A chocolate-box cottage immortalised in an iconic Mars bar advert is for sale in a sought-after pocket of Wiltshire.
Bachelors Mead provides the backdrop to a 1960s TV ad for Mars, where roof thatcher and bell ringer Sid Grant shares the famous chocolate bar with his two young nieces.
The ad features the catchy slogan, ‘A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play’. Now that may not be considered the best health advice. But why let that get in the way of a nationwide advertising campaign?
The five-bedroom cottage in the pretty village of Horton, near Devizes, is on the market with Hamptons for £1,250,000.
Bachelors Mead dates back, in part, to the 14th century. This family home oozes rural charm: think thatched roof (famously tended to by Sid), exposed timber beams, and deep brick fireplaces.
Thankfully though, it has been brought up to date since the 1960s Mars bar advert.
It has a light and airy feel, with roughly around two thirds of the footprint downstairs dedicated to just two rooms: an open-plan kitchen and a vaulted sitting room.
At the heart of the modern kitchen is a large island and a striking blue AGA, an essential in any country home, surely. And the star of the show in the spacious sitting room is a large Victorian school house window.
Elsewhere on the ground floor is a dining room, snug, study, utility room, loo and boot room. Head up one of the two staircases and you’ll find five tasteful bedrooms and two bathrooms.
With a neutral colour palette throughout, this is a warm and welcoming home that you could move straight into.
The double garage next to the house features a first floor loft, which would make an ideal set-up for a separate home office or all-important storage space.
Bachelors Mead sits in a 1.4 acre parcel of land, with a garden that wraps around the house.
It may have a peaceful setting in the North Wessex Downs National Landscape but it’s still well-connected. The train station in nearby Pewsey has a circa one-hour direct service to London Paddington. Perfect for commuters tied to an office in the Big Smoke.
It’s also close to a handful of well-known schools, including Marlborough College, Dauntsey’s, St Francis Prep, Stonar, and Bishops Cannings.
'Bachelors Mead is an enchanting period home that offer a prospective buyer a unique opportunity. Not only will you own a piece of British popular culture history, but you'll be acquiring a handsome, welcoming home with an ideal blend of rustic charm and contemporary comforts,' says Johanna Cole, sales director at Hamptons in Marlborough.
'Light-filled and airy rooms, like the lofty sitting room with its striking Victorian school house window, exemplify the property's appealing character. The property is in a wonderful semi-rural setting within walking distance of the Kennet and Avon Canal, offering spectacular views with a good degree of privacy.'
Bachelors Mead is on the market for £1,250,000 via Hamptons — 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
20 wonderful homes, from clifftop cottages to cosy medieval dwellings, as seen in Country Life
Take a look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days.
Credit: Lillicrap Chilcott
Lose yourself in nature in the heart of Truro at the former home of D.M. Thomas
Four bedrooms, half an acre of beautiful woodland gardens, and only a quarter of a mile from the town centre.
-
A historic villa for sale on the Via Nomentana worthy of Rome's rich historyThree floors, lots of balconies, and a private garden in one of Rome's loveliest neighbourhoods.
-
Eight bedrooms of unlisted Edwardian elegance with sweeping views of SomersetAshton House sits near the market town of Chard and comes with a wealth of amenities both inside and out.
-
A waterside cottage in Devon with a private quay, idyllic views and the prettiest summerhouse we've seen in yearsRight beside the picturesque Yealm Estuary, No 1 Noss Mayo is an idyllic home that feels like an escape from the world. Annabel Dixon takes a look.
-
This elegant Greek villa offers would-be buyers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live in the shadow of the AcropolisAthenian Legacy consists of two houses in walking —and almost touching — distance of one of the world’s most famous and precious landmarks.
-
Six charming homes up for sale, including one dubbed 'one of the most picturesque in Dorset', as seen in Country LifeOur look at the finest houses to come up for sale through Country Life in the past week is full of delights, from a new-Georgian mansion to a perfectly-sized Hertfordshire estate.
-
A Buckinghamshire mansion built for the speech therapist who set Churchill on his path to greatnessPenny Churchill takes a look at Rignalls, a classic Arts-and-Crafts home that looks like it's stepped out of the pages of an EM Forster novel.
-
A gorgeous home that offers a slice of country life in the heart of HampsteadThis idyllic Hampstead mansion has seen its price rise nine times faster than inflation — and it's not hard to see why.
-
Some of Scotland's most beautiful churches are being sold off for as little as £40,000 — but a word of warning before you take the plungeLucy Denton examines how best to help former church buildings thrive as times move on and property changes hands.
