Seven genuinely magnificent country houses for sale, as seen in Country Life

Dorset — £5,950,000

20 acres of land with a Grade II*-listed country house at its centre, an interior full of character, and sprawling gardens which include a pool are all part of the mix at Buckshaw House.

The rooms are built on a scale you just don't see these days, with high ceilings, wonderful bay windows and ornate plasterwork. This really is something else.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Shropshire — £10,500,000

Chyknell Hall — and the surrounding 200 acres — looks inside and out something like a cross between a 5-star hotel and a National Trust property.

Beautiful as it is from the outside, it's the interiors here which really shine, showing a rare care and attention to detail that suggests this has been a genuine labour of love.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Devon — £4,500,000

Something of a rarity here: a country house that's right in the middle of town — in this case, the ancient port of Topsham, right on the River Exe estuary between Exeter and Exmouth.

It's a blend of graceful Regency design with superb interiors which are — and there really is no other word — cool. Plus great gardens and access to the water; though do note that the price is for the south and west wings of the enormous building that is Riversmeet House.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Dorset — £2,500,000

Absolutely the sort of house that we'd put on the cover of Country Life, this delightful, wisteria-clad beauty in the village of Marnhull really has to be seen.

It was built in 1680, extended in the succeeding century, and as well as its six bedrooms and plethora of character, there is also a walled garden, pool and paddock. All this and a village location too.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Somerset — £4,000,000

Gothic design notes and a hillside location gives this the flavour of a Highland retreat rather than a West Country home in the Quantock Hills AONB near Bridgwater.

What was originally a Grade II-listed 19th century Gothic revival mansion has been, over the years, a sanatorium, a school and a conference centre. There is still a huge pool and a sports centre, which are part of the asking price of this 37,000 sq ft, 56-bedroom property. So much potential to do almost anything.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details for this property.

Bristol — £2,850,000

Sometimes an Englishman's home really is his castle — though technically this is a folly rather than a place genuinely built for fortification.

Oak pannelled walls, four-poster beds and pleasingly twisty corridors rub shoulders with modern touches such as poolhouse, games room and roof terrace with glorious views down the Avon Gorge.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Oxfordshire — £1,675,000

Brook Cottage is a place which seems to offer an awful lot of house for the money, sitting within a lovely parcel of land amid open countryside which gives it a pleasantly secluded feel.

Beamed ceilings and exposed brickwork added character to the older parts of the property, which extends to nearly 5,000sq ft.

For sale with Michael Graham. See more pictures and details for this property.

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