They say you should dress not for the job you have, but for the job you want. Naturally, you should express some restraint and not, for example, turn up to your job doing spreadsheets for the local bank while wearing an astronaut's helmet. Nor indeed should you turn up to your job as an astronaut wearing a lounge suit; you’ll quickly run out of air and your head might explode. Or is it implode? Either way, it probably wouldn't be good.
I digress. In a similar vein to the previous paragraph, I think we should endeavour to live in houses that express desired moods. A house like, for example, Merrythought, which is for sale with Savills for £1.425 million. Despite sounding a bit like a home for a hobbit, it is much bigger than that, I can assure you.
There is much about Merrythought that will make you, well, merry. An enchanting, detached, unlisted property in the sought-after Oxfordshire village of Great Haseley. Originally built in the 1700s, the property was extended in 2004 and rethatched in 2016.
In all, 3,000sq ft of contemporary and period accommodation that offers five bedrooms over two floors. Plus south facing gardens. Very merry indeed.
Set under thatch, the property boasts plenty of period features such as exposed beams, original stone walls and fireplaces. On the ground floor, you’ll find the open plan dining/drawing room, as well as a large kitchen, study, and snug.
The aforementioned extension contains a utility room, garden room with folding doors and a further en-suite bedroom above it. Four further bedrooms, including the principal bedroom suite, are on the first floor of the original property.
The garden is compact and pretty, with landscaped rear lawned areas complemented by well stocked borders, and a garden gate leading to a path over which Merrythought has right of way.
The village of Great Haseley is impressive for the number of amenities it offers, which include an original stone windmill (just for looking at), a church, La Table d’Alix restaurant, village hall and a tennis and cricket club.
Credit: Lillicrap Chilcott/Jefferys
A four bedroom house on the River Fowey that rose from the ruins of the English Civil War
Grade II-listed Stannary House offers peaceful Cornish living and plenty of historical provenance.
-
'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.
