A house with five acres isn't an estate; a house with five hundred certainly is; but what about a house in 50 acres? How about 100? 200?
There has to be a line somewhere, but where? The OED is no help, merely referring to an 'extensive area of land in the country, usually with a large house, owned by one person, family, or organisation.'
Size is part of the equation, but so is location. Four acres in the Highlands would feel like a modest back garden; four acres of Mayfair — the size of the Pollen Estate, which includes Savile Row — and you're looking at a slice of property worth somewhere between £500 million and £1 billion.
On the market in Devon at the moment is an estate which seems to offer a pretty decent answer: 67 acres. That's the size of Ludbrook, a pocket estate on Dartmoor, with a £1.75 million price tag. For those looking truly to immerse themselves in the countryside and everything it has to offer, Ludbrook ticks just about every box.
With some 67 acres of paddock, garden and woodland, there’s plenty of space, and half a mile of frontage on the River Tavy comes with fishing rights as part of the package.
The main house offers a substantial 5,000sq ft of space, which includes three reception rooms, all sensitively decorated with period features, such as exposed beams, brick and fireplaces.
It's a home of nooks and crannies: a kitchen/breakfast room leads off to a walk-in cellar and separate larder, while another in the other direction goes through a utility room and into a boot room.
There are eight bedrooms, all on the first floor, with four bathrooms; and two other rooms can also be used as bedrooms, if you're having an enormous family gathering and need more space.
It's not the house which makes Ludbrook an estate, though: it's the grounds, which include a three/four bedroom cottage, a number of outbuildings, stables, woodland, pasture and that river frontage.
It's not the sort of place that you'd need to hire an estate manager, but there's enough space that you'll really feel like you have your own slice of the world — and if your plans are grander, several of the barns offer further scope for conversion.
Ludbrook is for sale via Jackson-Stops at £1.75m — see more pictures and details.
Holcombe Court, the 'finest Tudor house in Devon', and the 20-year, no-expense-spared labour of love to restore it to glory
Roger White unravels the development of Holcombe Court in Devon, while John Goodall looks at the restoration of this magnificent
Samuel Taylor Coleridge's childhood home up for sale, complete with pool, party room and library for 22,000 books
The extraordinary Chanters House in Devon should be on the watch list for anyone looking for a country house with
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
-
'The watch is Head Boy of men’s accessorising': Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin's Summer Season style secretsWhen it comes to dressing for the Season, accessories will transform an outfit. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin, both stylish summer-party veterans, offer some sage advice.
-
Lewis Hamilton, Claude Monet and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 29, 2025Tuesday's Quiz of the Day looks back at Lewis Hamilton's first win and ponders on the meaning of greige.
-
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.
-
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.
