I used to take great joy in the misery of others who spent spring and summer sneezing whenever there was pollen present. But it was a lesson in karma. Some years ago, having not been allergic to nature for almost 28 years, I started sneezing in the presence of grass. Hayfever comes for us all (or, at least, most of us) in the end.
One solution to this issue is to buy antihistamine tablets, which allows me to go to parks, and fields, drink beer and play cricket with reckless abandon. Another, more expensive solution to this issue would be to buy Heron House near Haslemere in Surrey, which is up for sale for the stylistically irritating price of £995,000 with Knight Frank.
This shelter from the allergenic horrors of the outside world is a Passive House, which means it uses a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system that keeps pollen and other allergens out, and allows fresh filtered air in. It also comes with three bedrooms.
There is perhaps a certain irony that a home that keeps so much of the outside world out is, at the same time, very much made of it. Heron House uses no concrete (to protect tree roots), is clad in FSC/PEFC-certified Siberian larch, and sits in a little woodland oasis on Scotland Lane.
The property was designed by Justin Bere of Bere:Architects in collaboration with Denhof Design, which means it is not only ecologically extremely conscious and efficient, but also achingly contemporary. Gaze upon the stylish and all-natural interiors and rejoice. Revel in the high-speed broadband supplied to every room.
The property sits in a beautiful woodland glade, but is not of the countryside; the Surrey town of Haslemere is moments away, with all the amenities you could want, including a high-speed rail link to central London. And, if that all sounds a bit urban, the glorious South Downs National Park is directly south.
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A vicarage designed by one of Queen Victoria's favourite architects, exquisitely refurbished to keep every ounce of original character — and even a few cracks and crumbles
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