A honey-coloured home in Wiltshire that sits at peace with its landscape
Rock Cottage offers four bedrooms and almost two acres of land in the pristine countryside near Turleigh.


There’s something about the way a house is built into a landscape that I always find immensely charming. It’s that symbiosis between the built and the natural, I think, that moves the humours in a certain way. There is nothing wrong with a tremendous Palladian pile that dominates its landscapes. But the way a home can be sensitively inserted into a rolling landscape, elevating both, is to me the very pinnacle of good design.
Because homes, such as they are, are not natural but they are necessary. So finding a way to respect both the needs of the person (a roof, some electricity, a bit of heating, maybe a bed) and the earth is a skill and when executed well, create something of immense beauty. An example, and there is always an example in these bizarre ramblings of mine, would be the aptly named Rock Cottage near Turleigh in Wiltshire.
For sale with Hamptons for the sum of about £1.45 million, the property seems to spring out of the hill on which (in which?) it is built. Not only that, but as it is built in the local Bath stone, it resembles more of a geological protrusion than an assault upon nature. It also has four bedrooms and a roof and electricity and a bit of heating. All the boxes have been ticked.
Listed Grade II and situated within an elevated position in the village of Turleigh, the property is a perfectly liveable Georgian family home, with plenty of tasteful period touches throughout, such as fireplaces, flagstone flooring, exposed A beams and sash windows.
Set over three floors, the property boasts more than 2,800sq ft and comes with planning permission for a further reception room, if the three already on offer weren’t enough. The bottom two floors (lower and upper ground) you’ll find all the entertaining spaces, while the top (first) floor houses all three bedrooms, including the master suite, which is open to the full height with exposed A-frame beams and doors that open directly on to the gardens (remember that hill I told you about?).
Outside, the property sits in 1.7 acres of gardens and grounds with a wonderful parterre garden to the front. Two yew trees provide shade and privacy in the summer while a dining terrace sits right outside two of the reception rooms. The grounds also include a woodland and outbuildings.
Turleigh itself is a picturesque village with honey-coloured stone cottages and is close to the historic town of Bradford-upon-Avon. The next door village of Winsley benefits from a CofE primary school, two churches and a pleasant pub, while a popular farm shop is also nearby.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Rock Cottage is for sale with Hamptons for £1.45 million. For more information and pictures, click here
Credit: Strutt & Parker
A true ‘all-rounder’ home, with Grade II-listed farmhouse and annexe, two holiday cottages and equestrian facilities to boot
A dreamy equestrian home in 22 acres of Suffolk countryside has come up for sale. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
Seven gorgeous Cotswolds homes for sale at under £500,000
Cotswolds properties can cost millions — but they don't have to, as these gorgeous homes show.
An iconic artist's studio in Padstow is on the market for the first time in two decades
On Duke Street, there's a rare opportunity to see behind the curtain of the famed artist Sarah Adams, who has
Credit: Fine and Country
A former monastery up for sale, with eight acres and breathtaking views
The aptly named Monastery once welcomed residents such as Eric Gill, Edgar Holloway and David Jones. Now it's a characterful

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.
-
Water you're waiting for? Britain's best heritage lidos were built to save swimmers from polluted seas full of potato peelings, oil and coal — and they're still in action today
The seaside lido continues to offer safe swimming for holidaymakers irrespective of the tide, but they're also architectural gems worthy of our admiration.
By Kathryn Ferry Published
-
Ironmongers' Hall: The medieval marvel destroyed by a First World War bomb, and it's inspiring 21st century renaissance
Ironmongers’ Hall in London EC2 — home of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers — is one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies. This year it is celebrating the centenary of its Tudor-style Hall; John Goodall takes a look, and tells the remarkable story of the building. Photographs by Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library
By John Goodall Published
-
The majestic New Forest estate formerly owned by a billionaire adventurer — famous for driving 'the world's fastest kettle' — has come up for sale
Great estates in the unspoilt setting of the New Forest are always a welcome sight on the market, and Newton Park is a wonderful example with a sad story to tell. Anna White tells more.
By Anna White Last updated
-
A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in years
The ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyle
Across the country people are selling up and heading to the towns where there's no compromise on dream homes, outstanding schooling and the good life, according to analysis from two of Britain's top estate agents. Anna White explains.
By Anna White Published
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villas
Matthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
By Matthew Dennison Last updated
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the market
The Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in Fulham
A dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
By Toby Keel Published
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country Life
Our look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spots
The Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
By Toby Keel Published