We’re not 100% convinced by the sometime stretching of the term West Country into the Cotswolds, but for the purposes of including charming Loveday’s House in our round-up, why not?
The Lovedays were a Quaker family of clothiers and farmers in Painswick and local builder John Bryan created this handsome home for them in about 1740, which is on the market today at a guide price of £1.25 million via Hamptons.
Of the five bedrooms, one adjoins a roof terrace with exceptional views over the Painswick Valley and the master could easily be siphoned off as a separate flat with its little kitchenette, shower room and extra bedroom/office above.
Carved-stone fireplaces, shuttered sash windows and Georgian cornicing abound and the four reception rooms include a library with a Clearview stove in the hearth, flanked by 18th-century niches.
As well as updating and maintaining the house, the current owner has completely redesigned the gardens, which now form rooms that flow into each other, with lawns, ponds, dry-stone walls, raised beds, woodland, terrace and loggia.
Loveday's House is currently on the market for £1.25 million via Hamptons — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Painswick: What you need to know
Location: Painswick is approximately 6 miles south of Gloucester, 11 miles from Cheltenham and 4 miles north of Stroud — with mainline rail services linking Stroud and London Paddington.
Atmosphere: Known as one of the most famous villages in the Cotswolds (lovingly dubbed 'the Queen of the Cotswolds') Painswick has a thriving and welcoming community with good amenities including a general store, two pubs, several cafes/restaurants and a wonderful old church which is famous due to a folk-law surrounding its 99 Yew trees.
Things to do: The Painswick Rococo Garden and Painswick Golf Course are both located within the area. Further afield, the regency spa town of Cheltenham is located to the north and offers excellent shopping facilities, is home to annual literature, science and music festivals and the National Hunt Racecourse. Nearby Stroud has an award-winning weekly farmers market plus a large Waitrose and other supermarkets. The surrounding countryside is popular with walkers and cyclists as the town sits along the Cotswold Way National Trail.
Schools: The Croft Primary School, Sheepscombe Primary School and Cranham Church of England Primary School are all rated 'good' in Ofsted reviews. North Bridge House School is a well-regarded secondary school, as is Stroud High School, Marling School and Cheltenham Ladies College.
See 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
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expectThe four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
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.
