Five beautiful country homes which show what can be done with a property that escapes the notice of the Listed Building inspectors

There are roughly half a million listed buildings in the UK, and we bow to no-one in our commitment in supporting efforts to save the beautiful old homes that dot the British countryside.

Yet it's no secret that listed building system brings with restrictions that aren't always easy to comply with. The need to use authentic materials and techniques for repair and restoration, for example, can be costly and difficult to comply with, and different planning officers in different areas often have very different views about how far homeowners can and ought to be allowed to go when it comes to extensions and remodelling.

So it's fascinating to see what can be done — or what could be done — with old homes which you'd expect at first glance to be listed, but which have somehow avoided that desigation. Here are five examples across the country where owners have kept the spirit of these lovely homes intact while making the most of the flexibility afforded them.

Somerset — £2 million

Given how many Georgian rectories in Bath seem to have survived the last couple of centuries, it's perhaps not surprising that one or two have slipped through the listed building net.

This old rectory — called, as many are, The Old Rectory — is set in a little over an acre of gardens on the edge of Camerton, a village on the south-western fringe of Bath, and is built in the familiar honey-coloured stone. It's a six-bedroom home that is next to the village church and near Grade ll-listed Camerton Court, a larger property that did attract the attention of the listings inspectors back in the 1950s.

Image 1 of 3

Much of The Old Rectory has been subject to a recent programme of renovation, which has maintained historic details, such as working shutters and a door hidden by a false bookcase.

But there are some distinctly modern touches — not least a bedroom that's been repurposed as sort of relaxation room with sauna.

For sale via Fine & Country at £2 million.

Herefordshire — £675,000

Lane Gate Cottage is a pretty, stone-built, three-bedroom thatched cottage on the edge of the National Trust-owned Bircher Common and the Fishpool valley, near Ludlow and Leominster.

Image 1 of 2

Described as a ‘delightful retreat in a beautiful rural setting’, the cottage comes with plenty of historic details, plus modern upgrades, such as a handsome kitchen and useful pantry — and there's huge scope, given the space on offer, to do more.

It’s surrounded by south-facing gardens of about three-quarters of an acre and the village of Yarpole, with pub and shop, is a short amble away.

For sale via Samuel Wood.

Essex — £1.85 million

Park Farm is on the edge of a small hamlet, two miles from Finchingfield and near Bishop’s Stortford and London train connections. With a little under three acres of gardens and grounds, including a tennis court, it has been a much-loved family home, but the owners are now moving overseas for business.

Image 1 of 3

Arranged over three floors, the seven-bedroom house has all the elegant characteristics of a Georgian property, including high ceilings and plenty of natural light. An attached wing could be a games area, home office or guest annexe.

For sale via Zoe Napier.

Devon — £2.85 million

Thanks to its unlisted status, the owners of five-bedroom Fursdon Farmhouse, near Kingsbridge, were able to add an attractive orangery crowned by a vast roof lantern to create a spacious kitchen-breakfast room, which might have proved challenging had it needed to go through listed consent.

Image 1 of 3

This reimagined room now offers wonderful views over the 13-acre gardens, which include a tennis court, paddocks and lake. A converted two-bedroom outbuilding has holiday-let potential.

For sale via Marchand Petit.

Wiltshire — £1.5 million

Manor Farm House lies just outside Woodborough in the Vale of Pewsey and is surrounded by open countryside. The four-bedroom property with large farmhouse kitchen and Aga is within easy distance of Pewsey station, which has quick services to Paddington, and the market town of Marlborough.

Image 1 of 3

Here, it's a case of what could be done, rather than what has been done — particularly with substantial detached annexe, which could make a perfect home office or gym.

For sale via Strutt & Parker.