Middle Farm was built in 1977 on a piece of land adjoining Wotton House, an early 18th century home which was once the family home of William Pitt the Younger, and subsequently the Duke of Buckingham (or Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, to give him his full family name). After that family line died out, Wotton has since had a number of owners including Sir John Gielgud and, since 2008, Tony Blair.
All of which makes the village a surprising place to find such a striking modern design as the one featured on this page, a house which is now on the market at £1.35 million with Michael Graham.
Designed by the architect Dominic Michaelis, this late-1970s creation came out of the architectural movement of the time which sought to maximise space and light with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Rather wonderfully, the present owners have kept the place in 1970s fashion, with a brown-green deep shagpile carpet and furniture which wouldn't look out of place in an Abba video. Even the kitchen has a pleasingly period look which somehow seems just right in the context.
And while lovers of the traditional English country house might be tempted to mop their brow at the architecture, lovers of English country gardens will no doubt see beyond the stark timber-and-glass design, for the all-around glass offers 360-degree views of a formal garden which is truly spectacular, and beyond which lies a lovely orchard.
As well as the eye-catching, open-plan living space there are also four bedrooms and two bathrooms, with the bedrooms opening onto a veranda.
The house comes with around 19 acres of grounds which include open bay garaging, stables, workshops, home offices, and a detached barn – built in a more traditional style – which has the potential to become separate accommodation.
Horse lovers will be delighted to learn that there are paddocks close to the house, which take up almost 16.5 acres of the total land – enough that a manege could easily be built.
The house was featured in Ideal Home magazine when it was built back in the 1970s.
A handsomely remodelled Queen Anne home with gardens woodland and a poolhouse
Chance of a lifetime.
A country house just outside Winchester with its own opera festival
Dymoke House at Easton boasts a natural amphitheatre of the gardens.
One of John Nash’s least-known country houses comes to the market
Principally designed by John Nash, Warrens at Bramshaw in Hampshire is surrounded by the New Forest.
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A home where medieval, Georgian and modern come together in rare styleSet in a couple of acres in the leafy outskirts of Essex, Rochfords is a family house that blends old and new with charm and a sense of fun.
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Missing ponies, Highland games, and a lighthouse in the Shetland Isles. It's a very Scottish Country Life Quiz of the DayImpress your friends north of the border by scoring highly on all things Scotland.
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A home where medieval, Georgian and modern come together in rare style
Set in a couple of acres in the leafy outskirts of Essex, Rochfords is a family house that blends old and new with charm and a sense of fun.
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A private island in the Thames Estuary is up for sale at £50,000, complete with its own Victorian fortDarnet Fort, is seeking a new owner — but it's going to need someone of great vision and spirit.
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A 500-year-old house with interiors by Soho House's designer, gardens by an RHS Chelsea gold medallist and its own grass tennis courtHaslingfield Manor is an extraordinary mix of styles and ideas, from Tudor Britain to the cutting edge of modern design. Penny Churchill takes a look.
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Utterly wonderful country homes for sale across Britain, from a 10-bedroom mansion to a Devon hideaway, as seen in Country LifeFrom an irresistibly charming house in Devon to a 400-year-old commutable home in Hertfordshire, here's our pick of some of the best homes to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
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The London house where Rolls-Royce's co-founder Charles Rolls tinkered with his very first car is for sale at £17 millionCharles Rolls, the engineer and co-founder of Rolls-Royce, got his hands dirty when using the stables of this fine London home as a makeshift garage. Annabel Dixon reports.
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A vineyard for sale on the slopes above 'the best beach in Britain' is for sale at just £650,000In the beautifully unspoilt Devon village of Bantham, an award-winning vineyard is for sale. Toby Keel takes a look.
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This spectacular 14th-century castle has had its price cut by £7.5 million. Here's whyThe art and science of being an estate agent is never trickier than when dealing with homes that are being sold for the first time in centuries — and Ripley Castle in Yorkshire provides the perfect example. Lucy Denton explains more.
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A simply perfect thatched cottage in Devon, with charm, walled gardens and all the space you need for family lifeThatched cottages are often pretty, but pretty small — but Julie Harding finds one brings which blends cottage charm with the space of a country manor.
