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
The Old Rectory in Camerton, Somerset.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
-
Queen Charlotte's Ball is proof that young women still want to be debutantesFounded in the 18th century, Queen Charlotte’s Ball has been revived and modernised for a new generation. Eleanor Doughty finds out what’s changed-and what hasn’t.
-
The Manot bed that made it from a Herefordshire attic to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, courtesy of Country LifeWhen Henry Avray Tipping spotted a 17th-century four poster languishing in a Herefordshire attic in 1911, he set off a chain of events that saw the bed leave its ancestral home and land at The Met in New York
-
Five magnificent homes for sale, from Highland escape to a 17th century school, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life.
-
A castle that's 'a masterpiece of the baronial revival' with 17 bedrooms, breathtaking gardens and its own miniature railwayMajestic, imposing, graceful, romantic... Ayton Castle is the very picture of
-
'One of the finest houses in Cheshire' blends Georgian architecture, modern exoticism and space to park your helicopterPenny Churchill looks inside Stretton Hall, an exceptional house for sale
-
Splendid isolation at four gorgeous properties for sale around the worldFor those craving a home that offers a true escape from the world, some wonderful properties are on the market right now. Here's our pick of some of the finest — ideal for nature lovers, those in search of tranquility and Bond villains alike.
-
The market for super-prime houses in England's biggest millionaire's playground is booming — and this £10m example is one of the bestWhirley Hall is a 17th century building that's a perfect example of how 21st century updates can transform an old home almost beyond recognition.
-
If I had to spend the rest of my life living underground, I would do it in this four-bedroom house for sale in the Peak DistrictThe aptly named Underhill is a 'a work of inhabitable art' that was built in the 1970s. And there's a swimming pool in the middle of it.
-
A micro estate for sale in west Wales shows that the best things come in small packages. In this case, three of themBrithdir is a remarkable collection of properties centred around a lake and just five miles from the sea.
-
This blissful converted mill has sweeping views, a breathtaking library and gardens by a Chelsea gold medallistPenny Churchill takes a look at Stanbridge Mill, one of the finest properties for sale today in the west country.
