City workers who operate across multiple time zones in the increasingly competitive global financial marketplace are conscious of the need, in times of crisis, to be at their desks at any time of day or night — hence the attraction of train-journey times to London King’s Cross or St Pancras International as short as 20 minutes from Stevenage or 30 minutes from Hitchin.
If that strikes a chord with you, Mark Rimell of Strutt & Parker’s country department has a house which might tick that box: Crunnells Green House. Sitting in the ancient, rural Hertfordshire village of Preston, which stands on a ridge of the Chiltern Hills, four miles from Hitchin and seven miles from Stevenage, this lovely home is fresh to the market with a guide price of £3.25m.
Built in the style of Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1919, the classic Arts-and-Crafts house, which is unlisted, combines typically light and spacious reception rooms, each notable for its high ceilings and large windows, which allow the passage of maximum light.
The drawing room is particularly elegant, with its large open fireplace and original herringbone wood-block floor, which has been restored here and throughout much of the house.
Upstairs, the first-floor bedroom suite has been remodelled by the owners to provide a large bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and dressing room, each of which enjoys views of the Jekyll-esque gardens, which are arranged as a series of rooms and studded with rare exotic trees.
In all, the house offers some 4,000sq ft of accommodation, including four reception rooms, five bedrooms and a family bathroom.
An extensive range of outbuildings could be incorporated into the main house to provide additional living space, subject to planning consent.
Crunnells Green House is for sale at £3.25 million — see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
The dream home that never was for one of Britain's greatest film stars, back on the market for the first time in half a centuryAnna White takes a look at the beautiful Wallers Mead, in the Buckinghamshire village full of links to Hollywood movies from James Bond to Star Wars.
-
Country Life Quiz of the Day, September 16, 2025 gets Brutal(ist)Divisive architecture is among the themes of today's quiz questions.
-
The dream home that never was for one of Britain's greatest film stars, back on the market for the first time in half a century
Anna White takes a look at the beautiful Wallers Mead, in the Buckinghamshire village full of links to Hollywood movies from James Bond to Star Wars.
-
A 500-year-old cottage in West Sussex that's as beautiful as you could ever hope to see, with a pool ringed by flowers, stables and a croquet lawnJames Fisher was in need of some balm for the soul when he came across Woodshill House.
-
A Clarkson's Farm of one's own: Five properties with just enough farmland for you and your family, from under £1 millionMoving to the country is one thing; moving to the country and being able to grow and rear all your own food is another level entirely, and all these properties offer exactly that.
-
Six superb homes, from chocolate box cottages to grand Tudor mansions, as seen in Country LifeOur regular round-up includes charming home counties houses and superb grand country house in Ireland.
-
A billionaire's thatched cottage is for sale in Surrey, once owned by the oil magnate J. Paul GettyChestnut Cottage is a joyous little home — albeit one with the most unusual bedrooms to acreage to price balances we've ever seen. Toby Keel takes a look inside.
-
Medieval Italian? 19th century French? 16th century German? You're spoilt for choice if you're looking to buy a gorgeous continental castleFrom hills of Italy to a Bavarian palace, Toby Keel takes a look at three of the finest castles for sale across Europe today.
-
How to buy a house at auctionBuying at auction can mean you secure your dream property for a bargain price, but preparation is the key
-
The homes of two 1980s TV icons are both up for sale at the same timeThe houses where Bob Monkhouse and Sir Terry Wogan spent decades of their lives are currently on the market. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
