It is of vital importance both to Country Life the magazine (and any online iterations thereof) and to the wider world in general to protect oneself from the devil. This is one of two things that we share in common with the Rev Jeremiah Trist, the other being a passion for pleasant countryside homes.
Back to the first thing. In the village of Veryan, in Cornwall, are five distinctive round houses, all of which are listed. These were built in about 1820 by Hugh Rowe, for Rev Trist, for his five daughters. Supposedly, they were so designed to deter the devil himself.
The second thing is the vicarage at Veryan Green, built in about 1810 by Rev Trist, and now known as Parc Behan and for sale with Luxury Property Partners for £3.5 million. The property is a spacious family home that was owned by the National Trust until 2001. It had been converted into five apartments, but at that time was in a state of disrepair.
That was, until, the current owners took on the project of restoring the property. Spending 2.5 years renovating and refurbishing, it has been a much loved family home for the past two decades, and is presented now as an eight bedroom home finished to an exceptionally high standard. It also comes with some 12 acres of gardens and grounds, a large heated outdoor pool and a separate three-bedroom cottage.
According to the agents, ‘no expense has been spared’, and that certainly seems to be the case. It doesn’t seem to have a fleck of paint out of place, and many of the rooms seem to have been decorated extremely recently, in a pared-back country house style. Bathrooms, of which there are five, are all achingly modern, and the kitchen has also been recently redecorated in the farmhouse style with a large central island/breakfast bar. In total, the property offers more than 8,500sq ft of living space. A furthe 2,500sq ft of space can be found in the guest accommodation.
As well as exceptional devil defences, the villages of Veryan and Veryan Green offer amenities such as a pub, hat shop, village stores and post office, primary school and bowls and tennis club.
As for those beaches? One is Carne Beach, famously beautiful and unspoilt, being on National Trust land.
The other, Kiberick, is a wonderful secret spot accessible only via the South West Coastal Path.
Enough said.
Credit: Knight Frank
The best country houses for sale this week
Catch up on the best houses that have come up for sale via Country Life in the last few weeks.
A Grade II*-listed hall house in North Yorkshire with Capability Brown gardens
Built for the daughter of a king, Rudby Hall in Skutterskelefe might be one of the most significant country houses
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Credit: Strutt and Parker
One of Suffolk's great country house estates — 12 bedrooms, 1,763 acres and 36,000sq ft — comes up for sale at £19 million
Glemham Hall comes to the market for the first time in 101 years, and the scale of it is quite
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Water you're waiting for? Britain's best heritage lidos were built to save swimmers from polluted seas full of potato peelings, oil and coal — and they're still in action todayThe seaside lido continues to offer safe swimming for holidaymakers irrespective of the tide, but they're also architectural gems worthy of our admiration.
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Ironmongers' Hall: The medieval marvel destroyed by a First World War bomb, and it's inspiring 21st century renaissanceIronmongers’ Hall in London EC2 — home of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers — is one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies. This year it is celebrating the centenary of its Tudor-style Hall; John Goodall takes a look, and tells the remarkable story of the building. Photographs by Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library
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The majestic New Forest estate formerly owned by a billionaire adventurer — famous for driving 'the world's fastest kettle' — has come up for saleGreat estates in the unspoilt setting of the New Forest are always a welcome sight on the market, and Newton Park is a wonderful example with a sad story to tell. Anna White tells more.
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A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in yearsThe ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
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The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyleAcross the country people are selling up and heading to the towns where there's no compromise on dream homes, outstanding schooling and the good life, according to analysis from two of Britain's top estate agents. Anna White explains.
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Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villasMatthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
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A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the marketThe Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
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A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in FulhamA dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
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18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
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The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spotsThe Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
