A house being listed often means it is beautiful. It also means it can be difficult to mend, or extend, or modernise. Such is the price (literal and metaphorical) of beauty. It's always a treat, then, to find an unlisted home that, to our eyes at least really should be. The best of both worlds.
Step forward Ashton House, an unlisted eight-bedroomed Edwardian house of 7,600sq ft, near the south Somerset market town of Chard. It has come to the market with Strutt & Parker at an asking price of £2.95m.
It is set centrally in grounds of just under nine acres, in what selling agent Oliver Custance Baker describes as ‘an accessible rural location’. Crewkerne, Yeovil and Taunton are all within easy reach, as is Lyme Regis on the Jurassic Coast. Thanks to its elevated position, the house has spectacular views over rolling hills and the property has been designed to maximise these vistas with large bay windows across the ground floor.
The beautifully maintained grounds feature family-friendly amenities, such as a heated swimming pool with two changing rooms, a picturesque walled garden and an all-weather tennis court. There is a vegetable garden, croquet lawn, chicken run and many specimen trees dotted throughout the garden.
The house itself was built in 1914 with the Tudor-style rendering and timber work that was fashionable in Edwardian suburbs. Given that it was commissioned to his own design by a Col Noblett who was returning from India, it is possible that he was inspired by the half-timber façades often seen on houses built for homesick expatriates in hill stations such as Shimla.
An impressive entrance hall leads to a spacious drawing room and a separate sitting room. There is a newly created light-filled, open-plan kitchen with an Aga, family room and garden room where bi-fold doors open onto an extensive, south-facing terrace. Further ground-floor space includes a utility room, pantry, dog or boot room and two cloakrooms.
Upstairs are five double bedrooms and a bunkroom, plus a generous main-bedroom suite. A further two bedrooms and bathroom are located on the top floor and there is a home office above the garage, which is set up with an EV charger.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Is it ever okay to throw your dog a birthday party?Sir Lewis Hamilton did it, so why not throw a birthday party for your canine companion, Sophia Money-Coutts asks.
-
A 500-acre estate that spent 11 centuries in the same family, for sale for only the second time in its historyIn the beautiful hills of north Wales the Garthewin estate has come up for sale, including a great country house once restored by the architect who created Portmeirion. Penny Churchill takes a closer look.
-
A 500-acre estate that spent 11 centuries in the same family, for sale for only the second time in its history
In the beautiful hills of north Wales the Garthewin estate has come up for sale, including a great country house once restored by the architect who created Portmeirion. Penny Churchill takes a closer look.
-
'The city has always held an important creative space within our design studio': A luxury townhouse in Tokyo, courtesy of Aston MartinA new four-storey property in the Omotesandō district is the first single home private residence by the British ultra-luxury performance brand.
-
The Mediterranean Magic of MaltaWith historic charm, picture-perfect beaches and a welcoming approach to newcomers, Malta represents an appealing option for Mediterranean property hunters. Holly Kirkwood reports.
-
Four country houses with their own tennis courts, as seen in Country LifeIf Wimbledon has put you in the mood for more tennis, Annunciata Elwes is here with a selection of homes with their own tennis courts.
-
The majestic New Forest estate formerly owned by a billionaire adventurer — famous for driving 'the world's fastest kettle' — has come up for saleGreat 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.
-
A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in yearsThe 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.
-
The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyleAcross 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.
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villasMatthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
