Technology comes for us all. The last few days have seen even the most luddite of internet users tune the great powers of artificial intelligence to make themselves into action figures, something that felt like science fiction merely a year ago.
Not even the country house is safe. The listed wonders of our green and pleasant land are slowly being taken over by climate control and computers that manage everything down to the most minute detail. This is not necessarily a bad thing; a system that keeps an eye on humidity levels to protect precious plasterwork is a force for good in my eyes.
One such technologically enhanced marvel might be Monksfield House near Farnham in Surrey. For sale with Knight Frank for £5.5 million, the house is something of a technological marvel in traditional red-brick clothing. CCTV, state of the art kitchen, biomass boiler and bore hole. The gardens, which extend to 10.5 acres, are also serviced by robot lawnmowers.
The idea of mowing your own lawn is marketed to be quite therapeutic, but I think that novelty would likely wear off after a while. So I agree with the owners of Monksfield — send in the robots. They are clearly doing quite a good job, if the pictures are anything to go by. Just remember to say please and thank you, should the revolution come.
The fine details are clearly very important here. Not only are the lawns, borders and beds immaculate, but so too the rest of this turn-key paradise. The interiors are light, well decorated and spacious. There are eight bedrooms in total, with the accommodation of the main house set over three floors. There are nice bits of art in the garden. There is a very smart garage in which to store your very smart cars, and it comes with a workshop.
The list keeps growing. There’s a separate cottage with three bedrooms, perfect for guests. There’s a party barn with a bar. There is planning permission in perpetuity for a spa/pool complex. Direct access to the 130 acres of Crooksbury Common if you’d like to go riding/walking/running. You can walk to a decent pub called The Barley Mow. Lastly, there is a lake.
Technology, in harmony with good taste, might be the key to paradise. We’re certainly very close at Monksfield House.
-
'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.
