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.
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
-
Vertigo at Victoria Falls, a sunset surrounded by lions and swimming in the Nile: A journey from Cape Town to CairoWhy do we travel and who inspires us to do so? Chris Wallace went in search of answers on his own epic journey the length of Africa.
-
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.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River Tay
Carnliath 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.
-
Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow downThe glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heartStokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
