It is the week to be thinking about gardens and the homes that are contained within them. As RHS Chelsea rages, property coverage on the website this week will have a focus on homes with fine gardens.
First up, Mark Smith of Strutt & Parker’s Banbury office is handling the sale — at a guide price of £2.25m — of the delightful, Grade II-listed Friars Well at Aynho, which stands in 17¼ acres of Capability Brown-designed parkland, once part of the Cartwright family’s Aynhoe Park estate.
Built by the Cartwrights in 1763 of stone under a Stonesfield-slate roof, the substantial nine-bedroom house, originally known as Aynhoe Park Cottage, has been extensively remodelled over the years and, in the 1950s, was renamed Friars Well after the natural spring in the grounds.
At about the same time, the Classical architect Raymond Erith, who did notable work in the popular Northamptonshire village dominated by Grade I-listed Aynhoe Park, was commissioned by the Cartwrights to remodel Friars Well. This he did by enhancing its Georgian proportions, re-ordering the interior and installing a fine curved staircase, one of his signature designs. He also raised the roof level and introduced a series of attics.
In the 1960s, Lady Ward moved from Aynhoe Park to Friars Well, where she retained John Fowler of Colefax & Fowler to advise on further alterations to the house, including ground- and first-floor extensions to the rear.
She also enlisted landscape architect Lanning Roper to design a series of garden ‘rooms’, which were imaginatively planted to counter the prevailing wind by creating private sheltered areas around the house.
Beautifully maintained by its current owners during their 11-year tenure, Friars Well offers 5,735sq ft of elegant accommodation, including five reception rooms, nine bedrooms and five bathrooms.
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‘Its loss became a cautionary tale, and a rallying cry for architectural conservation’: The rise and fall and renewed interest in Ireland’s remarkable country housesLesley Bond traces a brief history of Ireland’s country houses and questions whether you can ever separate the house from the history it represents.
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Alan Titchmarsh: 'I am so weary of seeing Lutyens-style benches and chairs absolutely everywhere'A strategically placed chair doubles as a focal point and a spot to rest — but we need to move on from Lutyens-style ones says our regular garden columnist.
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A micro estate for sale in west Wales shows that the best things come in small packages. In this case, three of themBrithdir is a remarkable collection of properties centred around a lake and just five miles from the sea.
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This blissful converted mill has sweeping views, a breathtaking library and gardens by a Chelsea gold medallistPenny Churchill takes a look at Stanbridge Mill, one of the finest properties for sale today in the west country.
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Portmore has it all: A 3,459-acre Scottish estate for sale, with a signature Baronial sandstone mansion at its heartFor sale for the first time in 40 years, Portmore Estate is everything you could ever want in Scotland.
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Location, community and charm: the enduring desirability of London's mews housesFrom birds, to horses, to beautiful family homes, the mews of London are some of the nation's most sought-after homes. But why?
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The distinctive and historic home that might just be 'one of Dorset’s most picturesque'Grade II*-listed Manor House, set in just under eight acres, dates from the 16th century.
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A 17th century farmhouse in Surrey with one of Britain's oldest squash courtsFords Farm is on the market for the first time in over half a century.
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The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agentsSavills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
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What everyone is talking about this week: Where are the new Cotswolds?The appearance of American Vice President J. D. Vance in the Cotswolds is a sure sign that they're saturated, but where else can you escape to that has the same charm?
