Down in deepest Devon, birdsong is said to be the only sound you’ll hear at Greenawell, an idyllic, 76-acre farm settlement in the Dartmoor National Park, near the market town of Moretonhampstead, 15 miles south-west of Exeter. It’s on the market with Strutt & Parker, who quote a guide price of £4.5m.
Originally a working farm on the Bovey Castle estate, the property, comprising the five-bedroom Victorian farmhouse and its adjoining farmstead, was acquired in 2005 by the present owner, who embarked on a comprehensive programme of improvement, restoration and alteration that saw the work completed by November 2006.
The farmhouse was enlarged and improved with the installation of granite fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, new oak joinery, biomass underfloor heating and all-new plumbing and wiring, to create a supremely comfortable family home on three floors.
There are three main reception rooms, a large kitchen/breakfast room, five bedrooms and three bath/shower rooms, and a number of glass walls to make the most of the scenery.
The traditional farm buildings were re-imagined and converted to four delightful cottages, each with its own individual character.
There is the two-bedroom Granary Cottage, with its gallery/study; Horseshoe Cottage also has two bedrooms and a charming kitchen/breakfast room; Old Stables Cottage is a little smaller, all one one floor; and finally the three-bedroom Courtyard Cottage.
A former barn was converted into a 50ft indoor swimming pool, with one wall fully glazed to allow wonderful views over Dartmoor, and a range of outbuildings built to house stabling, a tack room and feed store. There is also a tennis court on the property.
The farm complex is surrounded by gardens and grounds landscaped and designed to incorporate the original dry-stone walls, farm tracks and mature trees.
As is common on Dartmoor, large granite stones border gateways complemented by modern bespoke wooden gates. 
Greenawell is for sale via Strutt & Parker at £4.5m — 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
-
How American political refugees, economic migrants and devoted Anglophiles are transforming LondonOne luxury restaurant, apartment and tennis court at a time.
-
The new rat-pack: the Gen-Z team saving shearwaters and killing invasive species on a remote island in the Irish seaMeet the twenty-somethings trading clubbing and pub quizzes for bird ringing and hard graft on the Calf of Man.
-
Farmhouse kitchens done right at these five beautiful country houses across BritainA country house with a farmhouse kitchen is the archetype of the bucolic dream in Britain. Arabella Youens picks out five on the market right now that have wonderful examples.
-
Ella Fitzgerald's Cote d'Azur suite is now a magnificent apartment in the Art Deco hotel where Churchill, Coco Chanel and Hemingway once lived the high lifeIt's almost 50 years since the iconic Hotel Le Provençal in Cap d'Antibes closed its doors, but it's now been transformed into a wonderful Riviera residence. Anna White looks inside.
-
A Norman Keep and castle for sale in the rolling hills of the Lake District, which was once owned by Richard IIAppleby Castle has hosted battle re-enactments, falconry displays, offers 22 bedrooms and is up for auction.
-
This country estate is peaceful, spacious and elegant... just please don't ask us how to pronounce itIn the heart of Wales's beautiful Irfon Valley, The Cefnllysgwynne Estate is seeking a new owner.
-
A Dartmoor home with one rather unusual catch: King Charles III has the right to come along and fish in your streamThe Brimpstead Estate is a home in one of the most beautiful parts of Devon that has everything — including a very famous former owner. Toby Keel explains more.
-
A Georgian country house that's immaculate, unlisted and surrounded by 21 unspoilt acres of SomersetFinding a grand, 220-year-old home that's unlisted in a wonderful location is cause for celebration. Penny Churchill looks at Werescote, on the Devon-Somerset border.
-
A country house escape where 'legend has it that Shakespeare came to stay' while writing The TempestStanden House on the Isle of Wight isn't just a grand country home — it's a grand country home that has a claim to have hosted the most famous playwright in history. Could it really be true?
-
A vicarage designed by one of Queen Victoria's favourite architects, exquisitely refurbished to keep every ounce of original character — and even a few cracks and crumblesJust down the road from Soho Farmhouse, and under 20 miles from central Oxford, this home designed by George Gilbert Scott is a joy.
