A country house just outside Winchester with its own opera festival
Dymoke House at Easton boasts a natural amphitheatre of the gardens.


Pretty villages within easy reach of Winchester have never been more popular, according to George Clarendon of Knight Frank, who is handling the sale of the classically-proportioned, Grade II*-listed Dymoke House at Easton in the Itchen Valley.
The house has come to the market at a guide price of £3.95m in a village location that is just 3.7 miles from the heart of the cathedral city. That convenient location and a natural amphitheatre in the gardens has made it a perfect venue for the biennial Glynde Easton opera concert in aid of Itchen Valley Churches.
Set in two acres of gorgeous gardens overlooking the church in the centre of the village, the house takes its name from Henry Dymocke, a gentleman farmer who bought the original small timber-framed house in 1662 and whose family lived there for almost 100 years.
Built in about 1650, it was enlarged between 1784 and 1792 by yeoman farmer David Harfield, who added an extension incorporating two panelled rooms and clad the original front and side walls with facing stones from the former rectory, demolished in the 1780s.
In 1819, army surgeon John Preston bought the house, changed the front to the north side and added the porch and basement kitchen.
Harriet Emma Davison and her family owned it from 1875 until 1927, after which it passed to tea-planter Bache Thornhill Heathcote, who built the extension on the east side.
In 1954, Commander Edward Douglas Symes RN bought the property and extensively renovated the house, cottages and other buildings.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Impeccably refurbished by the present owners, who have lived there for some 30 years, Dymoke House offers 5,425sq ft of living space on three floors, including three main reception rooms, a vast kitchen/breakfast room, five/six bedrooms and four bathrooms.
The converted Dymoke Barn provides a further two bedrooms, a sitting room and a kitchen/diner.
Dymoke House is on the market via Knight Frank at £3.95m – see more details and pictures.
Which river in Hampshire is the best to live on?
When it comes to the crunch, which of Hampshire’s great rivers does today’s buyer ideally want to live on? Tessa
The Tudor mansion in Sussex where Lutyens and Jekyll pooled their talents
Legh Manor: The Tudor mansion in Sussex where Lutyens and Jekyll worked together
-
Canine muses: Lucian Freud's etchings of Pluto the whippet are among his most popular and expensive work
In the third edition of our limited series, we meet the dogs who've inspired some of our greatest artists.
By Agnes Stamp Published
-
Maybach SL680: A modern motoring marvel from the marque that once catered for Maharajas and movie stars
The Maybach name has been attached to many of Germany's most luxurious cars over the last century — so does the latest iteration live up to the reputation? Simon de Burton got behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Maybach SL 680 — but only after a quick pronunciation lesson.
By Simon De Burton Published
-
Four country houses with their own tennis courts, as seen in Country Life
If Wimbledon has put you in the mood for more tennis, Annunciata Elwes is here with a selection of homes with their own tennis courts.
By Annunciata Elwes Published
-
The majestic New Forest estate formerly owned by a billionaire adventurer — famous for driving 'the world's fastest kettle' — has come up for sale
Great estates in the unspoilt setting of the New Forest are always a welcome sight on the market, and Newton Park is a wonderful example with a sad story to tell. Anna White tells more.
By Anna White Last updated
-
A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in years
The ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyle
Across the country people are selling up and heading to the towns where there's no compromise on dream homes, outstanding schooling and the good life, according to analysis from two of Britain's top estate agents. Anna White explains.
By Anna White Published
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villas
Matthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
By Matthew Dennison Last updated
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the market
The Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in Fulham
A dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
By Toby Keel Published
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country Life
Our look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
By Toby Keel Published