Lockdown buyers looking to swap a city environment for a family farmhouse in a picturesque location could narrow their search by homing in on houses historically owned by traditional landed estates: these are usually solidly built and always have the best views. Although not many of these buyers would consider a major renovation project in the current economic climate, the launch onto the market of an expertly restored farmhouse complex in an idyllic West Country estate setting may tempt the more adventurous to go that extra mile.
Most historic farmhouses sold away from a landed estate tend to be altered or extended over time, but few can match the progression of Scatterford, near Newland, in the Forest of Dean, 21 miles from Gloucester and five miles from Monmouth.
Over the centuries, it has graduated from a medieval one-up, one-down dwelling on a small freehold farm in 1478 to today’s immaculate, Grade II-listed, 7,160sq ft country house, set in 12 acres of gardens, paddocks and woodland to the east of the scenic Wye Valley, which is now on the market with Knight Frank at a guide price of £2.5 million.
Accommodation includes a drawing room, dining room, snug, study, kitchen/breakfast room, master-bedroom suite, four further bedrooms and three bathrooms, plus a one-bedroom annexe.
The outbuildings include a studio/office and a substantial stone barn with evident scope for further improvement.
The original house at Scatterford was altered and extended in the 16th and 17th centuries, before the farm became part of the Newland estate owned by the Symons family in the 1720s. Numerous alterations were carried out in the 18th and 19th centuries before the estate was split up in the 1870s.
A further renovation took place in the late 1980s/early 1990s, before its current owner, Tim Hely Hutchinson, embarked on a full restoration and improvement programme between October 2010 and the spring of 2013.
A holistic approach to the renovation saw the restoration of the house and garden as a single ‘living project’, with the building works direc-ted by the architect, John McCall, and the creation of the formal and informal gardens an inspired collaboration between Mr Hely Hutchinson’s partner, garden designer Sean Swallow, and landscape architect Max Askew.
Hundreds of tons of earth were moved to create the gardens and allow more light into the interior. The house, comprising two parallel ranges linked by a central corridor, was completely re-roofed, with private water and drainage systems renewed, new bathrooms and kitchen installed, and windows replaced or restored.
The list of repairs, alterations and additions is encyclopaedic, the end result a remarkable blend of architectural integrity, historic character and discreet innovation.
Clotted cream: How it's made, who does it best, and whether to put it on before or after the jam
Rich, unctuous and wickedly good, clotted cream is the pride of the West Country.
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
-
I've seen the light: How a dark and gloomy kitchen in the Scottish Borders was reconfigured for 21st century livingWhen a family home passed to a new generation, Guild Anderson was asked to create a kitchen suited to modern living.
-
Once threatened with extinction, the peregrine falcon has made a remarkable comebackIn the latest instalment of Mark Cocker's 'Winging it' column, he looks at the peregrine, a bird of prey with astonishing speed and super strength.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
A 600-year-old National Trust property that you can call homeThis blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A wisteria-clad delight with lawns running down to the Thames is the prettiest riverside home for sale in London todayDeodar Road, near Putney High Street, offers unrivalled views of the Thames and is characterful in excess.
-
Five of the most majestic properties for sale in Britain today, from a 1,700-acre estate to a private island, as seen in Country LifeOur look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes some genuinely breathtaking places.
