The property market around much of Britain is tipped for a slow-down, but some areas are booming. And near the top of that list is Devon, where the beautiful villages of the southern part of Dartmoor offer glorious views and easy access both to Exeter and the sandy beaches of the south coast.
And this is exactly the sort of property that many of those buyers will dream of. Sitting on the edge of the brilliantly-named village of Lustleigh in Devon is the delightful 16th century Wreyland Lodge, on the market with Knight Frank and priced at £1.75 million.
This thatched, stone-built home actually occupies a plot which has been a home since the 13th century, though the house as it is today is essentially a Tudor building – albeit one which has been beautifully updated in the past four or five centuries.
It’s a five-bedroom home with all manner of interesting and characterful touches. Ceiling beams and wood panelling have been retained wherever possible, for example, while the huge inglenook fireplace in the dining room and the curving staircase – carpeted, but evidently stone-built – really show the history of this five-bedroom house.
Not all the rooms have quite such a 16th century feel. The garden room overlooking the house’s glorious nine acres of grounds has a fresh modern feel, while the kitchen/breakfast room (complete with Aga) is sympathetically done yet replete with modern appliances.
As lovely as the house is, however, it’s the gardens which will be the biggest draw for many. As well as the formal gardens and lawns – approached by a thatched archway – there is also an orchard, a river, an outdoor pool, tennis court, stables and a paddock.
As if that weren’t enough, the property also includes a cricket pitch – one use by the village club. It’s a delightful ground, tree-lined on one side and with the River Wrey down the other, and has a remarkable history. The late Peter O’Toole often brought his cricket side, the Lazarusians, down to play here, and he proclaimed it to be his favourite cricket ground in the world.
His reasons for that accolade? The beautiful location, and the fact that the pub is just 20 yards away. ‘It’s hard to know what else a cricketer could want,’ he once wrote.
Wreyland Lodge is on the market with Knight Frank and priced at £1.75 million – see more details and pictures.
An impossibly romantic, wisteria-clad home in Cornwall which could be straight from a BBC drama
Dripping with wisteria and charm in equal measure, The Old Rectory in a picturesque Cornish hamlet is the sort of
A Dartmoor manor house with its own hydro-electricity, and space for horses and helicopters
Holystreet Manor lies in a sweep of the River Teign and some magnificent ancient woodland.
Credit: Bishops House - Chagford
The beautiful cottage in Dartmoor saved by extraordinary villagers’ efforts
This house survived its first 500 years thanks to locals' heroism. Now it's looking for a new owner.
-
'The watch is Head Boy of men’s accessorising': Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin's Summer Season style secretsWhen it comes to dressing for the Season, accessories will transform an outfit. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin, both stylish summer-party veterans, offer some sage advice.
-
Lewis Hamilton, Claude Monet and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 29, 2025Tuesday's Quiz of the Day looks back at Lewis Hamilton's first win and ponders on the meaning of greige.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
-
A tale of everyday life as lived on Britain's most expensive streetWinnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
