The most expensive country property to be put up for sale this year has just come to the open market: the magnificent, Grade II-listed North Aston Hall and its immaculate 194-acre estate on the banks of the River Cherwell, for sale at a guide price of £28 million.
https://player.vimeo.com/video/275028230
The house, located 16 miles from Oxford, 74 miles from central London and just six miles from the ever-popular Soho Farmhouse, is listed via both Knight Frank and Savills. It's a 14,500sq ft, Jacobethan-style mansion, built in the late 1700s by John Yenn, remodelled in about 1867 and extensively refurbished in recent years to provide a remarkable blend of state-of-the-art facilities and architectural splendour.
Approached along a mile-long drive that winds through the estate and surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens, the house offers luxurious accommodation on five floors.
There are six reception rooms, an orangery, an 18th-century wine cellar, a 2,500sq ft master suite and 10 further bedroom suites.
There is also a roof terrace with a conservatory, offering outstanding views over the Cherwell Valley. The gardens are also breathtakingly pretty, with separate, formally-laid out north and south lawns featuring extravagant hedging, planting and some striking water features.
If standing and taking in the view is a little too sedate for you, there are endless opportunities for amusement at Aston. There's an entire leisure complex which includes an indoor/outdoor swimming-pool, a billiard room and a tennis court.
For something even more adventurous, there are two adventure playgrounds, a petting zoo – yes, really – and a riverside treehouse fully kitted out so that you eat and sleep within.
Beyond the main house and grounds there are several extra buildings included, among them a coach house, garaging and four separate guest houses – there are a total of 19 further bedrooms, and 35,000 sq ft in all.
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
Credit: Holly Frean / hollyfrean.com
Owls, elephants and monkeys are no longer just for the nursery
Furry and feathery creatures are here to stay.
50 things Britain gave the world, from apologies to zoos
Throughout the centuries, Britain has led the world in all that is civilised, from culture to condiments and fast horses
Come on in, the water’s lovely: Why we all love a lido
Britain’s historic outdoor swimming pools, long neglected, are back in business.
-
‘‘In the silence, it is the most perfect blue I have ever seen. If my goggles weren’t already overflowing with water I might even weep’: Learning to freedive on the sparkling French Riviera with a five-time World ChampionFive-time freediving World Champion Arthur Guérin-Boëri calls the serene waters of Cap-Ferrat his office. Now, one storied hotel is offering guests a chance to take a deep breath and jump into the deep unknown with him.
-
The Hollywood garden designers who turned their hand to a magical corner of SomersetCaisson House's fifteen abandoned locks were part of the draw for Amanda and Phil Honey, who have created this astonishing garden in the grounds of the former headquarters of the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company just outside Bath. Caroline Donald discovers more; photography by Jason Ingram.
-
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.
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the marketThe Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in FulhamA 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.
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country LifeOur 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.
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spotsThe Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
