The many industrialists of the north had many flaws, but they did have a habit of building very nice houses in the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. I am not sure what I would do with that much money, but it probably wouldn’t be ‘build a big house in the Peak National Park’. I’ve seen enough Grand Designs to know how stressful that is.
I might, however, buy a ‘big house in the Peak National Park’ that someone else has already built, such as Bents House. It’s for sale with Carter Jonas for £2.75 million. It has six bedrooms, five bathrooms and is very large. It comes with three acres of gardens and grounds.
athrooms and is very large. It comes with three acres of gardens and grounds.
Back to the industrialists. Bents House was built by the civil engineer Charles Boot in 1930. Charles was the son of Henry Boot, who made his fortunes in construction. After building Bents House, Charles purchased somewhere called Heatherden Hall in 1934, which he then decided would be better used as a film studio. You may know it now as Pinewood Studios.
We have much to thank Charles for, not least Bents House, which was built as lavishly as the style of the day could take — this really is a monument to Edwardian excess. But it's tied to the history and landscape of the area as well: it's thought that much of the local stone used in construction was sourced from Derwent Hall when the latter was demolished to make way for the Ladybower Dam.
Glorious architectural details abound, notably the stone mullioned windows, lead gutters and fall pipes, and original stone fireplaces. The oak panelling was taken from Pinewood Studios and HMS Mauretania, and let us pause and reflect on the glory of the plasterwork in the kitchen.
The main property is set over three floors and features a vast living/kitchen/dining room, an orangery, another dining room, drawing room, sitting room and another living room. There’s also a wine cellar.
Within the three acres, which includes beautifully manicured and landscaped gardens that are only improved by the surrounding Peaks landscape, you will find an annexe that features two further bedrooms and a gym.
A look at the photographs show that this is a house of a grand scale, befitting the era in which it was built, but with plenty of modern touches that make life comfortable. Well done Mr Boot.
-
David Beckham and Tom Parker Bowles whip up one of the guest editor's favourite childhood mealsFrom Sunday roasts to Spanish delicacies, good food is one of the pillars of Sir David Beckham’s life, as Tom Parker Bowles discovers when the pair cook up a comfort-food storm at Claridge’s.
-
'One of the truly great gardens of the world' is at risk of having its vistas and tranquility blighted foreverThe views from Rousham, the birthplace of the English landscape-garden movement are at risk of development plans for the nearby former RAF Upper Heyford Air Force base get the go-ahead.
-
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.
-
Five superb country homes, from under £1 million to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some the best homes to come up for sale via Country Life in the past week includes a Wiltshire dream home and a vast Kent mansion that's an easy commute to the City.
-
Rock stars and the country house: Liam Gallagher's life in the Cotswolds is in the finest tradition of music A-listers, from The Beatles to BeyoncéWhat is it about the British countryside that draws A-listers from every walk of life? With Liam Gallagher's Cotswold former home on the market, Toby Keel takes a look.
