A lovely country house that comes with its own vineyard and winery

Annunciata Elwes

Why merely move out to the country when an entire change of lifestyle could be yours for the same price?

House with vineyard and winery
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As country house price tags go, £1.75 million doesn’t often buy you much – particularly in commuter-friendly Hertfordshire.

But at this beautiful spot a few miles north of Berkhamsted, £1.75m gets you far more than just a country house: Frithsden offers an amazing opportunity to take up the running of an English vineyard and winery, with a wine shop and cafe, in the foothills of the Chilterns.

The five-acre vineyard has thrived since 1971, with a brief lull before being replanted in 2006. The wine is pressed and bottled on-site, made from about 6,000 Solaris, Rondo and Phoenix vines, specially developed in Northern Europe to thrive in our cooler climate.

Naturally enough given the price, the brick-built four-bedroom house itself isn’t quite as idyllic as the lifestyle that comes with it.

Yet there is still plenty to love about it: the double-aspect living room which opens out onto the gardens, for example, or the dining room with a vaulted ceiling.

Be warned, however: falling in love with the house and deciding not to keep the vineyard going isn’t an option. This home is subject to an Agricultural Occupancy Condition – in other words, to live here you have to keep the land going and the wine flowing.

Frankly, we can’t see this stipulation being much of a chore for most of the prospective buyers!

Frithsden is for sale via Knight Frank at £1.75m – see more pictures and details.