Building beautiful homes has been a rich tradition in this island for centuries, and a tradition that has been celebrated in the pages (both print and online) for more than 100 years. Looking at the beautiful Elizabethan, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian creations, it is easy to forget that homes of significance are still being built right now.
What makes a home significant and, indeed, beautiful? Location, style and utility are three words that usually spring to mind. For a building to be great, it surely must be in a good place, look nice among its surroundings and cater to the needs of whoever lives there. One such example, built last year, is surely Hay House in Cornwall, which is for sale with John Bray Estates for £1.875 million.
‘As a family we lived here for ten years and have a great love of Cornwall,’ says owner Harry Anscombe. ‘We wanted the house to be a space for contemporary family living with high energy efficiency, spacious rooms and soaring ceilings but also with a deep sensitivity to its location and a respect for heritage materials and craftsmanship.’
That respect for heritage materials and craftsmanship is the very essence of Hay House, with its exterior of reclaimed stone, timber and zinc. It is clearly modern, but it is of the land. It goes without saying that the property adheres to the highest of environmental standards and has an EPC rating of B.
Inside, the three-storey property offers five bedrooms and some 3,000sq ft of living space. The joy of the home is found in the ground floor living spaces, which is centred around a large kitchen/dining room and lounge space, with a separate snug to get away from it all.
Another highlight of the property, designed by New British Design and built by Alkenby (who also built The Pig at Harlyn) is the use of light. Despite its stoney grey exterior, the property is flooded from a mix of large windows, skylights and balconies. The secondary joy of that are the views from the elevated position looking out over the Cornish countryside, including the landscaped terraced grounds, orchard, woodland and stream that make up Hay House’s gardens.
But perhaps the piece de resistance is the location. One mile to the east is Mawgan Porth beach, something of a surfer’s paradise, while Hay House is equidistant to Newquay to the south and Padstow to the north.
And if somehow all of that wasn't enough, Hay House also comes with two long barns, one of which offers an extra bedroom. Beauty, location and utility — all found at Hay House.
-
Cocker spaniels: The indefatigable dog breed with medieval lineage that stole David Beckham’s heartOnce bred to flush out woodcock, now found in royal estates and Hollywood homes — the Cocker Spaniel’s charm knows no bounds.
-
20 breathtaking country homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the finest houses to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
-
20 breathtaking country homes for sale, as seen in Country Life
We take a look at some of the finest houses to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
-
The elegant country home of a motor racing daredevil who drove round the world in a 1936 Bentley and crashed a Range Rover into his own front porchPeasemore House, with its collection of barns, workshops, stables and more, is an ideal home from which to plan an adventure — something that was a passion of its present owners. Penny Churchill explains more.
-
The wisteria clad cottage where Noël Coward and Ivor Novello held court at the height of their fameThe 17th-century Follejon Cottage just outside Windsor was a perfect escape from the city for Noël Coward and his circle of friends. As it goes on the market, Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A Cotswolds property that's the strangest mix of old and new we've ever seen... and yet somehow, it all worksThe Gasworks is a house quite unlike anything you've seen before — or at least anything you've seen all in one place. Toby Keel takes a closer look.
-
A country house near Windsor that could be straight from the pages of a Jilly Cooper novelPenny Churchill looks at the beautiful polo-lover's sanctuary that is Barkham Square Park.
-
The factory that once fuelled the Victorians' insatiable appetite for pianos has become a set of gorgeous, characterful apartmentsChappell & Co were a huge name in 19th century music, even working with Beethoven. Today, one of their old factories in Camden has become a series of beautiful apartments.
-
What £1 million buys you across Britain, from a Cornish cottage to a miniature castle in the HighlandsSprawling country houses, a mini-estate in Scotland and homes where the sea almost laps up at your feet are among the property options open to those with a seven-figure budget. Here's our pick of the best £1 million houses for sale across the land.
-
The Hampshire home of a Victoria Cross-winning British WWI ace fighter pilot is for sale, with lake, chapel and some of the best fishing rights in EnglandPenny Churchill looks at Longparish House, a north Hampshire haven on the River Test.
