A 'compact' estate, nestled near the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, that offers wonderful additional income streams
Country sports require a lot of space, and land — and luckily that's just what Coves House has.


If, by chance, you find yourself in the market for a 'compact estate' that offers numerous income streams, then look no further than Coves House, currently on the market for £1.5 million via Finest Properties and Merit Estates.
Any potential new owner of Grade II*-listed, six-bedroom Coves House—by the River Wear near the charming market town of Wolsingham, which is on the edge of the North Pennines—should benefit from a diverse income stream that includes a B&B in the west wing, a two-bedroom cottage available to rent, an event venue and ‘bunkhouse’ to sleep up to 14 people and a sizeable campsite, not to mention various agricultural and equestrian buildings and the farm, which is run from a converted stable block.
The estate’s 66½ acres include 45 acres of meadow and permanent pasture, plus plenty of wooded copses and ponds to fuel a small shoot and stalking.
Coves House is currently for sale via Finest Properties and Merit Estates for £1.5 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Wolsingham: What you need to know
Location: Wolsingham is located in Weardale, County Durham, near the River Wear. It is approximately 15 miles/30 minute drive from Durham, with stations in Wolsingham, Frosterley and Stanhope which are served by the Weardale railway.
Atmosphere: Wolsingham is a small market town and official 'Walkers and Welcome' town too — thanks to its close proximity to the Durham Dales. The town is well equipped with shops, restaurants, cafes, hotels and pubs.
Things to do: The town holds an annual agricultural show which proves popular with locals and attracts visitors from further afield, but the main attraction is the surrounding landscape of the Durham Dales. There are numerous forest walks, plus Tunstall Reservoir walks, which allow you to take in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. For those looking for more of a buzz, then Newcastle is also situated nearby — and home to some of the best bars in the UK.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Schools: Wolsingham Primary School, Frosterley Primary School and both good primary options, with Wolsingham School for secondary.
Find 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
Annunciata grew up in the wilds of Lancashire and now lives in Hampshire with a husband, two daughters and an awful pug called Parsley. She’s been floating round the Country Life office for more than a decade, her work winning the Property Magazine of the Year Award in 2022 (Property Press Awards). Before that, she had a two-year stint writing ‘all kinds of fiction’ for The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, worked in internal comms for Country Life’s publisher (which has had many names in recent years but was then called IPC Media), and spent another year researching for a historical biographer, whose then primary focus was Graham Greene and John Henry Newman and whose filing system was a collection of wardrobes and chests of drawers filled with torn scraps of paper. During this time, she regularly gave tours of 17th-century Milton Manor, Oxfordshire, which may or may not have been designed by Inigo Jones, and co-founded a literary, art and music festival, at which Johnny Flynn headlined. When not writing and editing for Country Life, Annunciata is also a director of TIN MAN ART, a contemporary art gallery founded in 2021 by her husband, James Elwes.
-
West London's spent the last two decades as the laughing stock of the style set — here's how it got its groove back
The style set is returning to the very West London neighbourhoods it once made a habit of spurning, finds Will Hosie.
By Will Hosie Published
-
The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyle
Across 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.
By Anna White Published
-
The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyle
Across 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.
By Anna White Published
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villas
Matthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
By Matthew Dennison Last updated
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the market
The Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in Fulham
A 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.
By Toby Keel Published
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country Life
Our 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.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spots
The Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A 600-year-old National Trust property that you can call home
This blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A wisteria-clad delight with lawns running down to the Thames is the prettiest riverside home for sale in London today
Deodar Road, near Putney High Street, offers unrivalled views of the Thames and is characterful in excess.
By James Fisher Published