It might not surprise you to hear this, but I spend a quite considerable amount of time browsing the internet, looking at property. What might also not surprise you is that, a lot of the time, that property is very nice — large spacious manor houses, with acres and acres of gardens; Grand Design palazzos with hot and cold running everything; estates where one’s land ownership extends as far as the eye can see in every direction.
What might surprise you, is that I prefer the little houses. The two-to-three bedroom cottages, with comfy little gardens, and not too many rooms. This isn’t because of some socialist ideals around home ownership (not entirely, anyway), but rather that I’m quite lazy and wonder how I would ever find the time to hoover and furnish a house with six reception rooms.
A good house, that is a good size, that caught my eye recently is this cottage — for sale for offers in excess of £600,00 with Fine and Country — in the north Devon village of Torrington. It is cosy and thatched, which I like. It has three bedrooms, which is a good number, a nice open-plan layout on the ground floor, which includes the kitchen and dining rooms, and a garden of about half an acre. All very manageable, and in a good location.
The cottage is nicely elevated, catching plenty of sun, with views across the wooded valley in which it sits. It’s delightfully period, with inglenook fires, exposed beams and mullioned windows. Overall, it looks a comfortable and pleasant place to live and entertain and, more than anything, very manageable.
What might be slightly less manageable are the feature gardens, which are terraced and feature meandering paths throughout. They run from the cottage, down to the brook that forms part of the property’s boundary. Extensively planted, they will require some looking after, but they provide plenty of spots to stop and soak up the divine rural Devon wilderness.
For sale with Fine and Country for £600,000. For more information and images, click here
Credit: Savills
A handsome Georgian villa in a quiet and sought-after Dorset village
Grade II-listed Church Villa sits in the heart of a tranquil village, five miles from the mainline railway at Wareham,
Credit: Knight Frank
An enhanced Elizabethan Manor house in Kent with gardens by Gertrude Jekyll
With 9,400sq ft of living space and almost eight acres of gardens, Stonepitts Manor near Seal Chart is a rose
Credit: Hamptons
Three floors, 6,000sq ft and the chance to live in one of London's most famous landmarks
This penthouse apartment at St Pancras Chambers, formerly the Midland Grand Hotel, occupies a privileged position in one of the
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
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The legacy od Dad's ArmyKate Green takes a look at Dad’s Army, the iconic BBC sitcom written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry.
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An utterly charming island home in Scotland with gardens so beautiful they made the cover of Country Life
An Cala on the Isle of Seil has a fascinating history that is only enhanced by its amazing setting.
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'The very best North Yorkshire has to offer': The £25 million Kirkham EstateWith 1,103 acres and on the market for the first time in a century, we've got a new frontrunner for the sale of the year.
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The reality of 20 years of house price rises in Britain, from the places that have had a charmed life to the spots where it's a struggle to move back homeAt first glance the ups and downs of the property market seem to even out over time — but dig in to the numbers and you'll see wild regional variations which paint a very difference picture. Annabel Dixon analyses new research which tells the story.
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A historic Yorkshire hall, meticulously restored to its former 18th-century magnificenceWomersley Park is a masterpiece and one of Yorkshire's great historic houses. And it could be yours.
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A bucolic Sussex home that's 'like stepping into a fairytale', yet just 30 minutes from central LondonFelmere House is a playground for nature and only 30 minutes from London.
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Magnificent mansions across the Home Counties, from £3 million to £14 million, as seen in Country LifeA waterside dream home and a house and estate with over 1,100 years of history make our round-up this week.
