Anyone for naked tennis? The six grandest homes for sale in the Cotswolds right now
With the new series of Disney+'s 'Rivals' becoming the most talked-about TV series of the year, we take a look at six Cotswolds homes that look like they've just leapt out of the pages of a Jilly Cooper bonkbuster.
Condicote — £21.65 million
There are half a million acres in the Cotswolds AONB, and the new owners of Hinchwick Manor Estate will own just under a quarter of a percent of the whole lot — at over 900 acres, this is a vast stretch of land. As you'd expect, there are several properties included (including a five-bedroom barn conversion) , but the Grade II-listed manor house at the centre of it all is utterly magnificent.
For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.
Just outside Bath — £13.95 million
Just a short drive from Bath — and also within easy reach of Bristol — the incongrously-named Beach House is a joy, with a mix of Georgian architecture and Clive Christian-designed interiors.
It's a wonderful blend, from the grand and ornate reception rooms to a playroom that looks like a private soft play centre, and its own private pub. Six more properties within the 57 acres come as part of the deal.
For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.
Also just outside Bath — £12.5 million
A former monastery, St Catherine's Court is no stranger to A-list superstars: it was for many years the home of actress (and iconic Bond girl) Jane Seymour. There's not a huge amount of land (14 acres) but it's delightful as far as the eye can see — and the main house is genuinely spectacular inside and out.
And yes, there is indeed a tennis court should you wish to indulge in some Rivals-style naked racquet sports.
For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.
Malmesbury — £9.5 million
Imagine a Cotswolds mansion crossed with an Arts-and-Crafts house, all designed by a tech billionaire... and the result would probably be something along the lines of Ladyswood, a country house that tears up the rulebook in fine style.
It's bold, for sure, but is all done with a vast amount of style and panache — and the stables are the sort of thing that would bring out the Rupert Campbell-Black in anyone.
For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.
Badminton — £9.5 million
This ivy-clad home is so beautiful it could bring a tear to the eye, but it's more than just charming and quaint. It's a 15,000sq ft mansion with a vastly impressive leisure suite, grand reception rooms and eight bedrooms. As for the gardens? They're a joy, laid out beautifully with all sorts of secret corners for illicit trysts. Jilly Cooper would definitely approve.
For sale via Savills — see more details and pictures.
Cirencster — £9 million
You'd never think it at first glance, but this house is actually only 12 years old: it's a conversion of a 19th century, stone-built series of barns. The owners have really leant in to the olde-worlde style, though, with exposed beams, open fires, medieval-style chandeliers and even some folly-style ancient ruins in the gardens.
For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.
