An idyllic country home with a breathtaking 17th century interior, plus pool, stables and an indoor arena
A house that has one of the of finest 17th century interiors in Britain has come to the market – a place which offers everything, but which will have horse lovers in particular wide-eyed with excitement.


Anyone on the lookout for a classic Cotswold country house set within magnificent grounds will be hard pushed to find a better example than the nine-bedroom, Grade II-listed Ampney Park at Ampney Crucis.
It's a superb small estate, two and a half miles from Cirencester, which is on the market a guide price of £9.5 million through Savills and Strutt & Parker.
The core of the present house is believed to date from 1628 and the Grand Hall, which boasts wonderful oak panelling and a beautifully moulded Jacobean ceiling, has been described by country-house historian Nicholas Kingsley as ‘one of the most perfect early 17th century interiors in the country’.
Approached through imposing wrought-iron gates along a picturesque winding drive, Ampney Park stands amid terraced lakeside gardens, surrounded by 25 acres of lovely Cotswolds countryside.
The main house itself has some 15,000sq ft of accommodation, including a reception hall, six fine reception rooms, a large family kitchen, nine bedrooms, seven bathrooms, an indoor swimming pool and extensive cellars.
The house is just the start, however: the equestrian facilities are mouth-watering. There’s an immaculate stable yard, paddocks, a fine outdoor manège and also an indoor eventing arena.
Beyond that are lakes, rivers, woodland, tennis court and further dwellings and buildings. The Stone Barn is a converted barn with a gym and two-bedroom flat, while there is also the two-bedroom Stable Cottage.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The manor of Ampney Crucis was granted to John Pleydell in 1562 and remained in his family – who built the house – until 1724, when the estate passed by marriage to the Yorkshire Dawnays.
In 1765, Ampney Park was sold to Samuel Blackwell of Cirencester, whose family added the long Georgian north wing.
In the 1890s, the Blackwells sold it to Edmund Cripps, who added a billiard room – a particularly special spot, with stained glass windows depicting the coats of arms of the Cripps, Radcliffe and Brydges families – and extended the east end of the house.
Ampney Park is for sale via through Savills and Strutt & Parker at £9.5 million – see more details and pictures.
Dreamy Cotswold farmhouse complete with excellent equestrian facilities and a party barn
Bosmere Farm is a wonderful family house in a stunning rural setting.
Credit: Alamy
The best things to add to to your house to increase its value, from party barns to dressing rooms
A sublime Georgian estate for sale that was once the residence of the Duke of Buckingham
The Abbey at Aston Abbotts has the potential to become the perfect small country estate.
A complete one-off for horse lovers: House with stables, manege... and a racetrack
In the countryside between York and Harrogate you'll find a curious and extraordinary property which has just come to the
-
Five homes with their own orchards that will be the apple of your eye (almost literally)
If you've been looking enviously this year at neighbours with apple trees that have been heaving with fruit, here is the solution: five lovely homes for sale that come with their own orchards.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
Where in the world is this? — and other pressing questions. It's the Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 14, 2025
Test your general knowledge in Tuesday's quiz.
By Country Life Published
-
Five homes with their own orchards that will be the apple of your eye (almost literally)
If you've been looking enviously this year at neighbours with apple trees that have been heaving with fruit, here is the solution: five lovely homes for sale that come with their own orchards.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A beautiful Victorian vicarage that was home to one of the Cadbury family heiresses is on the market
Penny Churchill tells the tale of Monks Bridge in Warwickshire.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
An outrageously opulent mansion in London's answer to Beverly Hills, with a gym that 'wouldn't look out of place in a 7* hotel'
'One of the finest houses in St George's Hill' is on the market. Annabel Dixon takes a look at what's on offer.
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
Six homes with fantastic features, from pools and paddocks to waterside settings, as seen in Country Life
Our look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a Chipping Norton farm and a Cornish dream home
By Toby Keel Published
-
Queen Victoria's chaplain's house on the Isle of Wight is for sale, and it's a riot of colour, charm and joy
A stone's thrown from Queen Victoria's beloved Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, the house where her chaplain lived is now on the open market.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
An Art Deco masterpiece with five-bedrooms, a private pool, a cinema, a helipad and the ability to conquer oceans
Lady Christine is the very essence of opulence and could be yours for a cool €55.75 million.
By James Fisher Published
-
The elegant 19th century townhouse where JFK and Jackie Kennedy dreamed of the presidency, and made their wish came true
This beautiful five-bedroom house in Washington DC's Georgetown was once home to perhaps the most celebrated couple of the 20th century: John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jackie Kennedy.
By Toby Keel Published
-
This five-bedroom thatched cottage in the Chilterns looks quite like Claudia Winkleman
Much like everyone's favourite TV host, this property is beautifully presented.
By James Fisher Published