With the release of Mary Poppins Returns on December 19, we look forward to reconnecting with the Banks family, who – thanks to a nanny who was ‘practically perfect in every way’ and has inspired a sequel 54 years after the initial film – will be back flying kites and dancing with chimney sweeps.
Back in pre-First World War Britain when the original Mary Poppins was set, nannies commuted over rooftops with an umbrella and were content with a pint-sized room under the eaves with an iron bed, dresser and washstand.
Today, he or she deserves something more in keeping with 21st-century living. ‘If you want the best nanny, then you have to look after her,’ says Rupert Sweeting of Knight Frank.
‘She will nearly be part of the family and will desire her own car, holidays, a Christmas bonus and correct accommodation.’ That means going beyond IKEA’s finest and granny’s cast-off quilt.
Just as a nanny’s curriculum vitae has expanded – as well as caring for youngsters, they act as chauffeur, tennis coach, French instructor and cordon-bleu chef – so has her choice of residence.
Camilla Elwell of Savills says that adds many families often include a high-end dwelling for staff as part of their plans when moving to the country, and recommends a self-contained space with external access for distance when off the clock.
‘It’s a good idea to futureproof your home with flexible space that can be used by the nanny in the first instance, then as a home for granny, followed by housing for a couple who can look after you down the line,’ she says, adding that converting an outbuilding into a cottage or studio flat, with a kitchen containing a good oven and dishwasher, can pay dividends. So not only can you can bag a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious nanny, you can also add value to your property.
Chelsea – £9 million
A self-contained nanny flat is tucked away on the lower-ground floor of this five-bed-room, double-fronted house over four storeys on Jubilee Place.
There’s a walled garden and Chelsea’s Kings Road is conveniently close.
For sale via Knight Frank – see more details and pictures.
Berkshire – £3.7 million
Early-Georgian Hall Court was once a vicarage and now has nine bedrooms, a large kitchen, a coach house with stables and a self-contained staff flat.
In Midgham Green village, three miles from the market town of Thatcham, Nature studies can be conducted in 7½ acres of gardens and parkland – perfect for flying a kite.
For sale via Savills – see more details and pictures.
Berkshire – £2.395 million
Substantial Victorian The Old Rectory in the village of Tidmarsh has six bedrooms, high ceilings, fireplaces and oak flooring. There’s a lodge across the main drive with accommodation.
For sale via Strutt & Parker’s Pangbourne office – find out more.
The real-life Peter Pan home – where Wendy and the boys lived – is up for sale
Credit: Strutt & Parker
A seven-bedroom mansion for the price of a south London flat
Many of us dream of swapping a city flat for a mansion in the country - and this extraordinary property,
Credit: ©Richard Cannon/Country Life Picture Library
The Queen's rocking-horse maker: ‘Many clients commission replicas of favourite horses’
Tessa Waugh meets Marc Stevenson of Stevenson Brothers rocking horses.
-
Baby elephants, 60s classics and David Beckham's last meal on planet earth in the Country Life Quiz of the Day, October 24, 2025Test your general knowledge this fine Thursday.
-
In the footsteps of the Beckhams: Five beautiful homes in Manchester, Miami, Madrid, London and the CotswoldsIn honour of this week's guest editor of Country Life, we take a look at some of the finest homes for sale in places that Sir David Beckham and his family have called home in the last 25 years.
-
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.
