A home with fine architecture, delightful gardens and spectacular views of St Catherine’s Valley
Just a few minutes from Bath yet with its toes also in the Cotswolds, this Grade II*-listed home is the archetype of the liveable country house.


In a gloriously unspoilt and peaceful setting four miles north-east of Bath overlooking picturesque St Catherine’s Valley lies St Catherine’s End House, a beautiful country home that sits just within the Cotswolds AONB.
This imposing 17th-century building – for sale via Knight Frank at £2.325 million – is wonderfully private, approached from a country lane through high wooden gates that open onto a spacious gravel drive and extensive parking.
Terraced lawns sweep away to the east, where mature hedgerows protect the boundary without impinging on the splendid panoramic views across the valley.
Inside, the house boasts an array of fine, original architectural detail. There are steep gables and mullioned windows, beamed ceilings and stone fireplaces, and perhaps best of all an original 17th-century staircase.
The main house currently offers 3,831sq ft of accommodation, including a drawing room, library, family room, kitchen/breakfast room and four bedroom suites.
The sale also includes the Garden House – a converted former coach house – that offers a further 1,517sq ft of living space, including a kitchen/living room and two bedroom suites.
The owners have recently obtained planning consent to significantly extend the main house by linking it on one side with the separate home office to create a large kitchen/dining room and adding a new drawing room and loggia on the opposite side.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
The proposed alterations, if implemented in their entirety, would increase the area of the main house to a total of 5,413sq ft and substantially enhance its overall appeal. Not that it needs much help in that regard, of course...
An exceptional period manor house in the heart of Shakespeare Country
Claverdon Hall sits in the ‘golden triangle’ between Warwick, Stratford and Henley-in-Arden.
Credit: Mark Williamson
Down to a tea: The finest teashops in the Cotswolds
When partaking of a piping-hot cup of tea and a crumblingly delicious slice of cake, where better to indulge than
Credit: Getty
The Blue Pool: How a disused quarry turned into one of Britain’s most beautiful lakes
A forgotten corner of Dorset has an extraordinary tea room at a beautiful spot.
Sporting life: The best spots in the Cotswolds to enjoy country pursuits
From sailing to shooting, Holly Kirkwood explains why the Cotswolds is such a Mecca for country sporting enthusiasts.
-
The Hollywood garden designers who turned their hand to a magical corner of Somerset
Caisson House's fifteen abandoned locks were part of the draw for Amanda and Phil Honey, who have created this astonishing garden in the grounds of the former headquarters of the Somersetshire Coal Canal Company just outside Bath. Caroline Donald discovers more; photography by Jason Ingram.
By Caroline Donald Published
-
The majestic New Forest estate formerly owned by a billionaire adventurer — famous for driving 'the world's fastest kettle' — has come up for sale
Great estates in the unspoilt setting of the New Forest are always a welcome sight on the market, and Newton Park is a wonderful example with a sad story to tell. Anna White tells more.
By Anna White Published
-
The majestic New Forest estate formerly owned by a billionaire adventurer — famous for driving 'the world's fastest kettle' — has come up for sale
Great estates in the unspoilt setting of the New Forest are always a welcome sight on the market, and Newton Park is a wonderful example with a sad story to tell. Anna White tells more.
By Anna White Published
-
A Hampshire Manor for sale that dates back to the days of Alfred the Great, with the most beautiful staircase we've seen in years
The ten bedroom property features an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, spa complex and stables, and it was restored by the same architect who worked on Downing Street.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
The new property hotspots where you can have it all: Beautiful houses, great schools and idyllic lifestyle
Across the country people are selling up and heading to the towns where there's no compromise on dream homes, outstanding schooling and the good life, according to analysis from two of Britain's top estate agents. Anna White explains.
By Anna White Published
-
Where Venice once ruled: The roving Venetians left handsome imprints across the Greek world, from its religion to its rambling villas
Matthew Dennison explores the lingering traces of Venice's vanished empire — and the best places to buy where it once stood.
By Matthew Dennison Last updated
-
A delightful 16th century home with some of Kent's most beautiful gardens has come on to the market
The Grange puts the 'garden' into the Garden of England.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A pristine Scottish island for sale at the price of a garage in Fulham
A dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come on to the market, where you'll be surrounded by sea, living off grid and be neighbours with the local seal colony.
By Toby Keel Published
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country Life
Our look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spots
The Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
By Toby Keel Published