Sandwiched between Manchester and the Peak District National Park is a picturesque town dubbed the ‘Jewel of the Cheshire Alps’.

Just a 25-minute train journey from Manchester city centre, Marple has ‘an understated charm and calm’, according to the buying agency, Garrington Property Finders.

This unassuming town boasts a strong community spirit, two brass bands, a neighbourhood cinema, independent shops, canal towpaths, historic locks, and natural beauty in spades. It is also thought to have inspired Agatha Christie’s famous character, Miss Marple (even if the single best piece of evidence for that claim turned out to be faked).

While the town may not be a household name, Marple has just been crowned the best place to live in England and Wales by Garrington Property Finders.

The agency’s annual league table ranks the best cities, towns and villages with more than 5,000 residents — there are apparently 1,447 of them — across a range of criteria, including natural environment, wellbeing, heritage and culture, schools and jobs, and value for money.

And Marple has taken the top spot, performing particularly strongly in the natural environment, value for money, and heritage and culture categories.

A surprise? Yes. But this is a list full of surprises. Last year's winner, Redbourn, is no longer even on the list. The 2023 winner, Twyford, dropped to 35th place in 2024, but has climbed back up to 14th this year.

If you thought this top 10 prime ranking would be awash with coveted addresses in London, the Cotswolds, the Home Counties and the like, you’d be mistaken. While there are some familiar names — St Albans, which always does well in these sorts of surveys, comes third — it is largely made up of lesser-known locations. And northern charm seems to be the overarching theme, with half of the top 10 locations found in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Cheshire.

‘2025’s big falls in prime central London values made headlines, but our analysis has revealed many other highly desirable areas across Britain where homes became more affordable over the past year,’ explains Jonathan Hopper, CEO of Garrington Property Finders.

None of this is to complain about Marple taking the top spot, though, and if you like the sound of living there then this charming cottage in the town offers ‘a rare blend of character, space, and tranquillity — all within easy reach of Marple Bridge and transport links to Manchester,’ according to Julian Wadden. It’s on the market for £925,000.

Where else should prime buyers turn their attention? Well, Rawdon in West Yorkshire comes in second place. Like Marple, it sits between a major city and picturesque countryside — in this case, Leeds and Nidderdale National Landscape — offering the best of both worlds.

The village scored highly for natural environment, heritage and culture, and value for money. According to Garrington Property Finders, it ‘blends great landscapes, panoramic views, prime houses, and easy access to the city’. This large house on the market in Rawdon includes a separate cottage. It has a £2,250,000 price tag with Hardisty Prestige.

The fact that we've just described Rawdon as a 'village' highlights one of the issues with this list. Is it fair to compare Manchester — popular 600,000 — with Chapel-en-le-Frith, a Derbyshire village with a population 8,000? For what it's worth, Manchester is 112th, some eight places behind Chapel-en-le-Frith.

Once city does make the top 10. Hot on Rawdon’s heels is St Albans in Hertfordshire, a perennial star performer in both this annual ranking and all the others which do the rounds. Strong scores across the natural environment, schools and jobs, heritage and culture, and value for money categories helped propel this popular commuter spot into third place. This five-bedroom house in St Albans has 'family home' written all over it.

St Albans is eyewateringly expensive, though, with an average family house price of almost £1 million. This house for sale with Strutt & Parker is a perfect example. Yes, it's a nice house on a quiet road, but it's hard not to marvel at the economics which dictates that this suburban home costs for £2,650,000, the same as an actual castle just outside Edinburgh.

Rounding out the top five are Bramhall, on the outskirts of Manchester, and Long Ashton in Somerset — suggesting that village life remains hugely desirable.

What's really surprising about the list, though, is the fact that many very lovely places seem to be languishing in the lower reaches. Midhurst, a pretty small town in the South Downs, sits at 1,116th, while nearby Petersfield — with its historic town centre, excellent road and rail connections, good schools and the South Downs on the doorstep — is in 1,325th.

Even some of the most celebrated places in the country rank lowly. Brighton just about gets inside the top 150 at number 149, as does Richmond-upon-Thames (142nd). Both often feature highly in these sorts of lists, as does Stratford-upon-Avon. Shakespeare's town is out of luck though: it's 302nd, just sneaking ahead of South Shields, but 11 places below Huddersfield.

This year, Garrington have produced a separate list for Scotland, and as with the England and Wales lists, there are surprises. Edinburgh doesn't crack the top 10, while Glasgow, Stirling and St Andrews are 65th, 57th and 55th respectively.

‘While prime prices rose in Scotland, they stayed flat in much of southern England and Wales,' Hopper adds.

'Our research suggests that the most attractive buying opportunities aren’t limited to London, and extend to several other perennially popular locations that offer excellent amenities, a high standard of living and now improving value too.’

While Glasgow didn't score highly, its suburbs did: Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire topped the charts, one of three affluent suburbs of Scotland's biggest city — alongside Bearsden and Bishopbriggs — that featured in the Scottish top 10. Their rankings were boosted by high average salaries and fast connections into the city centre.

In Milngavie, this ‘highly appealing detached villa is sure to attract interest from those looking to acquire a long-term family home,’ says Rettie & Co, which is selling the property for £370,000.

But we’ve just covered the overall ranking of best places to live. Garrington Property Finders’s nifty interactive tool allows you to look up locations as well as rank places by individual criteria.

So, if you’d prefer to live in a place that comes up trumps for wellbeing (who doesn’t?), you might want to scope out Devon. Four of the five top places ranked by wellbeing are located in the county.

London, meanwhile, dominates the heritage and culture ranking, with Westminster, City of London, Camden, Kensington & Chelsea, Islington, and Lambeth all in the top 10. Outside the capital, Bath, Ramsgate, Brighton and Hove, and York also feature.

Ranking the locations by natural environment also delivers some unsurprising spots, with Royal Tunbridge Wells (another commuter favourite), scenic Shaftesbury, and Alnwick — where two Harry Potter movies were filmed - all making the top 15.

But there are some eyebrow-raisers in this particular ranking too. The town of Swindon, for example, is named the 15th best place to live in England and Wales for natural environment. And a further scroll down the list reveals that while Croydon is ranked 67th, the sought-after market town of Marlborough comes in 1,333rd place.

Hopper argues that prime property is no longer about reputation alone. In his view, ‘it’s increasingly about data-driven desirability’.

He adds: ‘Today’s most successful locations blend a winning combination of lifestyle, investment security and accessibility.’

The capital’s first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ is set to hit Bankside in London, as global real-estate firm Hines announces it has secured planning permission for a Foster + Partners-designed development that promises to set the worldwide standard. Benefiting from the expertise of wellness specialist Pillar, best known for the wellness club at Raffles London at The OWO, The Round will be ‘created as a solution to pervasive societal issues, such as social isolation, depression and anxiety, increased incidences of dementia, chronic under-activity and increases in cardio-vascular disease, obesity and diabetes,’ explains Oli Patrick, Pillar’s clinical director.

Ultimately, those who come to work here should ‘feel better when they leave than when they arrived,’ adds Ross Blair of Hines. The data-driven focuses — based on the core categories of environment, movement, mindset, social, nutrition and recovery — will range from air quality, acoustics and a desk space that ‘encourages regular and spontaneous movement’ to mentorship, music, art, breathwork, meditation, cooking workshops and nutritionist consultations. Access to the great outdoors won’t be a problem, as The Round will have more terraces than any other tower in the city and, as part of a 150% increase in biodiversity planned for the site, 100 new trees will be planted.

And it's not just The Round that's going all holistic on us: property developers across the UK appear to be embracing the forest-bathing trend, prioritising the creation of biophilic high rises with dedicated green spaces. With the Global Wellness Institute valuing the wellness real-estate sector at $438 billion, predicted to grow 15.8% annually until 2028, and with Knight Frank’s Wealth Report revealing 25% of buyers now value amenity-rich homes with wellbeing spaces (up from 9%), it appears the trend is here to stay. The phrase ‘forest bathing’ is a literal translation of the Japanese shinrin-yoku, coined in 1982 (but not invented) by a Japanese government figure after numerous studies proved the therapeutic benefits of spending time amid Nature, with its capacity to reduce cortisol levels and accelerate healing.

In London, landscape architects and urban-planning firm Gillespies is a poster child for the movement, responsible for the green spaces around Neo Bankside, and the critically acclaimed Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street (the Walkie-Talkie), the capital’s highest public garden. Now, the Gillespies team and the former head horticulturist at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have created the planting schemes for Farrer Huxley and Squire & Partners’ tropical oases within Chalegrove Properties’ Landmark Pinnacle project in Canary Wharf, the tallest residential building in Europe, where apartments start from £615,000. On the 27th floor, more than 3,500 plants, such as ficus, fragrant stephanotis, spider plants and peace lilies dominate, rising to 13,000 on the 75th floor’s Sky Terrace, the largest and highest of its kind in the UK, with the UK’s tallest living walls and 360-degree views.

‘Where land is at a premium, this new model of internal gardens on a large scale could be part of the solution for better, healthier lives at the centre of our cities,’ argues Armel Mourgue, partner at Gillespies. ‘The controlled temperature, light and humidity generated within the Panorama Garden will create ideal tropical conditions, where lush, green, exotic bold foliage will thrive even in winter.’

Patrick from Pillar continues: ‘Working with Hines, we have taken wellbeing back to its science: what are the multitude of factors that directly and indirectly affect the functioning of the human machine and how do we optimise these? Our objective was to create a 360-degree environment that facilitates positive wellbeing interactions as the path of least resistance. The Round will fuse physical design and space allocation with tailored service provision, combined with community building and embedded in a centralised wellbeing culture.’

The Round will also be fossil-fuel free, 100% electric and net-zero carbon in operation, with 95% of the 1¾-acre site’s heat coming from ground-source heat pumps; there are hopes that it will be the first high-rise scheme in the UK to achieve the official WELL Community Gold Standard.

The £2 billion project is set for completion in 2030, offering 800,000sq ft of office space and 433 new homes (40% affordable); visit The Round for details.

Everyone wants to live in one of the best places in the country, don’t they? Criteria could include something like a pretty neighbourhood steeped in history. Or beautiful countryside. Or close to good schools (and a decent farm shop and coffee shop). But you still need to get to work easily…

Sometimes, though, it can feel like looking for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Well, Garrington Property Finders has come to the rescue and unveiled their list of the best places to live in England and Wales.

Now, the property buying agency will have a good nose for what the top locations are, as they are in the business of securing properties on behalf of their home-buyer clients.

But the firm has gone down the data route to compile this annual report. It has ranked more than 1,400 villages, towns and cities across England and Wales. In case you're wondering about the enormous number of places, it's basically every settlement with a population of more than 5,000.

All have been ranked according to five key criteria: natural beauty, wellbeing, heritage, schools and jobs, and value for money (determined by how the price of a family home compares with house prices and salaries in the wider region).

• Natural beauty: proportion of open green space, distance to a natural beauty area (ie AONB, Heritage Coast), Flood risk
• Wellbeing: air quality, % homes with a 1ha of accessible open space within 300m, crime ranking
• Heritage/culture: % listed buildings, % pre-1900s homes, number of museums, galleries and theatres within 5 miles, number of restaurants within 5 miles
• Schools, employment and connectivity: Growth in number of high-tech jobs within the travel to work area, overall jobs growth, homes with ultrafast broadband, outstanding schools, homes within 200m of bus stop/rail station,
• House price quality and value: change in average sales prices, incomes relative to regional average, sales prices per square foot relative to regional average.

This year, the Hertfordshire village of Redbourn has been crowned the best place to live, knocking Twyford off the top spot. (The Berkshire village has dropped to 35th place in this year’s ranking, in case you’re wondering).

Redbourn has that winning combination of rural charm and easy access to London. It’s also got not one, but two golf courses. Plus cricket pedigree: it’s thought that cricket was first played on the common in Redbourn as far back as 1666.

The village scored highly for natural beauty and value for money, and fared well for heritage too. A typical family home in Redbourn costs a chunky £767,501 - and that’s after average sale prices dipped by 8.2% in 2024.

Epsom, which hosts one of the world’s most famous horse races, comes in second place. Top schools and high-paying jobs have helped propel the Surrey town into this coveted spot, says Garrington Property Finders. Epsom is no stranger at the top end of the annual ranking, having been a ‘thoroughbred’ performer in previous years. The typical family home in the area costs £790,983. Average prices slipped here too last year, by 2.5%.

But you don’t necessarily need deep pockets to buy a family property in one of these top-ranked places.

In third place is Whitburn in Tyne and Wear on the north east coast. This may come as a surprise to some. But it’s home to wide, sandy beaches — yet is not far from Newcastle and Sunderland. And the typical price of a family home in this seaside village? A relatively modest £328,699. Average prices dropped by 1.6% in 2024.

Like the sound of Whitburn? This unassuming-looking five-bedroom house is bursting with colour and pattern inside. It has a £365,000 price tag with Brown & Co Properties.

Still, Alnwick in Northumberland, ranked sixth, trumped Whitburn to be the most affordable place in the top 20 ranking. A typical family home in the cobbled market town would set you back an average £327,246. Alnwick is also a top performer in the value for money category too, beaten only by Kibworth Beauchamp and Kibworth Harcourt in Leicestershire, Penarth in Wales, and Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex.

As for the most expensive place in the top 20, well, that title goes to St Albans, the cathedral city in Hertfordshire. Ranked fifth, the popular commuter city boasts two millennia of history and ‘many good schools’. This may explain why the price of a typical family home rose by 0.2% last year to hit £974,657, suggests Garrington Property Finders.

Want to know more? Here’s the top 20 ranking in full:

1. Redbourn, Hertfordshire
2. Epsom, Surrey
3. Whitburn, Tyne & Wear
4. Marple, Greater Manchester
5. St Albans, Hertfordshire
6. Alnwick, Northumberland
7. Merley, Dorset
8. Ewell, Surrey
9. Chigwell, Essex
10. Ashtead, Surrey
11. Rawdon, West Yorkshire
12. Worcester Park, Surrey
13. Godalming, Surrey
14. Gatley, Greater Manchester
15. Corsham, Wiltshire
16. Whitnash, Warwickshire
17. Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
18. Long Ashton, Somerset
19. Meltham, West Yorkshire
20. Tadworth, Surrey

Of course, there are several ways to slice and dice the data. And the good news is, you can do that yourself, with Garrington Property Finders’s nifty interactive tool. It allows you to search for a place, browse by region, and even sort by ranking.

That leads to the one big omission: namely, that villages under 5,000 were not part of the analysis. Thus some delightful, beautiful, historic and perennially popular places aren't included from Ambleside (population 2,627) to Arundel (population 3,496).

‘Our analysis has revealed several highly desirable parts of England and Wales where prices have either fallen, or risen more slowly, over the past year. Some of the biggest savings are to be made in perennially popular, prime locations which offer excellent amenities, a high standard of living and now also improving value,’ explains Jonathan Hopper, CEO of Garrington Property Finders.

‘With mortgage interest rates forecast to come down gradually during 2025, many would-be buyers and movers are likely to progress their plans in coming months, keen to capitalise on the combination of lower borrowing costs and a highly competitive market in which buyers often hold the cards when it comes to negotiating the best price.’

Now there’s your cue to pick up the phone to Mr Hopper…

I have been lucky enough to live in some of the world’s better cities. New York and London have both been home for me. I have visited many others: Melbourne, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Paris, to name a few. It’s always difficult to know what to expect the first time you visit a ‘great city’. What makes them so special? Why do they deserve to be listed as timezones or on the bottom of a fancy fashion label.

One, however, made instant sense, and that was Rome. It is a great city, not least because it once conquered most of Europe, but because you can immediately feel that history. The buildings radiate culture, every turn down a side street a reminder of a civilisation that spanned centuries thousands of years ago. It is profoundly wonderful.

You would hope that the property in such a place would be of a similar standard; layers upon layers of history, from the Romans to the corrupt and powerful families of the Renaissance and beyond. Looking at this property on the Via Nomentana — for sale with Savills for €5.1 million — it is hard to argue otherwise.

First impressions count, as we know, and it’s hard not to be immediately impressed by this entrance hall and staircase. All that classic Italian flair is here: the trompe l’oeil, the rich columns, the red carpet and fine ironwork of the railings, the marble.

These grand spaces are littered throughout the ground and first floors, boasting high ceilings and plenty of period features. It is perhaps not surprising that this property has been used in film and television.

On the second floor, you will find a more casual living space, with a large living area, a dining room, kitchen and bathroom. Furthermore, the property offers a plethora of balconies, giving great views of this rich city from all angles.

Outside, a grand garden provides the entrance to the property, which is itself set back from the main street. Providing plenty of space to entertain, or just a barrier from the noise, it offers plenty of potential. As does the property as a whole, which would benefit from a bit of TLC throughout.

But Rome’s great trick is that not everything need be new. There is charm and elegance and excitement in rich history and tradition. And of being a part of it.

This property on the Via Nomentana is for sale with Savills for €5.1 million. For more information and pictures, click here.

In today’s topsy-turvy world, the mighty Acropolis, which still looms large over Athens some 2,500 years after it was built, is an enduring and much-needed symbol of democratic ideals and of resilience. Despite everything history and humanity has thrown at it — the years of neglect, foreign invasions and natural disasters — it somehow still stands.

The ancient citadel comprises a myriad of buildings. The Parthenon is the most famous, dedicated to the Greek Goddess Athena, patroness of Athens, but there’s also the Erechtheion, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. And in its shadow, a neo-classical villa that’s currently for sale with Sotheby’s International Realty, for just under €10million. Actually, two houses — one fully renovated, and one in need of some love and care.

It is an extraordinary opportunity to live in such close proximity — almost touching distance — to one of the world’s most famous landmarks.

The first house occupies 435 sq m of space comprising a kitchen, living and dining areas, a grand staircase and four bedrooms — each one with a different view. There’s plenty of marble and natural light, plus a garden courtyard and a two-car driveway — a ‘rare find in this central location,’ according to the listing. The adjacent property measures 257 sq m, big enough to create at least three additional bedrooms should the mood take you. The roof terrace offers unbeatable 360-degree views of the Greek capital and all of its architectural gems.

The building’s facade is a soft apricot colour, studded with evenly-spaced green-shuttered windows and Corinthian pilasters. Ivy has been allowed to grow up the sides which, rather than ruining the effect, has helped to soften the sometimes overwhelming symmetry.

Competition among hopeful buyers is likely to be high: last year, house prices in Athens rose nearly 8% year-on-year in the last quarter and there are no signs of demand easing off. There are also new hotels and restaurants aplenty, including The Dolli and Monument, and an increasing focus in the travel world on where to go in Greece beyond its islands.

It might just be time to throw your hat into the ring — or live to regret it.

Athenian Legacy is for sale with Sotheby’s International Realty for €9,500,000. Click here for more information and pictures.

Few likely predicted what the marshland that’s now Quinta do Lago, in Portugal’s Algarve region, could and would go on to become, some 45 years ago. And who can blame them? The original 1,360-acre site contained the ruins of an old farmhouse, a stone pine forest and the holiday resort of Vale do Lobo. And the country’s politics were still unstable: 1968 marked the end of António de Oliveira Salazar’s rule (he presided over one of the longest-lived authoritarian regimes in modern Europe), but the Portuguese Colonial War was ongoing. Not exactly prime building and investment conditions.

Enter André Jordan who, before his death in 2024, spoke often about how when he looked out across the parcel of largely undeveloped southern Portuguese land for the first time, he knew instantly what it could become. Jordan moved quickly, building golf courses and necessary infrastructure and establishing Quinta do Lago as one of Europe’s leading golf and real estate resorts. Today, he is billed as ‘the father of Portuguese tourism’.

Development of the resort — now under the ownership of Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien — continues to this day, including the construction of this seven-bedroom villa which has sea views, and is walking distance from some of the area’s best restaurants and the beach.

Almancil Loulé, all clean angles and floor-to-ceiling glass, was designed by Jutta Hoehn — the brains behind many of Quinta do Lago’s newer properties. Futuristic features of note include a floating gas fireplace, an electric front door and electronically-controlled glass walls which open out onto a poolside terrace that’s perfectly set-up for alfresco dining.

The entire first floor is reserved for the primary bedroom with ensuite bathroom (look out for the micro cement finish) and private terrace (elevated seating, firepit) — but you’ll have to divide your time between that and the sprawling rooftop one which has a 20-person jacuzzi and a mini kitchen for late-night entertaining.

It rains very little in the Algarve — and chiefly between November and March — but the house does come equipped with an additional indoor pool, bar area, wine cave, a gym and a home cinema, Turkish bath, sauna and a massage area — which should keep you busy as and when the sun decides to take a day off.

The best bit? It comes fully furnished, right down to a fully-stocked kitchen (induction hob, two ovens, a wine fridge, a Delonghi coffee making station) — so you can get on with holidaying in style.

Outside, you’ll find a carriage driveway, large garage with car turntable and an infinity swimming pool with an overflow feature that runs down to the lower garden.

Almancil Loulé is for sale with John D Wood for €23,500,000 (about £20 million). For more information and pictures, click here.

In Devon, the River Avon, also known as the River Aune, rises in the southern half of Dartmoor National Park and passes through South Brent, Avonwick and Aveton Gifford before flowing into the sea at Bigbury-on-Sea; the estuary lies within the South Devon National Landscape and is part of the South Devon Heritage Coast.

Chris Clifford of Savills in Exeter is handling the sale, for the first time ever, of the imposing and wonderfully private Villa Crusoe, which stands in more than four acres of gardens and woodland on the banks of the River Avon, nearly two miles from Bigbury-on-Sea and half a mile from Bantham by boat.

It enjoys direct water access, a boathouse, quay, slipway and moorings, as well as a private beach. The house faces almost due south and enjoys far-reaching views over the tidal reaches of the Avon to the neighbouring Bantham estate.

Mr Clifford quotes a guide price of £3.3m for the handsome 1920s villa, built by the Wade family of Nailsea Court, Somerset, who entertained many interesting guests there over the years. Among them was Daniel Defoe, who met there Alexander Selkirk, a rebellious former naval officer and castaway whose adventures were the inspiration for Defoe’s novel Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, and, ultimately, for the name of the house, Villa Crusoe.

Although now in need of what Mr Clifford describes as ‘a generational makeover’, in its present configuration Villa Crusoe provides some 3,150sq ft of comfortable and characterful accommodation on three floors, including a reception hall, three south-facing reception rooms and a large kitchen with Aga on the ground floor.

On the first floor, a principal bedroom suite, four guest bedrooms and three bath/shower rooms, and a further bedroom suite on the second floor. Planning consent has been granted for a modern extension that would add a further 2,148sq ft of accommodation, details of which are available on request.

In addition to the accommodation in the main house, there is a series of outbuildings, including garaging, workshops and stores, and, in an elevated woodland setting behind the house, a splendid guest suite complete with woodburner, en-suite bathroom and terrace — sure to meet the requirements of even the most demanding of castaways.

Villa Crusoe is for sale with Savills for £3.3 million. For more information and pictures, click here.

Netflix’s critically-acclaimed spy thriller, Black Doves, has had many of us glued to our screens. Starring Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire, the series reached Netflix’s top 10 in 89 countries last December.

But riveting plot and gripping performances aside — Knightley received a Golden Globe nomination for her role — there was another star that grabbed many viewers’ attention: the Victorian villa that Knightley’s character called ‘home’.

You could now follow in Knightley’s footsteps: the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house in the heart of Crystal Palace, south east London, has come onto the market, with offers in excess of £5m via Hamptons.

The Victorian villa features heavily in the Netflix series as the family home of Knightley’s character, Helen Webb, a double agent, and her politician husband, Wallace Webb.

It’s believed to have taken 10 days to transform the house for the production, with every room used for filming repainted. Today, the mansion is ‘steeped in both architectural charm and cinematic prestige’, says Hamptons.

With its grand proportions, impressive 5,900 sq ft of floor space, and stylish interiors, it’s quite a catch.

On the ground floor, the bespoke deVOL kitchen is one of the star attractions. It features a Silestone worktop, Fisher & Paykel French door fridge, dishwasher drawers, and wine fridge, plus a 120cm Smeg range cooker. No excuse for shabby culinary skills here.

The double reception room on the other side of the hall is equally eye-catching, with two original marble fireplaces and folding doors that divide the sitting room and the dining room.

But this house doesn’t just look good. It’s also a family home that is set up for entertainment and functionality.

On the ground floor, there’s not one but two studies, and a utility room. And on the lower level, there’s a cinema room with a MASS surround sound system, a games and family room with a full-size snooker table, studio, and a laundry and boot room.

On the first floor, the principal bedroom can be accessed via the original ‘back stairs’ as well as the main staircase (ideal for a double agent, wouldn’t you say?). It boasts an en-suite bathroom with marble mosaic floor tiles and a dressing room. There’s a further four bedrooms and two bathrooms.

While the house may be in London, the top floor bedrooms have views that extend right out to the Kent countryside.

And let’s not forget the south-facing garden with a raised terrace and a sunken fire pit seating area. After all, there is where, in Black Doves, Webb shoots an assassin dead in the garden shed (which is still in-situ).

Mark Breffit, Senior Advisor in Hamptons Private Office, says the villa ‘truly stands out as a one-of-a-kind property’ in the neighbourhood.

‘With its gated entrance, off-street parking, and an expansive south-facing garden, this property offers a rare combination of privacy and space in the city. And for those who appreciate a touch of glamour, the house's starring role in a popular Netflix show adds an intriguing element to its already impressive pedigree,’ he explains.

‘Located in South London’s answer to Notting Hill — Crystal Palace offers a more relaxed vibe — and moments from Crystal Palace triangle, which is populated by independent cafes, restaurants, vintage shops, and antique stores a plenty. Its proximity to Dulwich and its renowned schools adds significant appeal for families.’

The house is for sale with Hamptons, with offers in excess of £5m. For more information and pictures, click here.

I remember my first time in a village hall. I remember the contrast between the freezing winter evening and the warmth inside. The roaring fire and bonhomie of a small Suffolk village coming together to celebrate something called the harvest festival, which, as a recent arrival to the UK, was alien.

Ever since, these little halls dotted around our countryside have held a special place in my heart. There is an inherent beauty to how they bring the countryside — a place that is by its very definition quite large — closer together. I had not, until today, seen one converted into a home before.

The abode in question was the former village hall at Shotley Bridge in Co Durham. Now reimagined as a five-bedroom house rather aptly named The Village Hall, it has become a spacious and contemporary modern home in the north of England. It is for sale with Finest Properties for £1.2 million.

As is the case with lots of village-amenity conversions (churches, and so on), the existing layout of the building creates quite interesting floorplans. The Village Hall is no different. The ground floor is almost exclusively open plan, featuring a large double-height sitting room, that flows into a dining room and down some stairs to the vast kitchen. You’ll also find an office space, a pantry, a bedroom and shower room.

On the first floor, four further bedrooms, the highlight of which is the principal bedroom suite, which features an en-suite bathroom, vanity room, and walk-in wardrobe. A mezzanine space is perfect for relaxing in with a good book.

The interiors are all finished to an exceptionally high standard, with the property’s traditional stone features complemented perfectly with contemporary design and fittings. The bathrooms, for example, look amazing. As does the kitchen.

There is also a large terrace with a canopy roof for entertaining, if that’s your thing.

The village of Shotley Bridge adjoins the town of Consett, meaning that there are plenty of amenities well within walking distance of the Village Hall.

Durham and Newcastle are about 15 miles to the east, while the glorious North Pennines National Landscape lies directly to the west.

The Village Hall is for sale with Finest Properties for £1.2 million. For more information and pictures, click here

I feel like it has been raining for the best part of a month, so today the Sauron-like gaze of the Country Life Online Property Desk will move off this grey island and to the south of France. There is sun there and I have not seen it for some time.

Questions that I am now asking myself, that I have never asked myself before: would I like to live in a former Victorian water treatment plant? Previously, no. Having now seen this property tucked into the hillside over Villefranche-sur-Mer, the answer is: certainly. For sale with Savills for €8.9 million. Tres Bien.

There are views for miles. Just look. Look at Cap Ferrat and the bay. Imagine the delight of enjoying a crisp and refreshing beverage on the balcony while the sun slowly sets on a warm summer’s evening. Things do not get better than this. Until you step inside.

The building formerly purified the town’s water supply. During its re-design, much of the original period machinery was retained, creating a reception space of some 210sq m that is both achingly modern and characterful, all under 25ft high ceilings.

With four bedrooms in all, there is plenty of space throughout, and the property is present to a very high standard throughout. The kitchen is a symphony of stainless steel. It is all very modern and probably quite easy to clean, which is always nice.

Outside, the gardens provide plenty of space to relax and entertain, with lots of seating areas, shade and those sublime views. There is also a small swimming pool and a hot tub, so there’s no need to ever leave.

If you do decide to leave, the resort town of Villefranch-sur-Mer is one of the finest on the Mediterranean, with plenty of bars, restaurants, clubs, and so on. Nice and its international airport is a short drive away.

The former waterworks in Villefranch-sur-Mer is for sale with Savills for €8.9 million. For more information and pictures, click here

A Swiss fairytale

The 18th century Swiss property that Audrey Hepburn lived in from 1963 until her death in 1993 is for sale, for about £17 million.

La Paisible — which translates to ‘the peaceful place’ — has 12 bedrooms, eight bathrooms and 16,000 sq m of parkland dotted with century-old trees and white rose bushes given to the Hollywood star by fashion house Givenchy. There’s also a heated swimming pool, two indoor garages and outdoor parking for roughly 15 vehicles.

The blue-shuttered villa is located in the lakeside town of Tolochenaz, near Lausanne. The lake — Lac Léman — is famously bisected by the Swiss-French border.

Hepburn described the Swiss retreat as being 'even more a real home than our apartment in Rome because it has a garden and trees.'

After Hepburn’s death (she is buried in Tolochenaz’s graveyard), her sons sold La Paisible in 2021 to Katharina and Jean-Marc Beaujolin who extensively renovated the interiors. ‘We’ve decided to do some downsizing, because it’s just the two of us in this big house, and it felt like the right moment to make a change,’ said Katharina Beaujolin in an interview with Bloomberg.

Hepburn isn’t the only celebrity who spurned the spotlight for a quieter life in Switzerland: Tina Turner (who renounced her US citizenship), Shania Twain and Roger Moore all made the move.

La Paisible is for sale with Knight Frank and subject to Swiss residency permit requirements.

Behind the scenes

Blenheim Palace has announced a new extended tour experience that will offer visitors a chance to peer inside the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s private apartments.

The five additional rooms included in the tour are the Duke’s Bar, the Family Dining Room, the Smoking Room , the Duchess’s Sitting Room and the Grand Cabinet, typically reserved for special family occasions and one of the Palace’s most opulent spaces.

The Grand Cabinet was used as a schoolroom during the Second World War by Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill, one of the late Queen’s six Coronation Maids of Honour, chosen to accompany the monarch through Westminster Abbey in 1953.

The art to living longer

The UK’s independent charity for art has launched a health and wellbeing campaign, inspired by research from University College London (UCL) which shows that regular engagement with art is associated with a significantly reduced risk of premature death.

Art Fund’s ‘See More, Live More’ campaign spotlights the health and wellbeing benefits of art and culture. They’ve partnered with Dr Anthony Woods, a researcher at King’s College London, who says that ‘engaging with the arts is proven to help reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, and will enhance overall mental health.’

Despite the findings, according to reports commissioned and released as part of the campaign, 63% of people surveyed visit a museum or gallery space to ‘de-stress’, but only 6% carve out time to actually do so.

Art Fund’s National Art Pass offers free or discounted entry to more than 400 museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK — including 50% off major exhibitions such as Silk Roads at the British Museum (until 26 February) and The Courtauld's Goya to Impressionism (opening 14 February).

A match made in Florida

The Colony Hotel in Florida’s Palm Beach has unveiled the first images of its new, three-bedroom bungalow, designed by British interior designer Ashley Hicks in collaboration with Cabana magazine’s founder and editor-in-chief, Martina Mondadori.

Mondadori and Hicks were heavily inspired by some of the last century’s greatest decorating names and projects: Yves Saint Laurent’s Villa Mabrouka in Tangier and his Russian dacha at Château Gabriel, Verde Visconti and David Hicks.

David, father of Ashley, decorated King Charles's then Prince of Wales, first apartment at Buckingham Palace and made carpets for Windsor Castle. He married Lady Pamela Mountbatten, younger daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, in 1960.

The Cabana Bungalow is one of the hotel’s total 14 individually decorated residences. Previous projects have been undertaken with brands such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s goop and AERIN.

In 1930, Country Life published a glowing article about the famous gardens at Villa Frere in Malta that had been created by the English diplomat John Hookham Frere (1769–1846). He had retired to Malta in 1820 with his wife, Elizabeth, the Dowager Countess of Erroll, hoping that the sunnier climate would benefit her delicate health. Eventually, however, she succumbed and in 1831, after her death, he began creating his garden partly as a way of alleviating his bereavement.

Villa Frere sits on a rocky hillside at Pietà, a small harbour near Valletta, and Frere, who became famous for his kindness and generosity to the people of Malta, employed local craftsmen to build terraces, irrigation systems, classical temples and all manner of walls and wells to support the creation of his dream.

He spent ‘thousands on the garden’. As Celia Congreve, the author of the Country Life article, reported: ‘At first there was nothing but bare rock rising in rough terraces to where wonderful panoramas of land and sea roll out before one on all sides. Probably a few prickly pears, carubas or even fig trees clung to its sides wherever a handful of soil made it possible, but there can have been no other vegetation.’ To fill the new garden, soil had been imported by ship.

The finished garden was a sight to behold, full of flowering terraces, follies, ponds and fountains and an orange grove. To cope with the dry climate of Malta, a network of water channels and underground tanks had been installed. Soon, Villa Frere was top of the list for visiting intellectuals, artists, writers and friends of the extended Frere household — and continued to be so until the death of Frere in 1846.

Subsequently, the house was lived in by several different occupants, including my own grandmother’s parents, retired naval commander Edward Price and Giuseppina, daughter of Count Messina. Thankfully, Price was a keen gardener and returned the gardens to their former glory. In his day, visiting royalty, including Queen Mary, wife of George V, and Queen Marie of Romania made a special occasion of seeing the gardens.

By 1939, however, the Price family had left and the Maltese government took back the lease during the war years. After a brief return to private ownership in the 1950s, much of the garden lay empty and the unforgiving climate slowly destroyed the stone work, until it had decayed to a sorry state of ruin.

In 2009, my family visited Malta. Keen to see where my grandmother had been born, we asked the way to Villa Frere from a passing stranger. It turned out that she had been a student of Prof Vassallo, an academic at the University of Malta who was a devotee of Frere. I was put in touch with the professor and later, when I had written a book about the gardens and my family’s time at Villa Frere, I was asked to give a talk about it to Din l-Art Ħelwa (the National Trust of Malta) in Valletta. There, I met Edward Said, an established restoration architect, and Peter Borg Ghigo, an archivist, who were both interested in saving the site. By then, the Upper Gardens were in ruins and hardly any sign of the former glory could be seen, only a few paving stones peeping shyly out of the brambles.

The first years were a challenge, as very few people helped what appeared to be a hopeless cause. Mr Said and his loyal supporters (together with visitors like us) did what they could and, gradually, the hidden structure of the Upper Gardens emerged. It was an exciting time, uncovering steps, wells, hidden plaques, a gazebo and a classical temple and re-creating some order out of a wilderness. Several vast underground cisterns built by Frere had been located and explored. Five wells are again holding water collected from the restored rooftops and terraces during the few but often intense rains. Once the pathways were cleared, the public could be allowed entry, but there were still dangerous broken walls, dilapidated wells and rubble and ruin everywhere.

Without financial backing, however, the work could not continue. At this crucial time, help came un-looked for in the person of Fernando Mifsud, a horticulturist with a commercial background. He was keen to become involved and, from then on, a strong team established itself, including, importantly, his father, George, a stonemason and carpenter of great skill. The garden needed to become once again a place for repose and enjoyment and the flowers and trees were now given priority. In Mr Mifsud’s words: ‘Each and every corner of this enchanting paradise has its own magic.’

Restoration finally began on the buildings — the villa itself, the cottage known as Villa Hay and the farmhouse. Today, the villa is a Grade I-listed monument of cultural heritage and, with the support of Heritage Malta and several private sponsors, sufficient funds have emerged to begin structural renovation. The restoration of the cottage is nearly complete and the best news of all is that the villa itself will shortly be accessible for renovation.

Thanks to the now-established Friends of Villa Frere, the gardens are open to the public and, together with a hard-working committee, a loyal group of volunteers ensures that the garden continues to be well maintained. Through sheer determination, the restoration project has achieved what was once thought impossible.

Visit www.villafrere.com

If, come the revolution, you're looking for a home where the spotter planes commandeered by the angry mob won't notice you, we've got the ideal property today. It's called The Old Reservoir, a delightfully on-the-nose name for a house which is an old reservoir that's been converted in truly luxurious fashion. Carter Jonas are the agents, and the asking price is £1.25 million.

Going through the Hobbit-like entrance of this place, you'd never guess what lies within: it's a spacious, and remarkably light three-bedroom home.

The graceful arches and exposed stonework give the place the feel of a Roman villa — particularly in the glass-covered central courtyard.

Yet it's also decidedly modern. The house has recently been refurbished with bespoke interiors and underfloor heating powered by an air-source heat pump.

Outside you get plenty of space, with are landscaped gardens and a young wood included within the plot.

The house lies one mile outside the village of Burley in Wharfedale, on the edge of the Yorkshire moors, with a village station that can take you to Leeds or Bradford, from where London is three hours on the train. And if you need to go further afield, Leeds-Bradford Airport is less than half an hour in the car.

You can see more pictures and details here.

What else you could buy nearby

Huge gardens, lots of period character and a rural location for £1.075 million at this house in Leathley, which has a touch of Brontë-esque charm without feeling spooky.

A few miles away from The Old Reservoir, Harrogate is full of beautiful period property. But it isn't full of beautiful period property that has a roof terrace and a location right across from The Stray, the huge park near the centre of this venerable old town. That does push the price up, unfortunately, meaning that this three-bedroom apartment is for sale at £1 million.

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

My favourite colour is pink, which always raises some eyebrows. I find it strange. Pink is a good colour and it comes in many hues. It’s playful. It is more interesting than red, which is the colour of blood, which nobody likes. 

If you ever have the chance to meet me, which you should, because I am fascinating, you would not find me dressed head-to-toe in pink. Mostly I keep it to the confines of my socks, although I am considering dying my hair pink. A nice soft pink.

For the person who lives in this house in Kent, their favourite colour is blue, and they are not afraid to let you know it. At least, on the inside. On the outside it is not a blue house. On the inside, it is very much a blue house. It’s for sale with John D Wood & Co for £2.5 million.

Where is it, and what is it? Such vital questions. It is on Nizels Lane, in Hildenborough near Tonbridge, which is in Kent. What it is, is a Grade II-listed Georgian property of four bedrooms and some 7,200sq ft. There are 1.38 acres of gardens, approximately. There is a duck pond.

According to the agents, the interiors were styled and designed with inspiration from the luxurious villas and temples of Ancient Greece and Rome. But with added blue. Did you know that temples like the Acropolis and so on used to have paint on them? They might have been pink for all we know. I digress.

Set over three floors, one of which is a large cellar, the property offers a large study, kitchen/breakfast room, reception room and family room on its ground floor. Lots of high ceilings, elegant cornicing and plasterwork, fireplaces and so on. Lots of blue, as discussed. The study also comes with original William Morris wallpaper, which naturally we’re a big fan of.

On the first floor, you’ll find four bedrooms, all en-suite. Also in blue. 

Outside, things are equally exciting, with the gardens and ground containing a partially walled formal garden, manicured lawns and nice bushes and trees. And the duck pond.

You might be looking at the pictures and wondering, ‘is that a golf course next door?’. It is a golf course next door. It’s called Nizels Golf & Country Club and it looks rather nice. Probably worth joining if you enjoy your golf and decide to buy this house.

There are lots of good schools nearby, as well as two good train stations at Hildenbrough and Sevenoaks, which are 1.9 and 3.9 miles away respectively. 

For sale with John D Wood & Co for £2.5 million. For more information and pictures, click here

A country house which blends the best of England, Scotland, Italy and France, with 'views to die for', and an easy commute to Edinburgh

Grey Peel is the sort of country home which makes you wonder why anyone lives in the city. Penny Churchill

The UK housing market is nothing but varied. So, where can you get the most value for your money?

Well, on a price-per-square foot basis, it’s Hartlepool. Buyers in this town on the north east coast pay an average £118 per square foot of space.

The most expensive is Kensington & Chelsea, where you'll need to dig deep to fork out an average £1,373 per square foot for a home in this exclusive enclave of London.

What's that you say? That at least Kensington and Chelsea's residents can console themselves with their world-class museums and galleries as well as smart shops, bars and restaurants on their doorstep?

That may be true, but Hartlepool also has some great attractions — not least the National Museum of the Royal Navy. And though there is no Harvey Nichols, the beach at nearby Seaton Carew offers a huge expanse of white sand, plus a terrific links golf course laid out by Alister Mackenzie, the man who designed Augusta National. So maybe it's time to swap your tiny £450k flat above a shop for a six-bedroom Victorian villa at the same price.

These figures, incidentally, come from Zoopla, who have calculated that across the UK, the average home costs £300 per square foot. To put that into context, it means you're paying around £8,000 simply for enough space to have a standard double bed.

‘Looking at this measurement [price per square foot] is a far more logical way to assess value for money,’ says Izabella Lubowiecka, senior property researcher at Zoopla.

‘A property that comes with an extra bedroom or bathroom might still not have the right amount of additional space the buyer is looking for. Examining the square footage of a property can help buyers to identify if a property has that space and if the cost per square foot is worth it,’ she says. It’s hard to disagree.

Nearly half of full-time workers priced out of home ownership…

Affordability seems to be on the minds of those at Zoopla. The property portal has also revealed that four in 10 working households can’t afford to buy a two or three-bedroom home with a 80% loan-to-value mortgage. This rises to three quarters (74%) of full-time workers in London.

Zoopla also warns that buying a home is becoming more challenging across a growing number of regional cities outside southern England. In York, some 61% of workers can’t afford to buy a two or three-bedroom home, followed by 57% in Trafford, Greater Manchester, 46% in Leicester, and 45% in Edinburgh.

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, says: ‘The more people that are priced out of buying, the greater the pressure on the rental sector where rents have risen faster than house prices since the pandemic.’

…while house prices rise

Unfortunately, the latest crop of house price data won't be of much comfort to those struggling to afford a home. House prices appear to be going up (for the moment, at least).

According to Halifax, UK house prices have increased for the third month in a row, edging up by 0.3% (£859) in September. Year-on-year prices are up 4.7%, the strongest rate since November 2022.

But Amanda Bryden, head of mortgages at Halifax, says it’s ‘essential’ to look at these figures in context: ‘While the typical property value has risen by around £13,000 over the past year, this increase is largely a recovery of the ground lost over the previous 12 months. Looking back two years, prices have increased by just 0.4% (£1,202).’

Over at RICS, chartered surveyors report that UK house prices are rising for the first time in two years as the housing market continues to pick up.

How much a parking space could add to your asking price

And finally, who knew a parking space could be so prized? According to Yopa’s analysis of Rightmove listings, homes that come with parking command a 3% (£12,000) asking price premium compared with those that don't.

The premium is highest in the north east, where the asking price of a property with a parking space is 19% (£36,000) higher than those without one in the region.

In London, a parking space can boost the asking price of a property to the tune of 11%. This equates to £72,989 - the largest monetary premium of all the regions.

Credit: Getty

The fastest and slowest housing markets in Britain, a £23bn bill for landlords, and the war of words over interest rates

Sales in this neck of the woods are agreed in just 33 days, beating the 60-day average across Britain.

Credit: Getty Images

Millennial misery continues, as they become first generation of homebuyers to see mortgage repayments increase

New data published in Hamptons' Generational Affordability Index is bad news for those born between 1981–95 who have made it

They say you should dress not for the job you have, but for the job you want. Naturally, you should express some restraint and not, for example, turn up to your job doing spreadsheets for the local bank while wearing an astronaut's helmet. Nor indeed should you turn up to your job as an astronaut wearing a lounge suit; you’ll quickly run out of air and your head might explode. Or is it implode? Either way, it probably wouldn't be good.

I digress. In a similar vein to the previous paragraph, I think we should endeavour to live in houses that express desired moods. A house like, for example, Merrythought, which is for sale with Savills for £1.425 million. Despite sounding a bit like a home for a hobbit, it is much bigger than that, I can assure you.

There is much about Merrythought that will make you, well, merry. An enchanting, detached, unlisted property in the sought-after Oxfordshire village of Great Haseley. Originally built in the 1700s, the property was extended in 2004 and rethatched in 2016. 

In all, 3,000sq ft of contemporary and period accommodation that offers five bedrooms over two floors. Plus south facing gardens. Very merry indeed.

Set under thatch, the property boasts plenty of period features such as exposed beams, original stone walls and fireplaces. On the ground floor, you’ll find the open plan dining/drawing room, as well as a large kitchen, study, and snug. 

The aforementioned extension contains a utility room, garden room with folding doors and a further en-suite bedroom above it. Four further bedrooms, including the principal bedroom suite, are on the first floor of the original property.

The garden is compact and pretty, with landscaped rear lawned areas complemented by well stocked borders, and a garden gate leading to a path over which Merrythought has right of way.

The village of Great Haseley is impressive for the number of amenities it offers, which include an original stone windmill (just for looking at), a church, La Table d’Alix restaurant, village hall and a tennis and cricket club. 

Merrythought is for sale with Savills for £1.425 million. For more information and pictures, click here.

Credit: Lillicrap Chilcott/Jefferys

A four bedroom house on the River Fowey that rose from the ruins of the English Civil War

Grade II-listed Stannary House offers peaceful Cornish living and plenty of historical provenance.

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. I see a lot of properties for sale working here. I like a lot of them, but it takes something quite special to get me really excited. Thatched houses that look a bit like Claudia Winkleman. Houses with salmon fishing. Kitchen islands. Ok maybe it doesn’t take that much. 

However! Look at this house in Jersey and tell me that it is not very special. I have written often of houses with very slanty roofs, but this is perhaps the slantiest. It is a cathedral to late modernism. It was designed and built for Ron Hickman, who invented the Black & Decker Workmate and the Lotus Elan. It costs £6.95 million and is for sale with John D Wood International.

Hickman moved to Jersey in 1977 and created this home shortly afterwards. Named Villa Devereux, it was inspired by homes that he had seen on the West Coast of the US, but used materials local to Jersey, hence the slate roof and the granite walls. 

As you can see, on the inside at least, not a huge amount has changed from the 1970s, keeping a sort of Frank Lloyd-Wright period charm to the property. It’s one of those where I wonder if the contents are included in the sale, as the property would undoubtedly change should much of the furniture be removed. If you decide to buy this house, please let me know.

Overall, the property boasts 10 bedrooms and a whole host of amenities, such as a gym, offices, music room, an indoor swimming pool, and enough parking space, via three double garages, for 26 cars. Which makes sense, considering Hickman was a car designer.

‘Villa Devereux is not just a property,’ says Alasdair Hedley, head of international at John D Wood & Co. ‘It's a testament to visionary design and innovative spirit. Its unique blend of architectural brilliance and historical significance offers potential buyers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of living history. The expansive spaces, breathtaking sea views, and unparalleled amenities make it a true masterpiece in the luxury property market.’

Ah yes I forgot about the sea views, which are sublime. Situated near St Brelade, Villa Devereux offers searing views over the bay either from the two acres of immaculate gardens, or from the many (many) windows and balconies situated throughout the property.

Villa Devereux is for sale with John D Wood & Co International for £6.95 million. For more information and (many) more pictures, click here.

A white-stucco villa sits in welcome at the end of a meandering drive, reached via an unassuming country lane near Tunbridge Wells. The borders and turning circle are loosely planted with perennials, such as geraniums, heuchera and deep-red Rosa ‘Tuscany Superb’, punctuated by beech and yew, which are loosely clipped into balls and beehives to mirror the arch above the porticoed front door. All very charming.

Wander around the side of the house and past a towering lime, one of several parkland trees that suggest there might be more to the place, and bang: there’s the big reveal. Beyond the lawn that runs along the front, the land drops away dramatically and the view opens to wide skies and a wooded and heathland landscape that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Although the woodland is at heart beech, close up, Norway spruce inherited from previous owners, is the most apparent planting. Together with the rhododendrons growing on the steep bank descending from the property, they give the vista an almost Himalayan feel and only the occasional Gatwick-bound aeroplane overhead brings one back to Kent.

The owner moved here from London with his young family in 2020. ‘We bought the house for the views,’ he jokes. That their home is a fine Grade II-listed villa, built by Decimus Burton in the 1830s and surrounded by its own 50 acres, was a considerable bonus.

There were two major problems with the view, however: the overgrown rhododendrons and Portuguese laurel that often blocked it and the local deer which wandered around as they pleased. The first thing the owners did on moving here, was pen themselves in, keeping the deer out, but the children in.

Although keen to have a garden with year-round interest and plenty of flowers for cutting, they knew little about gardening and brought in the London-based designer Miria Harris to work on a master plan. It was she who sorted out the fencing, using attractive estate railing and metal gates where visible; elsewhere, the fencing is more utilitarian.

Family life is for now centred on the house and its immediate grounds, so Mrs Harris has introduced new pockets of colour within easy reach, not contesting with the longer views, but complementing them. None more so than the terrace that surrounds the orangery-cum-kitchen extension-cum-family living space to the east of the house, where the family spends 99% of its time.

A steep rising bank forms a foreshortened backdrop to the terrace, allowing Mrs Harris’s planting to take centre stage. With a wide, curving flight of steps cutting up the bank through the dense planting to the new pool house beyond, there is a touch of theatricality about the scene and most of the cast here has been chosen for strong architectural forms, allowing the players to stay on the stage long after flowering.

As one might expect at the top of a hill, there is a fair bit of breeze, so Mrs Harris planted a selection of calamagrostis, molinia and miscanthus grasses to create a sense of movement among the perennials. The colours here, as elsewhere in the garden, are predominantly pink, deep red and purple, kicked off by double tulips and peonies in spring and lit up by tall pale-lilac candelabras of Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Fascination’ in late summer.

The terrace itself is laid to formal York-stone paving to allow for bikes and scooters, with pockets of planting to soften it and lead the eye out to the wider landscape. Mrs Harris had a problem here: there are only a few inches before one hits bedrock. To get around this, she has installed subterranean containers, like sunken window boxes, into which to plant on the terrace and provide drainage from the hard standing, with a series of channels underneath. ‘You can’t change the fact that some of these plants are going to have wet feet some of the time; that is why hemerocallis features quite heavily, together with grasses that can tolerate these conditions.’

Due to the high water table, Mrs Harris has moved the herb garden to the other end of the house, where the walls of a Victorian conservatory still stand, as do the remnants of its tessellated floor. Where the glass once slotted into the top of the walls provides excellent free-draining pockets in which to plant thyme, with pots for other herbs. A wisteria-draped metal pergola echoes the original structure and is another sunny place to sit.

Sometimes a judicious edit is all that has been needed. The journey down rolling lawn from the pool house to the main lawn was choked with rhododendron and laurel; now they have been removed, not only does one catch tantalising glimpses of beyond, but the Monterey pine, redwoods, weeping willows and old oaks can be appreciated. For parties on the front lawn — the owners were married here — the trees are lit from below.

Meanwhile, both the owners and Mrs Harris are full of praise for the gardener Jo Jones, who came from Sissinghurst and is an excellent florist, managing to find something for the house all year round. At this stage of child rearing, the couple are happy with the borders around the house and the young orchard that has been established, but that is not to say they have forgotten Mrs Harris’s masterplan. There are still paths leading to the lake below to rediscover and a walled vegetable garden to build — all in the fullness of time.

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Ask the average young family what sort of thing they’d hope to find when swapping town for country, and you’ll more than likely get a checklist which makes it sounds like they want to live in Camberwick Green: local shop, decent pubs, pretty old church, a family-run butcher, charming houses and a thriving little village hall, all arranged around an idyllic village green.

As it happens that’s more or less a spot-on description of the Surrey village of Brockham, on the outskirst of which you’ll find the five-bedroom, Grade II-listed Tumbledown Farm for sale at £2.495 million.

The house dates to the 1600s with many fine period features, such as exposed timber beams and a magnificent inglenook fireplace in the drawing room.

The owners have added a light-filled, oak-frame family room with a high, vaulted ceiling overlooking the garden, which extends to about 1¾ acres.

A long, single-storey annexe has been created out of old post-war-era stables, which is accessed from a secondary drive. It has two bedrooms, a kitchen/sitting room, home office and workshop with store rooms.

The workshop offers scope for doing more here: a home for extended family or an office, music room or work studios.

As for entertainment options nearby? Well, in addition to the pubs the village hall hosts film screenings and fairs. Going further afield, Brockham lies 1½ miles east of busy little market town of Dorking, whose station has regular direct services to London Waterloo that take about an hour.

In this part of the Surrey Hills you’ll also find Box Hill, a popular spot with masochists looking for a place to punish themselves by running or cycling to the top of a notoriously steep hill. Not for nothing were the roads to the summit chosen to host the cycling road race during the London 2012 Olympics.

As if all that weren’t enough, once a year life in the Brockham really goes off with a bang — quite literally. The annual bonfire celebrations are legendary, and thought to be among the largest in the country.

Tumbledown Farm is for sale with Jackson-Stops in Dorking at £2.495m — see more details and pictures.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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The High Weald AONB's rolling landscape is the archetypal image many of us have of rural England. Octavia Pollock takes

When you live most of your adult life in a place as small as the United Kingdom, you start to think you know every place and every thing. That is, of course, an absurd idea, but working here, you do often find yourselves in the realm of the absurd. Thankfully, this country is so dense and diverse, that there is plenty still to be discovered. For example, I had never heard of the seaside village of Lelant in Cornwall, but having looked at some pictures, I think it might now be one of my favourite places. 

I might just be saying that because I was completely taken in by Ven Ayr, in (you guessed it) Lelant, next to St Ives, which is for sale with Lillicrap Chilcott for £2.25 million. More often than not, the houses that float across the Country Life Online Property Desk (CLOPD) in this part of the world are targeted as ‘vacation homes’, but this looks like somewhere you would never dare leave.

Ven Ayr is unlisted and designed in the Arts-and-Crafts style, both things we love here at the CLOPD. It comes with six bedrooms, and over 5,400sq ft of living space in total, which includes three reception rooms, a study, a ‘sun room’ with sublime views of the surrounding landscape.

The interiors have also been recently renovated and restored to a very-high standard, with soft pastels on the walls, a George Robinson kitchen. Outside, a detached garage block offers up space to park your car, as well as two separate spaces — one is a gym, the other a games room.

Lelant itself obviously has all the amenities you could ever need within walking distance, including sublime beaches, while the tourist favourite town of St Ives is a few miles to the north.

Ven Ayr is for sale for £2.25 million. For more information and pictures, click here

A £6.5m super-prime home in Devon: The 'best of both worlds' seaside home right across the water from Devon's most expensive town

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Once the home of the Elgin Marbles, now a luxury four-bedroom apartment in Mayfair and yours for £26.25 million

A host of historical figures have made their homes at 149 Old Park Lane, from Rolls Royce to Royal Family

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A five-bedroom home that's a mile south of Farnham and a mile north of the South Downs

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Growing up in a half-German family, as one does, I spent a not insignificant amount of time in my youth visiting distant cousins and uncles and aunts in the exceptionally flat countryside of north-west Germany. What I always found interesting, beyond the unusual food, were the houses; perfectly functional dwellings that seemed obsessed with windows and large angled roofs.

It’s not often something comparable appears on these shores, but one such example might be Higher Kingswood, near Stogumber in Somerset, which is on the market with Humberts for £1.425 million. 

On first impressions, there isn’t all that much to say about this place. It seems a relatively unusual family home set across two floors, that offers four places to sit, four places to sleep, and three places to go to the loo. 

However, on the inside, things are quite different. A galleried entrance hall/garden room operates at the central hub of the home, with reception rooms opening out on either side. But much like those German/Nordic homes, there are windows; windows above, windows to the side, windows in front.

Throughout the property, whether it's the sitting room, the staircase hall or even the bedrooms, you will find windows to look out of, and that flood the home with seemingly endless amounts of natural light.

And it’s lucky that there are windows, as the home itself sits in an AONB with tremendous views of the surrounding Quantock and Brendon Hills. Not that you need them, as the 7.5 acre garden is itself something to look at, having undergone a ‘comprehensive and detailed re-design’ by the current owners. Sun terraces abound, as does a covered pergola, making this a sublime spot for hosting and entertaining, or just to sit and unwind.

The nearby village of Stogumber is one of the most desirable in the West Country and offers amenities in the form of a shop, post office, primary school, pub and cricket club, as well as a stop for the West Somerset steam train. 

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A ancient clifftop lodge that's spectacular within, just down the coast from the castle of King Arthur

Trebrea Lodge near Tintagel is more of a manor house, and is ready to become the ideal Cornish family home.

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Described in its Historic England listing as an early-19th-century, Regency-style house of ‘interesting design’, Church Villa, known locally as ‘Five Chimneys’ for its unusual cluster in the centre of the gable, stands just above the green of tranquil and traffic free East Morden village.

It's reputed to have been built in about 1830 by Joseph Sellars, who also built the village church, and the property sits halfway between the busy A35 and the A31 (but out of earshot of both) and with Poole Harbour about 12 miles away. The symmetrical front façade also features a lead-capped porch and timber windows with decorative glazing bars; inside, the villa retains many original elements, including window shutters, fireplaces and plank-and-muntin panelling in the hall.

Church Villa, listed Grade II, is being sold (with Savills at a guide price of £1.1 million) on behalf of the family of its late owners, who acquired it in 1986 and refurbished and extended it in the late 1980s and early 1990s, adding the garden room and the kitchen wings. It offers 2,378sq ft of quiet living space on two floors, including a reception hall, four reception rooms, four double bedrooms, a bathroom and shower room. Pretty gardens of more than half an acre, also arranged as ‘rooms’, are well stocked with herbaceous plants, shrubs and trees.

An entry in Harry and Hugh Ashley’s The Dorset Village Book (Countryside Books) says of East Morden: ‘When you think you’ve seen all it has to offer, while you look for a convenient spot to turn the car round, you find the main part which drifts detached up the hill. It’s a pattern of scattered dwellings and narrow lanes, and has five separate entries in the Domesday Book.

'The smiling houses and cottages are totally dominated by the church, which glowers powerfully from a natural plinth… If you long for peace and solitude and yet need to be within easy reach of the 21st century, then here is where to be.’

Church Villa is for sale with Savills for £1.1 million. For more information and to see more photos, click here.

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Three floors, 6,000sq ft and the chance to live in one of London's most famous landmarks

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Good houses in sought-after Cotswold villages are always in vogue, and they don't get much better than this: the pristine, Grade II-listed Cleeve House at Ampney St Peter in Gloucestershire, which has just been launched onto the market at a guide price of £1.85 million by Ben Bentley of The Country House Department.

This pretty, small village of Cotswold-stone cottages and houses is 3½ miles from Cirencester, 19 miles from Cheltenham and just under nine miles from Kemble station.

According to its Historic England listing, Cleeve House dates from the mid 17th century. It originally comprised two cottages and an adjoining small stable /barn and was previously listed as Sundial Cottage, a nod to the sundial by one of the cottages inscribed with the initials ‘B. T. E.’.

Beautifully decorated and impeccably maintained by the present owners, Cleeve House is perfect for buyers trading down from a bigger house, havving five versatile, light-filled reception rooms, four bedrooms and three bath /shower rooms with plenty of space for traditional furniture and even a grandfather clock.

Also sure to appeal, says Mr Bentley, is the enchanting walled garden, with its well-stocked flowerbeds a mass of colour in spring and summer and a raised terrace, that is the perfect space for outdoor dining or entertaining.

'Some 80% of our purchasers are cash buyers, so, with fewer houses on the market and a General Election down the road, we took all the photographs we needed last August and decided to go for an early launch in 2024,’ Mr Bentley explains.

Interestingly, the vendors, having bought Cleeve House in 2015 and carried out a considerable amount of work on both house and garden, now plan to downsize to a smaller townhouse in the area.

Cleeve House is for sale with The Country House Department for £1.85 million. For more information and pictures, click here

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I knew I was onto something good when the overwhelming reaction from friends, when telling them that I was off to The Newt, was one of scarcely-concealed envy . 'Ooh, you lucky thing,' they cooed. 'I'd love to go there.' 'It looks beautiful.' And they were right — The Newt really is something special. A destination in its own right.

On the website they describe themselves as: 'A country estate, reimagined'. A country estate with around 900 acres in which to relax and explore at your leisure.

The estate was bought by the former editor of South Africa's Elle Decoration, Karen Roos, and her telecom billionaire husband, Koos Bekker, in 2013. Following extensive renovations it opened to some fanfare in 2019.

The rooms

I stayed inside the main building — a honey-coloured, limestone edifice, called Hadspen House. It was built in the 17th century and owned by the Hobhouse family for more than 200 years. The present-day interior choices were made by Ms Roos who has managed to create an elegant and harmonious atmosphere, melding contemporary artworks and bits of furniture with antiques and the original architecture. It's no easy feat.

My suite, one of the 'Garden' rooms on the first floor was all about subtle luxury. Nothing gaudy or flashy to distract the eye. Warm and inviting. The free standing bath and enormous shower in the generously sized en-suite is exactly what you expect to find in a hotel of this calibre, but impressive nonetheless.

There are a further 17 bedrooms on an old dairy farm next door look. The Farmyard is a mile from Hadspen, but free golf buggies and bicycles are available to ride between the two, via cider orchards and wildflower meadows. The bedrooms, designed by Richard Parr, are all different and hint at their former purpose: the Apple Loft under the eaves; the Grainstore, a huge single-storey space with a larch wood bath.

Eating and drinking

I took dinner in the Botanical Rooms where the food served is truely seasonal. It's a short menu — indecisive diners rejoice — but entirely delicious, utilising produce from the Estate's extensive kitchen gardens and orchards. There's even an onsite butchery, bakery and 'Beezantuim' (a lakeside, observational apiary that also keeps the hotel well-stocked with honey).

Try the British white beef, which is sourced from the estate's herd and said to be the oldest breed in Britain, alongside a glass of fabulous wine from the hotel's sister property, Babylonstoren, in South Africa.

The Farmyard has its own restaurant, a more casual affair where fare is mainly cooked over an open fire. Forgo a menu and let the chef surprise you with a delicious carousel of sharing plates.

How they'll keep you busy

The gardens should be your primary port of call, a short stroll along a gravel path from Hadspen House. The redesigned Parabola Garden (above) was profiled inside Country Life (November 15, 2023) by contributor Charles Quest-Ritson. 'Nowhere else in the country has a finer display of trained apples,' wrote Mr Quest-Ritson. 'There are 330 cultivars, mainly Old British varieties, but also some of the best French apples.'

Sign up for a guided garden tour or a woodland tour, explore the garden's grotto, home to a dragon (or wyvern) that roars and blows smoke from its nostrils when you tickle it under the chin, or drop into The Story of Gardening Museum. A rotating roster of seasonal workshops including painting, dawn walks and apple tree grafting.

Take a dip in the bathing pond, pop into the mushroom house, stroll the badger walk and taste some homegrown cyder squeezed from the 65 apple varieties grown here across 70 acres of orchards.

What else is there to do while you're there

The standout attraction though is the incredible Roman villa — Villa Ventorum — the ruins of which were discovered and partially excavated in 1834. The site has since been extensively excavated and the entire villa reconstructed. And the attention to detail is something to behold. Everything has been thought about, down to the jewellery in the mistress's bedroom, the plants in the kitchen garden and the urine dip where the inhabitants would wash clothes.

The team behind it all 'scoured museums in countries that were once part of the Roman Empire' and 'trampled through Pompeii and Herculanuem' according to Mr Bekker.

You must try on one of the virtual reality headsets. You'll be guided through each room as an onlooker to how life would've played out for both Roman master and servant.

Who is it for?

Anyone who is bored of run-of-the-mill country house hotel stays.

What gives it the 'wow' factor

The Roman villa.

The one thing we'd change

A hotel this successful — and one with so much to offer — doesn't come cheap and prices soar at the weekends.

Rooms at Hadspen House from £520 a night on a B&B basis. The gardens are a member's only experience. Membership costs £75 a year, but this includes access to 14 partner gardens, including Kew Gardens and the Eden Project. Please see the link to purchase a membership here. Call 01963 577777 or book direct www.thenewtinsomerset.com

The first thing to always ask when purchasing a house with a thatched roof is: ‘has it been recently re-thatched’. In the case of Michaelmas Cottage, in the village of Upavon, near Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, the answer is a resounding yes.

The spacious Grade II-listed property — for sale at £575,000 with Fine & Country — offers four bedrooms within its white-wash walls, and is set over two floors. Upon entering the property, it becomes immediately apparent that the home is one of great character and history; indeed, the building supposedly dates back to the 1600s and that air of Old English charm seems to fill every room.

Exposed beams are on display throughout, while the reception rooms and kitchen area are laid out so that not an inch of space is wasted.

Outside, recent works have led to a two-tiered garden space, which includes a bothy that has been turned into a home office, giving the new owner the chance to ‘leave their work behind’ at the end of the day should the indulge in home working.

The village of Upavon itself imbibes a sense of community, with two pubs, doctor’s surgery, post office, hairdressers and a golf club, all within walking distance, as well as a ‘plethora of characters’ according to the current owner.

Further afield, wild and wonderful paths extend across the downland of the Vale of Pewsey, all accessible on foot. If this all-out assault on countryside living gets too much, Pewsey train station is only three miles away, with London 1hr and 20mins away by train. 

Michaelmas Cottage is for sale with Fine & Country for £575,000. Click here for more details and pictures

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There is a certain something to a wisteria-clad stone home — something so enviably English. Shellingford House, in the Oxfordshire village of Shellingford, is a prime example, with the gentle purple hues of this famed climbing plant working in concert with the property’s stone façade and pitched slate roof.

It’s believed that the property dates back to the 1630s, but has seen some improvement since then, most notably in the 18th and 19th centuries. For sale at £3.45 million with Knight Frank, it’s now a very thoughtfully laid-out family home, offering up to seven bedrooms, five reception rooms and four bathrooms.

Particular highlights include the modern kitchen/dining area, which leads directly onto the south-east facing terrace.

There's also an elegant 17th century central staircase, which winds its way through all three floors of the house and features moulded balusters and Doric columns. 

The house also boasts some creative flair, with an art studio situated above the ground-floor library and a party barn attached to the house. 

The only thing that can rival the property is its setting. Surrounded by some eight acres of gardens, grounds and a field, the property offers the best of both worlds — a village setting but plenty of space.

The gardens are both formal and informal, and lead down to a small stream and feature a wild courtyard area, a more formal lawned area, an orchard and an outdoor swimming pool (with adjoining pool pavilion).

The grounds also contain a hard tennis court and a large paddock, perfect for holding a horse or two or just leaving to Nature. Two single-bedroom cottages also offer even more space for guests, staff or annoying relatives.

Shellingford village itself offers amenities in the form of a local primary school, while nearby Stanford in the Vale boasts pubs, restaurants and shops.

Yet for all the joys of life on the doorstep, for those needing to commute it's a house which is eminently practical: London is about an hour away, either via train from Swindon or via the M40.

Shellingford House is with Knight Frank for a guide price of £3.45 million. See more details and pictures.

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At Country Life we’ve reflected several times in recent weeks on the importance of a house’s name, and how modern developers tend to call any property they put up a ‘hall’ or a ‘grange’ when they might well just be a block of new-build flats.

So it’s rather lovely to come across The Old House, an exquisite, late-16th-century house that — just as its name suggests — is believed to be the oldest house in the village. The house is found in the pretty rural landscape of this part of Bedfordshire, and specifically in the sought-after village of Aspley Guise, which sits in a conservation area close to the woodland of the Duke of Bedford’s Woburn estate. Joint agents Rosie Rickett of Savills and Ian Denton of Jackson-Stops are handling the sale, quoting a guide price of £2.35m.

Beautifully decorated throughout, it offers generous family accommodation on three floors, including an entrance hall, three main reception rooms, a study, games room, kitchen/breakfast room and garden room.

There is a principal bedroom suite with a simply astonishing ceiling, plus six further bedrooms, four bathrooms, attics and cellar.

Outbuildings include a studio/gym, a double garage, a tack room and wood stores. Some of the artworks, which were bought specially for the house, may be available by separate negotiation.

The house was built in about 1575 for Edmund Harding, one of a family of self-made men who, according to local records, rose from husbandmen to gentlemen in the course of the 16th century.

When first built, The Old House was seen as a direct challenge to the lord of the manor, being bigger by one hearth than the Manor House, and the owners came to be regarded, not least by themselves, as the second squire.

Their tenure was relatively short, however, and, less than a century later, in 1657, they sold the house to the Cartwrights, a Puritan family from Gloucestershire.

In 1680, the Cartwright heiress married one Thomas How, a Leighton Buzzard wool merchant and a Quaker. The Old House remained in the How family for the best part of the next two centuries, during which time the exterior was ‘Georgianised’ with the addition of a white stucco front.

In 1906, the house was acquired by Dr George Herbert Fowler, who, in 1913, established the archive that is now the Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service, having also founded the Bedfordshire Historical Record Society in 1912.

From deeds in his possession, Dr Fowler painstakingly made a list of all the recent owners, from Richard Thomas How, who sold to the Revd James Wright of Aspley Guise in 1826, to a Mrs Unwin, the widow of Lt-Col Robert Unwin, JP, who sold The Old House to him in 1906.

Fowler immediately set about restoring the ancient building in a project that took five years to complete. In the process, he reversed the 18th-century ‘improvements’ by removing the stucco to reveal the original timber frame and infill brickwork. He died at The Old House in August 1940.

The present owners, who bought The Old House in 2002, have carried on where Fowler left off, updating and improving the interior, always retaining its essential charm and character.

The house stands in just under 2½ acres of mature private gardens in a quiet part of the village, about two miles from Woburn village and 8½ miles from the commuter hub of Milton Keynes. 

The Old House is for sale via Savills and Jackson-Stops at £2.35m — see more details and images.

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Containing many of the best examples of formal late-Georgian/early-Victorian residential developments in London, the Barnsbury Conservation Area in Islington is one of London’s finest.

Within the heart of it you will find this Grade II-listed, double-fronted and detached property on Barnsbury Park. It arrives onto the market via Savills with a guide price of £9.5 million.

With more than 5,000sq ft of living space spread over three floors, this is a ‘countryside home’ with all the appeal of living in central London.

Tall ceilings and large sash windows provide plenty of space and light — the study in particular benefits from two impressive floor-to-ceiling arched windows overlooking the garden.

The first floor consists of seven bedrooms and the entertaining areas are concentrated on the ground and ‘garden’ floors.

This includes a well-sized gym which opens up to the rear garden and a versatile family-style kitchen with a large central island and a range cooker, helping to create that country-in-the-city feel.

The gardens are certainly not to be overlooked: the front offers an extremely attractive entrance to the property, whereas the rear has been beautifully landscaped and maintained, offering year-round delight and privacy with mature trees and a patio area for al fresco dining.

The sublime Hemingford Arms, one of London’s best (according to me) is just down the road. But it’s not all just great pubs and restaurants — transport links are plentiful, too, with stations at Caledonian Road & Barnsbury and Highbury and Islington, as well as bus routes in all directions.

This Georgian Villa on Barnsbury Park is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £9.5 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

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Surrounded as it is with park-like grounds, it is perhaps somewhat surprising to find out that not only does Downe Hall lie within the village of Downe, but also within the M25 and a mere 17 miles from London.

The ‘goldilocks property’, as it were, arrives on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £4.25 million.

The elegant six-bedroom home, built in the 19th century, offers a tremendous 6,600sq ft of living space, more than two acres of land, with a swimming pool and tennis court, and has been painstakingly restored and modernised by its current owners.

Set out across three floors and including cellars and an attached garage, Downe Hall showcases tall ceilings, ornate coving, polished timber flooring and a number of fireplaces throughout its interiors.

The elegant arched sash windows that feature throughout the property make a real statement both internally and externally, framed by thick foliage outside and providing far-reaching views of the garden and surrounding farmland inside.

Three generously-proportioned reception rooms welcome you downstairs, including a conservatory with underfloor heating (perfect for year-round enjoyment), a separate utility and laundry room, gym and study, as well as a bright and spacious kitchen/breakfast room with an integrated wine fridge and statement black AGA.

Four bedrooms (including the expansive principal suite with its large walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom) make up the first floor, which also includes a large family media room. The two remaining bedrooms can be found on the second floor alongside eaves storage and a bathroom.

Downe village itself is in a conservation area, within the Metropolitan Green Belt and was once considered for UNESCO World Heritage Site status for its links to Charles Darwin. These days, the village itself is awash with amenities, such as two pubs, farm shop, church and village hall.

Downe Hall is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £4.25 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

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Villa Ventorum or ‘the villa of the winds’ lies quietly in the rolling countryside of Britannia Prima, a province extending across south-west England and a good chunk of Wales. It sits at the heart of a modest estate, which includes a park, arable land and pasture, a great many sheep and a newly planted vineyard. Built on the site of an Iron Age settlement, the villa mostly dates from the mid 3rd century to the year in which we now find ourselves, AD351, although it probably evolved from a more modest 2nd-century house.

It is one of at least 69 villas in the vicinity of the local civitas, or tribal capital, at Lindinis (Ilchester), 12 Roman miles away. It is not in the grandest category of houses — those palatial complexes of 40–70 rooms built around courtyards that are currently reaching their apogee in the province, especially in the Cotswolds, near the provincial capital Corinium (Cirencester) and outside the fashionable spa town Aquae Sulis (Bath).

Villa Ventorum’s domestic rooms are, by contrast, laid out in a single range orientated north to south, with detached out-buildings nearby. Its owners have clearly lavished much recent money and attention on it, embellishing it with baths, mosaics, wall paintings and heating systems, all the hallmarks of Roman civilisation.

The visitor enters the house from the west, through the vestibulum or entrance hall (Fig 2), a room that projects from the centre of the villa beyond its portico. As a landowner and possibly magistrate, the owner receives a daily stream of clients, coming here in search of work, food, preferment; an owner’s status is reflected in the number of clients he has.

We are met by the house steward, who uses this room as an estate office, collecting rent from tenant farmers and paying estate workers. As an office, rather than a polite space, the windows are unglazed, with thick wooden shutters to keep out the British damp and lamps burning with smoky, smelly tallow fat.

Guests and vetted clients are ushered into the reception room beyond (Fig 4), which roughly corresponds to the atrium of a conventional Roman townhouse. Here is the shrine to the household gods, where offerings of flowers and incense can be made. The room is decorated with wall paintings and a mosaic of hunting scenes, as well as portraits of the owners. If they are invited to sit, visitors will do so in high-backed basket chairs.

Only the most honoured and intimate guests are ushered into the double-height tablinum (Fig 6), at the very heart of the house. Here, decorative lamps burn brightly and cleanly with olive oil and charcoal braziers help to take the British chill from the room. Visitors may recline on elegant couches and view a mosaic with the goddess Diana at its centre. They may also admire wall paintings depicting scenes of the doomed lovers Dido and Aeneas from Virgil’s Aeneid, chosen to display the learning of their owner.

A sophisticated visitor from elsewhere in the empire might raise a discreet eyebrow at the paintings. Contemporary mid-4th-century taste may well favour colour clashes and lack the refinement of previous centuries, but why, one wonders, do these literary heroes appear to have the faces of British princelings? These are strange times and there is no accounting for British taste or humour.

Remote and perplexing Britannia is enjoying a period of unprecedented prosperity. There is civil war in the western empire, with Britain, Gaul and Spain under the control of the usurper Magnentius, but all the fighting is on the Continent. Britain, therefore, presently offers a safe haven, as well as a crucial source of food, hides and wool.

Guests arriving here after a journey long to refresh themselves with a bath. They are ushered from the tablinum, through a porch, decorated with horticultural motifs and stacked with hunting gear, into a formal garden. From the garden, there is a fine prospect of undulating pasture, woodland and a distant hill with a modest temple. Today, the air is mild, the sky blue and clear, a far cry from the mist and gloom conventionally associated with Britain.

They are led to the right down one of the covered walks that connect the rooms of the villa. To their surprise, they pass the noise and smells of the kitchen. Surely it would be better placed out of the way, but we are in Britannia and they do things differently here. The bath suite, by contrast, is reassuringly familiar — a changing room or apodyterium, with wooden sandals provided so you will not slip or burn your feet in the hot wet rooms, bathing clothes laid out and jars of scented oil.

Beyond is the frigidarium, or cold room (Fig 3), decorated with pictures of male and female athletes, which functions here as a gym, with weights, boxing gloves and balls. The tepidarium is pleasantly warm, with board games laid out and slaves on hand to provide massages and coat guests in scented oil before they enter the caldarium (hot room) to sweat it off and bathe first in the hot pool, then jump into the invigorating cold plunge pool next door. After bathing, the visitor is shown to their cubiculum, or bedroom, looking out over the garden, to dress for dinner.

There is a place to dine in the garden, but today’s honoured guests are to be entertained indoors. First, they are invited to meet with their host in his biblioteca, or library, on the north side of the house, which also functions as a study (Fig 7), with accounts and maps of local lead mines strewn all over the desk. From here, they move through a hall and anteroom into the grandest room in the villa, the dining room or triclinium (Fig 5), where three couches in an inverted U shape are arranged conventionally around a circular table. The mosaic’s central roundel appropriately depicts Bacchus, god of wine, fertility and feasting, and the walls are painted with horticultural motifs, dancing maenads and the three graces.

Here we must leave the 4th-century inhabitants to their feast and return to the present, by way of a group of outbuildings to the north-west of the house — comprising barn, bakery, wine press and a kitchen serving food to 21st-century visitors, modelled on a popina, or snackbar, in Pompeii.

This extraordinary assemblage sits within the grounds of The Newt, a Somerset estate bought by the South African couple Koos Bekker and Karen Roos in 2013. Although a Roman presence was first discovered here in 1834 (and published in 1836), until 2015, the villa was only partially excavated. Mr Bekker commissioned a thorough archaeological exploration by Oxford Archaeology and Wessex Archaeology between 2015 and 2019, with plans for the villa’s reconstruction beginning even when fieldwork was still under way.

Planning permission was granted in February 2019 and, incredibly, despite all the constraints of the pandemic, work was completed in late 2021, with the South West Heritage Trust, which helped with the research, working alongside the architects and builders and the estate in an immense team effort that saw up to 100 people working together.

The brief was to reconstruct the villa, based on archaeological evidence from the site and on the same orientation as the buried remains, and also to fill in gaps in the record by using evidence from elsewhere — from Britain as far as possible. Everything was to be underpinned by solid research. Local materials were to be used where practicable, such as blue-and-white lias roof tiles specially made from a local quarry.

The villa’s primary purpose was as an attraction within The Newt, a privately run estate that includes a hotel and gardens. The reconstruction was, therefore, to be seen as an evocation of the original, based on a close study of the evidence, rather than an exact replica of the building. The year AD351 was chosen for the purpose of interpretation because two of the most significant surviving excavated mosaics could be dated to the mid 4th century, a time when the British were confident enough to invest in their properties, despite what was happening elsewhere in the Roman empire.

The focus of the reconstruction was the villa’s main domestic range, as excavation revealed a significant part of its basic ground plan. In designing it, additional walls and rooms were added to fill gaps in the evidence and to produce a functional building. The original villa was constructed with solid stone walls bound with lime mortar, but this would have proved expensive and time-consuming to imitate. Instead, Porotherm clay blocks were used as a core for most of the walls, faced with local Hadspen stone. These were lime rendered, except at lower levels and under the porticos. The only walls built entirely of stone are in the heated rooms of the re-created bath house, for which the most complete evidence survived.

The reproduction of a working hypocaust that heats the bath-house suite, including the warm plunge pool, drew on the experiences of re-creating them in museums in the UK and abroad. Here, Roman techniques were combined with modern safety measures: a series of vertical stainless-steel flues were installed beside the traditional flue tubuli in the walls. This means that if the tubuli crack and leak hazardous carbon monoxide, the venting could be instantly switched to the modern flues. An open hearth was allowed in the kitchen, but working charcoal braziers were banned in other rooms by health and safety, so modern underfloor heating was installed to maintain a constant temperature.

The biggest compromise of the project was the reconstruction of a range of little understood outbuildings to the north-west of the ‘new’ villa, and thus on a different axis to their original southern orientation, although their scale was kept.

The project’s architect, Nicola du Pisanie of Stonewood Design, was commissioned to design a museum on the site, too, to house the finds and offer interpretation, interactives and a film. Built over the exposed baths complex, which can be viewed through a glass floor (Fig 1), and laid out with pad foundations to minimise the impact on the archaeology below, the building lies low and inconspicuous, with a continuous 165ft glass façade angled towards the reconstructed villa, so that the visitor’s focus is always upon it.

Although the buildings are complete — and recently won a RIBA South West Award 2023 — experimentation here continues. Some 1,200 vines have been planted and Classicist and wine-grower Dominic Gover has already repurposed the reconstructed grain dryer for his grapes to raise their sugar content, because the Romans liked sweet wine.

This willingness to experiment, cheerful acceptance that mistakes can happen and the encouragement of an enthusiastic, open-minded and generous benefactor, has created an atmosphere unique in a British museum environment today. It is also a project free from the constraints of public funding and inter-departmental compromise. Circumstances at The Newt mean that not only is the quality of the reconstruction of a standard and ambition rarely seen in the UK, but, thanks to the freedom ongoing funds and support give, one can hope for many more insights into Romano-British life from this bold and fascinating experiment.

Bronwen Riley is the author of ‘Journey to Britannia’ (Apollo, 2022). Visit www.thenewtinsomerset.com to find out more.

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South of Exeter, and only a few minutes drive from the River Exe to the east, sits glorious Oxton Mere, an Tuscan-style villa set in 19 acres of the best West Country-side.

Privacy and seclusion are the name of the game here, with the house standing in splendid isolation at the bottom of a valley and with no near neighbours.

It arrives on the market via Savills with a guide price of £2.85 million.

The property, which is south facing, benefits from a flexible interior layout that is finished to a supremely high standard, with highlights such as a double-height entrance hall, a Shaker-style kitchen/dining area and seven bedrooms in total.

Outside, the gardens extend to almost 20 acres and include formal areas, terraced areas for entertaining, paddock and woodland, and a picturesque two-acre lake stocked with rainbow and brown trout as well as carp — perfect for fishing enthusiasts who don’t want to travel too far.

Further accommodation is provided in the one-bedroom coach house and two-bedroom annexe, while further outbuildings include ‘generous’ timber barns and a double garage.

Exeter is about 10 miles up the road, where you’ll find plenty of shops, restaurants, and educational facilities for all ages, plus mainline train services to London Paddington and Penzance.

Road networks are also excellent, with the A38 and M5 linking via Bristol and the north and A303 towards the east.

Oxton Mere is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £2.85 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

Oliver Custance-Baker of Strutt & Parker’s country department is handling the launch onto the market of elegant Grade II-listed Trethill House at Sheviock, near Torpoint, which sits in 35 acres of delightful gardens and grounds overlooking the Rame Peninsula between the sea and the Lynher River, a tributary of the Tamar.

Oliver quotes a guide price of £3m for the charming, late-Georgian villa, built between 1836 and 1840, then extended with a bay to the left in the later 19th century.

In the late 1700s, the Trethill estate was owned by Capt Samuel Wallis, a distinguished naval officer and Pacific Ocean explorer who made the first European landfall on Tahiti in June 1767. On Capt Wallis’s death in 1795, the estate passed to his cousin, Ann Wallis, who died in 1836, leaving the estate to her eldest son, the Revd Samuel Wallis, a gentleman scholar and founding fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford. Wallis immediately commissioned the Plymouth-based architect George Wightwick, a former assistant to Sir John Soane, to build him a new villa in the picturesque Italianate style.

Trethill House offers more than 6,700sq ft of accommodation on two floors, including a reception hall, five impressive ground-floor rooms, including a drawing room and dining room with original fireplaces and far-reaching views over the grounds, a fine library, a sitting room and a study.

The kitchen boasts an Aga, modern integrated appliances and space for a large breakfast table. A substantial cellar could be developed into further accommodation if required.

Two staircases lead to the first floor, and six good double bedrooms, including the principal bedroom suite that has a large bathroom en suite, plenty of natural light and a balcony from which to admire the coastal views.

There are also three family bathrooms. Further accommodation is available in the detached coach house, which provides garaging, stabling and equestrian facilities on the ground floor, with a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor.

The grounds combine beautiful landscaped gardens, meadows and lawns, mature woodland, streams and waterfalls — yes, waterfalls! — and a number of paddocks suitable for grazing or exercising horses.

A wide variety of flora and fauna includes more than 150 magnolias and a scattering of bluebells, interspersed with well-placed seating areas from which to admire the views.

Trethill House in Torpoint is for sale at £3m — see more pictures and 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

The year 1828 was a good one for Joseph Neeld and the manor of Grittleton. It was the year that Neeld inherited £800,000 — around £71 million in 2023 terms — from the silversmith and ‘tyrannical miser’ Philip Rundell, with which he built Grittleton House and improved much of the village.

Grittleton is now one of the Cotswolds’s ‘prettiest and most sought-after villages,’ says agent Alistair Heather, and The Old Laundry (formerly The Barton) is one of the finer properties there.

The property arrives to the market via Savills with a guide price of £1.495 million.

Listed Grade II, the house is thought to have been originally part of the Grittleton House estate and originally dates from the 17th century (with further additions in the 20th century).

The three-storey rubble-stone building offers a wealth of period features and generous proportions, as well as five bedrooms and a convenient location in the heart of the village.

Outside, an attractive walled garden offers lots of space for entertaining and enjoying the views of St Mary’s Church, whereas a stone outbuilding, currently used as a garden store, could easily be repurposed as a home office or studio.

The village of Grittleton is home to a popular pub, The Neeld Arms, as well as a tennis and cricket club. With the market town of Chippenham just six miles away, there is a wealth of shopping, schools and leisure facilities at your fingertips.

Rail links from here run to London Paddington in just over an hour, making this a serious contender for commuters.

The Old Laundry is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £1.495 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

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

In the 14th century and during the reign of Edward III, the ports of Rye and Faversham became hubs of great wealth due to the blossoming wool and cloth trade with Europe.

Nearby towns, such as Smarden, also benefited from this new trade frontier, producing homes of great beauty, such as The Cloth Hall, built in the early 15th century and then remodelled by a wealthy cloth merchant called Thomas Yates.

The home’s pedigree doesn’t end there, as another previous owner, the famed Everest Expedition photographer John Noel purchased the property in 1920. A great friend of Nathanial Lloyd of Great Dixter in East Sussex, Noel used his connections to remodel the building in the styles of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll.

The house — currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £4 million — is listed Grade II* and, despite its history, had fallen into disrepair when it was acquired by the current owner in 2014, who set about to restore it. What resulted is a home of immense period character (the new roof won a national heritage award) with all the modern trimmings.

The interiors include five bedrooms and lashings of historical charm, such as exposed beams, wooden floors, inglenook fireplaces, timber-latch doors and hand-coloured stained glass.

All of this is combined with state-of-the-art appliances by Gaggenau and SubZero, a fitted Martin Moore kitchen and a Catchpole and Rye bathroom in the master suite, with free-standing copper bath.

Outside, the gardens are almost as perfect, and are arranged in areas to tell ‘stories’ in tune with the area and the property’s local heritage. Landscaping includes ponds, mature trees, stocked borders and various themed areas.

The River Beult forms part of the boundary and there is an air-source heated swimming pool. If that isn’t enough, the property also features a very successful holiday-let business from a separate barn conversion and two cottages.

Winning the ‘Best Kept Village’ award on numerous occasions, Smarden boasts the usual line-up — a butcher, post office, three pubs and an art gallery. Nearby Headcorn offers further shops, restaurants and supermarkets; whilst Tenterden and Cranbrook both have a range of antique shops, independent boutiques, cafes and restaurants.

Kent is known for its excellent schooling in both state and private sectors, as well as excellent transport links to London, with services running from Headcorn, Pluckley and Charing Station.

The Cloth Mill is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £4 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

We here at Country Life enjoy a conversion—what could be more sustainable and eccentric than taking an old space and turning it into something new?

The Old Hall in Elmley Castle is one such instance, where the owner acquired a 14th-century Grade II-listed village hall and created a spacious three-bedroom, semi-detached home.

The transformed property is now on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £595,000.

Set on the village’s Main Street, externally, the property looks almost identical to how it may have when it was first built, but, inside, clever architecture has opened up the large spaces to create a home that feels excitingly modern, but looks very much in touch with its storied roots.

The highlight must surely be the open-plan kitchen/dining/sitting room on the ground floor, which combines beautifully with a first-floor mezzanine from which the bedrooms are accessed.

Spanning three floors in total, the property offers two bedrooms, with a potential third bedroom in the mezzanine (as it is currently set up).

Large mullioned windows throughout mean the entire property is flooded with light and the village of Elmley Castle offers a wealth of amenities, including a pub, a parish church, school and, most importantly, cricket club.

Lying at the base of the Bredon Hill, Elmley Castle is ideally situated to reach surrounding towns, including Pershore, Evesham and Worcester, yet still rural enough to enjoy all the pleasures of the surrounding countryside.

The Old Hall is currently on the market via Hamptons with a guide price of £595,000 — 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

Sometimes, when discussing properties such as River House, it’s difficult to know where to start. Perhaps it’s the prime riverside setting (with frontage) on the River Ouse? Or the wisteria-clad façade? Why not the Mediterranean-style garden room, with its interior vine and green shutters?

What’s most important is that the property is a rare opportunity to own a wonderful home on the high street of the sought-after village of Hemingford Grey.

Arriving on the market via Fine & Country with a guide price of £2 million, River House has mass appeal. It’s hard not to fall in love with a property like this.

Inside, the elegant and traditional interiors offer eight bedrooms and a wealth of entertaining space over its three floors.

The ground floor accommodation is formed of a bright reception hall, from which you can access the dining room and wine store one on side, and the drawing room and magical garden room on the other.

Towards the back of the house, you’ll find the welcoming kitchen/breakfast room with adjoining utility, as well as a large ‘studio’ room that has direct access out to the garden and huge potential.

The eight bedrooms are located over the first and second floors, making this the perfect house for large families, or those who like to host and entertain.

Outside, the gardens feature a variety of mature trees as well as a sweeping lawn and well-stocked borders. A thatched summer house offers potential for a further annexe and the riverside plot features an elegant boathouse and space to enjoy the passing boats and wildlife.

Hemingford Grey, along with the neighbouring village of Hemingford Abbots, are collectively known as ‘The Hemmingfords’, and are incredibly sought-after areas to live within Cambridgeshire.

Situated in a conservation, riverside area, the village is home to a number of river walks and footpaths. Both villages enjoy a range of facilities, including popular pubs, a primary school, shops and sports clubs. An annual regatta is held between the two village, as well as a biennial flower show.

Cambridge is approximately 15 miles to the south, whilst Huntingdon (six miles) and St Ives (two miles) offer a further selection of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.

River House is currently on the market via Fine & Country with a guide price of £2 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

Kent is home to some of the country’s most dazzling landscapes — from miles of open fertile farmland, to iconic coastlines and rich orchards bursting with fruit and hops; it’s no wonder the county has been affectionately known as The Garden of England for hundreds of years.

But it’s not just the landscapes that give Kent reason to boast, as it is also no stranger to awe-inspiring properties – from unique homes bursting with character, to spectacular mansion houses and period farmhouses.

The latest addition to join the impressive line-up is Chillenden Court Barn North, found in the small village of Chillenden, which is currently on the market via Bright & Bright with a guide price of £1.25 million.

Situated in beautiful east Kent, Chillenden Court Barn North is a Grade II-listed conversion that is perfect for those who like their gardens to be small and private. The centrepiece (quite literally) of this home is the courtyard garden, with its entertaining space and precisely bordered and planted beds and hedging.

A further lower garden offers a water feature and a decked seating area, meaning the sun can be enjoyed at all times of day.

Inside, the property offers five bedrooms in total, one of which can be found on the ground floor with double doors that open up to the inner courtyard, making it the perfect guest suite.

Throughout the rest of the house, the interiors are finished to a deliciously high standard, as well as offering bags of character with original beams throughout. The open plan living/dining room is an especially welcoming space, with reading corners and plenty of natural light.

The village of Chillenden is a conservation area and, for those keen golfers among us, Sandwich is merely five miles away. Situated equidistance between Canterbury and Deal, the rural village lies on the edge of the North Downs, therefore benefiting from beautiful countryside surroundings. Within the village you’ll find a church, village hall and popular pub.

The medieval walled city of Canterbury is just 10 miles to the north west, home to Canterbury Cathedral (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); plenty of wonderful riverside pubs; The King’s Mile — a stretch of crooked and historic buildings with eclectic shops and picturesque public gardens.

Chillenden Court Barn North seems an obvious choice for those seeking a captivating home within a rural setting, with great access to the county’s most famed landscapes and cities.

Chillenden Court Barn North is currently on the market via Bright & Bright with a guide price f £1.25 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

When you ask young people today what they really want in life, you might be surprised to hear that it’s not ‘avocado on toast’ or ‘Netflix’, but rather a galleried landing in an unlisted 16th-century house.

Amazingly, Willowbrook House — for sale at £1.75m — offers exactly that, as well as five bedrooms, four bathrooms and an acre of gardens on the edge of the village of Creaton.

The home’s lack of a listing means that it has been comprehensively renovated and restored during the owner’s tenure.

There is a wealth of period features (not least the landing) in a property that also offers Chesney fireplaces, modern bathrooms and a vast kitchen/breakfast area — the ideal spot for entertaining.

Outside, the gardens are sharp enough to set your watch to and also offer a swimming pool and annexe/pool house.

Creaton itself is the sort of delightful little place that have people referring to Northamptonshire as 'the new Cotswolds', a thriving community of around 500 people with a village green, 13th century church and a primary school, as well as a pub and a shop with a post office counter. Northampton is about 20 minutes' drive away to the south.

Willowbrook is for sale at £1.75m — see more pictures and details here. 

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

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

Having grown up and lived in Membland for over 20 years, I knew it would only be a matter of time before this little hamlet would be out for the world to discover.

It is a glorious pocket of the south hams, close enough to the twinned villages of Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo to enjoy the River Yealm and the pubs, yet perfectly situated just under a mile away so that when the August bank holiday chaos descends, you can feel smug knowing you are comfortably removed from the crowds — yet still within walking distance of the coast path and local beaches.

The area has barely changed over the years and properties like Dovecote House very rarely come up for sale.

On the market via Marchand Petit with a guide price of £1.25 million, the handsome house really has it all: Plenty of flexible accommodation space with large rooms and lots of lovely features — think aged oak floorboards, wood burners and sleek appliances.

Described as being part of buildings that were ‘formerly stables to Membland Hall’, Grade II-listed Dovecote House owes its existence to the banker Edward Baring, later Lord Revelstoke, who purchased the estate circa 1877.

The initials ‘ECB’ (Edward Charles Baring) are inscribed on many of the buildings within the hamlet, and each played a vital role in the running of the estate, from the laundry house and clock tower, to charming forge and former game keeper’s cottage.

Dovecote is situated down a quiet lane, within a sheltered, mature garden of about two-thirds of an acre. A large gravel pathway leads up to the substantial house, surrounding which are well-maintained lawns and two large patio areas that are perfect for al fresco gin and tonics.

It offers five bedrooms in total, two of which can be separated to form a self-contained annexe which provides lucrative holiday-letting potential. There’s also a wonderful attic space which could double up as a yoga/pilates studio.

The kitchen overlooks a private rear courtyard, off from which is a self-contained home office/studio.

Nearby Newton Ferrers and its twin Noss Mayo offer a range of amenities. In Newton Ferrers you’ll find a popular yacht club, The Dolphin Inn, a pharmacy, art gallery, post office, butchers, co-op and The Green — a new deli/café. There’s also a local primary school and parish church.

Over the water in Noss (which can be accessed at low tide via a walkway called the ‘voss’) are two great riverside pubs: The Swan Inn and the Ship Inn, plus another church.

In the summer, the village comes alive with the River Yealm Regatta which sees the whole community come together to compete in rowing, sailing, swimming and sporting events. The South West coast path wraps around the area providing many beautiful walks with lots of secret bays and coves to discover.

There are, naturally, lots of wonderful beaches and other delights to be found here, but everyone knows that the best-kept secrets are the ones that remain, well...just that.

Dovecote House is currently on the market via Marchand Petit with a guide price of £1.25 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agents for further details. 

Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale

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

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

Houses in St Albans aren't cheap, as you'd expect of a charming little cathedral city that's full of history, green spaces, and with a 20-minute fast train link to the City. Five-bedroom detached homes usually cost in the £1m to £1.5m range, though, rather than £6m. So what is it about this house that sees it come up for sale at five or six times that? The answer is pretty much everything.

Dubbed a ‘masterpiece in the heart of the city’ by Nick Ingle of Savills, Abbey Orchard House is a show-stopping eco home that has been featured on Grand Designs thanks to its innovative design and seamless functionality.

The floorplan is formed in a rough ‘H’ formation, with two separate living areas that are interconnected by a glazed link walkway that gives the place the feel of a medieval cloister blended with a traditional Japanese house. This is also the main entrance into the home and spans 30 meters.

Exposed brickwork marries with light wooden maple tones throughout and a number of roof lights give the illusion of opening to the outside, drawing the eyes up. This is most impressive above the central fireplace in the sitting room with its tiered brick surround and dramatic framing.

During his visit to the property, Kevin McCloud remarked that the house was ‘organically inspired, geometric craftmanship that hits you between the eyes,' calling it simultaneously 'futuristic and historic’, with ‘light so soft, you can almost touch it.’

One side of the property houses the five bedrooms, including two substantial principal suites. ‘Abby Suite’ features a walk-in wardrobe and spacious bathroom with glazed doors leading out into a private veranda that runs down to a substantial orchard.

At the other end of this space, you’ll find the ‘River Suite’ bedroom with an inset wood burner and roof light (similar to that in the sitting room), a bespoke Japanese bath and doors which open up to the riverside setting.

In the main living area, the reception rooms are flooded with light and all have access out into the two and a half acres of surrounding gardens. The hallway — described as a ‘connecting space’, rather than a corridor— was created at double width to allow for art collections to be displayed throughout the property.

The house is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £5.95 million and situated on a peaceful cul-de-sac, Pondwicks Close, alongside a number of historic, listed buildings, with the park and Abbey grounds right on the doorstep, and the city centre a short stroll away.

Views from the house overlook the 11^th-century Norman Abbey Church — a stark contrast to the pared-back interiors.

The site sits close to the original Roman town of Verulamium, and during medieval times, the fertile soil was used to grow apples, pears and other fruit trees; hence the name Abbey Orchard House. Originally part of the St Albans monastery, the site was left undeveloped since 1539.

English Heritage oversaw the planning and development of the site, stating that ‘any building had to be exceptional and blend into this historic and beautiful location.’ It does just that. With a 130 metre private drive, the property is only visible from the air, yet just a five minutes’ walk into St Albans.

The River Ver runs along the south of the property and is a haven for wildlife, with trout in the chalkstream and deer often spotted in the garden.

The property includes almost 100 metres of private riverbank and the surrounding two and a half acres of gardens offer the utmost privacy, with large established trees and plenty of tranquil corners. The low level Sedum roof enhances the harmony between the outside natural world as it seamlessly blends with its verdant surroundings.

Pretty much all the interiors (blinds, lights and electrical appliances) can be controlled from your phone. Now, this is great if you fall into the group of people who don’t let their phone battery drop to below 80%, but a tad daunting for those who like to flirt with the red battery bar.

Solar panels, wood burners and a computer-controlled heating and hot water system ensure running costs stay down, and can all be controlled and monitored from the engine room.

Schooling in the area is excellent with a choice of state and private. St Michael’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans School (classed as one of the oldest private schools in the world), Beaumont School (rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted) and Bernards Heath Junior School (also rated ‘outstanding’) are all great options.

Commuting into London is ideal, with the mainline train station in St Albans running to central London in under 20 minutes. For those wanting to stay closer to home (we don’t blame you), St Albans has a thriving high street with restaurants, boutiques and a museum.

Abbey Orchard House offers more than just a place to call home. Its design is remarkable, prompting Savills to call it ‘one of the most individual and outstanding architectural houses built in England in the 21^st century’, where soft light, zen-like interiors and a private setting join forces to offer the ultimate escape.

Abbey Orchard House is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £5.95 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

If you can look through photos of Wadbury House and not be left speechless, then congratulation, you’re made of stronger stuff than we are.

At first glance, the exquisite — and we really do mean exquisite — Palladian Villa demands attention. It was built in 1840 by ‘prominent Victorian architect’ James Wilson, and stands on the site of an ancient hill fort dating back to 800BC, known as Wadbury Camp. The hill fort used to protect the mining district of the Mendip Hills in pre-Roman times.

Made of Bath stone ashlar and decorated by the autumnal jewel tones of climbing Ivy, Wadbury House sets high precedence from the start, and finds itself currently on the market via Savills for offers over £8 million.

'I can’t think of a better opportunity to live in a grand country house in the most desirable part of Somerset, if not the entire South West,' says George Nares, from Savills Country Department.

'Not only do you have a beautifully renovated and architecturally important estate, but with the ever fashionable Bath close by, along with renowned Babington House on the doorstep you have amenities that are second to none. I am sure that Wadbury House will draw interest from far and wide because the house offers the very best lifestyle the countryside has to offer.'

The Grade II Listed country house is being sold by Kate Brindle and her husband, who have lived at the property for the past 12 years and who undertook an extensive 18-month restoration programme to considerably improve the house of ‘Italianate design’; even going so far as to source fireplaces from Europe to remain in keeping with the original era and Italian style that runs throughout.

Each room is generously proportioned, with high ceilings, elegant floor-to-ceiling windows with original shutters, striking fireplaces, and wide oak floorboards. The Bath stone orangery is a new addition, created by renowned Bath architect Simon Morray-Jones, that beautifully merges with the original house so that you would never know it’s a new addition.

Amounting to over 10,000sq ft with eight bedrooms and extensive accommodation, there is also ‘an abundance of ancillary accommodation.’

The stone Coach House is particularly captivating, located across the courtyard from the main house, and has been split into two and therefore lends itself as staff accommodation, for guests or even as letting opportunities. The half closest to Wadbury House is formed of four bedrooms (one en-suite), a kitchen, sitting room and garden; while the second half of the house has two en-suite bedrooms (one with a dressing room) and an enclosed section of the pretty courtyard.

Within the courtyard itself are converted stables with two en-suite bedrooms and a one-bedroom annexe, attached to the house and with lovely views across the parkland.

Additionally, by the entrance to the grounds is a two-bed stone gatehouse, known as Wadbury Lodge and halfway along the drive you’ll find Wadbury Fort — a charming three-bed cottage.

Suffice to say the ancillary accommodation is plentiful. Yet there is potential for more in the shape of a large agricultural barn and further outbuildings, subject to all necessary planning consent.

In total, the gardens and grounds extend to 37 acres, providing ‘complete rural isolation’ according to the agents. A stone terrace surrounds the house and swimming pool, making it the perfect place to entertain in the summer months.

Terraced lawns extend down to an Italian garden with a stone pond and ornate fountain at its centre. A mix of formal gardens, wildflower meadows, protected woodland and a fabulous collection of mature trees and shrubs form the rest of the garden and grounds.

A fascinating feature is the Italian Beech tree, planted in the turning circle in front of the house during the Victorian era, which, over time, has grown to create both Italian and English leaves — a fitting symbolic nod to the larger style and heart of Wadbury House.

Wadbury House is situated close to the hugely popular and quintessential Somerset village of Mells and just 2.5 miles from Babington House Country Club. Within the village is a local church, shop, café, post office, primary school and well-regarded pub.

The towns of Wells (12 miles to the west) and Frome (3.5 miles to the east) offer excellent day-to-day amenities, whilst Bath and Bristol are easily reached, providing further leisure and cultural facilities. Schooling in the area is excellent, with Millfield School, Downside, Sherborne School for Boys and Girls and All Hallows.

Wadbury House is currently on the market via Savills for offers over £8 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

Best for walkers — Conques

The Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route takes in many idyllic villages, but Conques, on the path that leads from Le Puy-en-Velay, is a particular highlight. Cobbled lanes meander between peach and ochre timber-frame cottages and its crowning glory is the 11th-century Sainte-Foy abbey. Look up above its entrance to admire its incredible tympanum, which depicts the Last Judgement of Christ.

Inside, the stained-glass windows by artist Pierre Soulages were added in 1990 and complement the Romanesque architecture with their modern design. The Abbey, with its enchanting cloisters, is also home to one of Europe’s greatest medieval gold artworks, a collection of reliquaries known as The Treasure of Conques. Find places to stay in Conques Find property for sale in the Occitaine

Best for island escape — Ars-en-Ré

Only two of the enchanting villages on the Ile de Ré hold the prestigious title of Plus Beaux Villages de France: La Flotte and Ars-en-Ré. The latter is the more polished of the two and at its heart is a sun-drenched square and the Saint-Etienne church, with its distinctive black-and-white spire that served as a landmark for sailors.

Best for wine — Ménerbes

Although many wine villages hold acclaim for prestigious vintages, Ménerbes holds sway for its simple pleasures: sipping a local rosé wine on the terrasse of the Café du Progrès in the late afternoon after wandering the sun-drenched lanes and exploring the surrounding vineyards.

Among the most enjoyable to visit is the Domaine de la Citadelle, which not only produces excellent wine, but also has the quirky allure of the Corkscrew Museum with its extraordinary collection of 1,000 tire-bouchons in almost every conceivable shape, age, size and place of origin. Find places to stay in Ménerbes Find property for sale in Ménerbes

Best for gastronomy — Grignan

You can’t miss Grignan for its sheer majesty. Surrounded by fields of lavender, its rambling pile of terracotta-roofed houses is crowned by a Renaissance château at the top. Wander its rosemary-scented lanes to the panoramic terraces and take in views of cherry orchards, olive groves and vineyards that thrive in the gentle climate.

At the hotel Le Clair de la Plume’s Michelin-starred restaurant, chef Julien Allano serves a superb menu of the Drôme department’s abundant produce, including olives from Nyons, Saint-Marcellin cheese and Montélimar nougat. Find places to stay in Grignan Find property for sale in Grignan

Best for a sweet tooth — Flavigny-sur-Ozerain

Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is set on a hill in the gently undulating countryside north-east of Dijon. With its impressive stone gates and tranquil lanes lined with flower-bedecked houses; it's little wonder that this village was used as a backdrop for many of the scenes in the film of Joanne Harris’s book, Chocolat, in 2000. It's still the place to go if you love French confectionery, being the home of the little white aniseed imperials that are sold in pretty tins everywhere across the country.

Aniseed was first brought to the region by the Romans (Julius Caesar fought Vercingetorix on the same hill), but the sweets were made by the monks of the Abbaye de Flavigny, who founded the abbey in the 8th century. The sweets’ workshops are based in and around the Abbey, which is also a joy to explore for its Carolingian crypt. Find places to stay in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain

Best for colour — Roussillon

Of all the dramatic landscapes to be explored across France, the ochre peaks around Roussillon are among the most striking. This village in Provence’s Vaucluse department is set on one of the world’s largest ochre deposits and visitors can walk around the quarries, dominated by incredible red-hued cliffs.

Roussillon itself is a triumph of yellow and orange houses, making it a spectacular sight in the early evening light. Take a stroll around the narrow streets to admire its galleries and historic buildings, before heading to the top of the village for exceptional views of the Monts de Vaucluse and surrounding countryside. Find places to stay in Rousillon Find property for sale in Roussillon

Best for its château — Montsoreau

Follow the River Loire west from Tours and there’s no missing Montsoreau’s Renaissance château presiding over the village, looking every bit as elegant as the more famous ones in Saumur and Amboise.

Built on the site of an 11th-century castle, the current château — now home to a contemporary-arts museum — dates from 1450 and was built by John II of Chambes, private adviser to Charles VII, but it found fame in the 19th century, when Alexandre Dumas published his novel The Lady of Monsoreau in 1846.

The village around it is small, with only 500 inhabitants, and has attractive tuffeau stone architecture, riverside restaurants and antiques shops (www.ville-montsoreau.fr). Find places to stay in Montsoreau Find property for sale near Montosreau

Best for mountains — Bonneval-sur-Arc

Whether you’re a winter skier or a summer hiker, the village of Bonneval-sur-Arc, in the Haute Maurienne Vanoise area of the Alps, will captivate you as much for its tiny stone dwellings with heavy slate roofs as for the beauty of its surroundings. The lanes aren’t accessible by car, so explore on foot or, in winter, on skis.

Best for views — Vézelay

As you walk through the centre of Vézelay, up the gentle incline towards the Saint Mary-Magdalene Basilica, past enticing boutiques and laid-back cafés, you’re following the footsteps of pilgrims over the centuries. The reward is the chance to enjoy the incredible view from the top, over the gentle rolling hills and vineyards of the Morvan regional park.

For reverence of a more spiritual kind, enter the Basilica to hear the sisters of the Jerusalem Monastic community practice their four-part harmonies. On the summer solstice, the daylight shines through the southern windows to cast a series of perfectly aligned circles along the centre of the nave floor. Find places to stay in Vézelay Find property for sale near Vézelay

Best for flowers — Gerberoy

Gerberoy is tucked away in a shallow valley amid the golden plains of Picardy. Its cobbled streets are lined with fine brick and timber-frame houses brimming with flowers. Roses, wisteria, hydrangeas and holly- hocks add to the colours of shutters painted in reds, blues and green.

Gerberoy’s beauty owes much to Henri Le Sidaner, the artist who moved there in 1901 and turned a neglected orchard into extraordinary gardens, complete with an Italian terrace, rose garden and pergola. The village also has a few artisan studios selling art and pottery and a handful of restaurants, including l’Atelier Gourmand, with tables in its sunny walled garden. Find places to stay near Gerberoy Find property for sale near Gerberoy 

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Any time a house comes up for sale on Lindfield's famous High Street, interest will be piqued. It's a picture-perfect corner of the world with everything you'd love to see: ducks on the pond, charming pubs and so on. It's all so well kept that the village was at one point banned from the 'best kept village in Sussex' competition, for the simple fact that it had won so many times in a row that it was getting embarrassing. On top of all that, the mainline railway service from Haywards Heath is just a mile or two away — walkable, in other words.

This is no ordinary opportunity, however: it's one for the brave. The 14th century Old Bakery is waiting for someone with an enterprising mind and great to take it over, or at least someone looking for a home but willing to risk fighting red tape: part of the ground floor and the cellar are designated as commercial space.

‘Once sympathetically restored, The Old Bakery will be one of the finest and most historic buildings in one of the South of England’s most thriving villages,’ says the team at Jackson-Stops, whose offices are just up the street.

The property is currently on the market via Jackson-Stops for £775,000, but further investment is needed to fully bring this historic building into a new era.

The accommodation is currently comprised of a cellar, a small kitchen, the 'retail space' (including a shop window), and a drawing and sitting room. Upstairs are four inter-connecting bedrooms and two bathrooms.

A cute, west-facing courtyard can be found to the rear of the property, to the side of which is a barn which would make a great home office/gym/studio room.

The Old Bakery is currently on the market via Jackson-Stops for £775,000 — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Lindfield: What you need to know

Location: On the outskirts of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, about 1 mile north of Haywards Heath. The service to London from Haywards Heath is famously good, making it easy to get to London Bridge, Kings Cross and Victoria in comfortably under an hour.

Atmosphere: Lindfield is a charming West Sussex village centred around a historic church, an open common and a picturesque high street. The common is at the heart of village life as it hosts an annual funfair, bonfire night displays and cricket matches. There are excellent amenities and shops from a butcher and pharmacy to independent boutique and coffee shops.

Things to do: Cuckfield Golf Centre is situated close by and Haywards Heath offers a range of shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. Goodwood, Glyndebourne and Ardingly Showground all have racecourses, and footpaths offer a network of wonderful walks.

Schools: Plenty of highly-regarded schools to choose from, including Lindfield Primary Academy (rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted), Blackthorns Community Primary Academy (also rated 'outstanding'), Northlands Wood Primary Academy and Great Walstead School. For secondary, there's Ardingly College and Warden Park Academy.

See more property for sale in the area.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

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

‘On the sea-facing side of Warberry Hill, the villa preserves the essence of Victorian style with 21st-century living, presented with a meticulous eye to detail,’ say agents of Middle Warberry Court, which sits handsome, gleaming white and in fine fettle both inside and out on the ‘Torquay Riviera’ and was once one of the town’s most imposing homes.

Now on the market via agents John Couch with a guide price of £1.5 million, Middle Warberry Court was, like many of Torquay's 'signature villas', built during the mid 19th century.

The current owners acquired the property in 1989 and throughout their ownership have extensively restored and repaired much of the house, using highly skilled tradesmen from both the local area and London.

Marble fireplaces feature throughout and the elegant drawing room has two bay windows that look out over the gardens towards the sea—views that are also enjoyed by two of the four bedrooms upstairs (the master is en suite), not to mention a beautifully restored Art Deco marble bathroom.

The south-facing gardens and grounds have also received the same high level of attention and care as seen in the house. A sweeping lawn meets with established trees, Mediterranean shrubbery and a 120ft York paved terrace.

Middle Warberry Court is currently on the market via John Couch with a guide price of £1.5 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.

Torquay: What you need to know

Location: Torquay is a seaside town on the southwest Devon coast, located between Plymouth and Exeter. The nearest train station is within the town, which offers Great Western rail services and links to London.

Atmosphere: Torquay is a popular town, nicknamed the ‘English Riviera’ thanks to its beautiful beaches — such as Babbacombe and Oddicombe — which makes it popular with visitors. Torquay harbour is home to a marina and numerous shops, cafes and restaurants and was also the birthplace and home of Agatha Christie.

Things to do: If stretches of beautiful coastline, beaches, sailing and water sports aren’t your thing, then head to Torre Abbey — a monastery founded in 1196, which is home to beautiful gardens and art galleries. There are also a number of independent and chain shops and restaurants within the town.

Schools: Warberry C of E Academy, Ellacombe Church of England Academy and All Saints Babbacombe C of E Primary School are all rated 'good' by 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

On the outskirts of the village of Micheldever, Deer’s Leap is an unusual, oak-frame, barn-style house, clad in English cedar, that draws on the Arts-and-Crafts for inspiration and was designed by the architect Huw Thomas.

The property is currently on the market via Winkworth with a guide price of £2.25 million, and including its substantial outbuildings, offers 6,000sq ft of accommodation in total.

‘Magnificent arches over the most impressive log-burning chimney’ are part of the exposed joinery aesthetic and, together with a galleried landing, provide a focal point to the spacious four-bedroom house.

The 3¼-acre grounds include an ornamental pond, gardens, stables, garage, car barn, garden store, kennels and workshop, with direct gated access into the Forestry Commission’’s tranquil Micheldever Woods, known for its flurry of bluebells in spring.

Deer's Leap is currently on the market via Winkworth with a guide price of £2.25 million — see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Micheldever: What you need to know

Location: Hampshire, 6 miles north of Winchester. There are excellent transport links via the M3, A303 and rail services from Micheldever Station which connects to London Waterloo.

Atmosphere: The highly sought-after village — dotted with charming thatched houses — benefits from its own village shop, primary school, church and post office, and has a strong community feel, with many residents organising annual social events.

Things to do: There are plenty of idyllic walks to explore through the countryside, especially through Micheldever Woods, where you can spot a range of birds and deer. Winchester is just a short drive away, offering a good selection of restaurants and shops.

Schools: Micheldever C of E Primary School and Itchen Abbas Primary School are both rated 'good' in Ofsted reviews.

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

As the name implies, The Chapel, in Moulton, on the Suffolk to Cambridgeshire border, didn’t start life as a house.

When it was built, in 1897, it was intended as a place where the village’s Methodist congregation could gather. The later conversion preserved many of the ecclesiastical features, such as the arched stained glass windows and vaulted ceilings, as well as creating a home well suited to contemporary living, with mod-cons such as part underfloor heating and an in-built sound system.

Extending to 2,370sq ft, the property — currently on the market via Jackson-Stops with a guide price of £825,000 — centres around a wonderful triple-aspect, open-plan living area on the ground floor. A spiral staircase winds upstairs to the five bedrooms, whilst a wood-burning stove creates a cosy seating area.

Outside is a pretty garden with paved terrace and mature trees. 

The Chapel is currently on the market via Jackson-Stops with a guide price of £825,000 — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Moulton: What you need to know

Location: Inbetween Cambridge (18 miles) and Bury St Edmunds (12 miles), and just three miles from Newmarket. Rail links from Newmarket go to London Liverpool Street, and Stansted International Airport is roughly a 40-minute drive away.

Atmosphere: The delightful village is surrounded by picturesque Suffolk countryside and centres around a large village green with open meadows, playing fields and a stream. The Packhorse Inn is a popular local pub and Moulton village stores provides daily amenities. Neighbouring Newmarket offers further facilities, with restaurants, shops, schools hotels and a golf club.

Things to do: For a spot of horse racing, head over to Newmarket, or for a dose of history and culture, head to Cambridge. The surrounding countryside also offers plenty of beautiful walks and riding routes.

Schools: Moulton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Cheveley C of E Primary School and Kennett Primary School are all rated 'good' by Ofsted.

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

Extending to more than 2500sq ft across three floors, smartly converted Down Farm Oast is the sort of property you would expect to find in the cinematic remake of a fairytale. From the front, the property — currently on the market via Hamptons for offers over £895,000 — juxtaposes red bricks against black timber frames, whilst to the rear a large spiralled oast tower cuts a striking shape over the garden.

The house has five double bedrooms across the two upper floors, with two of the rooms located in the circular walls of the former oast tower.

Downstairs, glass doors lead from the circular kitchen to a large sitting/dining room with exposed beams and a brick feature fireplace with log-burner.

It sits just outside the extraordinarily pretty village of Lamberhurst, famous for its vineyard, the ruins of Bayham Old Abbey, Scotney Castle and Margaret Thatcher’s one-time holiday house, not far from Bewl Water, Frant and Tunbridge Wells.

Down Farm Oast is currently on the market via Hamptons for offers over £895,000 — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Lamberhurst: What you need to know

Location: In the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, near to the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Train services run from Frant into London Charring Cross via London Bridge.

Atmosphere: The exceptionally pretty village has a local village store, bakers, restaurant, pub and churches.

Things to do: The area is popular due to its close proximity to Bewl Water and walks near to Scotney Castle and Bayham Abbey Ruins. There is also a golf club within the village.

Schools: Lamberhurst St Mary's C of E Primary School, Wadhurst C of E Primary School and Uplands Community College all received 'good' ratings from Ofsted.

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

The picturesque fishing village of Mousehole (pronounces mow-zell) has all the characteristics that you would expect from a charming Cornish idyll: a sheltered bay where fishing boats moor and a large sandy beach is uncovered at low tide; cute and quirky gift shops, pubs and art galleries and lots of turquoise blue waters that form an altogether blissful backdrop against the winding cobbled streets.

Cliff paths lead off in both directions from the village and traverse the coastline, where private coves and beaches can be found. It is a gem in West Cornwall, and one that Welsh writer Dylan Thomas described as ‘the loveliest village in England.’

With all that in mind, buyers keen to move to the great south west (who can blame them) will be thrilled to find South Cliff, tucked up in a row of houses that line the harbours edge and face out towards the sea.

Currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £1.1 million, the three-bed detached house has a private terrace overlooking the water, with views to Mount’s Bay.

Location and style join forces, for South Cliff is not only situated in one of the most incredible spots within the village, but the newly renovated interiors match up with its blissful surroundings.

Box bay windows in the sitting room and master bedroom only help to further accentuate the views, whilst the William Holland copper bath injects a touch of luxury, alongside the John Lewis of Hungerford kitchen with Silestone quartz work surface, in the neutral interiors.

The iconic former custom house for the St. Levan estate boasts three immaculately presented double bedrooms — one of which is a self-contained suite which can be accessed via the terrace.

South Cliff is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £1.1 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Mousehole: What you need to know

Location: Almost at the very southern tip of Cornwall — just 10 miles from Lands End, 3.5 miles from Penzance (where train lines run to London Paddington) and 2 miles from Newlyn.

Atmosphere: The sought-after, utterly-picturesque fishing village is set within a sandy harbour and protected by thick walls. An active fishing fleet moor up here, and the rest of the village is mostly made up of quaint fishermen’s cottages and twisting streets.

Things to do: There are several charming shops along the high street — all utterly picture worthy, including gift shop ‘The Mousehole’. The harbour beach is a lovely place to take in the surroundings, however, there are plenty of other beaches dotted along this stretch of coast, too. The famed Minack Theatre is nearby in Porthcurno, plus plenty of rugged coves and coast path walks to explore. Surfing, sailing, kite surfing and wind surfing is available from Marazion. Nearby Newlyn is known for its art galleries and fish market whilst Penzance offers further retail options plus a ferry service to the Isles of Scilly.

Schools: Mousehole School, Newlyn School and St Mary’s C of E Primary School in Penzance are all situated close by. Secondary options can be found in Penzance.

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

The delightful fishing village of Mousehole in West Cornwall is as small as its name suggests. The tiny community is centred around an aquamarine-blue, picturesque sandy harbour, where at high tide the sheltered waters are perfect for slipping into for a refreshing dip between the moored fishing boats. At low tide a beach appears, proving popular with locals and visiting families alike.

Situated just a few houses back from the harbour — approximately 50 yards for those who like actual measurements — is Keigwin: a historically fascinating property which is currently on the market via Lillicrap Chilcott for offers over £750,000.

Keigwin is believed to be the oldest surviving property in Mousehole, having once been part of a 16^th century manor house which had origins from the 14^th century.

Much of the village was destroyed in 1595 during the Anglo-Spanish War in a raid known as the Raid on Mounts Bay, by Spanish naval officer Carlos de Amésquita.

The Grade II listed property survived the attack, possibly thanks to a Squire Jenkyn Keigwin who was killed on the doorstep of his house on 23^rd July 1595, whilst he tried to defend his stoop against the Spanish.

A slate plaque on the entrance of the property commemorates this brave former resident and hints at the sort of history we may find inside.

Leading in through the Jacobean granite columned entrance porch, the house opens up into a welcoming entrance hall, from which a library (or potentially another bedroom), dining room and kitchen — located towards the rear of the property — are accessed. A covered path leads from the kitchen to the utility room outside.

Upstairs are two smaller bedrooms with a shared bathroom and views overlooking the garden; a barrelled-ceilinged sitting room and a spacious master suite with adjoining bathroom and generous dressing room.

Striking exposed stone walls feature in many of the rooms alongside huge granite fireplaces with original decorative carvings.

The first-floor accommodation is slightly bigger than the ground floor footprint thanks to the porch room/ potential fifth bedroom —accessed via the master room — which sits over square carved granite supports with square cushion heads.

The property on its own, given its history and distance to the harbour, would be enough to tantalise any buyer; however, there’s more.

Leading off from the rear courtyard (about 10 paces away) is an enclosed private garden in the heart of Wesley Square. South-facing, this little tropical oasis is a sheltered spot with banana trees, camellias, palm trees and an olive tree growing within its walls. The addition of such a wonderful outdoor space in the centre of the village is what agents Lillicrap Chilcott claim is ‘as rare as it gets.’

Keigwin is currently on the market via Lillicrap Chilcott for offers over £750,000 — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Mousehole: What you need to know

Location: Almost at the very southern tip of Cornwall — just 10 miles from Lands End, 3.5 miles from Penzance (where train lines run to London Paddington) and 2 miles from Newlyn.

Atmosphere: The sought-after, utterly-picturesque fishing village is set within a sandy harbour and protected by thick walls. An active fishing fleet moor up here, and the rest of the village is mostly made up of quaint fishermen's cottages and twisting streets.

Things to do: There are several charming shops along the high street — all utterly picture worthy, including gift shop 'The Mousehole'. The harbour beach is a lovely place to take in the surroundings, however, there are plenty of other beaches dotted along this stretch of coast, too. The famed Minack Theatre is nearby in Porthcurno, plus plenty of rugged coves and coast path walks to explore. Surfing, sailing, kite surfing and wind surfing is available from Marazion. Nearby Newlyn is known for its art galleries and fish market whilst Penzance offers further retail options plus a ferry service to the Isles of Scilly.

Schools: Mousehole School, Newlyn School and St Mary's C of E Primary School in Penzance are all situated close by. Secondary options can be found in Penzance

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

This week's Country Life sees the launch onto the market of secluded Grade II-listed Hadham Grange, near the sought-after village of Much Hadham, half-way between the historic towns of Ware and Bishop’s Stortford in rural east Hertfordshire.

Following the recent death of its long-term owner, whose home it was for almost 50 years, Hadham Grange is now for sale through Knight Frank at a guide price of £3.95 million.

The ancient village of Much Hadham lies in a sheltered valley bounded to one side by the fledgling River Ash, a tributary of the Stort, and Hadham Grange occupies a commanding position on the ridge of a wooded escarpment to the east of the stream.

According to its listing, the imposing red-brick house dates from the late 16th or early 17th century and was ‘greatly enlarged’ in the early 20th century. It stands at the heart of a picturesque complex of listed barns, stabling and outbuildings on the edge of the village, surrounded by 16½ acres of beautifully maintained gardens, orchard, kitchen garden, paddocks and woodland.

Approached along its own private driveway that meanders through the grounds—currently a mass of daffodils in full bloom—the main house is built on two storeys with many projecting bay windows, the latter painted an unmissable purple that may not be to everyone’s taste.

The early-20th-century part of the house, accessed via the central hallway, contains the principal reception rooms, all of which are impressive spaces with high ceilings. They include the panelled morning room, dining room and drawing room, the last two of which face south over formal gardens. The original 17th-century part has some fine timbered rooms with open fireplaces.

A great deal of work was carried out by the owner in the 2000s, when the kitchen and bathrooms were modernised. Today, Hadham Grange offers 5,887sq ft of beautifully maintained living space, including four reception rooms, a conservatory, gymnasium, charming kitchen/breakfast room and four palatial bedroom suites, plus a fifth bedroom and family bathroom.

It comes with a one-bedroom annexe, two period thatched barns (one recently re-thatched), a tennis court, heated greenhouse, extensive garaging and stabling. Also included is a path that leads to the village via a footbridge over the River Ash.

Hadham Grange is currently on the market via Knight Frank at a guide price of £3.95 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details. 

Much Hadham: What you need to know

Location: About 5 miles from Bishop's Stortford, which has fast rail links into London. Stansted International Airport is also conveniently close by, just 10 miles away.

Atmosphere: The village church is home to two Henry Moore sculptures plus a number of historical listed buildings — including the 15th century Red Lion Coaching Inn which was once the stopping point along the road from Cambridge to London. The Henry Moore Foundation is located in Perry Green.

Things to do: With a number of golf courses, country walks and Bishop's Stortford just a short drive away with a wider range of shops and restaurants, plus the market town of Saffron Walden easily reached by car, there is plenty to keep busy with.

Schools: St Andrew’s CE primary school in Much Hadham is rated 'good' by Ofsted. The area also has a wide range of independent schools, including Bishop’s Stortford College in Bishop’s Stortford and St Edmund’s College in Ware.

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