A stylish, carbon-free house in the heart of the countryside, yet just 30 minutes from London
Skyfall is a chic, contemporary property in Buckinghamshire which oozes style and class, befitted by its name.
Luxury meets sustainability at this unashamedly contemporary house in Taplow, which is currently on the market via Savills for offers in excess of £4 million.
Set in grounds of 1½ acres overlooking the surrounding countryside, Skyfall is entirely carbon-free and energy efficient: it has a green heating system combining air-source heat pump, solar panels and a thermal energy storage system, plus high levels of insulation and sedum roofs.
None of this impinges on the opulent feel of the property, with its 6,367sq ft of accommodation (all with home automation system for lighting and sound).
The ground floor is mainly taken up by a magnificent, open-plan living space, which flows seamlessly into a sitting room with floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors to the terrace.
On the lower ground floor, reached via a striking glass-and-concrete staircase, are five bedroom suites, including a vast master bedroom with dressing room and a spectacular bathroom. There is also a cinema room and gym.
Skyfall is currently on the market via Savills for offers in excess of £4 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Taplow: What you need to know
Location: Taplow is a village in Berkshire, located approximately 1 hour outside of London, to the West. There is a train station within the village which offers connections into London Paddington in less than 40 minutes. The cross rail will also connect Taplow with Bond Street. Heathrow airport is also 13 miles away and Windsor 7 miles.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Atmosphere: The village has a thriving high street with a number of shops and a local pub — The Oak and Saw.
Things to do: Row on the Thames as part of the Maidenhead rowing club, or visit the larger market town of Maidenhead (accessed via tfl rail and an approximate 3 minute journey) for more shopping and leisure facilities. London is also easily accessible for theatres, restaurants and nightlife.
Schools: St Nicolas' Church of England Combined School, St Peter's Church of England Primary School and Lent Rise School were all rated 'good' by Ofsted. Good local secondary options are Furze Platt Senior School and Newlands Girls' School — rated outstanding by Ofsted.
See more property for sale in the area.
Ockwells Manor, Berkshire: An insight into the splendours of grand living in 15th-century England
A delightful timber-frame house offers insights into the realities of luxurious 15th-century living and the brutal complexities of Lancastrian politics,
10 things you didn’t know about French bulldogs – including how they’re actually British
Elizabeth Whitney reveals some fun facts about the endearingly bat-eared French bulldog.
Carla must be the only Italian that finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life’s Arts & Antiques editor in 2023 having previously covered, as a freelance journalist, heritage, conservation, history and property stories, for which she won a couple of awards. Her musical taste has never evolved past Puccini and she spends most of her time immersed in any century before the 20th.
-
'Never has there been a more important time to publicise great Victorian and Edwardian buildings in peril': The importance of saving our historic buildingsFor the 16th year, the Victorian Society is calling on the public to nominate Victorian or Edwardian buildings in England and Wales that are in need of saving.
By Julie Harding Published
-
A beautiful old farmhouse in 15 acres of breathtaking Scottish scenery, for sale at just £825,000A wonderful country home with almost 15 acres of land has come up for sale at a price which will make urban dwellers question their life choices.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A beautiful old farmhouse in 15 acres of breathtaking Scottish scenery, for sale at just £825,000A wonderful country home with almost 15 acres of land has come up for sale at a price which will make urban dwellers question their life choices.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A country house that was the set for one of the best-loved sitcoms of the 1980s is for sale, with 40,000sq ft of space, 39 bedrooms and almost endless potentialLynford Hall, a vast neo-Jacobean house that's been everything from a country hotel to an agricultural college, has come to the market. Toby Keel tells its story.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A sprawling castle set amid ancient woodland has come to the market for the first time in 150 yearsGyrn Castle, set amidst woodland on the outskirts of an ancient village, is now seeking new owners. Penny Churchill reports.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A Tudor Revival home built by a Victorian adventurer, with beauty, grandeur and its own putting greenFulford Hall is an idyllic country home, yet is situated less than a dozen miles from Birmingham. Penny Churchill tells more.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Five glorious properties for sale from the 11th to the 21st centuryA tithe barn, a Grade I-listed Norman keep, and a Georgian masterpiece all graced the pages of Country Life this week
By James Fisher Published
-
You can now rent King William IV’s former home in London’s Mayfair — for a princely sumThe London property — with royal lineage — is on the market with the estate agency Wetherell for £25,000 a week.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
Dream of revolution inside the 18th-century villa once occupied by Napoleon's French troopsAn apartment inside historic Villa Gnecchi Ruscone is on the market and it comes with a grand ballroom rumoured to have been frequented by Napoleon.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
May the force be with you if you move into this London apartment block that Obi-Wan Kenobi (and Cher) once lived inOliver’s Wharf was once the residence of megastar Cher and the actor Sir Alec Guinness — as well as Mark Knopfler of the Dire Straits.
By Lotte Brundle Published
