A real-life Hobbit house as mentioned in the Domesday Book, within commuting distance of London
This gorgeous thatched house in the Buckinghamshire village of Ludgershall could have come straight from the pages of Tolkien.

There are old houses, and then there are really old houses – and The Hovel, in the heart of Buckinghamshire, falls into the latter category.
It's a house that is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and which is at least half a millennium old: this is an incredibly rare example of a genuine hovel: that is to say a timber-framed home with wattle-and-daub walls beneath a roof made of twisted branches below a thatched roof.
This delightful two-bedroom home, set in a quarter of an acre of gardens, is for sale via Michael Graham at a price of £400,000.
Considering the location – roughly half-way between Bicester and Aylesbury, not far off both the M40 and the A41 – the price seems good value for a home on a large, pretty plot and with a wealth of genuine medieval character.
The pictures on this page tell you pretty much all you need to know about those genuine Olde Worlde features: twisted beams running across the ceilings and through the walls, higgledy-piggledy windows and door frames, and a thatched roof so picturesque that you'd think Bilbo Baggins was a former resident.
Even the address, Duck Lane, makes it seem like something out of a fairytale, and the large, secluded garden will make you feel like you're really getting away from the world.
That's not to say that there aren't modern touches here and there, though some of those newer elements – not least the bathroom – could do with a bit of TLC.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
That updating would definitely pay dividends, because this is a lovely spot in a picturesque village, where there a number of beautiful character properties.
What's more, there are plenty of amenities nearby. Bicester is a short drive, Oxford isn't much further, and just to the south is the village of Brill where The Pointer is as fine a gastropub as you'll find.
The Hovel is for sale at £400,000 via Michael Graham - see more pictures and details.
Credit: The Seashell (Galbraith)
A Scottish getaway by the side of a loch that's a pure slice of romantic fantasy
Standing just yards from Loch Sunart is The Seashell, a fabulous little spot for sale that offers an ideal romantic
Alan Titchmarsh: Why a log cabin set up for the arctic beats a Classical temple in the garden
Who wants a draughty old Greek temple when you could enjoy a cosy cabin, complete with barbecue? Alan Titchmarsh reveals
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
A manor house under £1m that’s close to London, near a great school and boasts a fabulous history
A property of incredible British historical significance has come up for sale in Buckinghamshire.
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
-
A woolly mammoth skeleton is among the curiosities for sale to save fire-ravaged Parnham Park
The auction of the owner James Perkins' collection, hosted by Dreweatts, tomorrow (May 13), will be used to fund renovation works at Parnham Park in Dorset.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
The ‘utterly unique’ skincare brand that’s used in the ‘world’s best hotel’ spa
The Seed to Skin brand was the byproduct of one woman’s length fertility journey — it’s so good that today it’s used in a hotel voted the ‘world’s best’.
By Rosie Paterson Published
-
Five Cotswold dream homes on the market from £3m to £18m, as seen in Country Life
This week we have a Cotswolds-themed rundown of some of the finest homes to come to the market in this beautiful part of England.
By Toby Keel Published
-
A modern masterpiece for sale in Cornwall that's just one mile from the beach
Hay House combines location, elegance and modern family living to create a special home for the 21st century.
By James Fisher Published
-
A rollercoaster, Bauhaus department store and Brutalist football stand top the latest Buildings at Risk List
The latest Buildings at Risk List from the Twentieth Century Society has been announced. Sunwin House department store and Blackpool’s Grand National Rollercoaster both feature.
By Jack Watkins Published
-
Lutyens's last masterpiece comes up for sale in Oxfordshire, with 27 bedrooms and a cricket pitch
Middleton Park in Middleton Stoney is a vast country home that must surely be among the nation's best
By James Fisher Published
-
A 10-bedroom manor house in the heart of the Cotswolds with all the trimmings
Waterton House sits on the edge of Ampney Crucis, and is as elegant as can be.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A seven bedroom Buckinghamshire rectory that might be a little haunted
Grade II-listed the Old Rectory is a home of astounding charm and beauty, and comes with a friendly visitor.
By James Fisher Published
-
Over the Hills and Far Away: Robert Plant's Welsh hideaway is up for sale
Other notable residents of The Argoed in the Wye Valley include George Bernard Shaw and Beatrice Webb.
By James Fisher Published
-
Period charm and contemporary tastes collide in an eight-bedroom listed home in Durham
Morton House is a rare example of a home where you can have the best of both worlds.
By James Fisher Published