A country house with dour façade which hides some of the most amazing Jacobean interiors you'll ever see
Reject modernity and embrace tradition on Melbourn Street in Royston.


To Royston, then, where one of the town’s most recognisable homes has hit the market, and what a doozy it is. For sale for the first time in 40 years, this Grade I-listed house has interiors that I am sure a proper architectural historian could describe with intimate accuracy and enthusiasm. I am not a proper architectural historian, so I will instead describe them as ‘extremely cool’.
For sale with Savills for a guide price of £1.85 million, this property was originally conceived in the 1600s as a Jacobean merchant’s home. Set over four floors, the property boasts nine bedrooms, four reception rooms, three bathrooms and some 6,200sq ft of space all on a plot of just over 0.6 acres.
That is all very interesting, but not as interesting as the interiors. The house itself, from the outside, is typically Georgian in its grandeur. Seven bays wide, two chimneys, and an extremely pleasant portico on the entrance.
But stepping through is where the magic happens. Often I like to waffle on about interiors, be they kitchens, bedrooms and so on. I think in this instance, it is better to let the pictures do the talking.
There is wood.
There is marble.
There are exposed beams, no doubt from the original 1600s building.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
There is whatever is happening in this bathroom.
There are the Grade I-listed ceiling murals
And the Grade I-listed mantelpieces, completed in 1635.
Properties such as this one do not survive by accident, and respect and gratitude must go to Emad Borno who spent so much time repairing and restoring the property when he bought it in 1985. He did such a fine job, that English Heritage wanted to take on the house, but were prevented due to a lack of funds.
‘Of course, as a family we were horrified when Dad bought the house as it needed so much work doing to it,’ says Borno’s daughter Zahra Akkerhuys. ‘We ended up living on a building site for a couple of years with no heating or hot water which was dreadful at the time, though of course now, with hindsight, I can see Dad’s ambition, vision and appetite for a challenge were quite remarkable.’
‘We are desperately sad to see the house go but it’s time for another family to enjoy it, play hide and seek and run around the garden. The house needs another responsible owner who will care for it and love it as my father did, preserving its unique character.’
Credit: Strutt and Parker
A seven-bedroom home near Wimbledon that will make all your modernist fantasies come true
Designed by Maxwell Fry, Miramonte is a delightful 1930s building situated in one of London's most enviable locations. It also
Credit: Inigo
A 300-year-old Jacobean mansion that comes with woodland, orchard and its own mini-village
Frome is where the heart is, so they say. It's easy to see why you might fall in love with
Credit: Hamptons
A 400-year-old house that’s as romantic a country cottage as you could hope to find
How many kinds of sweet flowers grow in an English country garden? Well, head to these magical gardens in Kent
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
James Fisher is the Deputy Digital Editor of Country Life. He writes about property, travel, motoring and things that upset him. He lives in London.
-
A remarkable $100 million numismatic collection reappears after being buried for more than 50 years
A collector hid his treasure from the Nazis, his widow kept it secret for decades, but now Roman aurei, Greek staters and British pounds so rare that some have never been sold at public auction have resurfaced and will go under the hammer.
By Carla Passino Published
-
The Hollywood legend with an even more famous daughter: Country Life Quiz of the Day
From buns to bubbly in Wednesday's Quiz of the Day.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A £1.5 million flat on the street where wig and pen once met
It doesn't get more central London than Fleet Street.
By James Fisher Published
-
A spectacular coastal estate in Dorset set on its own private peninsula
This 160-acre estate is part nature reserve and part country home, with a beautiful Arts-and-Crafts home at its heart.
By Arabella Youens Last updated
-
A converted bothy on the shores of Loch Tay from which to enjoy the fresh tastes of Spring
Waterfall Cottage offers four bedrooms and a garden that stretches right down to the lapping waters.
By James Fisher Published
-
An idyllic home in Hampshire that's perfect for the musical mind
Lyewood House sits in 3.5 acres and comes with a purpose built recording studio and an outdoor heated pool.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A well-connected rural playground with 23 acres on the edge of the South Downs National Park
Old House Farm is an impressive family home with a wealth of amenities that would inspire any rural passion.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
18 magnificent homes for sale from £550k to £20 million, as seen in Country Life
From a charming thatched cottage to a 300-acre estate with its own vineyard, here's our pick of places to come to the market via Country Life of late.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A converted monastery for sale where the chapel has become the most incredible swimming pool we've seen in years
You can't help but wonder what the Trappist monks who once owned this 80-acre site in Devon would make of how the place has turned out.
By James Fisher Published
-
The sounds of spring and stained glass in an Arts-and-Crafts masterpiece in Dorset
With 35 acres, more than 10 bedrooms, a swimming pool and tennis court, Winterfield has it all.
By James Fisher Published