suggest purchasing both? Sunny French-inspired days in the tech hub of the world when visiting California, and rainy weeks nerding out in the Batcave in London. You really can have it all, for a price.

Devotees of Amandaland, the Motherland spin-off, will no-doubt be familiar with ‘SoHa’, the painfully aspirational nickname that image-conscious mum Amanda Hughes uses to describe her new neighbourhood: South Harlesden in London.

In the second series of the show, SoHa reaches new heights — at least in Amanda’s eyes — with the arrival of a trendy independent coffee shop, apparently confirming the area’s up-and-coming status.

While this may be comedy gold, it begs the question: does a catchy name or label really hold sway over buyers?

To a degree, says Charlie Wells, of buying agency Prime Purchase, diplomatically. While it may attract some buyers, those who really understand how the landscape hangs together are likely to be far less bothered by it, he suggests.

Jasper Colliver, of fellow buying agency Middleton Advisors, grew up in Weybridge, which — along with Cobham and Esher — forms an area of Surrey dubbed the ‘Beverley Hills of England’.

‘There is an aspirational view to these locations. By moving into one of the three, there is a sense that you have "made it",’ he explains. ‘This brings with it a higher price tag, and it is something developers and estate agents use to enormous advantage.’

The same principle can apply on a smaller scale. Colliver says that during his time in south-west London, there was a certain cache attached to the Toast Rack, a cluster of roads in Wandsworth.

‘Anything on the nearby roads didn’t seem to have the same appeal. It has virtually become a brand, or a member's club,’ he adds.

Similarly, Ferncroft Avenue, Rosecroft Avenue, and Hollycroft Avenue in Hampstead, London, are affectionately known as ‘The Crofts’. Properties on this trio of roads rarely come to the open market, but when they do, there is always strong demand, says Marc Schneiderman, of Arlington Residential.

According to Sebastian Hipwood, of Blue Book Agency, a well-established name can instill confidence in buyers. He points to the Cotswolds as a prime example. ‘There is no greater reassurance than the fact that everybody has talked about that area and loves it,’ he says. ‘It's often talked about in the media. I think that just gives people the reassurance that they are making the right decision.’

But Jamie Freeman, of Haringtons, sounds a note of caution. ‘One can assume that just because you're buying in one of those areas, it's great,’ he says. ‘But actually, it may be a less desirable pocket within that larger area, which perhaps should be avoided.’

Of course, nicknames can act as handy shorthand for buyers. Billionaire’s Row, Nappy Valley, Chelsea-on-Sea… you don’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to get the gist of the place.

And then there is the Golden Triangle. Arguably the best known is the Golden Triangle between Chipping Norton, Burford and Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds, where homes command big bucks.

But there are others too. In Cheshire, there’s a Golden Triangle that encompasses Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Prestbury. And in Sussex, one takes in Lurgashall, Lodsworth and Lickfold, while another covers Petworth, Midhurst and Chichester. How many Golden Triangles are out there?

According to Oliver Custance Baker, of Strutt & Parker, the Golden Triangle is something of a moving feast. In his view, every area has its own Golden Triangle. It’s typically rooted by factors such as strong transport links, highly-regarded schools, good pubs, and sought-after lifestyle destinations.

Look no further than the influence of Soho Farmhouse, Daylesford and Estelle Manor in helping to anchor the Golden Triangle in the Cotswolds. Further south west, art gallery Hauser & Wirth and high-end hotels Babington House and The Newt have played a similar role in Somerset.

Sarah Brown, of Strutt & Parker, says this corner of the West Country has evolved from a rural enclave into one of the country’s most talked about lifestyle destinations. She explains: ‘Much like the effect Soho Farmhouse had on the Cotswolds, Somerset’s Golden Triangle has become hugely attractive to both local buyers and those relocating from London in search of more space and a quieter pace of life, but without sacrificing the culture they’re used to in the capital.’

In Norfolk, the opening of The Hoste Arms in Burnham Market has helped to put the upmarket village on the map, according to Ian Parsons, of Strutt & Parker. Burnham Market is often dubbed ‘Chelsea-on-Sea’ on account of the well-trodden path that leads from the London borough to this coastal enclave.

Nowadays, Burnham Market is home to independent shops — including one of the country’s best milliners — eclectic art galleries, excellent pubs and Michelin-starred restaurants, he adds.

The impact on prices can be tangible. Colliver estimates that property values in an area with a strong name can be 5% to 10% higher than the surrounding area. ‘It's difficult to pin an exact figure to it, but when you compare equivalent properties inside and outside a "named" area, that premium is consistently there,’ he says.

Meanwhile, Hipwood reckons the uplift can be greater — as much as 10% to 20% in particularly sought-after areas.

But not everyone is drawn to places with a catchy name or label. ‘We're seeing a growing number of people who actively want to go against the grain,’ says Colliver. They're looking for the next place that's about to have its moment, rather than paying a premium for somewhere that's already arrived.’

Over in West Sussex, Jennie Hancock, founder and director of buying agency Property Acquisitions, has had several buyers in recent months who looked at the Cotswolds but were put off by the crowds, the traffic and the tourist shops. ‘I have a family in their 40s moving from Oxford who considered Wiltshire and the Cotswolds but felt it was, in their words, "too Louis Vuitton", she says. ‘They preferred the relaxed, old-world charm of West Sussex and the South Downs National Park villages which are pretty much unchanged from the 1970s, other than a few more cars. I find most buyers want to avoid flashy, "on the map" locations.’

Grade II-listed Hawkley Hurst was designed by Gothic Revival architect Samuel Sanders Teulon in 1861 and it is set in the popular village of Hawkley, Hampshire, in the South Downs National Park. Born in Greenwich, Kent, Teulon was the son of a cabinet-maker from a French Huguenot family and noted for his use of polychrome brickwork. The architect is primarily known for his ecclesiastical work: his religious views were Low Church, and his patrons were predominantly members of aristocratic families who shared his outlook.

Gertrude Jekyll — a regular contributor to Country Life in the early 20th century — was commissioned to draw planting plans for the terraces and lily ponds in 1914.

At some point in the second half of the 20th century, the house was converted into separate properties, which enjoy communal use of the eight acres of gardens and grounds.

Winkworth is currently marketing a four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment of 2,729 square feet, which comes with a small private garden and has a guide price of £1.15 million. Spread across two floors and recently renovated, the apartment also has two reception rooms, a cellar and a garage. The striking brick kitchen has eye-catching, floor-to-ceiling windows framed, in the spring-summer months by a fulsome wisteria plant.

Hawkley Hurst in Liss, Hampshire, is for sale via Winknworth — see more details.

Covered in glorious wisteria, could you find a more picturesque property in London than this family home in Wimbledon? I doubt it. ‘The location of this unique house is incredibly special,’ says property agent Cory Askew, and he’s not wrong. Close enough to central London to be convenient, but far enough away to remain leafy and peaceful.

The house comes with a modern kitchen, complete with a large skylight for letting in plenty of sunshine and a dining room that looks across the 0.5 acre garden. It also comes with a more than adequate heated outdoor swimming pool complete with its own pool house, perfect for cooling off during this sweltering weather.

For chillier days, not that we’ve been having many of those lately, the house also comes with a steam room. With Wimbledon Windmill museum as a neighbour, from the property’s garden you can admire a rather marvellous (you’ve guessed it) windmill. The house is also right by Putney Heath and plenty of other green spaces, such as Wimbledon Park.

Originally known as Millers Cottage and built circa. 1815, this house on Windmill Road, in Wimbledon, London, has a guide price of £7,500,000 and is on the market with Savills.

The six-bedroom, four-bathroom home spans approximately 495.8 square metres and also boasts a cinema room, for watching the tennis at Wimbledon this year. Alternatively, just pop round the corner and see it in real life. It’s hardly far…

This property on Windmill Road is on the market with Savills.

Alexander Armstrong is an actor, comedian and broadcaster. On June 14, he will be discussing the power of classical music at the Well Read Literary Festival at Wasing Estate near Aldermaston, Berkshire.

Where was it?

On the edge of an Oxfordshire village.

A quick description

A five-bedroom, Grade II-listed Victorian vicarage.

How did you find it?

Through word of mouth.

What made you buy it?

It was so elegant and, as with all good houses, it told us how we were going to live in it. It had exactly the right smell.

How was the purchase?

Fairly smooth. We bought it from a family trust, which meant every-thing took considerably longer.

Favourite aspect

It had a heavenly garden, mature borders and a wonderful orchard. It was next to a medieval church in the curve of a river. It was bliss.

Best memory of living there

Our first winter there was 2010, when it snowed as it used to in the 1980s, and we had a white Christmas. Had the oil lorry been half an hour later on Christmas Eve, it would never have made it through. The joy and relief that we would have heating and a work-ing stove added to the cosiness.

Biggest mistake

The house was next to some picturesque ruins. The only bum note was that every Friday and Saturday night until dawn, from late March until mid October, these ruins were where the local teenagers came to drink vodka, tear about screaming and generally have an amazing time. I would go out to speak to them and although they were unfailingly polite and genial, they would use our garden as their latrine.

Anything unusual?

A couple of years ago we met someone who had known the house for years. She said it was the most haunted place she had known and asked if we’d seen all the ghosts. We hadn’t — which is terribly sad as I love a ghost.

What happened to it?

We moved to a farm with a bit more space. However, we still look back on it very fondly.

This feature first appeared in the May 27, 2026, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

The banks of the River Thames that passes through Henley-on-Thames are home to perhaps the most beautiful and sought-after stretches of waterside property in England. And one of the finest houses in this hallowed spot is on the market: Remenha Court.

Listed at a guide price of £9.5 million, this Grade II-listed home is in the village of Remenham, on the Berkshire bank of the River Thames immediately opposite Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

Knight Frank's country department and Ballards in Henley-on-Thames are joint agents in the sale, which includes a two-bedroom lodge, a substantial former coach house and a collection of useful outbuildings.

The house offers elegant accommodation on three floors, including a splendid staircase hall, four or five reception rooms depending on how you lay things out, and a fine kitchen.

Five of the six bedrooms are on the first floor, with a sixth on the second floor. It's charming and original, though there is scope for some appropriate updating.

Built between 1830 and 1840 on high ground overlooking the river, the landmark late-Georgian house enjoys sweeping views over the famous Henley Regatta course and a meadow in front of the house. It was once home to Sir Miles Thomas, former Managing Director of Morris Motors and Chairman of BOAC, the airline which became British Airways. The present owners have been here more than three decades.

The price is high — as always on this stretch of the Thames — but it's partially offset by the opportunities that this location offers, since this is a house that offers a perfect view of Henley Royal Regatta. The present owners have let the place out for Henley week for the past 25 years, generating an excellent financial return. Even when the world's best rowers aren't in town, the house has been used for hosting various other events, including weddings.

Whether you'd wish to carry this on, or keep the house entirely private once more, is up to you — for this is above all a much-loved family home that's been occupied by the vendors since 1990.

Remenham Court is for sale via Knight Frank and Ballards.

The idyllic part of Northamptonshire dubbed the Notswolds is a place of contradictions. It's a quiet land of pretty villages, rolling hills and huge skies; yet it's also the home of the Silverstone F1 circuit, and several of its top teams. When the cars are in action — is about as peaceful as the deck of aircraft carrier.

As soon as you venture out of earshot, however, the tranquility returns — and villages such as Fotheringhoe, which is safely located four miles from Brackley on the non-F1 side of the town, have all the charm you could wish for. And in the fields a mile or so from the village, Grade II-listed Manor House is up for sale.

Harry Sheppard of Knight Frank quotes a guide price of £2.3 million for this charming house, set in almost eight acres of landscaped gardens, with a paddock and outbuildings.

Built in 1884–85 on the site of an older building by the prolific country-house architect George Devey, the secluded former manor house, now a farmhouse, overlooks the site of the deserted medieval village of Steane, a scheduled ancient monument.

Carefully maintained since 1989 by the current owners, Manor House offers some 4,246sq ft of bright and cheerful accommodation on two floors, including four good reception rooms, a sociable kitchen/breakfast room, a spacious principal bedroom suite, four further double bedrooms and two additional bathrooms.

Outside, the gardens, which have been lovingly maintained and beautifully stocked, are enhanced by colourful herbaceous borders and are framed by picturesque views over the adjacent paddock and beyond.

An impressive range of outbuildings includes a home office, stores, a workshop, garage and stabling.

Farthinghoe village itself, a mile to the west, is a small village, though big enough to have a primary school and a pub , and is on the main road up to Banbury — and from there, to Oxford, the Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon and more. And if you head in the other direction on the first weekend of July, you'll be able to enjoy all the the thrills of the F1 circus's annual pilgrimage to Silverstone.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details.

Devon — £6.95 million

All set within 60 acres of beautiful gardens and rolling grounds, in a sought-after position, The Sanctuary is a superb country home by any measure.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Dorset — £8.75 million

Nine bedrooms, 370 acres and 700 years of history in this truly magnificent — and beautifully-kept — medieval masterpiece near Dorchester.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Somerset — £6 million

'An immensely lovely example of the English country house at its most refined,' says the agent — and we can only nod our heads in agreement.

For sale via Blue Book — see more details and pictures.

Northamptonshire – £45 million

Quite simply one of the finest private-owned properties in Britain, as Penny Churchill wrote about here.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Wiltshire — £3.2 million

This stone-built house dates to the 1920s, and is full of the character of the era — but it's the gardens, the pool and the wisteria growing gracefully across the façade which really makes it irresistible.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Hampshire – £8 million

The house, the setting — almost on the Solent, with views of the Isle of Wight — and the gardens... this is the stuff of dreams, as long as you dream big.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

There are sales and then there are sales. Edgcote is the latter.

This sublime, 1,700-acre estate sits in the Northamptonshire parish of Chipping Warden and Edgcote, bounded by the River Cherwell, some five miles or so from Banbury. It's the jewel in Northamptonshire's crown, with a rich, often turbulent history going back almost 1,000 years — and it has just come to the market. Crispin Holborow of Savills Private Office is overseeing matters for this most historic and refined of country estates, either as a whole at a guide price of ‘excess £45 million’, or in two lots.

Lot 1, on offer at a guide price of ‘excess £20m’, comprises the Grade I-listed, Georgian Edgcote House and Park, set in 288 acres of gardens, grounds, parkland, pasture and woodland, together with 13 houses, which include the Old Rectory, Mill House, various cottages and flats, plus a traditional stable courtyard and a secondary stable yard with traditional and modern farm buildings at Home Farm.

A guide price of ‘excess £25m’ is quoted for Lot 2, Edgcote Farms, a diverse portfolio of agricultural, equestrian, residential and commercial property, including the well-equipped Lodge Farm, two equestrian yards, gallops, a racecourse, three traditional stone barn ranges with development potential, 20 houses, annexes and cottages, plus extensive arable land, pasture and woodland.

Following the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror granted Edgcote to his principal adviser, the ruthless Geoffrey de Mowbray, Bishop of Coutances. By about 1240, it was owned by Isabel de Bruce, grandmother of Robert the Bruce, who was crowned King of Scotland in 1306, whereupon his English lands were seized by the English Crown.

By 1410, Edgcote was held by Henry, Prince of Wales, who, on acceding to the throne as Henry V, sold the lands to a courtier, Richard Buckland, a wealthy merchant and ship-owner. Later, in 1469, the estate was the setting for the Battle of Edgcote during the Wars of the Roses.

Writing in Country Life (January 10, 1920), the magazine’s Architectural Editor, Henry Avray Tipping, traces the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, who made his fortune as wingman to Cardinal Wolsey and bought Edgcote in 1535. Following Wolsey’s disgrace in 1529, Cromwell earned Henry VIII’s favour by his handling of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but lost it again when he chose the German princess Anne of Cleves as the King’s new wife ‘for her Protestantism and political connections and not for her personal appearance’.

Cromwell’s fall was swift and brutal, as Tipping relates: ‘It is in January, 1540, that he brings about the Anne of Cleves marriage. In April he is created Earl of Essex, in June Norfolk accuses him of treason, in July his head falls on Tower Hill… and so Edgcote, after five years of Cromwell ownership, became one of the many manors granted to Anne of Cleves as part of her divorce settlement.’ She had no interest in living there and, in 1546, the estate was sold to the Chauncy family, prominent Northamptonshire landowners in whose hands it remained for the next 270 years.

By 1742, the estate had passed to Richard Chauncy, a London merchant, who rebuilt the original Tudor house between 1748 and 1754 to the designs of the architect William Jones. The ambitious redevelopment included the construction of the stables courtyard and ancillary offices, designed by William Smith of Warwick, between 1745 and 1748. William Henry Chauncy, who inherited on his father’s death in 1760, was the last of the Chauncy male line and, following his death in 1788, the 3,000-acre estate eventually passed by marriage to the Cartwrights of Aynho in 1847.

Although badly hit by the long drawn out agricultural depression of the late 1800s, the Cartwrights hung on at Edgcote until 1924, when the estate came to the market for the first time since the 1540s. Two years later, the house and estate were acquired by Raymond Courage of the Courage brewing family who, together with his son, Edward, developed Edgcote as a successful National Hunt racing enterprise which saw Edward establish himself as a leading owner-trainer in the 1950s and 1960s.

The estate is now home to two successful racing yards, both let to established trainers — Ben Case at Wardington Gate Farm and Alex Hales at Trafford Bridge Farm.

The Courage family remained at Edgcote until 2005, when the 1,800-acre estate was acquired in a private sale by businessman David Allen, another keen racing man, who continued the careful conservation and management of the estate until his death in October 2015. His widow, Ann, remained at Edgcote House until her death in November 2024.

Although currently unoccupied, Edgcote House has been impeccably maintained and retains much of its original splendour, with elegant accommodation extending to some 25,908sq ft over four floors, including six beautifully proportioned reception rooms, eight bedrooms and five bathrooms on the first floor, additional accommodation on the second floor and further space for offices, cellars, or alternative uses on the lower ground floor.

With admirable foresight, an isoenergy, lake-sourced heating system provides a substantial saving of about 70% in fuel costs compared with the original oil-fired fossil-fuel boiler.

Outside, extensive formal gardens, an established treescape and sweeping lawns lead down to an 8½-acre lake fed by the River Cherwell — famously featured in the 1995 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice — and a kitchen garden, tennis court and traditional stable yard, the whole surrounded by Edgcote’s historic parkland.

The estate is interspersed with small blocks of mainly broadleaved woodland, most of which dates back to the mid 1800s. Some new woodland has also been planted in recent years as part of a parkland restoration plan cleverly designed to distract from the construction and use of HS2, which will pass through a tunnel to the north of the Edgcote estate.

Edgcote is for sale via Savills — see more details.

Do you ever feel the burning desire to go off-grid? To ditch the screens, mute the news alerts, and abandon that never-ending to-do list?

If so — and your budget doesn’t stretch to the £3m Scottish island that Soho House founder Nick Jones has just put up for sale — then Mullagrach Island could be the retreat for you. And I’ll give you four good reasons why.

First, it is remote. Very remote. Mullagrach is the northernmost island in the Summer Isles archipelago in the far northwest of Scotland. Concerned about rush hour traffic or coach loads of tourists? Not a chance. The only way to reach Mullagrach is by boat from Ullapool or Old Dornie on the mainland (or by helicopter, if that’s your bag). The location tends to keep the Deliveroo riders at bay.

Secondly, it is pretty much untouched. This 88.7-acre island is fantastically rugged. It’s covered in grasses, heathers, ferns, lichen, and wild flowers; you get the drift. And the coastline features rocky beaches, sheltered coves, cliffs and caves — including Am Fang, the deepest cave in the archipelago. Apart from the wildlife, nobody lives on Mullagrach.

Such is the significant of this area, it forms part of Scotland’s first UNESCO geopark, and it sits within the Wester Ross Marine Protected Area.

Thirdly, it’s a haven for wildlife. We’re told the waters are rich in marine life: seals, dolphins and sometimes minke whales are spotted here. Further down the food chain, there’s scallops, prawns, lobsters, and crabs as well as mackerel, pollock and sea bass. Great skuas, shags, fulmars, greylag geese and otters also roam.

You see, there’ll be no time for scrolling on Instagram here — you’ll be far too busy scanning the landscape for the kind of wildlife that’s unheard of in the Home Counties.

Finally, it’s short on home comforts. Mullagrach is home to just one bijou cabin tucked discreetly into the landscape, complete with a curved, heather-clad roof and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a stunning view of the nearby islands. It’s kitted-out with a wood burning stove, a kitchen and dining area, and two box beds.

Yet while you're off grid, that doesn't mean you're without the essentials: this single-room cabin runs on solar power, and water comes via a rainwater collection system. There's even a composting loo outside. Robinson Crusoe would be proud.

There's another selling point, too: it looks like being a bit of a bargain. If you regularly keep tabs on the niche world of Scottish island sales, Mullagrach may ring a bell as it was on the market for £500,000 back in 2024. A seller wasn't found at the time, and so instead it's due to go to auction with Savills on 9th June with a guide price of just £350,000 guide price.

Sure, you could use that money to by a one-bedroom flat in Crouch End, a cottage in Pembrokeshire or a barn in the Yokshire Dales. But how could you turn down the chance to buy a private island?

Mhairi Archibald of Savills Auctions thinks so too, saying that they expect significant interest ahead of the sale given Mullagrach’s scale, setting and ready-to-enjoy accommodation.

She adds: ‘The sale of Mullagrach presents a compelling opportunity for buyers seeking something genuinely rare.’

Mhairi's colleage Iona Conn agrees: ‘Private islands offer a unique sense of peace and connection to the landscape, and opportunities to acquire them remain limited. Mullagrach is particularly appealing in combining that sense of seclusion with a setting that is both accessible and ready to enjoy.’

Well said, Iona. We'll see you there on auction day.

Mullagrach is for sale via Savills — see more details.

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It's always a little thrill to come across an English country house built in an entirely different architectural vernacular, and Leesthorpe Hall is a wonderful example of that.

This imposing, Grade II-listed property is a striking, château-style country house set in 16 acres of immaculate park-like grounds overlooking a lake near the pretty village of Leesthorpe, five miles south-east of Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and 10 miles north-west of Oakham, Rutland.

Built of honey-coloured dressed limestone under a hipped slate and patterned tile roof, the main house and its adjoining stable cottage date from the late 17th century, with late-18th-century alterations and extensions, as detailed in the listing at Historic England, and further additions from 1846.

Change didn't stop there. Leesthorpe has been consistently improved by the owners during their 20-year tenure, and as it stands today the hall offers elegant accommodation on three floors.

On the ground floor you'll find impressive drawing and dining rooms, a friendly panelled sitting room, a string of other reception rooms — including a library — and a well-designed kitchen/breakfast room.

The 10 bedrooms and seven bathrooms are split over the first and second floors, with the master bedroom having a separate dressing room.

There's also another bedroom with a side room currently set up as a study, though clearly you could use that however you wish.

Beneath the house there's a treat for oenophiles: a series of distinctive, brick-vaulted cellars that are ideal for wine storage.

Outbuildings house extensive garaging, stabling, offices and storage, with a hayloft converted to a gym.

And for those that need more space, there's a separate coachhouse — being sold by separate negotiation at a guide price of £1.25m — which is a fine home in itself.

It's a converted five-bedroom coach house that's an independent dwelling, to the extent that it has its own four-acre paddock and a separate driveway.

Leesthorpe Hall is for sale through Finest — see more details.

Why do we get so excited about treehouses? They're cramped, draughty, never have proper plumbing and very rarely any electricity, and there's a constant danger of getting splinters. Why would you ever cross the threshold of one, when there's invariably a much nicer real house nearby?

The answer, of course, is that treehouses are catnip for the incurable romantic. They stand alongside castles and thatched cottages at the very top of the unofficial scale of charm and whimsy. Who among us, as a child, didn't draw a castle, a cottage, and a treehouse? Exactly. Everyone. And who among us doodled a three-bedroom semi in a sensible commuter cul-de-sac? Absolutely nobody, that's who.

The prompt for all these thoughts was The Old Rectory in the Nottinghamshire village of Kilvington. On the market through Strutt & Parker at £1.6 million, it's a beautiful family home: five bedrooms, six acres, and full of Nottswolds charm.

This a home that ticks all the boxes: grand entrance hall leading to wonderful rooms with high ceilings and huge sash windows, a kitchen with a proper old Aga in one corner, a gorgeous study-cum-library with an entire wall lined in bookshelves, and light, airy bedrooms with glorious views.

There are even stone walls and iron gates leading to a driveway — you really can play out all your BBC period drama fantasies here.

And yet, for all that... what really got us was the treehouse. It's a proper Swiss Family Robinson affair, all made in timber and raised high off the ground, accessed by a rustic ladder nailed into a tree that leads you up to the rope bridges. While there is a fence, there's also a rope ladder that leads higher up into the treetops. It's like having an illustration for The Dangerous Book for Boys in your back garden.

Is it the finest treehouse on the market? We'd say yes, if you're looking for rugged adventure. But for those cut from different cloth — who want to live among the treetops, but also bask in luxury — we did come across this just-as-wonderful-in-a-different-way treehouse across the Channel in France.

It's at a converted barn in the Dorodogne, near the town of Sarlat-la-Caneda — and the treehouse here is really quite something. Designed by an architect rather than looking like something you'd knock together across three long summer's evenings, it's a luxury treetop retreat that's a proper little house, with living space, kitchen, a bathroom and — most improbable of all — a balcony with a hot tub sunk into it.

If that's not enough, the property also has just over four acres of space, a large swimming pool, and a full-on Hobbit house.

It could either be a unique family home set up (ideal for multi-generational living, you'd think) or could very happily be run as a small business. The price for all this? €875,000, which is around £750,000. It might not be commutable, but for those willing and able to give up the rat race and relocate to rural France, this could be a dream come true.

The Old Rectory in Kilvington is for sale at £1.6 million via Strutt and Parker. The converted barn in the Dordogne is for sale at €875,000 via Savills.

Where was it?

Broad Chalke in Wiltshire, the same village where I grew up, where my parents still live and a mile or so from where I live now.

A quick description

A picture-postcard thatched cottage built in 1762 that stood on an isthmus, surrounded by watercress beds.

How did you find it?

Driving past on my way to see another property, I spotted a ‘for sale’ sign. We had been renting a house near Winchester, but I was working as a full-time writer and didn’t need to be tethered to the capital. My wife grew up in Africa and said she didn’t mind where we settled, as long as we didn’t keep moving.

What made you buy it?

When I spotted it, I realised that I’m a man of chalk and needed to be back in that landscape. My wife was nervous about living in the same village as her in-laws, but could see it was the perfect house for our family.

Favourite aspect of it

Sitting in the suntrap in front with the sound of trickling water. It felt like a private kingdom.

Best memory

There was always wildlife around. I’m not a twitcher, but listening to the sound of the chiffchaffs arriving every year brought the kind of joyousness that lifts the soul.

Biggest mistake

We had plans to do something with the tiny utility room where I always used to hit my head, but never did. A missed opportunity.

Anything particularly unusual about it?

The location, amid watercress beds, was rather eccentric. We had a couple of close calls worrying about flooding and, in high summer, the mosquitoes were voracious.

Biggest indulgence

Turning a grotty, asbestos-covered garage into ‘The Shed’, a timber-frame party room that had a wonderful warmth to it.

What happened to it?

We sold it to the son of the watercress farmer and moved to a gorgeous house in the next-door village, a 30-second walk to the cricket ground.

James Holland is a writer and historian and co-founder of the Chalke History Festival (June 22–28; for tickets, visit www.chalkefestival.com). His latest book, ‘The Visionaries’, is out now (Penguin Random House, £20)

This feature originally appeared in the May 13, 2026, print edition of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

Kent — £5.95 million

A 500-year-old coach house that's been lavished with attention in the last 20 years, creating a superb home that's as comfortable and liveable as it is eyecatching.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Wiltshire — £7.9 million

Water, water everywhere in this Grade II*-listed house that sits on the banks of the Avon, with lakes alongside, and its own swimming pool. Period features abound — including plasterwork ceilings and open fires — and wait until you see the wine cellar.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Essex — £9 million

It's not every day that a house with boarded-up windows goes on the market with a seven-figure price tag — but what you're buying here is potential, because the development plans here will make this a truly grand house on the outskirts of London, yet surrounded by fields and trees.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Derbyshire — £3.25 million

Over 200 acres of land with farming faciliies and a charming farmhouse at its centre. Huge potential.

For sale via Brown & Co — see more details and pictures.

Buckinghamshire — £1.65 million

The outdoor kitchen-diner is the stuff of a Chelsea Flower Show dream stand, and the rest of this pretty old dower house is just as delightful.

For sale via Michael Graham — see more details and pictures.

For sale via — see more details and pictures.

Condicote — £21.65 million

There are half a million acres in the Cotswolds AONB, and the new owners of Hinchwick Manor Estate will own just under a quarter of a percent of the whole lot — at over 900 acres, this is a vast stretch of land. As you'd expect, there are several properties included (including a five-bedroom barn conversion) , but the Grade II-listed manor house at the centre of it all is utterly magnificent.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Just outside Bath — £13.95 million

Just a short drive from Bath — and also within easy reach of Bristol — the incongrously-named Beach House is a joy, with a mix of Georgian architecture and Clive Christian-designed interiors.

It's a wonderful blend, from the grand and ornate reception rooms to a playroom that looks like a private soft play centre, and its own private pub. Six more properties within the 57 acres come as part of the deal.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Also just outside Bath — £12.5 million

A former monastery, St Catherine's Court is no stranger to A-list superstars: it was for many years the home of actress (and iconic Bond girl) Jane Seymour. There's not a huge amount of land (14 acres) but it's delightful as far as the eye can see — and the main house is genuinely spectacular inside and out.

And yes, there is indeed a tennis court should you wish to indulge in some Rivals-style naked racquet sports.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Malmesbury — £9.5 million

Imagine a Cotswolds mansion crossed with an Arts-and-Crafts house, all designed by a tech billionaire... and the result would probably be something along the lines of Ladyswood, a country house that tears up the rulebook in fine style.

It's bold, for sure, but is all done with a vast amount of style and panache — and the stables are the sort of thing that would bring out the Rupert Campbell-Black in anyone.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Badminton — £9.5 million

This ivy-clad home is so beautiful it could bring a tear to the eye, but it's more than just charming and quaint. It's a 15,000sq ft mansion with a vastly impressive leisure suite, grand reception rooms and eight bedrooms. As for the gardens? They're a joy, laid out beautifully with all sorts of secret corners for illicit trysts. Jilly Cooper would definitely approve.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Cirencster — £9 million

You'd never think it at first glance, but this house is actually only 12 years old: it's a conversion of a 19th century, stone-built series of barns. The owners have really leant in to the olde-worlde style, though, with exposed beams, open fires, medieval-style chandeliers and even some folly-style ancient ruins in the gardens.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

A stone’s throw from the chaos of the City and the bustle of Liverpool Street is a network of streets that feels mercifully stuck in time. A portal to the 17th century, when hoards of Huguenots descended upon London fleeing religious persecution, the cobbled alleys that make up the area known as Spitalfields are among the most beautiful in the capital.

Rental opportunities are rare, and sales even rarer. Once you buy here, you stay here: be you Tracey Emin, Gilbert & George, or another artistic grandee who's been lucky enough to call this patch their stomping ground for the past three decades (or longer). But an opportunity has just arisen in the form of this house on Wilkes Street, which is on the market at £4.75 million through the Unique Property Company.

Wilkes Street, which runs parallel to bustling Commercial Road and draws together Hanbury and Fournier Streets, is among the most picture-perfect in the district. With red brick façades, outdoor shop signage from 18th century and sash windows painted black, red or sage, it could easily feel like a toy town were it not for the rough edges that still lend the area that little bit of grit — a reminder of its past a centre for slum housing (when its fortunes turned in the 19th and early 20th centuries) as well as a welcome departure from fellow post-gentrified neighbourhoods on the western edge of Zone One, which some might describe as over-manicured.

The house now for sale on Wilkes Street is a Grade II-listed townhouse dating back to 1720. It was, for 150 years, a furrier’s factory — a time when much of its fine detailing was hidden away. This has since been rediscovered and restored, bringing to life a home that thrums with history and embodies, on each of its five floors, different elements of the English architectural character.

Unfolding over 2,244 sq ft and on the market for £4.75 million, it is one of few homes that still retains an original weavers' loft (the Huguenots who settled in the area were highly skilled cloth merchants). Hawksmoor’s Christ Church, one of London's most magnificent churches, can be seen from the makeshift balcony jetting out from the top floor.

'Ground–floor shutters, door casements and canopy are a faithful reproduction of the joinery that would once have hugged the deep red brickwork,' say the agents, while 'the heavy panelled front door appears to be original.'

Not every original feature has survived. A fanlight which is likely to have sat in the living room has since been replaced with a leaded light. The current owners, however, have been careful to preserve as much of the building's history as possible. Boxed-in candle arrangements hark to a pre-electric passé while original fireplaces and floorboards still course throughout the house — safe for the lower-ground floor, decked out in handsome York stone.

There are four bedrooms overall, two of which are in the attic floor — although Unique Property Company notes that applications for an additional bedroom could easily be put forward (and has been done in the past). There are three bathrooms and as many reception rooms: a home as perfect for entertaining as it is for living.

No doubt the pièce de résistance, however, is the walled garden at the rear of the house, accessed via bridge across two ornamental ponds. It is, per Unique Property Company, 'a small world of its own'. At the far end, a beautifully time-worn door opens into a storage room, 'once part of the night soil alley that slipped along the backs of the houses,' the sales agent notes. It now presents future owners with an opportunity for renovation. Let us hope they keep this sensitive.

For sale through The Unique Property Company at £4.75 million — see more details.

This is an expanded profile of a property on Wilkes Street which first appeared in Country Life's 'Seven of the best' spread on May 6, 2026. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.

'The pleasant feeling of remoteness is better found in the recess of Pembrokeshire than perhaps anywajere in England or Wales,' wrote Country Life's legendary architectural editor, Christopher Hussey, back in 1939.

It's a place, he added, that 'has all the attributes of an island but that of being surrounded by water: a windswept landscape of its own, with the tang of the sea about it... and innumerable castles.'

The place that moved Hussey to such purple prose was Manorbier Castle, in the village of the same name, located a few miles along the coast from Tenby. It's a classic Norman castle, begun in around 1090, and pretty much untouched after about 1300. The hills, the beach and the Celtic Sea beyond combine to create an almost impossibly idyllic setting for an ancient ruin. And if you were to buy Long Park — on the market at £1.6 million — all this would become the backdrop to your life each day.

Built in 1936 during the Arts-and-Crafts Movement and taking inspiration from the Voysey style, the crowning glory of Long Park is its south-west facing elevated terrace, which offers a panoramic perspective over rolling hills to Manorbier Castle itself, running all the way to the water.

The current owners have lived in this four-bedroom house for the first time in 30 years — just as you guess, for who would leave a place like this? In their stint the house has undergone a full restoration, keeping this elegant 90-year-old home ideal for 21st century life.

The spacious kitchen/dining room is the hub of the home and has bespoke cabinetry, as well as doors that lead out to the aforementioned terrace.

All four of the bedrooms are upstairs, and all have en-suite bathrooms.

In short, it's a fine home in an even finer setting. As the agent James Skudder puts it, Long Park is, ‘the embodiment of privacy, elegance and unparalleled beauty’.

Long Park in Manorbier is for sale via Country Living Group — see more details.

Despite the vagaries of the current ‘hit-and-miss’ marketplace, Seb Hipwood of Blue Book (07535 150888) has been heartened by the early response to the recent launch onto the market of Grade II-listed Hilmarton Manor, set in 4½ acres of enchanting gardens near Calne, Wiltshire, for which he quotes a guide price of £3 million.

Originally built in the mid 19th century as a shooting lodge on the Poynder family’s Hilmarton estate and later enlarged in about 1910, the manor was the principal house on the estate before being sold in 1936, following the death of John Dickson-Poynder, 1st and last Lord Islington.

Renovated and refurbished to an exacting standard by the current owners, the house, which boasts some fine late-Georgian features, provides more than 7,400sq ft of versatile family living space.

Downstairs, there's a sprawling floorplan with so many rooms you might need to keep the sat nav on for the first few weeks after moving in.

The reception hall is at the heart of things, leading off to a dining room, study, library and a separate dining hall which attaches to the kitchen, plus a grand stone staircase that takes you to the seven bedrooms, all but two of which have en-suite bathrooms.

It's not just the list of spaces that's impressive, though: it's the style with which everything has been done. It's a delightful mix of old and new, pretty much everywhere you look.

Beyond the hallway, however, there is far more to come. Several more rooms are arranged around a pair of courtyards, with kitchen, butler’s pantry, utility, boot room and cellar all accessible.

A separate wing contains both a cinema room and one of the most extravagant home gyms we've seen in a long time.

The gardens include the owners’ pride and joy: a colourful walled garden with a cutting garden and a kitchen garden. A huge gardener's store (it's almost 70ft long) can hold every plant and tool you could think of, while there is also a generously-sized greenhouse.

Also in the grounds you'll find a delightful swimming lake, which is a new addition to the house — or at least, it definitely wasn't there when it came up for sale in Country Life in 1955.

Natural swimming pools can be chilly, but the good news is that the owners have also installed a sauna house close by, to warm you up after your dip. There's also a rare and original shell house.

Hilmarton Manor is for sale through Blue Book — see more details.

Historic, romantic, and steeped in nostalgia, few buildings can capture the imagination quite like a windmill. I can't look at one without thinking of the iconic windmill where the eccentric Caractacus Potts lived in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Who didn't dream of living in a windmill after watching that film?

If you didn't then it's highly unlikely that you clicked to read this story in the first place, so I'm going to go ahead and assume that everyone who's still here shared that dream. And therefore they will share my joy at the appearance on the property market of The Mill. It's being sold by Hamptons for £1,600,000.

This beautiful smock mill — which is also a charming four-bedroom house — is in West Chiltington, a West Sussex village between Pulborough and Storrington, and it's a local landmark — so much so that it actually features in the logos of West Chiltington Parish Council and nearby Southlands Valley vineyard, which produces sparkling wine.

The mill itself dates to the 18th century, according to its Grade II listing with Historic England; the house, which is listed separately, was built a few years later, in the early 1800s.

It operated as a working windmill until 1921, when it was sensitively converted into a family home. Today, it retains its striking silhouette, with its octagonal shape, horizontal weatherboards and its traditional sails. There are only two sails, incidentally: the other two were lost during a storm in the 1950s.

For the current owners, it was love at first sight. They viewed 30 or so characterful homes while looking for a house back in 2010, but clearly they had watched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and as such none of the others could match the magic of this picture-postcard-pretty windmill.

Since buying the property in 2010, they have undertaken an extensive restoration project carried out in three phases, according to Hamptons. The first stage saw the owners breathe new life into the ground floor extension, improving its energy efficiency and installing a sleek, modern kitchen.

They then turned their attention to the windmill’s interior. Local tradesmen, some of whom had previously worked on the windmill, spruced it up comprehensively and replaced three of the four staircases.

The third and final stage concentrated on the outside of the windmill. This included temporarily removing the two sails, which weigh around half a tonne each, for repair.

As such, you'll be delighted to hear that the sails still turn — indeed, they have to in otder to keep the windmill in good order. To that end the owners sometimes host ‘sail turning parties’, which sounds like a jolly affair and the sort of thing Caractacus Potts and his children would heartily approve of.

Inside, the windmill now houses a large living room with timber beams that stretch across the high ceiling and double doors that open out onto the mature, walled garden. A staircase on one side of the room leads to a cosy library nook.

Above, there are three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, each one occupying an entire floor. The real draw of the first-floor bedroom is the balcony that wraps around the windmill, with far-reaching countryside views. It almost seems to echo the windmill’s past as a Second World War observation post.

The bright and breezy ground floor extension comprises the kitchen, dining room, and utility room, alongside another octagonal-shaped bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.

Beyond the windmill, there are various outbuildings, including a barn, garage, and two former stables.

In an unusual twist to the story, the previous owners moved next door and shared their knowledge of the windmill with the current owners. Now, with the current owners planning to remain in this lovely little village, the tradition looks set to continue.

Mark Wheeler, Director of Prime Country Sales at Hamptons, says the windmill beautifully balances heritage and modern comfort. ‘The current owners have done an incredible job,' he says, 'investing considerable time, energy and resources into a comprehensive restoration that not only honours the building’s historic character but also incorporates strong sustainable and eco-friendly credentials — including solar panels, air-source heating, double glazing and highgrade insulation.

‘The result is a very comfortable home within a charming and truly unique building, complete with amazing views.’

The windmill is for sale via Hamptons for £1,600,000 — see more details.

Dame Mary Berry's daughter Belles Berry clearly has cooking in her DNA. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and not long ago co-authored a bestselling cookbook, Menolicious.

But it turns out that the daughter of the national treasure and former Great British Bake Off judge is just as talented with art and design as she is with food. We know this because her Oxfordshire home, Blenheim Farm, is up for sale — and it is an absolute feast for the eyes.

The words 'Oxfordshire farmhouse' usually refer to a crumbling-round-the-edges Georgian home, but not in this case. Instead, it's a wildly colourful, contemporary family home near Ewelme that throws a joyful challenge at the idea of what a country home could and should be.

The agent, Stephen Christie-Miller, describes it as ‘one of the most spectacular contemporary homes I’ve seen.’ And that pretty much covers it for us as well.

Approached from afar there are clues to its modern take in the abundance of glazing and its low profile within the charming gardens and the 10 acres of land that it sits in.

It's inside, however, where the fun really starts. The open-plan kitchen/dining/family room is vast — 46ft by 23ft — and takes up an entire quarter of the ground floor of the 4,100 sq ft main house.

Beyond being a place to cook, eat and cook, it's also a hub for the ground flooor, connecting to the imposing entrance hall — with its aquamarine tiles and a water feature — as well a study and the wonderful office-slash-library (pictured at the top of the page), where bookshelves reach from floor to ceiling and brightly-coloured furniture and fittings are illuminated from above by the skylight.

There's more of that to come: the sitting room is tucked away off a different corner of the hall, and it's astonishing. The walls are decked in startling hues of yellow, pink, blue and more — and once your eyes focus, you realise that the whole space is decorated with floor-to-ceiling pop-art, where Warhol's tins of soup sit alongside James Bond, Wonderwoman and JFK.

The five bedrooms and bathrooms: over here, a polished copper bath; over there, an armoire so charmingly stylised that you half-expect it to burst into song like its counterpart Beauty and the Beast-style.

The entire house is built on one storey, with all the living spaces on one side and all the accommodation on the other, making a logical split between the sides of the house — and thanks to what look like double-thickness walls between the halves, soundproofing on this six-year-old building appears good enough that you can throw a party without worrying about waking up the kids.

For make no mistake: this is a party house on a grand scale, where even an ordinary light fitting has been replaced with a disco ball.

And beyond the main house, there's more for those looking to have fun: a swimming pool, tennis court and a fantastic gym/party barn/games room are within the grounds. There's even a separate cottage.

The space around the buildings grounds are a mix of formal areas and fields, including a rose garden that is full of Dame Mary's favourite bloom, ‘Chandos Beauty’, which produces Hybrid Tea flowers in Champagne and pale-apricot hues.

Blenheim Farm is for sale through Savills — see more details.

The Cotswolds seems to be popping up everywhere you look at the moment — Badminton Horse Trials last week, the new series of Disney+'s adaptation of Rivals this week — so, quite naturally, anyone who's ever toyed with the idea of moving to his beautiful part of England will be looking for a great country home. And they don't come much greater than the historic, Grade II*-listed Ashley Manor, fresh to the market, with Ed Sugden of Savills quoting a guide price of £6.5 million.

That puts it towards the very top end of the Cotswolds market, but with good reason: this is an exquisitely renovated manor house which, according to David Verey’s Buildings of England: Gloucestershire, The Cotswolds (1970), is built around a 15th-century core, with east and west wings added in the 17th and early 18th centuries.

And the house is just the start: Ashley Manor comes with 17 acres of gardens and pasture land, including stabling and outbuildings, in a dream location. For Ashley itself is the sort of place you'd imagine when thinking of the Cotswolds: it's a timeless Cotswold hamlet of honey-coloured houses, barns and cottages set within the Cotswolds National Landscape, four miles north-east of Tetbury, eight miles south-west of Cirencester and 14 miles from Badminton.

Secluded Ashley Manor offers more than 6,500sq ft of characterful accommodation on three floors, including on the ground floor, where there is an entrance lobby, dining hall, library, drawing room, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, utility and larder, with extensive cellars below.

The first floor houses the principal bedroom suite in the west wing, with two further suites in the east wing.

The second floor provides two bedrooms and a bathroom in the west wing, with two further bedrooms, a shower room and store room in the east wing.

Further accommodation is available in the one-bedroom stable cottage and the triple-aspect barn with its vaulted ceiling. Outbuildings include garaging, a pool house, and a stable block with three boxes, a tackroom, workshop and garden office.

The gardens, designed and created by the present owners, form a series of ‘rooms’ separated by mature yew hedging and Cotswold stone walls. Far-reaching views take the eye down an avenue of oriental plane trees to the open countryside beyond.

Nearby, the topiary and summerhouse garden boasts a south-facing stone summerhouse, currently used as an art studio. On the southern boundary, the enclosed swimming pool garden is a wonderfully private spot in which to while away the hours.

In the late 16th century, the manor of Ashley was given by Elizabeth I to a maid of honour, Helena Snakenborg, whose husband, Sir Thomas Gorges, was ambassador to Sweden in 1582. It was he who arrested Mary, Queen of Scots in 1586 and he held various influential posts at Court until his death in 1610. On Helena’s death in 1635, the manor passed to her son, Sir Theobald Gorges, who almost certainly built the earlier part of the present house. He died in 1647, leaving the estate to his nephew Richard, later Baron Gorges.

In 1709, having no direct heirs, Lord Gorges settled the estate on a distant cousin, Ferdinando Gorges, on the occasion of his marriage, at which point the house was extended and altered, as date stones of 1712 and 1715 clearly show. On Ferdinando’s death in 1738, the estate passed to a cousin, John Beresford, who died four years later. The manor was then acquired by Onesiphorus Paul, a wealthy clothier, whose son, Sir George Onesiphorus Paul, sold it to neighbouring landowner Thomas Estcourt of Estcourt Park in 1790.

In 1920, it was acquired by a Mr Hoskins and it remained in his family until, in 2004, the present owners bought the estate and commissioned the well-known conservation architects Watson Bertram & Fell of Bath to carry out a meticulous, two-year-long renovation of the atmospheric manor house.

Ashley Manor is for sale via Savills — see more details.

Warwickshire — £3.25 million

An ivy-clad Cotswolds dream, Grade II*-listed, and sumptuously refurbished. Magnificent.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.

Gloucestershire — £6.95 million

Over 16,000 sq ft of space — and all of it the stuff of dreams. Epic.

For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Hertfordshire – £2 million

A wonderful gym, swimming pool and tennis court at this five-bedroom home in Letchworth Garden City. It's immaculate.

For sale via Michael Graham — see more details and pictures.

Warwickshire — £3.1 million

A six-bedroom house plus a two-bedroom cottage and 32 acres of the Cotswolds to call your own.

For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.

Gloucestershire — £8.5 million

Six bedrooms and breathtaking architecture in this waterside home — and proof that Cotswolds home doesn't need to be three centuries old to be desirable.

For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.