There are moments when reading J R R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings where you sit and wonder just how one man can have such an inspiring imagination. Rings, and elves, and Nazgul and battles and so on. Truly inspiring stuff. And then there are moments where you see a cottage such as Eastside and you realise that, for Tolkien, perhaps the inspiration for the Shire came pretty easily.
Because just look at it. Can you not imagine a wisp of smoke rising from that chimney, through the thatch, in the low light of the evening? A hobbit could easily be tending that beautiful garden. Or you could be tending that beautiful garden, because it’s for sale for £875,000 with Hamptons.
Situated near the village of Clatford Bottom, which again sounds like something straight out of Tolkien, the property offers two bedrooms in a compact but endlessly charming setting on the fringes of Westwood.
Built of sarsen stone, the property has been in the care of its owners for the past 30 years and has been sensitively modernised in the right places (kitchen, bathroom) and period elegance remains elsewhere (triple-aspect sitting room, bedrooms). It is, of course, Grade II-listed.
Outside, the pastoral scene of tranquillity continues, as Eastside Cottage sits in 5.5 acres of gardens and ground in a valley in the North Wessex Downs.
Hummocks of lavender, spheres of box hedge and stocked borders are pierced by cut grass paths that meander through the space to various seating areas. There is also a garage with a studio that would work as a home office if needed (wi-fi, light, heating and power). The remaining acreage is paddock land lined with post and rail.
Marlborough is four miles away, for all your amenities, and the surrounding woodland is renowned for its bluebell display in April and May. Heaven.
Credit: John D Wood & Co
Villa Devereux, home of Ron Hickman and one of Jersey's most famous houses, comes up for sale
From the mind that brought us the Lotus Elan and the Black and Decker Workmate, comes this gorgeous modernist property,
-
'The watch is Head Boy of men’s accessorising': Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin's Summer Season style secretsWhen it comes to dressing for the Season, accessories will transform an outfit. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin, both stylish summer-party veterans, offer some sage advice.
-
Lewis Hamilton, Claude Monet and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 29, 2025Tuesday's Quiz of the Day looks back at Lewis Hamilton's first win and ponders on the meaning of greige.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
-
A tale of everyday life as lived on Britain's most expensive streetWinnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
