What do you picture when you think of Hampstead? Perhaps the Heath, with its sprawling woodland and meadows. It’s easy to see how it inspired C. S. Lewis to conjure up the mythical surroundings of his cowardly Mr Tumnus and merciless White Witch in his 1950 children’s novel, The Lion, the Witch and The Wardrobe.

Maybe you think of Keats House — the grand regency building and home of the poet from 1818 to 1820. He may have been living here when he first scratched onto a piece of paper mid-outdoor meander: ‘Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird!’ — a line from his infamous Ode to a Nightingale.

Or perhaps you are thinking of another, more modern icon of the literary world: the hapless romantic Bridget Jones. The journalist, penned by Helen Fielding, strolls carefree across the heath in the latest film installment of her story, Mad About the Boy, unaware that she’s about to run into her newest, and much younger, beau when he rescues her from the branches of an old oak.

Whatever you picture, Hampstead brings to my mind visions of romantic scenes in classic settings. Which is why I was surprised when I came across Schreiber House. On the market with Savills for £10.95m, the word incongruous doesn't even begin to cover how this Modernist house opposite the Heath appears in its significantly rather more old-school surroundings. Nevertheless, after the initial aesthetic whiplash has worn off, it must be said that, as one of the few post-War houses to be listed Grade II, it does come without plenty of visual merits.

A furniture manufacturer born in Poland, Chaim Schreiber originally came to Britain to escape Nazi persecution, and his furniture company went on to be one of the biggest names in the industry. He commissioned the then young Scottish architect James Gowan to design the family home in 1963-4 — with almost an unlimited budget.

Flooded with natural light, which is a stark contrast to its rather austere exterior, Ellis Woodman, the director of the Architecture Foundation, described it as ‘the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20^th century’.

From afar, it gives the appearance of a tidy block of flats that has been dropped into the middle of luscious greenery. Inside, however, the Muhuhu hardwood floors give the living room a silky, 1970s feel. Throughout, copper rails on the ceiling give an industrial twist to an open, yet orderly, living space with white panelled walls.

My favourite room, out of the 5,600sq ft of living space, is the dining room, where tendrils of green from the outside are visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making me imagine having a quick lunch before dashing out to the Heath for a dog walk or chilly dip in the Mixed Bathing Pond.

Complete with one master bedroom, as well as four smaller ones, and a playroom and study, Schreiber House is an entirely untraditional family home. And, although Modernist builds aren't to everyone's tastes, and elements of Schreiber House undeniably jar with its surroundings, it’s a three-storey London house like no other.

Schreiber House is for sale with Savills for £10.95 million. For more information and pictures, click here.

There must be something quite special about the name Kime. Our esteemed interiors editor Giles Kime, is nothing short of a master of taste, charm and style, and he has effortlessly curated the glorious soft-furnishings of this very magazine for almost a decade now. We certainly can’t remember him putting a single foot wrong.

Robert Kime is of no relation, but was equally skilled when it comes to taste and style. He worked on Highgrove and Clarence House for the then Prince of Wales. He has been lionised many times in this magazine. He created the interiors of this fabulous townhouse in Edinburgh, for sale with Knight Frank for £2.9 million.

It’s important to stop every now and then to take the time to appreciate a good tapestry. We need more tapestries. Tapestries in the drawing room. Tapestries in the dining room. We even have a tapestry in the bathroom, which seems like a humidity issue, but I digress.

This seven-bedroom Georgian townhouse is located on one of the grandest terraces of Edinburgh’s New Town, and was designed by the celebrated architect William Henry Playfair. Laid out over four floors, the property is a period delight, with a wealth of charming architectural features such as ornate plasterwork, fine cornicing, and colourful wallpapers. A highlight for me is the free-standing marble bath.

The building's own architecture and its interiors work in perfect symphony, which is unsurprising given Kime's involvement. The arched entrance hallway is sublime. The skylight at the roof of the stairs. All of it is so effortlessly grand and, yet, comforting.

The property also features a large terraced garden that benefits from direct access to the neighbouring Regent Gardens. Edinburgh is, of course, Scotland’s capital and has more amenities than I could possibly list.

This property on Royal Terrace is for sale with Knight Frank for £2.9 million. For more information and pictures, click here

I do not know much about the town of Hertford, in Hertfordshire. I have lived in the UK a long time, and seen much of it, but despite being a small place it is also a big place, and there are bits that I have missed. Hertford is one of those bits. I do not know what goes on there.

Despite this, I am now tempted to move there, because of a house that I have seen for sale with Hamptons. It is called One Port Hill and it looks like it belongs on a nice street in Hampstead. But it is in Hertford. It has interiors that you could describe with many words, but I will use ‘exciting’. It is for sale with Hamptons (as mentioned) for £1.5 million.

The grand houses of Port Hill Terrace were created in the 19th century, and One Port Hill, which is the one that is for sale, is listed Grade II. It has had a variety of notable residents in its past, including Eadred Lutyens (nephew of Sir Edwin) and Nugent Cachemaille-Day, who created some of the most astounding modern churches in the country. It is only fair that One Port Hill carries on the bold architectural choices of its previous owners.

From the outside, the property is a somewhat unassuming four-bedroom Victorian townhouse. However, it is on the inside that the excitement begins. Behold these interiors. Dark blues, purples, and greys, contrasting with white Classical details to create bold statements throughout. You never know what is going on behind a front door, and I must say I was not expecting this.

But it works! The interiors are exciting yet welcoming. The first-floor drawing room, with its blue and white details, antique furniture, looks a fine space to hold a drinks party or just enjoy an afternoon. The purple dining room looks the perfect spot to hold a suitably ridiculous dinner. Classical and period details are always welcome, but they can be oppressively formal on occasion. Here, everything is preserved, but you can also tell that whoever lives here is fun.

The garden is a private walled one, and is situated to the rear of the property. In it, you will find further evidence of great taste, with a variety of colourful shrubs and clever planting, creating a small oasis in this market town.

One Port Hill is for sale with Hamptons for £1.5 million. For more information and pictures, click here

When it comes to Bath, the mind immediately runs to architecture. Terraces, circuses, crescents, parades and bridges, all dressed in that soft coloured Bath stone. It is a city of great Palladian pleasure, worthy of its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Opportunities to buy into this urban wonderland are rare. But when they appear, they are exciting. Take this property on the Paragon, for example, which is for sale with Inigo for £2.25 million.

One of 37 Grade-I listed Georgian houses designed by Thomas Warr Attwood, these properties are believed to be older than the Royal Crescent itself. It is six storeys high and while it lacks a garden, it does have a rear terrace with sublime views over the city and the Somerset countryside beyond.

The exteriors of these properties are well known. They are the face of every guidebook and every book on architecture up and down the land. However, these interiors might surprise you. Some Classical elements are retained, but by and large the property is laid out in a modern pared-back style, which allows the grand proportions of the rooms to do most of the talking.

With 5,550sq ft of space, there is no shortage of room. The principal bedroom suite, on the first floor, features a vast bathroom space. Four more bedrooms, decorated in a variety of styles, occupy the second and third floors. Room for guests, children, friends and enemies.

The house really excels itself on the basement and sub basement floors. A vast ‘games room’ stretches almost 50ft in length, while the large open-plan kitchen leads directly on to the aforementioned balcony. The property’s original kitchen has been retained, with its traditional ovens and flagstone flooring provide a thoughtful window into the city’s past

The position of the house is delightfully central, with Henrietta Park, the Bath Assembly Rooms, The Royal Crescent and the Circus all within an easy walk. The many amenities of the city itself are too long to list here. And trains to London Paddington are less than 90 minutes. But when you live somewhere as beautiful as here, surely people are coming to visit you.

12, The Paragon, Bath is for sale with Inigo for £2.25 million. For more information and pictures, click here

I’ll admit, when I first opened the link for ‘La Casa’ and found the sales details for a large Victorian townhouse in Glasgow, I thought there must have been a mistake. I was half expecting a picturesque property nestled in a dramatic and sun-drenched Mediterranean landscape.

But the name La Casa, in this case, comes from its original purpose: this was for many years the Italian consulate in Glasgow’s prestigious Park District. It later went on to serve as the home of Glasgow’s register office which — I think we're safe in saying — will have made it the most staggeringly grand register office in Britain. Today, instead, it's one of the most staggeringly grand townhouses in the country — and it's currently for sale at £2.5 million.

The mansion house at 22 Park Circus is billed as a ‘luxurious private residence with self-contained staff quarters’, according to the selling agent, Savills.

‘Luxurious’ is no exaggeration here. After all, how many homes do you know that come complete with an Art Nouveau billiard room and a glass-domed anteroom?

Given its layout, La Casa could be changed from single residence to something different. It would be potentially possible — subject to the relevant permissions — to transform it into a collection of high-end apartments; could, as Savills suggest, it could be bought by an overseas nation to become a consulate again? Could it be a fancy, marble-floored events venue? La Casa has all sorts of possibilities — no wonder it's been one of the top five most-viewed homes on Rightmove this year so far.

The four-storey property was designed by Charles Wilson, one of the most high profile Glasgow architects of the Victorian era, and James Boucher in the 1870s.

Fast-forward to today, and little period detail seems to have been spared at La Casa: it boasts Ionic columns, a broad marble staircase, delicate plasterwork, vaulted gold ceilings, parquet wood flooring, wall friezes, and fine wood carvings.

The extraordinary house also features intricate forged metal work which was commissioned by La Casa’s original owner, Walter Macfarlane, the founder of Saracen Foundry.

The building was restored and developed from the 1990s onwards and now includes two modern kitchens and bathrooms. Thankfully, someone here has got a practical side too: a modern lift system is also in place.

A scroll through the pictures suggest that La Casa is not completely refurbished though: there’s still some rooms across the 12,000-odd sq ft footprint that could do with sprucing up.

‘La Casa is something of a Glasgow phenomenon with many having shared their happiest and most exciting days here when it was a wedding venue and registry office,’ says Cameron Ewer, of Savills.

‘So imagine how special it could be to have one of Glasgow's best loved and most exquisite properties and be able to call it home forever more. This is surely one of the most exciting opportunities to present itself in recent time.’

La Casa is on the market for £2,500,000 via Savills — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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There are no secrets between you and me, dear reader. And that is why, it is with a heavy heart, I must admit something. I have not read any books by Jilly Cooper. I have certainly not read Rivals. And I have not watched the new tv show. I should really be handing in my tweed jacket and my badge.

But, perhaps I can make it up to you, by bringing to your attention a home in Tetbury. You may know Tetbury as the local village of King Charles III; his country home, Highgrove, is here.

But you can forget that now. It is also the fictional town of Cotchester, transformed last summer for the filming of the Disney+ show. They even put banners welcoming Margaret Thatcher for the occasion, which is odd as it wasn’t even Hallowe’en when they filmed it.

Anyway, back to the house. It’s called 19 The Green, it costs £1.05 million, it’s on with Knight Frank and it’s in the heart of Tetbury/Cotchester, depending on how much you want to cosplay.

There are four bedrooms, two reception rooms, and two bathrooms over the three floors, so plenty of space for guests, a family, or to have affairs, which is what I’m reliably told is what happens in the book/tv show.

The property is a very typical Cotswold townhouse, that has been recently refurbished to an exacting standard throughout — and it has a look that's much more 2024 than 1986.

The ground floor is occupied by a large sitting/dining room, with a kitchen and study to the rear, as well as a courtyard garden.

Two bedrooms occupy the first and second floors, while there are two cellars, just in case you need more space for wine/affairs.

Naturally, the town of Tetbury is one of the jewels of the Cotswolds, with all the amenities you could desire. After all, The King does live nearby — and also Jilly Cooper, apparently. 

As well as Rupert Campbell-Black, obviously.

Just one warning, though, should you move here: the series has already been enough of a hit that a second series has been given the green light. So don't be surprised if you pop down to the shops one day and find the centre of the village overrun with film crew and festooned with Margaret Thatcher banners.

19 The Green is for sale with Knight Frank for £1.05 million. For more information and pictures, click here

James Fisher is the deputy digital editor of countrylife.co.uk. He lives in London, and is waiting for someone to give him a Disney+ subscription so he can see what all the fuss is about.

A breathtaking house and garden for sale that was created by one of Britain's greatest landscape architects as a playground for his family

Thomas H. Mawson, one of the 20th century's most renowned landscape architects, created this place for his family to enjoy.

Buckinghamshire — £2,300,000

From the gloriously classic external country house appearance, you'd never guess at the sophisticated interiors within — and we mean that in a good way.

This seven-bedroom country house has all the timber, tiles and gardens you'd dream of, plus a gym, garage/workshop, barn and stable — and the sinuously curving staircase is a real show-stopper.

For sale with Michael Graham. See more pictures and details for this property.

Wiltshire — £6,000,000

From the sprawling look of this handsome country house, you'd assume that it was a school, an abbey or other similar institution — but it really is just a huge, and staggeringly grand country home. Wonderful stuff.

As well as the grounds, further buildings, pool, tennis courts and so on, perhaps our favourite thing about this place is just how nicely the rooms are laid out and decorated, with each one doing a wonderful job of drawing your eye to the views across the Cranborne Chase AONB.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Devon — £8,000,000

Not many houses give distances to the nearest villages by boat, but in the case of this spectacular South Hams home, you'll forgive them for pointing out that Salcombe is just 1.25 miles away by boat, down South Pool Creek and then across the estuary.

Not that you'd want to make that trip much if you had a house this beautiful: it's a 10-bedroom waterside masterpiece in a picture-perfect, secluded location.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Oxfordshire — £3,950,000

More a mini-estate than a country home, this five-bedroom house comes with over 40 acres, a four-bed cottage, outdoor pool, farm buildings, woodland and paddock.

It's also a straightforward commute to London, either from nearby Pangbourne Station, or else via the M4.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Nottinghamshire — £1,950,000

Magnificent Regency architecture on display in this house in the Park Estate in Nottinghm, in the form of an Italianate mansion of almost 6,000sq ft.

The open-plan kitchen/dining room is at the heart of the house, while the living spaces feature high ceilings, huge windows and original features.

For sale with Fine & Country. See more pictures and details for this property.

‘We think that travel should be an adventure, but also as comfortable as being at home, with all the amenities of a five-star hotel,’ declares the award-winning interior designer and hotelier Kit Kemp, who — along with her husband, Tim — owns 11 Firmdale hotels split between London and New York. Among their number is the one on this page: The Haymarket, which is located smack bang next door to the Theatre Royal in SW1.

What really sets the Townhouse — a four-storey Regency villa designed by John Nash in the early 1800s — apart from other separate entities within prestigious hotels, however, is that this sleek and sophisticated eyrie has its own private front door off Suffolk Place. 

In addition, as with so many neo-Classical, Nash-designed landmarks — the architect also masterminded nearby Trafalgar Square and remodelled Buckingham Palace — the space is all sweeping staircases and high-ceilinged, elegantly proportioned rooms with floor-to-ceiling sash windows. 

And that’s before we even get onto the alluringly eclectic interior design — think bold prints and witty use of colour, art and sculpture, plus subtle scents courtesy of Mrs Kemp’s enticing RikRak range of home fragrances and candles (‘perfume is the invisible power of persuasion,’ she enthuses). 

With five ensuite bedrooms to choose from, plus a soothing, teal-coloured kitchen and dining room, where you’ll find all sorts of sweet treats and a Champagne- and wine-stocked fridge, this really is the smartest and most ideally situated of homes-from-home. 

Even though, of course, anything you fancy from the room-service menu is only a phone call and a tap on the door away.

The rooms 

On striding through the Townhouse’s black shiny door — such a treat to be able to bypass reception and still have someone else carry your bags — I admired the jaunty Manuel Canovas wallpaper, which depicts a host of city rooftops, lining the wide staircase. 

At the top is a first-floor, L-shaped living room, with blue-fabric-clad walls, that’s filled with large, squashy sofas and thoughtful details such as a record player with vinyl records and an iPad or MacBook laptop at your disposal. 

Yet nothing prepared me for the riot of carefully considered colour and fabric in Rose, the adjoining master bedroom, that’s so indicative of Mrs Kemp’s taste for vivid statement headboards (in this case, crimson) and floral wallpapers (blue and red), with a mish-mash of printed upholstery, curtains and art that combine to lend these lofty, expansive and light-filled rooms a touch of glamour, fun and warmth.

All of the hotel’s 50 additional rooms and suites (some of which also have their own kitchens) enjoy the same sense of enormous space. What’s more, most — including the Townhouse — have a freestanding bathtub (with an in-bathroom television at just the right height in the marble wall), as well as walk-in showers and double sinks.

Eating and drinking

Named after one of Mr and Mrs Kemp’s beloved spaniels, Brumus, the Haymarket’s all-day British brasserie (above) offers French bistro classics with an English twist. 

Under the gaze of Reclining Woman by Dutch artist Carla Kranendonk — who presides over the blush-pink fabric and art-laden walls — you can sink into the plushly upholstered navy-blue chairs, each of which is adorned by a different cerise dog motif and dine on hearty mains such as steak-and-ale pie or Dover sole, grilled or meunière. 

I started with light-as-a-feather Wiltshire ham and Westcombe Cheddar croquettes, followed by a big steaming bowl of mussels with cider-and-bacon sauce, plus crunchy French fries, washed down with a glass of Champagne. 

If I hadn’t skipped breakfast in favour of a latte delivered to my room, I may have gone for the scrambled eggs with Alfred Enderby Grimsby-smoked salmon or the array of porridges (choose from organic rolled, jumbo or pinhead oats) cooked with milk, water or cream, topped with mixed berries, banana, mango, pineapple, honey, maple syrup, brown sugar or seeds.

How they’ll keep you busy 

Given its proximity to the Theatre Royal, it would be a shame to miss Dominic West’s performance in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge. However, if musicals are your thing, then there’s The Phantom of the Opera, which has been moving audiences on the opposite side of the street at His Majesty’s Theatre since 1986. 

For anyone keen on sight-seeing, shopping and museum- or gallery-visiting, there’s an embarrassment of riches, with Mayfair and Jermyn Street stores within walking distance, the Mall and St James’s Park just across Trafalgar Square — which is also home to the National Gallery — not to mention the plethora of smart bars and restaurants in Soho and Chinatown. 

‘You have the best of London on your doorstep,’ notes Mrs Kemp.

What else to do while you’re there 

In the depths of this handsome building lies a 55ft subterranean swimming pool, illuminated by a multi-coloured Martin Richman light installation, with a pewter bar flanked by upholstered sofas and chairs. 

If you're not staying, the hotel also offers a ‘Swim & Dine package’ so external guests can book in for a swim (group or solo) followed by brunch or lunch in Brumus. But if that sounds too much like hard work, why not take afternoon tea in one of the tastefully-wallpapered downstairs lounges, such as the airy conservatory or the cosy library, which has its own honesty bar.

Who is it for?

Anyone looking for a memorable place to take a loved one for a special anniversary or a big family get-together for a milestone birthday, especially as the Townhouse’s five double bedrooms can accommodate 10 guests with ease. 

Its situation is obviously ideal for theatre-goers, but also for those visiting London on business.

What gives it the ‘wow’ factor?

The fact that you can live like a Londoner — and one at an A-list address — for a few days in an historically important building that’s been skillfully curated to exude a modern gracefulness through Mrs Kemp’s keen eye for flamboyantly quirky detail and contemporary art, such as Sir Tony Cragg’s shapeshifting stainless-steel sculpture in the majestic entrance lobby. 

However, the real elevating factor is the service, which might appear relaxed, but is actually incredibly precise. 

Having got to Trafalgar Square before realising I’d left my boots in my room, I’m forever indebted to the kindly Dejan who quickly retrieved them, allowing me to get to work on time.

The one thing we’d change

Given the entertaining use of colour and pattern throughout the hotel, the dark-grey marble bathroom — as big and well equipped as it is — seems dull in comparison. 

It would be lovely to see some bright accessories and art in this space, too.

The cost of a night’s stay at the Townhouse at the Haymarket Hotel starts from £4,560 on an exclusive basis for up to 10 people in all five bedrooms. The price includes breakfast and full use of the hotel amenities, and fluctuates depending on the time of year and the number of guests. Call 020–7470 4000 or visit www.firmdalehotels.com for more information and to book. 

Having lived in this Kensington townhouse for almost a decade, its owner enlisted the help of local interior-design practice Studio Vero to bring it to life. ‘My first boss told me that, as an interior designer, we should create spaces that reflect the personality of the people who live there,’ says creative director Romanos Brihi. ‘The owner is a hugely vivacious character with a warm and sunny disposition and it was important that this room — the main entertaining area — reflected those qualities.’

In its previous incarnation, the room was rarely used. A pair of sofas at right angles to the fireplace offered very little flexibility. ‘My client likes to entertain regularly, so one of her requests was for us to create as much open floor space as possible.’ A large bespoke curved sofa extends into the bay window and is upholstered in an ivory boucle by Schumacher.

A pair of 1920s armchairs by Paul Fallow was sourced from Toad Gallery in Chelsea. The two coffee tables, from the Invisible Collection, have resin tops in azure blue and are by the French artist Julien Lagueste.

Distinctive features include cornicing painted in a deep red, sculpture set within the fireplace and a striking Luca floorlamp by Margit Wittig, as well as aged metallics woven into fabric above the chimneypiece. ‘We also re-used a selection of rugs already in situ, laying one over another, which adds more colour and texture to the room,’ adds Mr Brihi.

Studio Vero — 020–3818 0210; www.studio-vero.com

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Credit: Strutt and Parker

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The time could be right to move to one of London’s most iconic addresses

Film, TV and literature may bring fame and fortune to certain areas — but the spotlight doesn’t make them immune to the vagaries of the markets and the geopolitical situation. So while average property values across London have dropped by a modest 1.3% (to £517,726) in the past year, some of the most famed parts of the metropolis have sunk much farther — even pockets of the capital immortalised by the likes of Paddington Bear, Bridget Jones and Sherlock Holmes.

Yopa analysed 20 of London’s most famous neighbourhoods and discovered that average house prices across them have fallen by 7.4% to £1m.

Belgravia, famed for its grand white stucco-fronted buildings, has been hit the worst. Local prices in the area have plummeted by 19.1%, meaning that the average home is now less than £1.1m. Mayfair isn’t faring much better, with values down 16.7% to reach £1.5m.

Knightsbridge follows, with an annual drop of 16.5%. And those beautiful townhouses in Marylebone, Chelsea and South Kensington have also seen their values decline by 15.9%, 15.2% and 11.5% respectively. While it may not be good news for those who bought a year or two ago, for those looking to make a move this could be the perfect moment.

The price drops aren't universal across the capital's best postcodes, however. Four swish neighbourhoods have seen values have climb: Dulwich, Richmond, Chiswick and Highgate. The eagle-eyed will notice that all are further out and far leafier than even the greenest parts of central London.

‘The majority of London’s most screen-worthy neighbourhoods are found within the capital’s prime market. With these areas boasting some of the highest house in the land, they have been more susceptible to the market slowdown caused by higher interest rates and lower buyer demand levels, with the recent decline seen in house prices being far more pronounced due to their high property price tags,’ Verona Frankish, CEO of Yopa, told Country Life.

‘It’s also worth noting that London has lost some of its competitive edge as a global financial hub following both Brexit and the impact of the pandemic. This has stifled demand from foreign buyers, many of whom often look to the capital’s most prestigious neighbourhoods when making their move.’

London’s buyer hotspots revealed

Dulwich has been named London’s number one buyer hotspot so far this year. The average monthly number of buyer enquiries in the south London neighbourhood is up a whopping 153% compared with 2023, according to Foxtons. The area is known as the home of Dulwich College, a top public school. Could this give it the winning edge?

Hampstead ranks second, with 104% more buyer enquiries per month than last year. And Ilford follows, with a 101% increase in buyer appetite.

Kingston (93%), Stoke Newington (89%), Ealing (87%), London Bridge (78%), St John’s Wood (77%), Wapping (73%) and Putney (73%) complete the top 10 buyer hotspots in London.

Foxtons CEO, Guy Gittins, says that ‘such a show of intent so early in the year only bodes well for the coming months as we head into what is traditionally the busiest time of year for market activity’.

He adds (perhaps sensing a good business opportunity): 'So if you are thinking of purchasing in 2024, now is the time to spring into action, as you’ll already be facing a higher degree of competition from other buyers and this competition is only going to intensify.'

Flats come back into favour

How times have changed! In a reversal of the Covid-led ‘race for space’, average prices for flats have now outstripped other, larger properties, says Halifax.

Average values for flats are up by 2.7% over the last year, while terraced houses climbed by 2.6%. But detached and semi-detached houses trail behind, with prices rising by a more modest 2% and 1.7% respectively.

This trend has been fuelled by affordability constraints and resilient first-time buyers. According to Halifax, the overall number of people stepping onto the housing ladder is lower than recent years. Yet first-time buyers snapped up 53% of all homes bought with a mortgage in 2023, the highest proportion since 1995.

Unsurprisingly, they’re eyeing smaller properties. In fact, 57% of all homes bought by first-time buyers last year were flats and terraced houses.

Sales rebound as housing market warms up

Housing market momentum appears to be building, with the number of sales being agreed up 12% compared with this time in 2023. Zoopla now expects 100,000 more people to move home in 2024 than last year.

Still, annual mortgage repayments for a typical buyer are a staggering 61% higher than three years ago, acting as a drag on house price growth. UK property values have dropped by 0.2% in the last year, reveals the property portal.

Executive director, Richard Donnell, says: ‘The rebound in sales being agreed continues for a fourth month as mortgage rates have fallen, consumer confidence improves and home buyers have much greater choice of homes for sale.’

Monthly house prices fall (again)

UK house prices dropped by 0.4% in April, following a 0.2% decline in March, according to Nationwide.

Meanwhile the annual rate of house price growth slowed to 0.6%, from 1.6% the previous month, with the slowdown likely a reflection of ongoing affordability pressures, the lender says.

House prices are now around 4% below the all-time highs recorded in summer 2022.

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Warwickshire — £2,150,000

Zetland House is one of the finest family homes within the town, a most impressive example of an immaculately refurbished and renovated Grade II listed property in the heart of Warwick.

This charming, four-storey period townhouse is in a prime position close to St Mary’s Church, and has period fireplaces, sash windows, high ceilings, cornicing and architraves, exposed timbers and brickwork/stonework.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Jersey — £17,000,000

Wonderful period elegance meets immaculate gardens and a pool area which looks like it's been transported from a smart hotel.

The oldest parts of the house go back more than 400 years, though the house as it is today is primarily Georgian. A true delight on the west of the island, convenient for beaches and the airport.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Bedfordshire — £2,450,000

This five-bedroom home in just under two acres of land dates back to the 18th century, but includes modern touches such as a gym and home office.

There are several stone outbuildings which include two self contained apartments — ideal for extended family, or potentially to be rented out.

For sale with Michael Graham. See more pictures and details for this property.

Devon — £1,150,000

A beautifully presented home with an A rated EPC and completely off grid set in over five acres of land.

Nestled amidst breathtaking countryside, this converted former barn presents an exquisite fusion of history and modern eco-conscious living.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Wilthsire — £8,500,000

Epic grandeur, medieval features, incredible history featuring Queen Elizabeth I — Hazelbury Manor has all this and much more.

The 14th century house comes with a range of subsidiary properties within the 180+ acres. This is a truly rare opportunity.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Jersey — £10,950,000

Domaine de la Valette Estate enjoys absolute privacy and extends to some 16.8 acres.

It's located in an extremely picturesque, secluded and unspoiled surroundings close to the ocean and scenic splendour of the Island's North Coast and cliff top pathways.

For sale with Knight Frank/ Wilsons. See more pictures and details for this property.

Gloucestershire — £3,500,000

On the market for the first time in 40 years, this picture-perfect former rectory is in a village not far from Cheltenham.

Seven bedrooms, seven acres and almost 9,000sq ft of space are on offer, split between the main house and outbuildings.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Yorkshire — £2,5000,000

A stunningly presented period detached family home with annexe accommodation, garaging and private well-established gardens with views across the Wharfe Valley.

Cranford is an imposing and beautifully presented period property dating back to 1924 and retaining many attractive period features.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

West Sussex — £2,950,000

This Grade II listed 17th century farmhouse is positioned in one of the most sought-after areas in prime West Sussex.

There are beautiful and far-reaching views over its circa 47 acres of land and beyond.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

Who hasn’t looked at what property you could get for the same price tag in different parts of the UK? 

Just cast your eye over Torsa, an idyllic Scottish island, currently on the market for £1,500,000. For that same price, you could snap up this two-bedroom flat in London’s Southwark or this three-bedroom home in East Grinstead.

Well not only are you likely to get more bang for your buck in Scotland compared with some other parts of the UK, fresh research suggests that you could also tap into stronger house price performance.

Because when it comes to house prices across the UK’s ‘increasingly price-sensitive’ prime markets, Scotland is the ‘standout performer’, according to Savills.

We’re talking about the high end of the housing market, which is the top 5% to 10% of homes by value.

Prime UK house prices slipped in the three months to the end of September, leaving them down 5.2% year-on-year. But values at the top end of Scotland’s housing market held steady over the same three months, leaving them down 1.1% year-on-year.

And taking a slightly longer view, prime UK house prices are 10.5% above their pre-Covid level, while in Scotland, prime values are 16.1% higher than March 2020. The figures have prompted Savills to declare Scotland the strongest-performing region in the UK.

Let’s make this more tangible. Say you bought a £1,000,000 home just before the first lockdown. (This is the top end of the housing market, after all.) It would be worth £1,105,000 today as a prime UK average value. And it would now stand at £1,161,000 in Scotland. 

For close to that price, you could snap up this four-bedroom townhouse in Edinburgh's upmarket New Town neighbourhood, or this five-bedroom house nestled in 38 acres of West Dunbartonshire countryside.

‘A demand versus supply imbalance for appropriately-priced, well-presented homes in key locations is leading to competitive bids in many key areas,’ says Cameron Ewer, Savills residential head in Scotland.

'Scotland is now the most ‘searched for’ location on Savills’ website outside London, attracting buyers with deeper pockets from all over the UK and global locations.

‘However, buyers are currently highly selective and discretionary, meaning realistic pricing is now the key to getting a sale over the line. In addition, challenges being presented by ‘chains’ are becoming a more regular feature of the market on both sides of the border, with blockages caused by mortgage funding issues impacting sales further up the transaction.’

So what about the other regions? Broadly-speaking, prime areas furthest from London are holding up the strongest, says Frances McDonald, director, Savills residential research. 

While there are exceptions, such as Beaconsfield and Henley, the suburbs and commuter belt around London are feeling the squeeze of higher borrowing costs, Savills points out. Values in these prime markets fell between 6.5% and 7.1% during the past year, compared with a more modest 2.1% drop across prime London.

Even other sought-after places like the Cotswolds and prime coastal areas, where house prices soared during the pandemic, are now ‘behaving somewhat differently,’ as Savills rather coyly put it. House prices in these areas are down 3.4% and 6.4% year-on-year respectively.

On that note, a gradual return to more normal working patterns has taken some of the sheen off large country houses. UK prices for country houses have dropped 5.7% year-on-year, with a 9.4% drop in the south east of England.

McDonald adds: ‘Across the market as a whole, lower value properties are showing most price resilience, a clear signal that the prime markets – though driven in large part by cash and equity – are not immune to the rising cost of borrowing and the wider macroeconomic backdrop.’

The great estates of Scotland sold last year, from castles and islands to vast swathes of highlands

Penny Churchill takes a look at the thriving market for Scotland's vast estates.

A weekend (or longer) on Skye, Scotland: What to do, where to eat, where to stay

How to make the most of one of Scotland's most beautiful islands, by Mary Miers.

The kitchen of this Victorian house in north London was previously on the lower ground floor and offered neither the light nor flexibility its owners wanted. Working with Leicestershire-based kitchen designer deVOL, they decided that the only solution was to create a new layout, converting the main reception room to provide a large, sociable space that includes both a kitchen and a dining area.

DeVOL’s classic fitted cabinetry has the distinctive look and fine detail of classic freestanding furniture that makes it the ideal choice for multipurpose rooms of this type.

Senior designer Alexa Jacobs worked with the clients on this project and suggested the installation of a Lacanche range cooker into the existing fireplace, which is flanked by a pair of tall, open-shelf countertop cupboards. Extra-deep cornicing at the top of the cupboards was specified to hide cleverly the ventilation ducting that runs behind them. The splashback surrounding the range is in handmade tiles by the Surrey-based manufacturer Froyle Tiles.

A mix of cabinetry designs was chosen for this project; the firm’s Classic English collection was used around the perimeter of the space and the island is from the Real Shaker range.

The cabinetry is painted in a two-tone scheme with bespoke colours mixed in house; a subdued, mellow yellow and a rich brown with purple undertones that combine to enliven the recessive backdrop. Both hues pair well with their respective surfaces: Carrara marble on the worktops and dark-stained wood on the island. In the bay window, where the shutters are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Shaded White, there is a mid-century dining table and chairs sourced by the owners.

deVOL — 01509 261000; www.devolkitchens.co.uk

Credit: deVOL

A utility room that demonstrates how style and function can go hand-in-hand

Arabella Youens takes a look at a utility room which shows that practical spaces can also be beautiful.

Credit: deVOL

A London townhouse kitchen transformed to be sociable, practical and charming

The new owners of this London townhouse have reconfigured it to create a sociable space for cooking and entertaining.

Credit: deVOL

How a derelict cattle shed became a traditional farmhouse kitchen

A transformation on this scale takes time, effort and good materials. Luckily, Helen Parker had all three.

Credit: deVOL kitchen

The brand new kitchen perfectly in sync with a house full of antiques

Arabella Youens takes a look at a beautiful new kitchen in London.

The range cooker, where making dinner meets 'the beauty and functionality of a Land Rover Defender'

The market for range cookers is hotting up thanks to a renewed taste for classic kitchens.

The kitchen of this Victorian house in north London was previously on the lower ground floor and offered neither the light nor flexibility its owners wanted.

Working with Leicestershire-based kitchen designer deVOL, they decided that the only solution was to create a new layout, converting the main reception room to provide a large, sociable space that includes both a kitchen and a dining area.

DeVOL’s classic fitted cabinetry has the distinctive look and fine detail of classic freestanding furniture that makes it the ideal choice for multipurpose rooms of this type. Senior designer Alexa Jacobs worked with the clients on this project and suggested the installation of a Lacanche range cooker into the existing fireplace, which is flanked by a pair of tall, open-shelf countertop cupboards.

Extra-deep cornicing at the top of the cupboards was specified to hide cleverly the ventilation ducting that runs behind them. The splashback surrounding the range is in handmade tiles by the Surrey-based manufacturer Froyle Tiles.

A mix of cabinetry designs was chosen for this project; the firm’s Classic English collection was used around the perimeter of the space and the island is from the Real Shaker range. The cabinetry is painted in a two-tone scheme with bespoke colours mixed in house; a subdued, mellow yellow and a rich brown with purple undertones that combine to enliven the recessive backdrop. Both hues pair well with their respective surfaces: Carrara marble on the worktops and dark-stained wood on the island. In the bay window, where the shutters are painted in Farrow & Ball’s Shaded White, there is a mid-century dining table and chairs sourced by the owners.

Find out more at www.devolkitchens.co.uk

West Sussex — £7,950,000

An incredible Grade II listed property positioned in the middle of its own land, with fantastic equestrian facilities, cottages, manège, tennis court, swimming pool and outbuildings.

The main house is a beautiful Grade II listed 15th century timber framed with Horsham stone roof, which has been beautifully maintained and presented in excellent condition.

For sale with Knight Frank . See more pictures and details for this property.

Hampshire — £7,500,000

'Superbly geared to family life' say the agents of this seven-bedroom house set in 13 acres of glorious parkland in a village a few miles from Basingstoke.

As well as the huge amount of living space — for both family and staff, should you need it — there is also an indoor pool, gym and spa, as well a atennis court and separate coach house.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Essex — £4,600,000

Rivenhall Place has been here since the 16th century — the magnificent chimneys from that era remain — but has evolved over the years, most notably in the 18th century when Humphry Repton himself apparently advised on some changes.

It's an eight-bedroom home with five reception rooms, study, games room and far more besides — including several outbuildings, woodland and a lake..

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Hertfordshire — £3,350,000

A unique blend of timeless elegance and modern comforts, with stunning gardens and versatile outbuildings in a private setting.

Cheynes House is an exquisite property that was meticulously constructed in the 1920s to the highest standards. Noteworthy architectural elements such as concealed cupboards and a hidden heating system within the walls add to the charm and character of this exceptional property.

For sale with Knight Frank . See more pictures and details for this property.

Buckinghamshire — £2,250,000

A delightful, Grade II listed family residence located on West Common with stunning views over Latchmoor Pond.

The gardens are a particular delight, with lush lawn, raised pond and, most excitingly of all, a Palm House — like a miniature Kew Gardens.

For sale with Knight Frank . See more pictures and details for this property.

Bedfordshire — £1,250,000

A dream home for petrolheads, with a gravel driveway, parking for up to ten cars and access to a detached double garage with remotely operated doors, power, and an electric car charging point.

And let's not forget the house either: it's a beautiful 19th century home with some arresting original features, not least the herringbone oak parquet flooring, oak staircase, and latticed windows in mullioned frames.

For sale with Michael Graham. See more pictures and details for this property.

Berkshire — £7,500,000

Chieveley Manor isn't so much a country house as a small estate, with its 42 acres in Chieveley, just north of Newbury and thus with easy access to London, Oxford and the south coast.

It's a nine-bedroom home with stables, paddocks and pool, and enormous rooms with graceful proportions.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Somerset — £3,850,000

Southcot House is a generously proportioned Georgian home occupying an elevated yet secluded position, tucked away behind a walled garden and courtyard. It has some of the most incredible views of Bath city centre and is just a short walk from Widcombe high street and Bath Spa Station.

Built-in 1777, extended in Victorian times and renovated in recent years, this four-storey house is packed with period features and flourishes. Tiled floors, decorative plasterwork, attractive fireplaces and original flagstone floors have been enhanced by the current owner’s refurbishments from 2012 onwards; the decoration in complementary quality designer paints creates a stylish and characterful home.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

West Sussex — £2,7500,000

Occupying a perfectly quiet yet central location in the heart of the old city of Chichester, Lion Street House is an immaculate Grade II listed townhouse dating back to the early 1720s.

The property was awarded a Chichester Heritage award for the work undertaken in the modernisation and remodelling of the property by the current owners ; it perfectly fits the needs of a modern family, with generously proportioned and well-thought-out accommodation over three floors.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

The death earlier in 2023 of the remarkable figure of Rory Young, at the age of 68, has brought to an end his admirable transformation of a small and unassuming townhouse in Cirencester. Ultimately, it was a combination of three houses, but one in particular served as the base for his notable and action-filled life as an artist, artisan, educator, thinker and networker, so that the person and the building became so intertwined that one could scarcely be understood without the other.

Young’s parents both had roots in the area going back several generations and he grew up on the farm that Prince Albert had planned as a demonstration facility for his Royal Agricultural College. His father, Peter, liked the old ways of doing things, among which was maintaining dry-stone walls, on which the fledgling builder worked with him. His mother, Jill, trained as a painter and continued to produce still-life flower pictures and local scenes, so art was a daily activity. The nursery where Young and his sister, Katrina, played always had lining paper pinned to its walls and readily available crayons. In the sandpit, he experimented with making stone arches and, as a teenager, built some ambitious follies with spare bricks.

Building was certainly embedded in him, but middle-class children tend to be channelled elsewhere, so he did a painting degree at Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts. Graduating in the mid 1970s, he set out in an improvised camper van to explore the north of England over two long summers. In the process, the history of buildings — their materials and construction, as well as their forms — became an obsession that led into the first phase of his career, more exciting to him than painting. Young began, almost accidentally at first, to work as a jobbing conservation builder with additional skills in decorative stone carving and lettering, as evidenced in his first real building, a garden gazebo at Norbury Old Manor, Derbyshire, commissioned through one of his chance encounters when on the road and completed in 1979.

Observation and questioning carried him backwards in time to understand intuitively the values of lost times. To the range of building skills in which he specialised (essentially what are called ‘the wet trades’), Young added an artist’s sensitivity, writing in 2003: ‘I hold myself responsible for the look and feel of all these aspects when organising, building and repairing. A personal aesthetic, and practical intuitions based on a continuous process of experience and observation, are my only qualifications.’

When his parents had retired to Wales, they bought a small house in Cirencester as a pied-à-terre and as somewhere in which to store excess furniture. This came to form the core of the present property. Young moved in, but, in 1980, bought a larger, but neglected adjoining property, a capacious double-pile built in two phases, 1810 and 1850, with rooms front and back beneath a valley gutter — ‘a totally undistinguished nearly redundant townhouse’, he called it. Much later, a third house, formerly a bakery retaining a brick oven below ground level, was added to the group, allowing for an extension of the garden.

The larger house, the subject of this article, took seven years of work by Young to restore, as his own labour was cheaper than hiring workmen; it was ‘A nursery of inventions’ as he called it in the 2003 issue of the annual limited-edition journal, Matrix, from which other quotations here are taken. The house reminded him of the evocative photographs in Edwin Smith and Olive Cook’s book, English Cottages and Farmhouses (1954), which he had discovered on his northern travels.

In the process of repairing the building, Young became intimate with the innards of this modest, stone-built house. He also learnt from the concurrent conservation work on the west front of Wells Cathedral, led by Prof Robert Baker. This not only introduced the then-radical idea of lime-based protection for worn stonework, but posited that the sculpture on the cathedral façade would originally have been coloured. Attending short courses on the use of building lime recruited him to a select, but growing band of advocates for this fundamental elixir of pre-modern alternative technology, which he went on to teach regularly.

‘The vernacular builder’s perception of how buildings ought to look was very different to ours,’ Young wrote. ‘They gave their walls a discreetly unassuming surface of lime whose function was to protect the substrate from weather, and whose aesthetic aim was to mimic the finesse of more expensive “polite” walls.’ That the irregularity of poorer-quality stone might be concealed for practical, aesthetic and socially sensitive reasons contradicted the received wisdom and the trend since the late 19th century of stripping walls indoors and out to reveal the fabric. Young dubbed the taste for bare rubble masonry ‘the Cotswold Caveman Style’, a treatment made yet worse if combined with hard cement pointing in the joints between the stones.

The exterior of his Cirencester house physically proclaimed his contrary vision and he began to change opinion not only in the Cotswold area, but as far afield as Kirkcaldy in Fife. There, he worked on the 16th-century townhouse Law’s Close, leaving it clad in resplendent deep-yellow lime. A triple-stacked library of colour samples in sealed jam jars in one of his workshops records the scope of these lime-coating projects and also his fascination with colour in architecture.

Inside the house, the rooms show a more playful upgrading of the original shell, with the flagstone floors at ground level and a variety of chimneypieces that might have graced far grander rooms, yet create no discord (Fig 6). Most spectacular is the kitchen one, dark-greenish slate with insets of red Caerfei stone in a Lombardic style, adorned on its high shelf with green, blue and ochre Mocha-ware mugs and jugs (Fig 3). Young was aware that such creative fictions contravened the conservationist laws of authenticity, but he liked to characterise the house instead as ‘a near bare patch of soil in which to germinate the seeds of new ideas’.

There are other similarly striking embellishments, such as the massive scrolled brackets of render on brick that support the venerable scullery sink, salvaged from College Farm. Artist friends were also enlisted to decorate the building, notably James Witchell for coloured and engraved window glass and Madeleine Dinkel, whose small calligraphic tiles are built in flush with the walls indoors and out. The remainder of the inscriptions, some cut directly into the fabric, are Young’s own work, representing his considerable practice as a designer of lettered memorials. He often cut versions of the Latin text SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS, a mysterious plurally palindromic and probably crypto-Christian ‘word square’, found scratched on some surviving Roman plaster in two places in Cirencester and very recently incorporated in a silver processional cross that Young designed for his parish church.

The stone paving in the yard includes a sharply cut star-shape drain cover over an original well (Fig 1). Immediately beside it is the covered lime pit, a fixture crucial to Young’s activities as an advocate of this material. This was the scene of dramatic slaking events — an ‘alchemical wedding’, as Young described it — when quicklime was tipped into a bath full of water to bubble and steam, before being allowed to drain through the plughole. ‘Several bathfuls will fill the pit and as it cools it will take on the consistency of clotted cream and has become lime putty, which can, after some months, be made into lime wash or lime mortar.’

The outbuildings in the yard, added by Young using recycled materials, initially served as his workshop and tool store. In his forties, however, he became increasingly involved in sculpture commissions from churches and cathedrals, beginning in 1994 with the replacement figures, representing the Book of Genesis, around the west portal of York Minster (Fig 5).

The success of these led on to further work in churches and cathedrals, culminating in the set of seven Martyrs, filling empty niches in the screen that separates nave and choir at St Albans Cathedral in Hertfordshire and responding to the demand of the donor that they should be fully coloured.

To accommodate such large-scale projects, Young rented a larger working space on the farm where he grew up. Both the house and the outbuildings, however, serve as a space to display maquettes and models at different scales from his many different commissions (Fig 2). Particularly striking are the full-sized figures of martyrs for St Albans, which stand shoulder-to-shoulder like a guard in the tiny Oratory off the main bedroom (Fig 4).

The Oratory was a structure newly formed to bridge an alleyway from the street between two of the houses and in this space the visitor can encounter an entirely characteristic creation. Young needed to create an in-fill door and, at first glance, that’s exactly what there is. Except this door is not of wood, but of limestone; it’s an idea that only a millionaire or a craftsman would think of realising. The text on the lintel, ‘My work is my leisure, my leisure is my work’, was nothing but the truth. Young travelled widely, entertained friends to intensive ‘Armchair Travel’ slide shows, and became a devoted wild swimmer, but the idea of merely lying in the sun for more than a minute would never have entered his mind.

The rooms at his house show how many different talents and activities he brought together. In the treatment of walls and woodwork with colour (Figs 7 and 8), his painter’s eye came into service, to make ‘a lambent and elevating atmosphere I would be happy to live in’, taken in some cases from the colours of auriculas and lichen. Young’s talent for assembling objects, colours and textures fills the house. Paintings and prints are mostly by friends and family and numerous other objects are associational. Ceramics of many kinds fill horizontal surfaces, mostly from the period when the house was built, when there was a magical moment in the pottery industry where cottage china had the casual beauty of rapid hand-painting combined with silver lustre or mottled splashing. The ‘pied beauty’ extends into patchworks, including the waistcoat, still hanging like a trophy, made from old ties for Young’s ‘Carpe Diem’ garden party last July, when he gathered several hundred friends to celebrate his life before its foreseen ending.

The creator of these domestic marvels was sad not to have finished his project for a ‘Court of Memory’ in the garden space of the neighbouring house he had recently acquired after the death of an aunt and uncle. He opened an entrance from the original courtyard and, in the summer of 2021, worked to enclose it entirely with stone walls, all constructed from salvaged local material. It still awaits the final flush pointing of the joints. Tablets in the manner of Roman grave markers contain texts, one by the poet Charles Tomlinson, a local friend, another from the fatalistic Anglo-Saxon poem, The Ruin. Unfortunately, a bust of Alexander Pope set in a rusticated niche, echoing the presence of the Augustan-age poet at the nearby Cirencester Park, as if somehow cut off from it by modernity and newly excavated, will probably never now be added.

Provision has been made for Young’s archive, including the diaries he kept daily, the drawings for his projects, plus photographs, lecture scripts and notes, to be deposited at the Gloucestershire Archives. These will offer posterity the pleasure of knowing and learning from him, seeing through his eyes the places where nature and the manmade interacted, and the people who belonged with them.

Cirencester Park, still full of 'the amiable simplicity of unadorned nature' 200 years after its creation

Fiona Reynolds strolls through Cirencester Park and beyond into the Gloucestershire countryside.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, as Jane Austen didn’t quite say, that staying in London overnight can be a rather hit and miss affair. I suspect this is especially true for those of us who live in the midst of the countryside and find it hard to get a decent night’s kip, as our bustling and perennially noisy city never quite sleeps.

However, as soon as I approached Henry’s Townhouse, at 24, Upper Berkeley Street, then traversed the spotless stone steps and pressed the doorbell, I knew this was going to be one of those times when the country really enjoys going to town.

This was further confirmed when Ann Grimes, the assiduous house manager, opened the gleaming black painted front door and immediately took my coat and hung it on a peg in the hallway. Knowing that I had had an early start from Dorset and a disrupted train journey, she whisked me into the drawing room and, within minutes, I was relaxing with a lovely cup of Earl Grey, from a pot and poured into a bone china cup and saucer, plus a reviving glass of English champagne.

Also, as I was on my own and not keen on going out to eat solo, Ann kindly ordered an Indian takeaway, which I ate in Monsieur Olivant’s cosy basement pantry (above, complete with a white Aga), as we both agreed that it would be a terrible if I got turmeric on the pristine white sheets in my room. And, goodness me, what a room it was. Each of the six bedrooms, including two suites, is named after a member of the Austen family. I was in Cassandra (below, Jane's beloved elder sister) — a delightful confection of powder blue walls, a glistening chandelier, the biggest bed (with a generous topper and the softest linen sheets, which made it seem like sleeping on a cloud) and a host of carefully chosen 18th century antique pieces of furniture.

Then, if that was not enough, I opened a set of white double doors to find a dressing table on one side and a floor-to-ceiling cupboard on the other, containing a free mini bar, a Nespresso coffee machine and a Dyson hairdryer. The centrepiece, however, was a huge rainfall shower above an elegant roll top bath, surrounded by an extravagant, circular cream shower curtain. I also appreciated the marble-topped washstand, which afforded plenty of space to spread out the copious contents of my wash bag that there’s not usually enough room for in hotel bathrooms.

Best of all, though, was that — like everywhere in this impeccably restored four-storey Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse — it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. And so, in the morning, after a restful sleep and an ample breakfast (a glorious full English, plus a ‘Golden Glow’ Press smoothie and a delicious Fire & Flow latte) at the expansive refectory table in the pantry, I took the leisurely 20-minute walk to the office and arrived feeling as relaxed and refreshed as I would have done if I had stayed in a friend’s home.

Rooms at Henry's Townhouse from £595 a night or from £4,170 a night for up to 14, including breakfast, a mini bar, daily tea and treats and evening aperitifs (0330 133 4959)

Living the literary high life at Henry’s Townhouse

• Lovingly restored by Steven and Jane Collins — who also run Temple Guiting Manor in the Cotswolds, the townhouse was in a sorry, dilapidated state when the couple bought it. However, they worked with designer, Russell Sage (The Goring and Dishoom) and architects Feix&Merlin, to remodel it as an opulent Regency-style bolthole — rescuing wood-panelling, joinery, secret jib doors and cornicing—before it opened in 2020

• As well as beautifully appointed reception spaces — Henry’s drawing room is all dark wood, striped sofas and rich burgundy-red velvet swagged curtains, in contrast to Jane’s equivalent in muted shades of pistachio, pink and lilac — there’s a terrace, a rarity in London, that’s ideal for pre-supper cocktails or catching some rays

• Each room has its own distinctive style: James’s studio-style suite, has an impressive four poster and a chess board and Phylly, possibly the longest mattress in London at 7ft. However, my favourite is Eliza (named for Jane’s sister-in-law), with exquisite mother of pearl and period tiles (above) sourced by the owner, Jane, which rise up behind a bath enveloped in pale blush and violet striped silk canvas tented en-suite
• Fully indulge in the house’s literary connections by settling down in the quirky snug on the first floor landing — designed to look like a vintage railway carriage — to read one of the many first-edition Austens. Or immerse yourself in Arthur Conan Doyle’s world by visiting Sherlock Holmes’ ‘residence’ at nearby 221B, Baker Street.
• Thoughtful little details lie everywhere you look, from the miniature portraits on room keys to the townhouse’s range of six ceramic-bisque, cameo-embellished scented candles, which are designed to evoke life in Regency London

A striking Grade I-listed townhouse that novelist Norah Lofts once called ‘home’ is up for sale with a £2.75m price tag.

Northgate House, in the heart of the historic Suffolk market town of Bury St Edmunds, is steeped in history. The six-bedroom property was built mostly in the 18th century. But it sits on top of stone-arched medieval cellars, while some of the roof timbers are thought to date back to the 17th century or earlier.

Lofts is believed to have lived at Northgate House from 1955 until 1983, when she died. The novellist penned more than 40 historical novels as well as short stories, biographies, children’s books and other non-fiction, according to Great British Life. Her historical fiction, which includes the Suffolk trilogy, was often inspired by the local area.

In recent years, Northgate House has been renovated and brought bang up to date, with fresh and modern interiors. But it still has bucketloads of period charm including a three-storey Georgian entrance porch, full height sash windows, detailed cornicing, wood pannelled walls, and open fireplaces. The decorative ceiling in the drawing room is a real head-turner.

Downstairs, the bright, well-proportioned rooms include a double aspect reception hall, drawing room, dining room and kitchen. There’s also a music room, cloakroom, snug, boot room, and laundry room with all the mod cons.

The grand staircase leads up to the main bedroom and ensuite as well as a further five bedrooms, two dressing rooms, four bathrooms and a lounge.

There’s plenty of scope for the next owner of Northgate House to put their stamp on it. The two dressing rooms can easily be converted into bedrooms. And there’s also a wing of the house, which has been let out as a separate flat in the past. It currently comprises a lounge, kitchen and shower room.

The sprawling property spans nearly 10,000 sq ft in total.

Peter Ogilvie, property agent at Savills, which is selling the property, says: ‘This is a truly amazing town house and certainly one of the very best I have seen in my career. It has been restored and renovated with exceptional flair superbly blending period charm with contemporary style.’

Northgate House sits in a 0.58-acre parcel of land. Its mature, walled garden is carefully landscaped to include pathways, flower beds, a paved terrace and kitchen garden. There’s also that all-important storage shed and parking for four cars.

The house is on Northgate Street, a stone’s throw from the award-winning 14-acre Abbey Gardens (on the site of the former Benedictine abbey, the Abbey of St Edmund) and St Edmundsbury Cathedral. It’s also close to the A14, with easy connections to the likes of Newmarket - the home of horseracing - as well as Cambridge and Stowmarket.

Northgate House is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £2.75 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

With a grass tennis court, mature leafy trees, maintained gardens and lawns, plus a children’s play area, it’s no wonder Edwardes Square is considered one of London's finest private squares. It’s a green oasis in the heart of the metropolis.

Naturally, properties with access to such magical outdoor space in London are highly desirable — and the price often reflects that, particularly as in the case of today's property: an Edwardes Square townhouse with five beds and accommodation spanning four floors, currently on the market via Knight Frank with a guide price of £5.95 million.

As well as its own delights, this house has a celebrity past: the comedian and actor Frankie Howerd lived at the property for over 25 years. His career spanned six decades, becoming a household name for his roles in the Carry On films and, unforgettably, the Roman spoof Up Pompeii. Nobody has ever quite been able to deliver a double entendre in quite the same way ever since.

There's even a blue plaque outside the front door — erected by The Dead Comic’s Society — which serves as a reminder of his time spent in this wonderful home.

Inside on the ground floor, the accommodation is elegantly presented, with parquet flooring and sash windows in the reception room and a beautifully sleek kitchen with large roof lights, long island and double doors that open up to the terraced garden.

That's right, a private garden: as pretty as the gardens across the street are, there will be times when you don't to share them with your fellow residents. It's a secluded — and secure — outdoor space that is perfect for al fresco meals, a green haven enveloped by shrubs, flowers and trees.

On the lower ground floor, you’ll find a store room, enclosed patio area, a sitting room/study and utility.

The five double bedrooms are located over the first and second floors, with the master suite benefitting from a large ensuite bathroom and two Juliette balconies.

Large windows are a common feature throughout, ensuring that natural light floods the internal spaces.

At the heart of the Georgian square is the Grade II listed communal garden. At the time of its creation, it was considered ‘unusual’ in its style, with JC Loudon commenting that ‘Edwardes Square gardens were laid out in a manner different from most other squares…in groups and winding walks.’

Much remains unchanged today, with winding paths and a beautiful rose arbour. There’s also a garden lodge — built in the style of a Greek Temple — where the (lucky) gardener lives.

The property is located behind Kensington High Street, meaning a variety of shops, restaurants and cafes are practically on your doorstep. Holland Park is just a few minutes’ walk down the road and the nearest tube stations are at High Street Kensington (District and Circle lines) and Earls Court Road (District and Piccadilly lines).

Edwardes Square is currently on the market via Knight Frank with a guide price of £5.95 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Tunbridge Wells — £2.5 million

Royal Tunbridge Wells is full of pretty old houses, but this one still stands out from the crowd with its charming design, beautiful proportions and superb location right in the middle of town.

There are eight bedrooms, a terraced garden, off-street parking and rooms spread across four floors of this townhouse which Pevsner described as one of 'three especially nice houses circa 1830 in this location'.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Charing — £500,000

Millionaires are spoilt for choice in Kent, as the other houses on this page prove; but this Grade II-listed house in a village near Ashford shows that even a more modest budget can get you a lovely old house.

It's a detached, three-bdedroom home with kitchen-breakfast room, dining room, sitting room and study, plus a garden and a garage, all in a location that's highly commutable as well as an ideal house from which to work from home.

For sale with Hobbs Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Benenden — £4 million

Old Manor House, in a village near Sissinghurst, is a wonderful old medieval hall house, bursting with original character, which dates back to the 14th century.

It's a former home of Viscount Rothermere, the man who founded the Daily Mail, and today has 9,000sq ft of space set within 16 acres of grounds that include woodland, tennis court, stables and a private fishing lake.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Orpington — £12 million

The two Rolls-Royces on the driveway in the agent's picture say it all: this is a house right at the top end of the market, a 13,500sq ft house with every conceivable modern convenience that looks like something from a glossy US soap opera.

You've no doubt already assumed that there is space (eight bedrooms) and leisure facilities (pool, tennis court and cinema), but there is also a ten-pin bowling alley. And all within the M25: Orpington is just down the road with mainline trains to London and easy links to the M25.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Canterbury — £925,000

It's not often we choose the modern option over a character home, but in the case of ths wonderful house right on the river in the centre of Canterbury it's easy to do so.

It's a three-bedroom detached home with roof terrace, covered outdoor area and good-sized rooms throughout — and all a short walk from the High Street and King's Mile.

For sale with Jackson-Stops. See more pictures and details for this property.

St Margaret's Bay — £1.25 million

The agents don't mince their words: 'one of the best views in the country' they say of this former lighthouse station atop the White Cliffs of Dover, and it's hard to contradict them.

It was turned into a home in 1994 and has been run as a café and restaurant, but with the vendors now retiring this could become a two-bedroom home (or, subject to permission, a holiday let) in a glorious location.

For sale with Marshall & Clarke. See more pictures and details for this property.

Deal — £1.25 million

The seaside town of Deal is always popular, and this home on Beach Street — with views right out to sea — is just the sort of home people dream of in this spot.

It's a five-bedroom end-of-terrace house right in the centre of town, a former pub that's now a Grade II-listed house with 2,600sq ft of space over four floors.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Ashford — £1.25 million

This wonderful old house set at the end of its own private driveway is huge, with 4,000sq ft and all manner of character features — most notably the beamed ceilings and original fireplaces.

That said, the outside space is perhaps even more enticing: it's not huge at just under an acre and a half, but there is a large lawn and a small lake, all within a bucolic country setting.

For sale with Hobbs Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Sevenoaks — £7.5 million

72 acres of land, 30,000sq ft of buildings, and a main house which is a Georgian house remodelled in the 19th century by Anthony Salvin to give it the look of a French chateau.

The floorplan alone would take half an hour to talk through properly, but the pictures here give a sense of the grandeur — the somewhat faded grandeur — of this astonishing property. With a bit of work done, this could be one of the greatest homes for miles around.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

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North Somerset — £2,000,000

Gatcombe Court has origins dating back to medieval times, but is essentially Jacobean in design and character having been altered in the late 17th and 20th century.

There are 10 bedrooms, five reception rooms, and five separate cottages included in the sale. Not to mention that rather beautiful pool in an old walled garden.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

East Sussex — £3,250,000

The Spinney is an exceptional late Victorian country house: elegant, well-proportioned and beautifully presented.

As well as the main house there are 10.5 acres of grounds and a courtyard complex with two-bedroom cottage, garden store/workshop, three loose boxes and a three-bay garage.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Bedfordshire — £2,250,000

A six-bedroom home set in countryside not far off the A1, close to Sandy and Biggleswade.

This detached former lodge cottage, once part of the Ickwell Bury estate, sits in approximately 6.55 acres of part landscaped gardens and woodland.

For sale with Michael Graham. See more pictures and details for this property.

Oxfordshire — £1,295,000

In the gorgeously-named village of Toot Baldon, a three-bedroom home in a rural location close to Oxford.

Yewtree Cottage dates to circa 1780 and has been lovingly restored with meticulous attention to detail and quality materials.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Hampshire — £3,750,000

One of Lymington's finest town houses, situated on the south side of the High Street.

Four bedrooms, a heated pool, outbuildings, garage and wine cellar are among the many joys of this home.

For sale with Spencers. See more pictures and details for this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

The mercantile confidence of Edinburgh’s New Town reached its climax in the 1840s with the swagger of this magnificent former bank on St Andrew Square. But how do you convert what resembles a fragment of Imperial Rome into a contemporary townhouse hotel—especially one that has to follow in the footsteps of a fêted sibling? Gleneagles has risen impressively to the challenge. The domed banking hall, with its gilded plasterwork and soaring granite columns, is now The Spence, a palatial brasserie conceived by London restaurateurs Zoe and Layo Paskin. Open to non-residents, it serves seasonal fare beneath busts of eminent Scots, its new mirrored cocktail bar, scalloped banquettes and upholstery in rose and eau de nil adding an Art Deco touch. 

Hotel guests can then repair to Lamplighters on the roof terrace, where cocktails—named after the Arts, Trades and Sciences, as personified by six colossal figures breasting the parapet—are served against exhilarating views of the city. 

The Note Burning and Telling Rooms belie their names in providing Gleneagles members with quiet spaces in which to read and meet. My Master bedroom was a model of how to incorporate luxurious en-suite facilities and homely touches into a former banker’s office without compromising the architecture. 

The Old and New Towns are easily accessible (with a few steep wynds or closes) on foot — the best way to explore. After a few hours wandering, return to your room to find a cocktail shaker and ice bucket have magically appeared. Here, all is peace, with only the faint, Old-World dinging of the trams audible from the square below. 

While you're there

• The Strong Rooms — former bank vaults with colossal safe doors still in situ—contain a wellness centre complete with Scotland’s only cryotherapy chamber. Try three thrilling minutes of detoxifying thermic shock at minus 85 degrees
• The hotel is noted for its collection of contemporary artworks
• St Andrew Square terminates the east end of George Street, Edinburgh’s grandest thoroughfare, famous for its Assembly rooms, smart shops, commercial HQs and institutions, and a focus for Edinburgh Festival events
• Scotland’s National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are a short walk away, as are Waverley Station and the famous Café Royal oyster bar/restaurant
• Behind the hotel rises Calton Hill, site of festivities, executions and public leisure since medieval times. An easy stroll will take you up to its fine ensemble of Classical monuments and sweeping views over the Old and New Towns and across the Forth to the hills of Fife

From £495 (room only) 

Click here to read Mark Hedges' review of Gleneagles hotel — sister hotel to Gleneagles Townhouse 

In a prime location with views towards Launceston Castle, St Stephens House is a Grade II-listed Georgian townhouse that offers substantial and highly flexible accommodation in a sought-after location.

The refined property is now on the market via Fine & Country for £765,000.

Dating back to the 1730s, the property was once the principal house of the parish of St Stephens and retains many original features, including wooden floors, granite cills and open fireplaces.

With six bedrooms in all, the house also offers three kitchens, meaning the property can be sealed off and divided up in various different ways, offering potential for holiday lettings or privacy from friends, family or unruly children.

The interiors are a little dated, meaning that St Stephens is ideal for those looking to add their own touch to the property. The sellers note that ‘it’s a lovely spacious, sunny house that feels very private with a strong sense of peace. For us, it’s been the perfect location for getting to beaches, all around Cornwall or back to Exeter and beyond.’

The house is only a mile from the ancient town of Launceston — known as the ‘Gateway to Cornwall’, with an attractive Norman castle at its centre. It offers an extensive range of shops, leisure facilities and restaurants, as well as a number of good schools in the surrounding area. The M5 and rail links mean Plymouth, Exeter, London and beyond are all easily reached.

St Stephens House is the type of home that offers something for everyone — and its location couldn’t be better for those looking to explore all that the South West has to offer.

St Stephens House is currently on the market via Fine & Country for £765,000 — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

From Park Place, which Fleming called Park Street, Bond, in his Bentley, trails villain Hugo Drax all the way to Ebury Street in Moonraker. The opulent 8,356sq ft house at No 12 would have been an ideal vantage point to watch the action — assuming residents could ever tear themselves away from their own cinema, bar and spa.

On the market via Savills with a guide price of £22.5 million, 12 Park Place scales eight floors (served by a lift, for those concerned) behind its black brick façade. Well, we say brick; what strikes you is the black paint job that's reminiscent of the famed B2 Stealth Bombers used by the US Air Force. Except we're pretty sure this house would be visible on radar...

The two-level basement is dedicated to rest and entertainment, with the lower basement housing the gym and spa, (complete with a jacuzzi and spacious steam room) and the floor above transformed into a sumptuous cinema and clubroom, where plush emerald green velvet ceilings reflect the atmosphere of the areas elusive private members' clubs.

The interiors have been finished to the highest of standards, with a sweeping spiral staircase at the centre. There are five bedrooms in total — with one on the lower ground floor which would be suited to staff accommodation — all of which are en-suite, bright and spacious.

A retractable sky lounge on the top floor is the cherry on top of this already impressive cake — and the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail.

All in all, the only disappointment is that the car parked outside is a Fiat 500, rather than an Aston Martin. Still, if you can afford the £22.5 million price tag, we imagine that's an oversight which you could put right fairly easily...

12 Park Place is on the market via Savills with a guide price of £22.5 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

St James's: What you need to know

Location: Just off St James's Street, close to Green Park. Green Park Underground, Piccadilly Circus Underground and St James's Park Underground are all within a half mile radius.

Atmosphere: The refined area oozes luxury and style, with top restaurants, private members' clubs and designer shopping.

Things to do: Enjoy the green spaces of St James's Park and Green Park, for a pop of culture head to St James's Palace or for shopping, visit Burlington Arcade, Fortnum and Mason and Bond Street.

Schools: Plenty in the area to choose from, from Eaton Square Mayfair to St George's Hanover Square C of E Primary School to Soho Parish C of E Primary School.

See more property for sale in the area.

‘My clients are a young couple who love to entertain, so they wanted this room to have an impact,’ explains Rosanna Bossom.

‘As a starting point, they recommended Royal Pavilion Chinoiserie by Allyson McDermott (www.allysonmcdermott.com), a specialist in handmade wallpapers.’ The designer explains: ‘When lots of energy comes from the walls, everything else can be quite simple and plain.’

The chairs, sofa, fender and ottoman were designed in house with colours picked out from the wallpaper: the red on the cushions matches that of the flowers, the green on the sofa that of the stems.

Meanwhile, the fabric on the top of the ottoman is a velvet called Marly by Colony (www.colonyuk.com). ‘I love the colours and the texture of this design and try and use a bit of it in all my projects.’

Elsewhere in the scheme, the strongest nod to pattern is the toffee-and-white checkerboard printed linen on the armchair, a new design by Susie Atkinson, which lends a distinctive look to the room (www.susieatkinson.com).

Two slipper chairs in the bay can be pushed apart, creating more flexible seating options. The fact that they have skirts was deliberate — ‘too many legs on show can make a room feel ungrounded,’ explains Miss Bossom.

The side tables were the clients’ own, with the exception of the painted bobbin design in the far right corner, which is by Alfred Newall (www.alfrednewall.com). ‘I avoid using too much brown furniture in my schemes: it can make a room look too heavy. I like to steer clear of symmetry of any sort to avoid looking staged and fussy.’

Overhead is the Colombier chandelier by Vaughan (www.vaughandesigns.com) and the floors are original to the house, overlaid with an Indian jute rug by Tate & Darby (www.tateanddarby.com).

See more of Rosanna Bossom’s work at www.rosannabossom.co.uk

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Credit: Jake Eastham / Rosanna Bloom

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Credit: Astrid Templier

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A clever combination of Nature, colour and Cotswold stone make the entrance to this Georgian townhouse as inviting as the pretty town of Painswick — famous for its Rococo garden — in which it resides.

St Mary's House is currently on the market via Murray's at a guide price of £850,000.

With a master-bedroom suite, three further bedrooms, a ground-floor annexe, west-facing balcony and a lovely courtyard garden, St Mary’s House has been kept in prime shape, its elegant bay windows and other period features contrasting well with 21st-century necessities, such as a Neptune kitchen.

Within walking distance are the village centre, with its shops and boutique hotel The Painswick, plus open countryside, and Stroud is about four miles south.

St Mary's House is currently on the market via Murray's at a guide price of £850,000 — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Painswick: What you need to know

Location: Painswick is approximately 6 miles south of Gloucester, 11 miles from Cheltenham and 4 miles north of Stroud — with mainline rail services linking Stroud and London Paddington.

Atmosphere: Known as one of the most famous villages in the Cotswolds (lovingly dubbed ‘the Queen of the Cotswolds’) Painswick has a thriving and welcoming community with good amenities including a general store, two pubs, several cafes/restaurants and a wonderful old church which is famous due to a folk-law surrounding its 99 Yew trees.

Things to do: The Painswick Rococo Garden and Painswick Golf Course are both located within the area. Further afield, the regency spa town of Cheltenham is located to the north and offers excellent shopping facilities, is home to annual literature, science and music festivals and the National Hunt Racecourse. Nearby Stroud has an award-winning weekly farmers market plus a large Waitrose and other supermarkets. The surrounding countryside is popular with walkers and cyclists as the town sits along the Cotswold Way National Trail.

Schools: The Croft Primary School, Sheepscombe Primary School and Cranham Church of England Primary School are all rated ‘good’ in Ofsted reviews. North Bridge House School is a well-regarded secondary school, as is Stroud High School, Marling School and Cheltenham Ladies College.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

Dreams of living behind a beautiful beach in one of Cornwall’s most famous towns is well within reach with the launch of Ryb by the Sea onto the market via Lillicrap Chilcott for offers in excess of £775,000.

The beach in question is the award-winning Porthminster beach, formed of a large crescent of golden sand and surrounded by the type of turquoise blue waters that one can really only find in the south west in the summer; water so blue that it makes you question whether you have unknowingly clicked your heels and transported to the Mediterranean.

The popular beach has views over to Godrevy Lighthouse which is thought to have been the inspiration to Virginia Woolf’s 1927 novel ‘To the Lighthouse,’ an excerpt from which reads:

“So fine was the morning except for a streak of wind here and there that the sea and sky looked all one fabric, as if sails were stuck high up in the sky, or the clouds had dropped down into the sea.”

With an 18-hole mini golf course, the renowned Porthminster beach restaurant, deck chairs for sunbathing and safe swimming waters — this really is like waking up to paradise every day.

But back to the townhouse.

‘Elegant and exquisite’, the double-fronted three bed property is situated in the heart of St Ives — home to a flourishing art scene thanks to the Tate St Ives gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. There is also, unsurprisingly, a strong surf community.

White-washed tongue and groove cladding adorn the interiors, creating a relaxed, coastal feel throughout the property, which has been the recipient of extensive refurbishment; resulting in a well-presented, unpretentious house that is completely in-fitting with its waterside setting.

With just over 1,800sq ft and a large open-plan living/dining space, it’s easy to fall in love with this charming townhouse in one of the most idyllic locations.

Ryb by the Sea is currently on the market via Lillicrap Chilcott for offers in excess of £775,000 — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

St Ives: What you need to know

Location: North of Penzance and west of Cambourne on the coast. There is a rail station within the town which links to the main Paddington-Penzance line.

Atmosphere: The buzzing town is home to a flourishing art scene with the likes of the Tate St Ives calling this coastal idyll home. Surfing and other water sports are naturally hugely popular here, and there are numerous restaurants, bars, pubs and independent shops to explore.

Things to do: Visit the many glorious beaches that run along this stretch of coast, from Porthminster, Porthgwidden and Hayle Beach. Art-lovers will find themselves in heaven with the many independent galleries, studios and Tate St Ives dotted around the town. There are also a vast number of cafes, restaurants, pubs, walks and corners of Cornwall to explore.

Schools: St Ives Junior School is rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted and both St Ives Infant School and St Ives School are rated 'good'. Further schooling options can be found closer to Truro.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

Situated on Park Crescent in Worthing, West Sussex, and overlooking leafy Amelia Park, this Grade II*-listed townhouse exudes Georgian elegance.

The crescent was designed in the 1830s by Amon Henry Wilds in a serpentine shape with a triumphal arch at the entrance and this house — now for sale through Winkworth at an asking price of £1.35 million — is rare occurrence on the market.

Beautifully kept, it spans 4392sqft with six bedrooms (including the master suite with its dressing room, and a bedroom in a stand-alone apartment on the lower ground floor) and a spectacular reception room with floor-to-ceiling windows on the ground floor.

There's also a separate dining room, a delightful kitchen with Aga and a first-floor sitting room with balcony.

Two garden terraces and a roof terrace are perfect vantage points to take in fine views — the roof terrace, in particular, looks towards the South Downs.

The house has exquisite details throughout, from decorative cornices to fine fireplaces and sash windows with original shutters.

This house is for sale at £1.35 million via Winkworth — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Worthing: What you need to know

• Location: Worthing is on the south coast, half an hour’s drive west of Brighton. That's unless there is traffic, of course: the A27 — the main coastal route – does tend to get snarled up. Worthing has a mainline railway station, which takes 1hr 2o mins to get to London Bridge.
• Atmosphere: What was a little mackerel-fishing hamlet until the 18th century became a bustling town when the Georgian Society flocked to the seaside. Today, Worthing — and its surrounding satellites, which blend into each other — has a population of over 100,000, with an Art Deco pier that is as popular as ever.
• Things to do: Visit the Marine Gardens and the Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, go kitesurfing or head into the South Downs and walk around the Cissbury Ring.
• Schools: HSt Mary's Catholic Primary School is rated Good by Ofsted

Find more properties in the area.

Credit: Andy Scott/ Savills/Strutt & Parker

An exquisite Georgian country home in Kent with superb gardens and a secret medieval passage that runs beneath its foundations

Milgate House is known to be one of Kent's most important county houses and has a long list of colourful

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

As darkness fell on October 12, 1459, during the dynastic struggle familiarly known as the Wars of the Roses, the Duke of York and his followers found themselves trapped by a royalist army just to the south of Ludlow. Hopelessly outnumbered, the Duke’s force ‘stole away’ at about midnight — by the contemptuous report of The Rolls of Parliament — ‘leaving their standards and banners… and fled out of the town unarmed’. According to Gregory’s Chronicle, the triumphant royalist ‘gallants’ then poured into Ludlow and, having drunk their fill, ‘they full ungoodly smote out the heads of the pipes and hogsheads of wine, that men went wet-shod in wine, and then they robbed the town and bore away bedding, cloth and other stuff and defouled many women’.

Accounts of this brutal episode, known as the Rout of Ludford Bridge, offer no description of the town, but one surviving building must have figured prominently in the event. This is the medieval south gate of Ludlow, known as the Broad Gate, which overlooks the eponymous bridge of the rout. Certainly, it must have been through its narrow entrance passage — which still remains open to vehicular traffic today — that the fleeing Duke and the pursuing royalists entered Ludlow.

It’s doubtful, however, that those who passed through the Broad Gate in 1459 would immediately recognise the building today. Although the medieval form of the gatehouse with its flanking drum towers remains clearly legible, the whole has been absorbed picturesquely within the fabric of the town (Fig 2) and its upper stages redeveloped as a Georgian townhouse. The process of this architectural transformation, and the families involved in it, has been presented in an exemplary new history by the present owner, Lady Thomas. Her research provides the foundations for this short account of the building.

The Broad Gate was erected in the 13th century as one of the four main gates of the town. It forms the entrance to Broad Street, a wide thoroughfare that rises to one end of the medieval market area and the great parish church of St Laurence. The precise date of its construction is not clear, but ‘the men of Ludlow’ first received royal permission to raise money for town fortifications in 1233 and, in 1272, the gate is documented in the Assize Rolls as the scene of a murder: ‘Roger de la Haye and Henry le Mon together guarded the gate of the Brodestrete in the town of Ludlow, and, moved by contention, Henry killed Roger.’

By this date, it’s likely that the architectural bones of the present gate — comprising a passage set between two towers, which project beyond the town wall — was in existence. Remarkably, the line of the wall walk seems to have been fossilised as a corridor, as the Broad Gate has expanded beyond its original footprint. In points of technical detail, including the form of the arrow loops, the design of the building has been compared to that of other 13th-century gate- houses, such as those erected in the 1280s to protect the town of Conwy.

As originally constructed, the rear of the building was closed in with timber walls and its internal floors were connected with a narrow stone stair, part of which survives. From about 1300, the gatehouse seems to have undergone various alterations, including the raising of the towers to create a third internal floor, the enlargement of the rear section of the building inside the town wall and the creation of a postern (to allow passage in and out of the town when the main gates were shut).

The Broad Gate was approached across the town ditch by a bridge that was initially constructed of timber and later of stone. Remains of the masonry bridge survive beneath the Wheatsheaf pub immediately in front of the eastern tower. Stone for the building and walls was probably quarried from the town ditch, which was about 25ft wide. The steeply sloping gate passage was closed by a heavy portcullis that dropped down within a massively moulded arch.

In the Middle Ages, town walls were an important mark of civic status and the gates were conventionally used both to enforce security and levy tolls. This latter activity was farmed out at the Broad Gate from at least 1482 until 1741. A door — now blocked — in the entrance passage was probably created to manage toll collection. It was also presumably within the lowest level of the east tower that a gaol briefly operated in the gate; in 1554, one chained prisoner called Massey escaped from it by burning down his cell door.

Concurrent with these civic uses, parts of the Broad Gate were also leased out by the town corporation. As the defensive function of the gate became less important — and when Ludlow itself enjoyed prosperity as the seat of the administration of Wales, with the president of the Council of the Marches in occupation of the castle — the upper floors of the gate underwent their first properly documented transformation. In February 1565, Edmund Walter, Chief Justice of South Wales, leased the property with the exception of the tower basements and agreed to pull down ‘all the timber work of the gate’ and rebuild the ‘overhouse’.

As part of this rebuilding work, Walter probably erected the three outward-facing gables over the gate and also the main chimney stacks, the bases of which are clearly Tudor. Soon afterwards, Walter also constructed a fine brick house on Broad Street immediately adjacent to the gate. The rebuilding of the gate must have been connected with this project, but it is not clear how.

Over the next century the Broad Gate was leased in part or whole by a succession of owners, who used or occupied the building, and survived the upheavals of the Civil War. The next important stage in its development, however, followed the abolition of the Council of the Marches in 1689. This change was an economic disaster for Ludlow and condemned the castle — built by Walter de Lacy after the Norman Conquest — to ruin. It possibly saved the Broad Gate, however, because the townsfolk who might have viewed it as an obstruction — and would have provided the necessary money to demolish it — departed.

In 1693, a prosperous physician, John Stead, who had been involved in the affairs of the town for more than a decade, took out a lease not only on the Broad Gate, but also of a section of the neighbouring wall and ditch, creating a garden (Fig 1). By this means, the gate effectively became a genteel house. Parallels for such a conversion are hard to offer, although Esher Palace, Surrey, and Constable’s Gate, Dover Castle, Kent, underwent similar changes.

Three years later, Stead repaired the building with the help of a local plasterer, William Piper. Some details of the work are recorded in a law case fought over the settlement of Piper’s bill in the Court of Chancery in 1708. The evidence deposed refers to several interiors, including the study, hall, gallery, chamber, closet and parlour. It also makes mention of a fire in 1700, which presumably damaged much of what had been completed.

Further repairs evidently followed and, in 1705, Stead paid the window tax for 35 panes of glass. An impression of the house he owned, with its long, wall-top garden and stable — but reserving the basement of the east tower for what is now the Wheatsheaf pub — is provided by the renewed lease that he took out in 1724. The same year, he was described as living there with his wife, daughter and maid. He was almost immediately widowed, however, and, by 1726, the house had a new resident, the widow of a minor Shropshire gentry family, Joyce Sprott.

Madam Sprott died in 1732 and passed the property on to her son, another prosperous physician, Samuel, who lived at the Broad Gate alone until his marriage in 1745 to Mary Childe. It was probably at about the time of this match that the house was completely re-ordered once again. The circumstantial and stylistic evidence would strongly suggest that the Shrewsbury architect Thomas Farnolls Pritchard (1723–77) was employed for the task. Whatever the case, the attempt to impose visual order on the asymmetry of the medieval building is successful enough to be eye-catching, yet sufficiently idiosyncratic to be charming as well.

The inner face of the Broad Gate was turned into a polite frontage with the front door and its curving steps set between the main block of the building and what reads externally as a subsidiary wing (Fig 3). The former is surmounted with battlements that step up to form a central pediment in a Gothic idiom. Set within it is a lead panel inscribed with interlaced Ss for Samuel Sprott. The Gothic flavour of the whole perfectly articulates the history of the building and its fashionable modern use.

Internally, the entertaining rooms, as well as the principal bedchambers and closets on the floor above, take advantage of the large windows on this side of the house (despite it facing north). There is a spacious stair hall (Fig 6) that gives direct access to a dining room (Fig 7) and what was originally a small parlour (subsequently enlarged as a drawing room) (Fig 5). A corridor next to the stair leads to the garden. Also opening off the hall were the domestic offices and kitchen, the range and ovens of the latter set in the curving internal volume of the medieval east tower (Fig 8). A brewhouse occupied the basement of the west tower.

The floor above preserves several striking 18th-century fixtures, including a painted fireplace overmantle (Fig 4) and closet or dressing room with a fitted desk. The shutter immediately beside it has a peep hole, making it possible to view activity on the street below. This was being improved at the same time as the construction of a handsome new terrace immediately next door in 1756.

In 1814, the Broad Gate was occupied by yet another widower, Henry Lloyd, a solicitor, and his family. At some point between 1824 and 1826, he reconfigured the building yet again to take advantage of the views towards Ludford Bridge by erecting an extension to the front of the medieval west tower as his legal chambers and what became a library. It may have been at about this time that a recess for displaying porcelain in the dining room was fitted with a fixed, but retractable serving table.

Several generations of the Lloyd family occupied the Broad Gate, but, in 1940, the last heirs, an unmarried brother and sister, decided to sell the property. In the event, only the contents sold and, in 1941, the empty building was requisitioned by the Army Pay Corps. In 1946, it was finally sold to Annie Richardson, who moved in with her husband and children and began to try to reverse the damage done by years of neglect and army occupation. The building proved too large for them, however, and, in the 1960s, they began to partition it up.

In 1991, the larger part house was bought by its present owners. Sir Keith Thomas is himself an eminent historian, but, in her recent book on the house, Lady Thomas demonstrates a formidable grasp of the same discipline. Between them, they have aimed to restore the Georgian character of the building, with a combination of careful collecting, repair and redecoration, and have furnished every free corner with books (Fig 9).

One unusual challenge has been the problem of vehicle strikes; at one point, there was an accident on average once a month. A particularly disastrous strike in 2005 finally resulted in the installation of traffic calming and bollards. The change has restricted the traffic and reinforces the place of this exceptional house as a centrepiece of Ludlow.

‘The Broad Gate: A Ludlow House and its Inhabitants’ by Valerie Thomas is published by Left Field Editions (£25)

History, grand architecture and a spectacular location combine at this Georgian House in Richmond. On the market with Savills at an asking price of £6.5 million, the Grade I-listed, four- to five-bedroom house stands on the site of the former Tudor Royal Palace on Richmond Green, a verdant oasis behind the town’s main shopping street and only minutes’ walk from the Tube station.

It is part of the Maids of Honour Row, a sequence of houses built to house the ladies in waiting of the then Princess of Wales, Caroline of Ansbach (the Prince of Wales, later George II, was at loggerheads with his father, so the family had leased a lodge in Richmond’s Old Deer Park). The architecture is a splendid example of the period, with an understated, elegant façade that spans five-windows across and is embroidered with keystones and a pilastered entrance canopy featuring a beautiful fan light.

As befits such a distinguished building, the 4,874sq ft interiors are nothing short of magnificent, with painted panels by the Italian vedute artist Antonio Joli in the entrance hall, a spectacular, panelled drawing room that stretches the entire width of the first floor and high ceilings and fine fireplaces throughout. In addition to the drawing room, there are four more reception rooms, a sleek contemporary and two studies. Upstairs are the five bedrooms, including the spacious master bedroom with its own dressing room.

The house also has an interesting history, as it was bought in 1744 by Johann Jacob Heidegger, a masquerade impresario and master of revels to George II, who was one of the first friends Handel made when he moved to Britain. Heidegger also knew Joli, which is why the Italian painter’s work decorates the entrance hall—incidentally, the panels, despite being mostly topographical, also include a music book open at the beginning of an aria from an opera performed at the Haymarket in February 1745.

There’s a delightful parterre outside and a walled garden at the back, which culminates in a seating area inspired by ancient Greek architecture.

4, Maids of Honour Row is for sale at £6.5 million via Savills — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Richmond: What you need to know

• A former Royal seat and the home of more than 600 deer, Richmond combines a thriving town centre complete with shops, cinema and theatre with the vast green expanses of Richmond and Old Deer Park.
• Things to do: Plenty to choose from, whether it’s walking or cycling in Richmond Park, soaking up the atmosphere on the Green, golf and rugby at Old Deer Park or boating on the Thames.
• Schools: Many well-regarded schools in both the state and the independent sectors, from The Vineyards to The Old Vicarage and King’s House. Find more properties in the area.

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A glorious Jacobean manor house that's commutable to London where you could plant vines and make your own wine

The Vine Farm is a beautiful Jacobean house full of potential, and commutable from London.

Modern living meets period architecture at Pallant Court, in Chichester, West Sussex, an elegant townhouse, which is for sale through Jackson-Stops at an asking price of £3.5 million.

The house dates from the Georgian era, but was sympathetically restored 10 years ago to adapt it to contemporary living while remaining true to the essence of the period.

The 5,339sq ft interior has three reception rooms — including the exquisite drawing room and the 17ft dining room with carved fireplace, 10ft-high corniced ceiling and views of West Pallant — plus a sinuous, contemporary kitchen with breakfast bar and separate breakfast room on the ground floor.

There are four bedrooms on the first floor — one of which doubles up as a library —plus four more bedrooms, an additional kitchen and a sitting room on the second floor, which is accessed by a secondary staircase and ideal for staff or guest accommodation.

Pallant Court also comes with more than 2,000sq ft of cellars (currently housing a gym and wine storage, among other uses).

Outside is a delightful walled garden with deep borders planted with climbing roses, peonies and gladioli.

Pallant Court is for sale at £3.5 million via Jackson-Stops — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Chichester: What you need to know

• Location: Chichester is 16.5 miles from Portsmouth
• Atmosphere: Originally dating from Roman times, Chichester is West Sussex’s only city and despite being bombed in the Second World War managed to keep intact landmarks such as the 11th-century Cathedral, the 16th-century Chichester Cross and John Nash’s Butter Market. It has a wide range of shops, cafes and restaurants and a lively culture scene.
• Things to do: Visit Pallant House for its excellent collection of modern British art, attend the Chichester Festival Theatre or aim for the stars at the Planetarium.
• Schools: The city has a wide range of schools including Bishop Luffa and Chichester High School among the secondaries and the independent Prebendal school for the prep years.Find more properties in the area.

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Best country houses for sale this week

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

Glenhurst, in Bewdley, Worcestershire, is a rarity: a Grade II-listed Georgian house — which is for sale through Strutt & Parker at an asking price of £1.385 million — which was once home to Stanley Baldwin.

Records are sparse, but Baldwin is believed to have hosted meetings in the panelled dining room with the likes of Winston Churchill in attendance; Churchill was Baldwin’s Chancellor of the Exchequer during the second half of the 1920s, which was the second of Baldwin's three stints as Prime Minister.

Baldwin was also the prime minister during the abdication crisis that led to Edward VII giving up the throne in order to marry Wallis Simpson; who knows what other discussions might have taken place in these four walls?

But the historic ties are only one of the many charms of this magnificent five-bedroom property, which sits on the north side of the Severn, sheltered by lovely walled gardens.

The 5,517sq ft interior is full of beautiful details, from elegant fireplaces to the vaulted ceilings in the cellars — ideal for conversion into a party room — and the bespoke units, Aga and marble worktops in the open-plan kitchen.

Alongside, the kitchen, the ground floor houses the suitably Churchillian panelled dining room and the elegant drawing room, whereas a family room is located on the top floor.

An imposing staircase leads to the bedrooms on the upper floors, many of which enjoy fine views of the grounds.

Additional accommodation is available in a two-bedroom coach house, while an oak-framed outbuildings provides useful extra space.

Glenhurst is for sale at £1.385 million via Strutt & Parker — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Bewdley: What you need to know

• Location: Bewdley is about four miles from the station at Kidderminster and 21 miles from Birmingham High Street.
• Atmosphere: . An inland port and trade hub in the 17th and 18th centuries, the town has the architecture to match its glorious past, with delightful Georgian stone and red-brick buildings and older timber-framed ones, the beautiful church of St Anne and the panoramic, Grade I-listed bridge designed by Thomas Telford. The main streets are full of independent shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants.
• Things to do: The Wyre Forest offers multiple opportunities for of walking, cycling, running and riding and nearby Kidderminster has a large choice of shopping and entertainment options.
• Schools: Bewdley has several state schools including Bewdley Primary (rated Good by Ofsted), with independents Winterfold House and Heathfield Knoll in Kidderminster.Find more properties in the area.

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.

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Best country houses for sale this week

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

Located in a cul-de-sac just off the infamous Kings Road is this delightful, pastel-coloured house, 'in one of Chelsea's most renowned and quintessential streets.'

Currently for sale via Savills for £3.95 million, the property is exactly what you would expect for the price tag and location, described as a 'quiet backwater' which 'offers a peaceful village feel moments from the hubbub of the King’s Road, Sloane Square and South Kensington.'

The sky blue, three bed house has 2,249sq ft of accommodation and sits amongst a row of pastel-coloured properties, which fills Bywater street with charming tones of blues, pinks and lilac.

Inside, the accommodation is pretty much a blank canvas, with ample natural light thanks to its position on the eastern terrace.

Set out over five floors, there is currently a cinema room and bathroom in the basement, a kitchen and dining area on the lower ground floor and the reception room on the ground floor.

Completing the rest of the internal living space are two bedrooms plus a bathroom on the first floor and the master suite, which occupies the entire top floor.

The three bed property on Bywater Street is currently for sale via Savills at a guide price of £3.95 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.

Chelsea SW3: What you need to know

Location: In the heart of Chelsea, just off the King's Road. Sloane Square underground station is the closest tube station with Circle and District lines. South Kensington offers District, Picadilly and Circle and Knightsbridge underground offers Picadilly lines.

Atmosphere: One of the most famous roads in London for high end and designer shopping. It is home to an eclectic mix of residents and is popular with visitors for shopping and soaking up the Chelsea atmosphere.

Things to do: The Saatchi gallery is just a stones throw away from the property, and there are more shops than you could imagine. There are also a number of pubs, fantastic restaurants, bars and smaller parks in the area.

Schools: St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and Saint Thomas Moore Language College are both rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted. Malborough Primary School is also located within the area and received a 'good' rating from Ofsted.

See more property for sale in the area.

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Best country houses for sale this week

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

East Sussex — £5,500,000

A substantial unlisted country house enjoying a delightful lakeside position on the open market for the first time in 90 years.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Notting Hill — £15,000,000

An exceedingly handsome, period home with a beautiful west facing garden, and direct access to the private communal gardens of Lansdowne Crescent.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

West Sussex — £1,750,000

A rare survival of a late Medieval Sussex Wealden hall house, the central part of which dates from the 1450s. This presents as a most exciting opportunity for an incoming purchaser to totally restore and refurbish a Grade II listed property, creating one of the most significant houses in Lodsworth.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Leicestershire — £745,000

Grange Cottage is a five-bedroom detached cottage with uninterrupted countryside views offered to the market with no upward chain.

For sale with Alexanders via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Wiltshire — £1,350,000

A versatile family home with a self-contained annexe and music room/work room/office. Glorious gardens, stables and paddocks.

For sale with Cooper & Tanner via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

West Yorkshire — £1,250,000

Wadsworth Banks Farm is a beautiful Grade II* listed four-bedroom property with beautiful garden, stables and three acres of land.

For sale with Fine & Country via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Dorset — £2,450,000

A Victorian farmhouse with annexe, detached bungalow (AOC) and range of farm buildings. Set in 47.13 (19.07 Ha) acres of farmland.

For sale with Greenslade Taylor Hunt via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Kent — £1,395,000

A charming five-bedroom barn conversion, with 16th century origins fused alongside a modern interior. Set in an idyllic location.

For sale with Knight Frank via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Cumbria — POA

An exciting and unique opportunity to purchase the most remote house in England. Only accessible by foot or 4x4.

For sale with Mitchell's Land Agency via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

North Yorkshire — £750,000

A Grade II listed architecturally designed period property with six bedrooms, detached coach house, large gardens and an orchard.

For sale with Robin Jessop via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Devon — £1,300,000

Four-bedroom Grade II listed farmhouse. One-bedroom annexe, barns with two additional bedrooms. River Dart access, set in 4.34 acres.

For sale with Stags via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Suffolk — £650,000

Set in 1.59 acres of garden and field, this fine house has many period features and flexible living space.

For sale with TW Gaze via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Isle of Anglesey — £1,495,000

An impressive country residence occupying a stunning and private position amongst wonderful gardens, and land with outbuildings.

For sale with Williams & Goodwin The Property People via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Shropshire — £495,000

Character five bedroom barn conversion situated in the Shropshire hills with original features, spacious rooms and exposed beams.

For sale with Wrights Estate Agents via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

Essex — £1,750,000

A substantial five-bedroom house with a health spa, Airbnb facilities and holistic treatment rooms. Set in a secluded 0.79 acres.

For sale with Zoe Napier via OnTheMarket. See more pictures and details for this property.

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Best country houses for sale this week

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

Elegance is the byword at Number 9 Miles's Buildings, a Grade II-listed, 2997sq ft townhouse in the heart of Bath, which is for sale with Knight Frank at £1.75 million. Built in 1760-1770 by John Wood The Elder, it has recently been renovated by interior designer Julia Dempster, so it combines the best of period and modern style.

The door opens onto a striking hallway dominated by a black cantilevered staircase and wooden herringbone flooring. This leads to a study, convenient in these remote working days, and a kitchen with Rangemaster cooker, bespoke Intone Design units and Carrara marble worktops.

The lower ground floor has a welcoming family room, another room that can be used as office or laundry room and a bedroom that’s currently used as gym.

The first floor houses the drawing room — a magnificent space featuring a fine fireplace and overlooking the gardens — and a bedroom with fitted wardrobe.

The master suite takes up the entire second floor and comes with walk-in wardrobe and a striking bathroom with free-standing bath.Two more bedrooms and shower rooms are situated on the top floor.

Outside, the walled garden has a courtyard, a patio and a large magnolia tree. The property also comes with a garage, which is located around the corner.

One of Britain's finest country estates, once bought by British history's most famous diamond smuggler, for sale at £18.5 million

Thomas Pitt's ill-gotten gains earned him the money to found a political dynasty, as well as buying a series of

Number 9 Miles's Buildings is for sale at £1.75 million via Knight Frank — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Bath: What you need to know

• Location: Bath is 17 minutes by train to Bristol and 1hour 20 minutes to London
• Atmosphere:Home to the best Georgian and Regency architecture in the UK, as witnessed by Netflix picking it as the backdrop for its Bridgerton series
• Things to do: Plenty for everyone, from culture (the choice of museums and art galleries is staggering, whether you are into Roman Britain or Oriental Art) to sports (Bath rugby), well-being (the thermal springs) and shopping (myriad independent shops), plus just outside the town, that exhilarating experience that's Longleat safari park. The skyline walk is a must for exceptional views
• Schools: Bath has a fabulous choice of top-performing schools, including, at secondary level, King Edward's, Monkton Senior, Kingswood and Royal High School.Find more properties in the area.

One of Britain's finest country estates, once bought by British history's most famous diamond smuggler, for sale at £18.5 million

Thomas Pitt's ill-gotten gains earned him the money to found a political dynasty, as well as buying a series of

A slice of British political history has just come to the market. Grade I-listed Pitt House, in Bath, was, as the name implies, once home to 18th-century prime minister William Pitt the Younger. Now for sale with Knight Frank at £3.5 million, the property later became the offices of the Bath Conservative Association.

Designed by Thomas Baldwin and built in 1792, the house is both a prime example of Bath’s Georgian architecture and a luxurious family home for today’s standards, thanks to a renovation process that combined original features with opulent new additions.

The 4,230sq ft interiors have a magnificent cantilevered staircase, window shutters, decorative cornicing and period fireplaces, but also French and Italian crystal chandeliers, bespoke window seats made by Aston Martin upholsterers, silk curtains, electric window blinds and hand-built oak wardrobes in the bedrooms.

The bespoke kitchen, built by Clayton Davidson, is a work of art, with stone worktops and a walnut island unit with curved banquet seating and a circular breakfast table.

Also on the ground floor is a study overlooking Laura Place and Great Pulteney Street, whereas the two main reception rooms are upstairs — one at the front of the building, which has tall windows and a fine fireplace, and the other at the back, which overlooks Bath’s weir and the Parade Gardens.

The second floor is entirely taken up by the exceptional master suite, which comes with dressing room and a freestanding bath in the bathroom. Three more bedrooms are arranged across the third and fourth floors.

Pitt, who became Britain’s youngest Prime Minister at the age of 24 in 1783, is thought to have lived at the property between 1801, when he left the position, and 1804, when he resumed it, keeping it until his death in 1806.

As well as Pitt House’s sheer architectural beauty and interesting history, another draw is a one-year membership to the 5-star luxury The Gainsborough Bath Spa, which the vendor is offering to the property’s new owners.

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

Bath: What you need to know

• Location: Bath is 17 minutes by train to Bristol and 1hour 20 minutes to London
• Atmosphere:Simply some of the best Georgian and Regency architecture in the UK
• Things to do: Plenty for everyone, from culture (the choice of museums and art galleries is staggering, whether you are into Roman Britain or Oriental Art) to sports (Bath rugby), well being (the thermal springs) and shopping (myriad independent shops), plus just outside the town, that exhilarating experience that's Longleat safari park. The skyline walk is a must for exceptional views
• Schools: Bath has a huge choice of top-performing schools, including, at secondary level, King Edward's, Monkton Senior, Kingswood and Royal High School.Find more properties in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

Credit: Andy Fletcher Photography

Bath unwrapped: Where to stay, what to do and what to eat in one of Britain's most iconic and historic cities

Emily Anderson explores the best of Bath, from the iconic Roman baths to it's eccentric comedy walking tours.

Woodbridge in Suffolk is an ancient town on the banks of the River Deben, some eight miles upriver from the sea. It's a charming market town with some lovely green spaces, places to eat and drink and a museum — as well as a railway station from where you reach Ipswich in under 20 minutes and London Liverpool Street station in just over an hour and a half.

And for sale in the heart of the historic town is the Grade II*-listed Burkitt House, with the Ipswich office of Jackson-Stops is handling the sale at a guide price of £2.95m.

Its enigmatic red-brick façade hides a timber-framed building from 1670, remodelled and extended in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

One of Woodbridge’s best-kept secrets, the house was bought as ‘a complete wreck’ by its current owners, who remodelled and restored it over a period of nine years from 2005 to 2014, adding a new coach house with a separate driveway and entrance gates.

The ground floor was also remodelled to accommodate an open-plan kitchen/dining/living area overlooking the property’s half an acre of beautifully designed formal and secret walled gardens.

In all, Burkitt House provides more than 7,000sq ft of elegant living space on four floors, including the ground-floor extension. The entrance hall, drawing room, morning room and home office are all on the upper ground floor, while the master suite, plus four further bedrooms and bathrooms, on the two upper floors.

Some buyers, of course, may prefer to be slightly away from the centre — for privacy and views — and for those people Kyson Hoo might be more tempting, at the same £2.95m price.

It was built in 1935 for the Notcutt family, and has wonderful views across the local countryside and the River Deben itself.

Kyson Hoo is for sale via Jackson-Stops at £2.95m — see more details and pictures here.

While Kyson Hoo is still walking distance from the centre of Woodbridge, Vale Farm is a different matter entirely. It sits further out towards the sea in the Suffolk Coast & Heths AONB, a house in 10 acres where you'll see kingfishers, otters and more frolicking in the ponds and streams which surround it.

It sits in a thriving village called Hollesley, just down the road from the world-famous Sutton Hoo site. There are seven bedrooms in a home which was completely refurbished in 2011 with sustainability at the forefront of the thinking: it has solar panels, ground-source heat pumps and gardens which have been organic for more than two decades.

Vale Farm is for sale via Fine & Country — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

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In the special issue of September 2, Country Life looks at why, how and where to move to the country.

On the day lockdown was lifted in June, the property market in Bath took off like a rocket and has been on a roll ever since, says James Mackenzie of Strutt & Parker’s Country Department. He cites the example of 23, Bathwick Hill, a grand, Grade II-listed Georgian villa with spectacular views over National Trust land, which had been on the market, on and off, for quite some time. ‘No sooner had we launched the house on the open market in early June, than three buyers immediately came forward, and after competitive bidding, it sold for £4.35 million,’ he reveals.

The Bathwick area of the city, on the opposite bank of the River Avon to the historic city centre, became part of Bath’s Georgian heartland with the 18th-century development of the Pulteney Estate and the building of Pulteney Bridge. There followed some of Bath’s most famous Georgian streets, among them Sydney Place, where numbers 1 to 12 — three-storey houses with mansard roofs designed by Thomas Baldwin — were built in about 1800; Jane Austen moved in when they were almost new, and lived at No 4 from 1801 to 1805.

The street continued to expand in subsequent years. Nos 93–103, Sydney Place is a Grade I-listed terrace of 11 grand symmetrical houses built in 1808–09 by John Pinch the Elder. According to its Historic England listing, ‘each three-bay house is set slightly lower than its northerly neighbour to produce an elegantly descending rhythm anchored to the cylindrical corner of No 103’. Distinguished early residents of the terrace, which overlooks the park and open space of Sydney Gardens, include Queen Charlotte, who lived at No 93 in 1817, and William IV, who lived at No 103. Today, a house a few doors down is up for sale: 99 Sydney Place, on the market at offers over £2.5 million via Strutt & Parker.

In November 1942, the Bath School of Art, under its long-serving head, Clifford Ellis, found a new home at 99–101, Sydney Place, following the destruction in a bombing raid of its former Green Park premises. In the mid 1980s, the art and design courses, by then of BA degree status, moved to Sion Hill, Bath, and the Sydney Place complex was put up for sale.

Following the rejection by Bath city council of a proposal to convert the historic buildings to 40 flats, the houses were offered for sale individually, with 99, Sydney Place being purchased in 1998 by the artists Jasper Rose and his wife, Jean, who had returned to England in 1986, following 25 years at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where Mr Rose taught history of art in his own inimitable, free-flowing style before retiring to paint full-time. At this point, he and his wife were living at Wingfield House, near Trowbridge, eight miles from Bath, and were looking to move when the School of Art buildings came onto the market.

It was probably no coincidence that the couple were drawn to 99, Sydney Place, for it was in that very building that Mrs Rose was interviewed by Ellis as a prospective student in the 1940s, before going on to Cambridge where she met her husband.

In 1998, they moved to Bath and set about renovating the house, painting the all-white walls and installing electricity. Otherwise, the building remained largely unaltered as its owners pursued their artistic careers. Interestingly, their sons, William and Inigo, have also established themselves as artists of international standing.

Jasper Rose passed away peacefully in June 2019, a few days after the closure of his remarkable ‘Portraits from Memory’ show at the UCSC, where 362 watercolour portraits, covering a time span of more than half a century, from 1934 to 1985, and painted entirely from memory, were exhibited. His widow, Jean, is now selling this house of many memories.

There’s no mistaking the artistic credentials of this uniquely unspoilt house, which offers 7,745sq ft of accommodation, including a library, dining room and kitchen/breakfast room on the ground floor; a drawing room and withdrawing room on the first floor.

There are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and two dressing rooms on the second and third floors. A sun room on the half-landing opens onto a roof terrace.

A private walled garden, reached from the kitchen/breakfast room, is enclosed by stone walls, and courtyards to the front and rear provide access to the vaults, with outside stairs leading to street level.

99 Sydney Place is on the market at offers over £2.5 million via via Strutt & Parker — see more pictures and details.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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When Wiltshire-based decorator Emma Sims-Hilditch and her husband, John, were looking for a London base, they found this family house in Fulham, which was in need of a top-to-toe refurbishment. The work allowed Emma to employ her understanding of spatial planning to reconfigure each floor. ‘We wanted the house to work on many different levels: it was to be somewhere for us to stay in London; for our family to congregate; and for the company to meet new clients.’

By re-organising the run of stairs, Emma was able to borrow under-used space from the landing to make the bedroom larger. ‘We gained an extra 5ft. Not only did it mean that we had room for a superking bed, but also that we could have generous bedside tables, something I much prefer.’

She used Carnival by Christopher Farr (www.christopherfarrcloth.com), a lively, large-scale floral wall-paper that makes a strong design statement. ‘Having not had the opportunity to use wall-paper in our home in Wiltshire, I decided to go bold here,’ says Emma. It is balanced with simple off-white linen curtains in Karoo Soft Ivory by de Le Cuona (www.delecuona.com).

In the bay is a mid-century-style desk by Chelsea Textiles (www.chelseatextiles.com). ‘I wanted to ensure there was a little space to do some work.’

The floors are oak planks in weathered grey. The joinery is painted in Neptune’s Mist, a blue-grey colour, and the skirting and woodwork are in the same company’s Shingle (www.neptune.com). The cornicing is the London cornice by Stevensons of Norwich (www.stevensons-of-norwich.co.uk).

Credit: Adam Carter / Sims-Hilditch

Where I work: Emma Sims-Hilditch, interior designer

A modern kitchen to fit perfectly into a 16th century home

Emma Sims Hilditch has injected contemporary touches into the kitchen of this 16th-century manor house while preserving its character.

Credit: Ed Sheperd / Sims Hilditch

A calming bedroom with light and height — and a bathtub with a view

When Emma Sims Hilditch converted a 17th-century barn, she created a bedroom with both light and height. Giles Kime takes

To create this stunning bedroom, Emma Burns, one of the principal design directors at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler, took the unusual step of blocking off a south-facing window in the sitting room of her 19th-century townhouse and replacing it with a fireplace. ‘Although it was sad to lose the light, I felt it was important to create a focal point,’ she explains. ‘Architecture is critical to grounding a room.’ 

The deep hues of the colour scheme were inspired by the crocodile leather strap of Emma’s watch. ‘It’s my daughter’s room and, when I asked her what colours she liked, she drew a blank before pointing at the brown strap of my watch.’ 

The walls, woodwork, curtains, bed head and valance are all in the same colour: a delicious dusty-chocolate colour. Paint was sourced from Papers and Paints’ collection of 1950s colours, 5-063, and the fabric is Nicky Haslam’s Chocolate Glazed Linen. 

The roller blinds in Wildflower from Chelsea Textiles add a touch of prettiness; Emma first spotted the pattern on a dress worn by Keira Knightley in the film Pirates of the Caribbean.

In the small space between the windows stands a handsome semainier (a tall, narrow chest of drawers), on which Emma has placed a 1960s Murano glass lamp with a pin-prick shade from Robert Kime. 

The bedside lamps are Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler’s classic Queen Anne design with flattened oval shades and the white bedspread — sourced in Delhi — provides a crisp counterpoint to the browns.

Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler — 020–7493 2231; www.sibylcolefax.com 

Credit: Simon Brown

The dovecote which became a delightful country home

A long career at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler was the perfect preparation for Emma Burns’s greatest design challenge yet:

Credit: Andreas von Einsiedel

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Bath — £6,500,000

A truly exquisite Grade I-listed Royal Crescent house, complete with coach house and ancillary accommodation situated in the heart of this world famous location.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Staffordshire — Price on application

An historic Grade I-listed moated castle of about 16,224 sq ft, with 3 converted turrets and gatehouse, all with the potential for a myriad of uses. Set within stunning landscaped gardens with beautiful lakes and paddock land.

For sale with Jackson-Stops. See more pictures and details about this property.

London SW1V — £2.8 million

A 5 bedroom family home with private parking and great potential to redesign into a new and exciting configuration.

For sale with Jackson-Stops. See more pictures and details about this property.

Hampshire — £2.475 million

Idyllic Grade II* listed country house with an intriguing medieval history. Set in stunning grounds, the house has well-proportioned rooms and an array of characterful period features. In view of the property are the ruins of Bishop’s Palace, for which the property owns the freehold. 6 reception rooms, 8 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, swimming pool, tennis court, attached annexe, studio, coach house, greenhouse, listed granary and outbuildings.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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

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Credit: ReMax

A fantasy castle for sale near the Peak District complete with moat, dungeon and suits of armour

Caverswall Castle's history stretches back almost 750 years – it's now looking for a new owner to pick up the mantle.

With a training at the Inchbald School of Design under her belt, Susie Atkinson secured a job with interior designer Chester Jones before establishing her own studio in 1998. Since then, she has worked on myriad high-profile projects, most recently, at both the Lime Wood and Beaverbrook hotels.

As this townhouse has a Grade II* listing, the project required a light touch. ‘Very little could be changed internally,’ says Susie. ‘We replaced the fireplace and then reconditioned and restored the panelling. The latter is painted in Paint & Paper Library’s Canvas III, a lovely, warm off-white, which is neither too yellow nor too cold.’

The owners have an extensive collection of contemporary art, which marries well against the simple Classical details of the room. London blinds were chosen over curtains that, the designer says, ‘would have compromised the window architraves’.

The soft folds are ‘less severe than those created with Roman blinds and not as dressy as festooned blinds’, in a wool sheer by Rogers & Goffigon Ltd. Padded window seats are covered in a ticking by Robert Kime.

The sofa is the designer’s own — an easy and adaptable shape that works well in both traditional and contemporary settings.

Old oak floorboards were found at reclamation specialists Lassco. On top is a jute-and-wool boucle from Stark Carpet, which has the appearance of a sisal without the roughness underfoot. Hanging over the deep-buttoned ottoman is a scalloped pendant in antique brass by Soane.

Find out more about Susie Atkinson — 020–7384 0700 or see www.susieatkinson.com.

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Credit: Gavin Houghton - designer's room

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When the first Severn Bridge was opened by The Queen in 1966, it was hailed as the dawn of a new economic era for south Wales, slashing what had been a 12-hour journey to London’s West End.

Although removing bridge tolls in December 2018 – saving commuters up to £1,400 a year – might not have felt quite as momentous, agents say the change has fuelled a spike in interest in Welsh property.

Only yards from the town centre of popular Crickhowell, crowned the UK’s best high street in 2018, is 18th-century Dan Y Castell, on the market with Bidmead Cook for £1.35 million.

A wonderful example of an 18^th century townhouse, Dan Y Castell is set in magnificent gardens, with beautiful views out over the Welsh countryside. One of the most important houses in Crickhowell, the majority of the Georgian townhouse dates from around 1734 with some much earlier origins evident that gained it its Grade-II rating.

Sitting in the Brecon Beacons National Park, the Dan Y Castell is in prime position for anyone who enjoys outdoor pursuits. Riding, fishing, hiking, paragliding and bird watching are all minutes from its doors – as well as hundreds of walking trails in the surrounding area.

As with many older properties, Dan Y Castell has seen some extensive remodelling to bring it in line with the times – firstly in the early 20^th century and more recently in the early 21^st century. The house may need a few licks of paint to bring it into line with its new owners tastes, but with a bit of work it's sure to be an incredibly family home.

The six-bedroom property already benefits from a conservatory, cellar and domestic offices, with views from the garden over the glorious Brecon Beacons.

It's an exciting adventure, there's no doubt about it. So, have you been convinced to start a new adventure in Wales? If you're looking for something further afield, we know there are a few Scottish castles for sale...

Dan Y Castell is on the market through Bidmead Cook for £1.35 million. Click here for more information and images.

Credit: On The Market

Picture-perfect country cottage with a dreamy English country garden

Church Cottage is the idyllic countryside family home for everyone, including Alexandra Fraser, who takes a look at its many

Credit: Strutt & Parker

A large, lovingly-restored country home with two ponds, an indoor pool and a wonderful story

Smallwater has been diligently cared for by its current owners and restored to a state of perfection - it's now

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There are several important things to observe about the following houses. First of all, they're absolutely beautiful, each and every one, whether classical or chrome. Secondly, they're all marvellously equipped with private cinemas, spa complexes and staff quarters nicer than most family homes. Thirdly, and most crucially, if everyone I call friend in the world contributed all of their wealth and riches to its purchase (we'd all fall far, far short of a single cool mil each, to be fair) I still wouldn't be able to afford a single one. And that, my friends, is life.

St James' s Park – £55 million

It's exactly what you would expect for this location and this price point. A gorgeous townhouse quite literally a stone's throw from Buckingham Palace, the seven floors at Buckingham Gate span 14,227 square feet.

Everything you could think of lies on those floors; a media room, five dressing rooms, six large bedrooms with en suites (plus two rooms for the inevitable staff), two private terraces, two balconies, a bar, a pool, a gym, a sauna, a treatment room and 24-hour concierge services, whatever that means in a private residence.

For sale with The Cloister. See more pictures and details about this property.

Mayfair – £40 million

The plot of this ambassadorial residence is called 'generous' in the listing, and if that's the case, my aforementioned friends need to step up their generosity. Situated on the 'favoured' side of St. John's Wood (I take that to mean the side away from Edgware Road and my second-year student house), it's close to Regent's Park, Primrose Hill and a short, jetpack-fuelled skip and jump from the West End.

With four floors and seven bedrooms, including a palatial games room, a private cinema and a private gym, it's unlikely that the new owners will ever need to explore the wonderful world of opportunity that stands on their doorstep. If they did venture outside, they'd discover that they're perfectly located for all that London offers to its residents. All for under £50 million.

For sale with Beauchamp Estates. See more pictures and details about this property.

Highgate – £40 million

Heathfield Park, also priced provisionally at £40,000,000, is an actual house, would you believe it. Inside the M25? Madness.

The site spans a whole 2 acres, including the main house and a substantial 5-bedroom staff lodge with could be a multi-million pound home on its own. The highlight of the house is it's stunning dining room with chandelier-like decoration and views out over the lovely garden. Or its fully-equipped spa. Or its master bedroom, complete with two bathrooms. I could go on.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details about this property.

Belgravia – £37 million

We now move to a different park, where a home on Wilton Crescent has come onto the market, minutes away from Hyde Park in the centre of Knightsbridge.

All the usual suspects are here, too; a media room, a swimming pool with a gym and eight pristine bedrooms. The drawing room is extremely elegant, with views out over the crescent gardens. In terms of transport links, this property is a few minutes from Knightsbridge, with easy links to the Victoria Line, the only effective tube line in London except for two hours last winter where it stopped completely and left me stranded at Vauxhall.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details about this property.

Hampstead – Price on Application

It seems that, if you want a detached house for over £35 million, you have to go north of the river; this prime suspect, sitting on the 'Billionare's Row' of London, is one such beast. Sitting on two and a half acres of glorious gardens, Barons Court has been owned by the same family since 1976. This is understandable, because the logistics of photographing so large a property boggle the mind.

As a result, there are no internal pictures of the illusive mansion that is Kenwood House, but the phrases 'create one of London's finest homes' and 'development potential' in the brochure suggest that a fair bit of work on the owners side might be needed to bring it in line with some of the other houses in this roundup. However, standing at 18,277 square feet (so far), it's definitely an exciting opportunity for one very lucky, very rich family.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

If this list has depressed you deeply, why not have a look at all the beautiful, character properties one could purchase for under £400,000?

Credit: Arkwright & Co

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Credit: Tracey Bloxham

The beautiful railway station which became a stunning Northumberland family home

Credit: Savills

A 1930s modernist house by William Lescaze, set on a marvellous 14th-century 1,200 acre estate

All of the benefits, none of the fuss; that's 4 Warren Lane offers as a wonderful house in the centre

Credit: On The Market

Picture-perfect country cottage with a dreamy English country garden

Church Cottage is the idyllic countryside family home for everyone, including Alexandra Fraser, who takes a look at its many

Credit: Savills

A stunning Arts-and-Crafts country house, with six bedrooms and a swimming pool

An easy commute into London is quickly becoming a staple for any country house hoping to leave the market in

Bedfordshire — £700,000

A Grade II listed four double bedroom detached thatched property occupying a private position within private well-maintained gardens.

For sale with Michael Graham via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Buckinghamshire — £1,500,000

A striking and truly unique barn conversion of the highest quality. Set in a stunning location with views over rolling countryside.

For sale with Jackson-Stops via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Buckinghamshire — £3.5 million

Located on the banks of the River Thames on Bourne End’s premier road. 5 reception rooms, 2 en suite bedrooms with dressing rooms, 4 further bedrooms, 2 further bathrooms, utility room, indoor swimming pool, sauna and shower room, garden.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Derbyshire — £875,000

Enchanting four bed Georgian farmhouse with many original features. Situated in 0.41 acres with a 3.07 acre paddock to the rear.

For sale with John German via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Devon — £1,195,000

Set within private grounds of over an acre on the fringes of Dartmoor, this imposing property dates back to the 17th Century.

For sale with Stags via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Devon — £450,000

A stunning period part-thatched cottage with generous accommodation. Sympathetically renovated to retain the character.

For sale with Woods via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

East Sussex — £615,000

A charming period farmhouse with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Situated in a quiet village location, with a private garden.

For sale with Anderson Hacking via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Gloucestershire — £1,300,000

Beautiful Cotswold stone detached house set in an outstanding setting with wonderful views in a plot of approx. 0.75 acres.

For sale with Hayman-Joyce via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Hertfordshire — £3 million

Fabulous house with beautiful private gardens, situated on the outskirts of one of the oldest historic villages in the country. 6 reception rooms, master bedroom suite, 4 further bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, workshop, indoor swimming pool and triple garage with studio.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Hertfordshire — £3.5 million

Impressive home with separate annexe set in landscaped grounds with adjoining paddock land and stables. 5 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms (3 en suite), stable block, manége, double garage, detached guest annexe, gardens and 4 level paddocks.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Kent — £1,395,000

An imposing, unlisted Victorian country residence set in a rural yet accessible location on the outskirts of this Wealden Village.

For sale with CJPC via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Leicestershire — £575,000

Idyllic five bed barn conversion featuring a beautiful vaulted ceiling, mature gardens, an integral garage and countryside views.

For sale with Alexanders via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

London — £9.95 million

A beautifully presented period family house, quietly located in one of the ‘cherry blossom’ roads near Kensington Palace, benefitting from a garden and an excellent basement. 3 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms (3 en suite), 1 further bathroom, dressing room, utility room, cloakroom.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

London — £9.975 million

A unique opportunity to acquire a detached and handsome Grade II* listed manor house situated just over the River Thames from Chelsea. 2 reception rooms, dining room, 10 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, study, cellar, wine store, garden store/garage, walled garden and off-street parking.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Norfolk — £945,000

Exceptionally well-appointed detached coastal home overlooking the villages’ iconic marshes and coastline.

For sale with Pointens Estate Agents via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Norfolk — £985,000

Barn conversion with river frontage, 5 miles south of Norwich. Four receptions, six/seven bedrooms, garage/stable block and 2 acres.

For sale with Humberts via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

North Yorkshire — £895,000

Georgian Grade II listed family house above Filey Bay with original features, mature walled garden and meadow overlooking the sea.

For sale with Blenkin & Co via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Pembrokeshire — £175,000

A charming Welsh barn conversion with planning consent. Located in the Pembrokeshire countryside, with garden and stables.

For sale with West Wales Properties via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Powys — £27.5 million

Significant timber forest benefiting from an excellent production forecast, located in a key timber growing area. High proportion of Sitka Spruce entering production phase with long-term revenue forecast from timber sales, well developed network of roads and tracks, wind energy development potential.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details about this property.

Somerset — £1,950,000

Handsome former rectory, beautifully appointed and offering family accommodation on the edge of a popular village.

For sale with Savills via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Surrey — £1,750,000

Four bedroom family home set in four acres. Includes a paddock ideal for equestrian use, detached two bed annexe and gated driveway.

For sale with The Frost Partnership via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Surrey - £6,950,000

A substantial luxurious house by master builder W G Tarrant, ideally located on the prestigious St George's Hill Estate. Extending to approximately 11,500 sq ft, the property has been refurbished to an exacting standard.

For sale with Jackson-Stops. See more pictures and details about this property.

Warwickshire — £1,700,000

Impressive five bedroom barn with countryside views. Renovated to the highest standards with landscaped garden and triple garage.

For sale with Knight Frank via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

West Yorkshire — £625,000

The Stables is a stunning Grade II listed four bedroom barn conversion, with delightful gardens adjoining picturesque countryside.

For sale with Dale Eddison via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Worcestershire — £475,000

The Granary is a Grade II listed barn conversion with exposed beams and brickwork, vaulted ceilings and beautiful gardens.

For sale with Andrew Grant via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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In the course of their married life, computer expert Ken Barnes and his wife, Vera, had migrated westward via country houses in Surrey and Hampshire before deciding, in 1987, to settle on Bath, which they had already identified as a possible retirement destination.

‘At the time, Bath was all a bit grubby, with developers ripping out the original interiors of wonderful Georgian houses and converting the buildings into flats or offices,’ says Mrs Barnes. They eventually found the right home: 29 St James’ Square, which is now seeking a new owner with an asking price of £2.25m via Strutt & Parker and Cobb Farr .

Its 4,143sq ft of living space is spread over five floors, while the east–west orientation allows brilliant light to stream in through the typically Georgian sash windows. It is, in short, the very archetype of the Georgian home in Bath.

Even the location is exactly what you’d imagine of a fine home in Bath. Designed by John Palmer in about 1790 and completed by 1794, St James’s Square is a delightful backwater close to the famous Royal Crescent, yet undisturbed by the tourist buses that throng the thoroughfares at the height of the season. It is also the only fully residential square in Bath, reveals Andrew Cronan of Strutt & Parker.

This time round the sale will surely be entirely straightforward – unlike the process which the Barneses had to go through.

‘It took us a year to buy 29, St James’s Square from Mr Willats’ Charity, which supports churches around the country and owns a number of commercial and residential properties in Bath,’ adds Mrs Barnes.

‘Luckily for us, the house had never been on the market, having been let mainly as individual rooms, and was totally unaltered; we even received the original Georgian keys.’

As they awaited receipt of those precious keys, Mr and Mrs Barnes based themselves in a flat, before embarking on a reconfiguration and renovation of the Grade I-listed house.

At this point, Mr Barnes was commuting regularly to work in London, and it fell to his wife to oversee the restoration on a daily basis. Fortunately, Mrs Barnes had the foresight to attend a conservation and restoration course and was well equipped to hold her own with the expert builders, craftsmen and interior decorators involved.

The lower ground floor – the former kitchen – which has its own private access and could easily be used as a separate apartment, has been transformed into a large sitting room with its original Bath-stone fireplace surrounds and period dresser, plus a separate bathroom.

The ground floor houses a fully-fitted Smallbone kitchen, with a charming Colefax & Fowler dining room to the front.

On the first floor, linked drawing and withdrawing rooms have natural wood floors and wonderful views over the beautifully maintained private gardens, which are jointly owned by the residents.

The second floor houses a splendid principal bedroom with a dressing room and an en-suite shower room, with a walk-in shower and a fireplace flanked by original cupboards. The third floor offers three bedrooms and a separate bathroom.

29 St James’s Square is for sale via Strutt & Parker and Cobb Farr at a guide price of £2.25 million – see more details and images.

One of Bath’s most architecturally significant – and rare – Georgian buildings comes to the market

Originally named Canal House, Cleveland House is a Grade II* listed building situated in a prime position within the Bath

Credit: (Savills)

A country house whose spectacular walled garden boasts 16th century turrets

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For the Romans, it was the genius loci – the protective ‘spirit of a place’ – that gave a building or location its distinctive character; nowhere is this elusive spirit more gracefully captured than in Roman Bath’s grand Georgian crescents and squares, where 12, Lansdown Place East is the latest example of a classic, 18th-century townhouse to come to the open market.

For sale through Strutt & Parker and Carter Jonas at a guide price of £1.75 million, Grade II-listed 12, Lansdown Place East is one of a landmark curved terrace of 16 houses on the northern slopes of Bath, linked to the Grade I-listed Lansdown Crescent, although designed on a less monumental scale and fronted by a paddock grazed in summer by sheep belonging to a local farmer.

Unlike many of Bath’s most famous houses, which have views either of the city or of the surrounding countryside, Lansdown Place East enjoys wonderful views both to the south over the city and to the north, over nearby villages and rolling open countryside.

Together with Lansdown Place East and its twin, Lansdown Place West, Lansdown Crescent was designed and built between 1789 and 1793 by the architect John Palmer, in partnership with the banker and builder John Lowder and businessman and art connoisseur Charles Spackman, who acted as agent for the supply of building materials.

Throughout its existence, 12, Lansdown Place East appears to have enjoyed the protection of its own genius loci. Not only did the house survive a Second World War bombing raid that destroyed Nos 4 to 9, which were later rebuilt, it also escaped the indiscriminate postwar ‘redevelopment’ suffered by many of Bath’s finest Georgian buildings.

In the 1950s, 12, Lansdown Place East was owned by Michael Briggs, a longstanding chairman of the Bath Preservation Trust, whose wife, Isabel Colegate, wrote numerous novels about life among the English upper classes, including The Shooting Party (1980), The Orlando Trilogy (1984) and Winter Journey (1995).

She shared her husband’s passion for historic buildings and, during their time at 12, Lansdown Place East, renovated its elegant internal space in classic Georgian style, before taking on the even greater challenge of restoring and improving romantic Grade I-listed Midford Castle on the outskirts of the city over a period of some 45 years, between 1961 and 2006.

During roughly the same period, the fortunes of 12, Lansdown Place East apparently took a turn for the worse. According to its current owner, James Whatmore, the house was ‘in poor condition’ when, in 2007, he bought it and embarked on a gradual scheme of improvements, which included a new roof, new hardwood sash windows, three new bathrooms and a new gas-fired central-heating system with two boilers.

Some of the decor from the Briggs era has been retained, but many original features, including fine ceiling cornices, Georgian doors and door locks, have been painstakingly sourced and fitted to compliment the original joinery, stone and wood floors and fireplaces.

The building’s 4,802sq ft of living space is arranged over five floors, with the kitchen and dining room on the ground floor providing access to the pretty rear garden. The first floor houses the drawing room and a bedroom, with four further bedrooms on the second and third floors. The lower-ground floor is a large versatile space, leading to a vault and a wine cellar below.

For sale through Strutt & Parker and Carter Jonas at a guide price of £1.75 million – see more details and pictures.

Credit: Savills

A fairytale castle in Wiltshire which could be straight out of Sleeping Beauty

Credit: KF

A home that mixes Georgian appeal with modern touches, on the market for the second time in a quarter of a millennium

The church owned this property in the Somerset village of Northend for hundreds of years; now, after a huge refurbishment

Credit: knight frank

A picture-perfect rectory just outside Bath where sense and sensibility have held sway

This fine country rectory just outside Bath has had half a million pounds trimmed from its asking price – a realistic

When buying a property in London, the sliding scale of priorities famously moves between size and location; one is almost always sacrificed in pursuit of the other. 47 Phillimore Gardens is one of those rare properties where both are attainable, but it comes with a catch – a price tag that would be daunting to all but the wealthiest among us.

Situated just off Kensington High Street and backing on to Holland Park, Phillimore Gardens has been called one of London’s most iconic streets – the list of previous residents includes everyone from royalty and A-list actors to exiled dictators – and boasts some of the most beautiful properties available in our capital. Most of those who own homes on the Philimore Estate have several properties elsewhere, making for a relatively quiet street, even at the busiest of times.

Even in such a magnificent area, No. 47, on the market with Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £35 million, stands heads and shoulders above the rest. With 6,520 square feet of accommodation over five floors, all finished to the highest standard, its location isn’t the only attribute which makes this home fit for royalty.

What else has earned this property one of the highest price tags we’ve seen here at Country Life this year? On top of the entrance hall, drawing room, sitting room, dining room, studio room, study and no less than three cloakrooms, No. 47 comes with its very own plant room.

Seven bedrooms grace the multi-levelled residence and, in a London first, not one could reasonably considered a box room. A pretty, sheltered and low-maintenance garden is at the back of the house, which overlooks Holland Park and beyond.

A few minutes walk from High Street Kensington tube with the Royal Albert Hall and museums not much further away, it'd be lovely to think that a family would move in and make the most of this wonderful place; it feels like it'd be a bit of a shame for the next owner of No. 47 to see it as a portfolio asset rather than a cosy home.

But even if the millionaire (or billionaire) who swoops in for this house does so in order to speculate, rather than lay down roots, it's hard to imagine that they wouldn't be won over by its charm.

On sale through Strutt & Parker at a guide price of £35 million, click here for more pictures and information.

Credit: Knight Frank

Three beautiful London homes with nanny flats good enough for Mary Poppins

Annunicata Elwes argues the case for nanny flats that are practically perfect in every way, and finds three beautiful homes

Credit: Strutt & Parker

Extravagant, nine bedroom family home, just a stone's throw from central London

Deepdene is a peaceful, palatial countryside dwelling within easy each of all the amenities London has to offer.

Credit: Savills

Four stupendous homes for sale in Notting Hill, with cinemas, gardens… and eight-figure price tags

Notting Hill certainly has some of London's most expensive houses – but they're also among its most beautiful, as our selection

Bath – £2,300,000

A wonderful substantial GI Listed 5 bed Georgian Town House, recently refurbished, carefully retaining numerous period features and character. Peaceful desirable location. Walled garden.

For sale with Pritchards. See more pictures and details about this property.

Bath – £3,000,000

A rare opportunity to purchase a magnificent 6 bed, 5 reception room, GI listed town house. Some updating required. Studio(s), extensive vaults. Walled garden & roof terrace.

For sale with Pritchards. See more pictures and details about this property.

Berkshire - £1,950,000

A stunning Georgian village five bed house set in beautiful grounds of approx. 3.7 acres close to Hungerford.

For sale with Strutt & Parker via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Berkshire - £825,000

A charming four bed Grade II listed detached cottage with a garden of 0.24 acre, on the edge of a village.

For sale with Jackson-Stops via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Buckinghamshire - £1,950,000

Spacious three bed luxury first floor apartment in an exclusive development, c2788 sq. ft., with underground parking, close to the New Town.

For sale with The Frost Partnership via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Carmarthenshire - £429,500

Attractive two/three bedroom cottage set in approx. 2.5 acres including licensed camp site set in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

For sale with Clee Tompkinson Francis via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Cumbria - £1,400,000

This exceptional detached Regency Villa was designed and built by renowned architect George Webster as his own family home in 1827.

For sale with Scott Bainbridge via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Cumbria - £390,000

Spacious three bed property with extensive gardens. Located on the edge of Maulds Meaburn in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

For sale with Eden Estate Agents via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Cumbria - £420,000

Spacious four/five bedroom period property with superb views. Light filled with stylish interiors and original period features.

For sale with Eden Estates via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Cumbria - £475,000

This charming cottage with a swimming pool, garage and gardens is in a small hamlet near both National parks and close to Kendal.

For sale with Cobble Country via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Dumfries & Galloway - £795,000

Handsome period home with three pretty cottages in mature grounds currently used as a successful holiday business. Good access links.

For sale with Galbraith via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

East Sussex - £1,100,000

A detached five bedroom ‘villa' style house with spacious accommodation, large south-facing gardens and separate annexe.

For sale with Charles Wycherley via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Essex - £1,295,000

A spacious four bedroom bungalow with excellent equestrian facilities including 8 stables and floodlight manege set on a 5 acre plot.

For sale with Zoe Napier via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Essex - £800,000

A delightful five bedroom detached house in need of modernisation. Situated in a rural location on a plot of over half an acre.

For sale with Beresfords via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Gloucestershire - £795,000

Immaculate period barn conversion with generous gardens, detached garaging and office. Located in a popular and accessible village.

For sale with Grant & Co via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Grasse, French Riviera - €5.3 million

A substantial country property dating from the end of the 18th Century, nestled in the heart of a beautifully landscaped park with uninterrupted views.

For sale with Jackson-Stops. See more pictures and details about this property.

Hampshire – £10,000 per calendar month

An elegant 8 bedroom listed house of Bath stone in a private park near Kingsclere, within easy access of London. Swimming pool, tennis court, stables, gardens and staff accommodation.

For rent via Carter Jonas. See more pictures and details about this property.

Kent - £1,000,000 - £1,100,000

A well-presented oast and barn conversion, further barn with potential, 4.2 acres, excellent equestrian facilities.

For sale with Batcheller Monkhouse via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Kent - £2,000,000

Georgian style house with approximately 70.2 acres of ground. Available with approximately 5.9 acres, guide price of £1,495,000.

For sale with Knight Frank via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

London – £35,000,000

A very special detached seven bedroom family house with off-street parking and a lovely south-west facing garden backing onto Holland Park.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details about this property.

Norfolk - £665,000

A Grade II listed six bed country house, full of character located in rural West Norfolk, set in 1.7 acres of gardens with pool.

For sale with Barry L Hawkins via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

North Yorkshire - £1,150,000

Capple Bank Farm is a stunning country house with a detached cottage, outbuildings, stabling, 12 acres and commanding views.

For sale with Robin Jessop via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

North Yorkshire - £1,250,000

Superb Georgian village house with gardens and land

For sale with Blenkin & Co via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Shropshire - £875,000

An impressive Grade II listed, former Vicarage in a World Heritage site offering exceptional views across the Valley.

For sale with Balfours via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Somerset - £900,000

Charming four bed farmhouse with adjoining residential cottage and two holiday cottages. Handsome gardens with stables and paddock.

For sale with Stags via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Suffolk - £850,000

A substantial four bed unlisted timber frame barn of character. Mature plot approaching 4 acres. Cart lodge and 4 stables.

For sale with Fenn Wright via OnTheMarket.com. See more pictures and details about this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

Nine of the best country properties for sale in Yorkshire

Magnificent homes throughout England's largest county, from the beautiful coast of the North Yorks Moors to the rolling hills further

Widely recognised as one of the most beautiful and unspoilt of all the Cotswold market towns, Chipping Campden’s high street – known as Leysbourne – was described by Pevsner as ‘the best piece of townscape in Gloucestershire, arguably one of the best in England’.

In which case, the ‘best of the best’ is Maidens Row, a grand terrace of four Jacobean houses located towards the end of the high street and remodelled in the Classical Georgian style in about 1826.

Local legend has it that the original 17th-century houses were built by a rich clergyman for his four daughters, all of whom eventually married, hence the name Maidens Row. And on this page you'll find the end house of the terrace, for sale with Savills at £1.25 million.

Having bought the house two years ago, former Vogue journalist and interior designer Sandy Bishop finds commuting from the Cotswolds to Europe and beyond somewhat less than relaxing.

Having sympathetically restored and refurbished Maidens Row in the style of a London townhouse, she is now ready to relocate.

With terraced gardens expertly laid-out by Mrs Bishop’s son, Max, Maidens Row offers three reception rooms, five bedrooms and three bathrooms

There is also a guest annexe, the whole painted in a refreshing palette of pastel heritage colours.

Maidens Row is for sale via Savills at £1.25m – see more details and pictures.

Mini-break: The Painswick, Gloucestershire

The cream of the Cotswolds.

Credit: Mark Williamson

Down to a tea: The finest teashops in the Cotswolds

When partaking of a piping-hot cup of tea and a crumblingly delicious slice of cake, where better to indulge than

Credit: Old Came Rectory - Thomas Hardy's friend's house

A sprawling Dorset cottage for sale where Thomas Hardy met his inspirational mentor

Old Came Rectory is a delightful thatched cottage just outside Dorchester where one of Britain's greatest writers was a regular

The Country Life guide to the Cotswolds: Where to go, what to see, where to stay and what to eat

Straddling five counties, the Cotswolds is arguably England's most famous region outside of London. Here’s our guide to what to

Credit: Getty

The Blue Pool: How a disused quarry turned into one of Britain’s most beautiful lakes

A forgotten corner of Dorset has an extraordinary tea room at a beautiful spot.