Can there ever be such a thing as a village that's too picturesque? Take the case of Lindfield, in West Sussex. This idyllic spot — with its medieval high street sloping gently down towards a pond — won the 'Best Kept Village in Sussex' award so many times in a row at one point that it was removed from the competition one year to give everywhere else a chance.
The Buckinghamshire village of Hedgerley three miles from Beaconsfield and not far off the M40, has a similar story to tell. It's not yet been banned from the contest, but has scooped Buckinghamshire's best-kept village award so many times that it's something of a surprise whenever it gets pipped to the gong.
Thus, as you might imagine, when a house in this little place (population 878) come up for sale, it causes something of a stir. And particularly when the house in question is as fine as Court Farm, on the market through Savills at £4.75m.
There's no denying that this is top whack for a five-bedroom home — in nearby Chalfont St Peter, you could get a larger house and £1 million in change for that sum — but then again, this is a delightful Georgian house dating to 1771, with just over three and a half acres, and right in the middle of the village.
It's an eye-catching place right from the start. Come through the gate in the hedge and walk up the path and you're presented with a house that looks for all the world like a scaled-up version of the sort of dolls' house you find in Harrods. 14 windows face outwards, all beautifully-restored and immaculate — setting the tone for the rest of the place.
Inside, the house is a real mix of original features with modern, stylish touches, presented in clean and uncluttered style which lets the architecture shine through.
On the ground floor there's a huge kitchen-diner (complete with Aga), sitting room, stud y and separate dining room, with a cellar and games room below.
Five bedrooms are split across the first and second floors, including a master suite with an extravagantly enormous en-suite. The latter might not quite fit the Georgian period vibe, but you can't deny it's pretty spectacular for all that.
Outside, the grounds are truly lovely, with formal gardens, paddock and stables. A converted barn offers further independent accommodation, while there's also a tennis court and a swimming pool with pool house.
For a few decades at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the house was a centre for the national Waifs and Strays' Society, giving a chance at a better life to 11- and 12-year-olds. At the time the property included adjacent farmland, where the boys would learn a trade. It became a private home once more in 1926, and has been ever since.
Court Farm is on the market through Savills at £4.75m — 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
50 best places to live near London
The indispensable guide for getting into the country without ending up out of touch with the town.
-
1,000 issues and counting: Editor-in-chief Mark Hedges on the Country Life PodcastMark Hedges has been editor of Country Life for 1,000 issues — and not far short of 20 years.
-
‘My football made me, my countryside saved me’: Vinnie Jones on going from the rough and tumble of the football pitch to the sanctuary of his West Sussex estateA return to the land has been a redemptive journey for the gamekeeper’s son and former tough midfielder Vinnie Jones, finds Mary Skipwith.
-
The quaint Alpine village that got taken over by The BeatlesThe Beatles visited the Austrian resort of Obertauern to film their 1965 film Help!. Despite a distinct lack of prowess on the slopes, the Fab Four got by with a little help from some new-found friends, discovers Russell Higham.
-
The ultimate treehouse escape, where you can have a sauna and hot tub 12 metres above the forest floor, is for sale in DorsetGuy Mallinson's award-winning treehouses in Dorset are a true escape from the world. Anna White takes a look.
-
20 breathtaking country homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the finest houses to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
-
The elegant country home of a motor racing daredevil who drove round the world in a 1936 Bentley and crashed a Range Rover into his own front porchPeasemore House, with its collection of barns, workshops, stables and more, is an ideal home from which to plan an adventure — something that was a passion of its present owners. Penny Churchill explains more.
-
The wisteria clad cottage where Noël Coward and Ivor Novello held court at the height of their fameThe 17th-century Follejon Cottage just outside Windsor was a perfect escape from the city for Noël Coward and his circle of friends. As it goes on the market, Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A Cotswolds property that's the strangest mix of old and new we've ever seen... and yet somehow, it all worksThe Gasworks is a house quite unlike anything you've seen before — or at least anything you've seen all in one place. Toby Keel takes a closer look.
-
A country house near Windsor that could be straight from the pages of a Jilly Cooper novelPenny Churchill looks at the beautiful polo-lover's sanctuary that is Barkham Square Park.
-
The factory that once fuelled the Victorians' insatiable appetite for pianos has become a set of gorgeous, characterful apartmentsChappell & Co were a huge name in 19th century music, even working with Beethoven. Today, one of their old factories in Camden has become a series of beautiful apartments.
