The only thing better than a country house? A country house with a wine cellar
Julie Harding picks out five beautiful homes which tick every box — particularly for those who cherish a decent glass of wine.
Walk through this handsome, Grade II-listed home and you might just spot something unusual: a large, semi-circular hatch in the floor. Open it up, wander down the spiral stairs and you'll find a wonderful wine cellar, rather appropriately designed in the shape of a barrel.
It's just one of a number of wonderful touches at Oldfield Farm, where historic features meet modern comforts in a family home. Once a new owner is installed, why would they ever want to go beyond the confines of its boundary?
This five-bedroom home, you see, has everything a new incumbent could possibly need for themselves and any invitees, from a party/games room and a gym to a substantial indoor swimming-pool complex that also includes a sauna and a cinema room.
Guests or family could even stay in the separate one-bedroom cottage set within the almost 17 acres of grounds that include landscaped gardens and three fields. Also in the grounds is an elevated moated orchard.
Believed to have been the site of a lookout tower associated with Warwick Castle, it is a designated Ancient Monument and as such will be a great talking point for all those gatherings fuelled by wine from the cellar.
For sale via Knight Frank — see more details.
Berkeley House has seven bedrooms, three reception rooms, a chic look and an ideal location that is only a stone’s throw from Deal town, with its seafront and its mainline train station for fast links to London. Grade II listed, the attached house dates to the 1700s; it was extended during the Georgian period, but in more recent times it has been sympathetically restored and brought up to date by its current owners (the house has been re-roofed, rewired and replumbed), who have adeptly mixed new with old.
The three-room cellar has built-in wine bins, so it will appeal to those who love a spot of vino with supper and afterwards.
The new owners of Berkeley House will find themselves, too, with a separate two-bedroom coach house — which has also undergone an extensive, but sympathetic refurbishment — and which will, of course, come in handy during social gatherings. A glasshouse, woodstore and mature landscaped gardens complete the picture.
For sale via Bright & Bright — see more details.
Grade II-listed Bretforton Hall in the village of Bretforton is gloriously Gothic in style, having been built in the late 18th century and altered about 100 years later. Unusually, the east corner boasts a three-storey water tower with a crenellated parapet. ‘Magnificent proportions [are] layered with glorious architectural finery complemented by beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds,’ enthuses the agent of a property that offers more surprises, such as a vaulted drawing room that can double as a ballroom.
‘This is a brilliant family home and an entertainer’s dream to truly wow your guests — wine and dine in the beautifully proportioned dining room, whip up a pre-dinner cocktail in the tower bar and... dance the night away in the ballroom,’ continues the agent of this six-bedroom house. Add a wine cellar and Bretforton Hall does look to be the real deal. Set in about two acres, there is even a swimming pool — of course!
For sale via Morgan Aps — see more details.
Woodshill House first took shape in the mid 17th century and, today, the Grade II-listed property offers 5,000sq ft of accommodation that includes five reception rooms and six bedrooms, meaning plenty of space for family gatherings and parties with friends. A useful asset for such get-togethers is the 18½ft by 10ft wine store in the cellar, which allows supplies to be replenished with ease when all the bottles at the soirée have run dry.
Spaces on the ground floor for such occasions include the 19¼ft by 16¾ft drawing room, the 17ft by 16ft formal dining room, a kitchen filled with Shaker-style units and an Aga, plus a light and airy orangery that is part of a recent extension.
This handsome house is set within almost three acres of grounds that include lawns, as well as grassy meadow areas. A hard tennis court and a heated swimming pool come in useful when those celebrations move outside in more clement weather.
Woodshill House is a mile beyond the boundary of West Chiltington, which has a village shop and a butcher’s.
For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details.
Grade II-listed Moreton House, in the village of Moreton Morrell (with views over countryside to the back), was built in the 18th century and altered in the 20th. Its limestone frontage earns plaudits and a brick wing adds interest. Inside, period features, including open fireplaces, proliferate.
Connoisseurs of wine will be able to store it in the cellar and will be spoilt for choice for rooms in which to enjoy their Chablis or Pinot Noir, thanks to formal reception rooms with grand proportions, as well as smaller and cosier spaces.
The seven bedrooms are spread over two floors, three of them particularly characterful, being in the eaves. Outside, wrought-iron gates with brick pillars signal to visitors that they have arrived, passing sweeping lawns and formal gardens with ornate box and yew hedging before heading inside. For fans of the Bard, Stratford-upon-Avon is only 8½ miles away.
For sale via Butler Sherborn — see more details.
