5 fabulous country gems for sale
Embrace the rural idyll with one of these gorgeous properties.


Leicestershire, £1.15 million The Old Rectory, Saxby 6 bedrooms, 2-bedroom cottage, outbuildings, 3.7 acres Distinctive due to its Dutch-gabled Ashlar-limestone frontage, this house is thought to have been designed by the architect to the 4th Earl of Harborough. It was built in 1789, with Victorian additions, and has spacious, south-facing reception rooms. The cottage is currently let on an Assured Shorthold basis. Savills (01780 484 696)
Cambridgeshire, £1.125 million
Dearsley Farm, Sturmer 4 bedrooms, kitchen/breakfast room with Aga, workshop, 17 acres The Victorian farmhouse stands in attractive gardens of 1.75 acres, which include a kitchen garden, a pond and a variety of mature trees. It comes with productive arable land of 15 acres and a small meadow—ideal for someone looking for their own smallholding. Cheffins (01223 213 777)
Gloucestershire, £895,000
Newbold Farm, Duntisbourne Abbots The main four-bedroom house has a self-contained annexe, accessible from the hallway, which includes a kitchen/living room and a double bedroom with a bathroom. This could be incorporated back into the main house, subject to planning. Jackson-Stops & Staff (01285 653334)
Devon, £1.395 million
Lower Washbourne Barton, Totnes With a pretty, south-facing walled garden and surrounded by the Devon hills, this former farmhouse enjoys a charming rural location. It has six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a one-bedroom annexe. Marchand Petit (01803 847 979)
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Gloucestershire, £1.1 million
New Crosshands Farm, Old Sodbury Set on 36 acres on the edge of the Badminton Estate, this Grade II-listed four-bedroom barn conversion also features a two-bedroom apartment and numerous outbuildings. Humberts (01249 444 557)
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Folio, Folio, wherefore art thou Folio? Shakespeare set to be auctioned by Sotheby's
Four Folios will be auctioned in London on May 23, with an estimate of £3.5–£4.5 million for 'the most significant publication in the history of English literature'.
By Lotte Brundle Published
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Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow down
The glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
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Ten stunning character properties for sale at under £400,000
From thatched cottages near the beaches of Devon and Cornwall to a barn conversion in Kent and a wonderful getaway in Snowdonia, here's our pick of the best character cottages and character homes for sale.
By Toby Keel Published
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A hopelessly perfect country cottage that's hidden away in one of London's most romantic spots
If you've a heart full of romance — and, frankly, a bank account full of money — then we have a home that might just be the perfect mix of town and country.
By Toby Keel Published
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'The second cosiest cottage in Britain' is on the market in Wiltshire
With its attractive period features and impeccable styling, this chocolate box home has already caught plenty of media attention. It’s set in rolling Wiltshire countryside yet still commutable from London.
By Annabel Dixon Published
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Ten gorgeous thatched cottages for sale across Britain, from under £500,000
Our pick of the best thatched cottages and houses for sale today across England.
By Toby Keel Published
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One of the original cottages used on Cadbury's chocolate boxes has come up for sale
The term ‘chocolate box cottage’ is much overused, often in a context involving neither chocolate nor boxes. Not this time, though: Weavers was one of 12 ‘official’ chocolate box properties featured on the Cadbury’s chocolate boxes in the late 1800s, and has therefore rightly earned its title.
By Lydia Stangroom Published
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A cleverly-converted 14th century village hall that’s taken on a new lease of life in Worcestershire
A total renovation needn’t mean that a property loses its heart and soul, as The Old Hall, in Worcestershire, demonstrates. James Fisher takes a look.
By James Fisher Published
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An almost absurdly picturesque thatched cottage in rural Dorset — and it's priced under £400,000
Two-up two-down has never looked sweeter than at Mundy’s Cottage, in the sought-after village of Stour Provost.
By James Fisher Published
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A spectacularly renovated thatched home in a picture-perfect Northamptonshire village
A superb quality refurbishment has turned Willowbrook House into a stylish, modern home which still retains a huge amount of character.
By James Fisher Published