An irresistible thatched cottage — thought to be the oldest property in its village — has arrived on the market in Somerset
Quirky, delightfully higgeldy-piggeldy and completely charming, this Grade ll-listed thatched cottage from the early 16th century is everything you could hope a cottage in Somerset to be.


Agents describe the mini thatched roof over the porch at Zinch Cottage as a ‘bonnet’, which we rather like.
Dating back to the early 16th century, it’s one of the oldest cottages in the popular village of Stogumber — and no, it's not a word invented by Roald Dahl, is instead but a charming place on the eastern edge of Exmoor, with glorious views over the Brendon and Quantock Hills.
Inside are three bedrooms, all with ample built in wardrobe space and views over the south-facing garden with its roses and mature apple trees.
Pretty pathways lead across the garden and lawn in the back, along the old stone walls to reach the front garden, where a sun terrace is the perfect place to take in the surrounding vistas.
Passing under a rose archway leads to the rose and herb garden, where further seating can be found. Now we're not saying you have to sit here with a glass of wine to watch the sunset...but it certainly wouldn't do any harm.
A timber-frame double carport and converted piggery complete the outdoor space.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The inside accommodation is composed of clay-tiled flooring, plenty of cosy firesides. The inglenook fireplace with Bressummer beam and wood burning fire is a particular highlight.
The kitchen is well-equipped with a two-door electric Aga and and passing through the boot room through an old door opens up to the sunny terrace in the front of the house.
Taunton is about half an hour’s drive, but we don't really know why you'd ever want to leave.
Zinch Cottage is currently on the market at a guide price of £610,000 via Humberts — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Stogumber: What you need to know
Location: In West Somerset, surrounded by the Quantock and Brendon Hills, approximately 14 miles from Taunton, where mainline rail services provide links to London and the north.
Atmosphere: Stogumber is a picturesque, highly sought-after village that benefits from a thriving community. It has a primary school, village shop, post office, pub, cricket club and church.
Things to do: Explore the surrounding Quantock and Brendon Hills or head into Taunton where there is a range of shopping, leisure and recreational facilities.
Schools: Crowcombe and Stogumber Primary School is the local primary, whilst Taunton School, The Castle School, Wellington School and Kings College are all great secondary choices.
See more property for sale in the area.
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
Annunciata grew up in the wilds of Lancashire and now lives in Hampshire with a husband, two daughters and an awful pug called Parsley. She’s been floating round the Country Life office for more than a decade, her work winning the Property Magazine of the Year Award in 2022 (Property Press Awards). Before that, she had a two-year stint writing ‘all kinds of fiction’ for The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, worked in internal comms for Country Life’s publisher (which has had many names in recent years but was then called IPC Media), and spent another year researching for a historical biographer, whose then primary focus was Graham Greene and John Henry Newman and whose filing system was a collection of wardrobes and chests of drawers filled with torn scraps of paper. During this time, she regularly gave tours of 17th-century Milton Manor, Oxfordshire, which may or may not have been designed by Inigo Jones, and co-founded a literary, art and music festival, at which Johnny Flynn headlined. When not writing and editing for Country Life, Annunciata is also a director of TIN MAN ART, a contemporary art gallery founded in 2021 by her husband, James Elwes.
-
How an app can make you fall in love with nature, with Melissa Harrison
The novelist, children's author and nature writer Melissa Harrison joins the podcast to talk about her love of the natural world and her new app, Encounter.
By James Fisher Published
-
'There is nothing like it on this side of Arcadia': Hampshire's Grange Festival is making radical changes ahead of the 2025 country-house opera season
By Annunciata Elwes Published
-
Welcome to the modern party barn, where disco balls are 'non-negotiable'
A party barn is the ultimate good-time utopia, devoid of the toil of a home gym or the practicalities of a home office. Modern efforts are a world away from the draughty, hay-bales-and-a-hi-fi set-up of yesteryear.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country Life
Our pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The finest interiors in Edinburgh? A seven-bedroom townhouse furnished by Robert Kime comes to market
Situated on one of the New Town's grandest terraces, this four-storey property is a collector's dream.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grade II*-listed country manor with one of the most beautiful drawing rooms in England
If Old Manor Farm in Somerset is good enough for Pevsner, it's good enough for you.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
An eight-bedroom home in Surrey where an army of robots will look after your lawns
Do not fear the bladed guardians of Monksfield House. They are here to help.
By James Fisher Published
-
A French castle for sale on the banks of the Dordogne? With a swimming pool? Where do we sign?
This chateau in Lalinde is nothing short of a historical delight in the south of France. And it comes fully furnished.
By James Fisher Last updated
-
Sip your morning tea where Churchill once paced, as his former Pimlico home comes up for sale
The five-bedroom flat in Eccleston Square offers ‘historical gravitas and modern comfort’ in a leafy pocket of London.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
Live a life of Tudor fancy in this five-bedroom London home with links to Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII
Fans of Wolf Hall rejoice, as a rare chance to own a Tudor home inside the M25 comes to market.
By James Fisher Published