Country Life Early Property Pages: March 9, 2022

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MARCH 9, 2022

Creating the country house The top 100 specialists you should call

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COUNTRY-HOUSE SPECIALISTS MARCH 9, 2022

Shear brilliance: the garden where topiary rules Winged horses: legends of the Gold Cup Blossom, blackcaps and W. G. Grace

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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866

A magnificent Anglian finish mahogany and marquetry bombé Commode. Veneered in Chestnut burl throughout and with fine sycamore scrolling vine marquetry issuing mother of pearl inlaid leaves and flowers; overlaid with finely cast rubbed nickel-brass and mounts and handles, on bold cabriole supports with acanthus cast mounts. Inspired by an late 18th century Neapolitan Italian original.

Limited stock.

£17,415

Width: 68¾ inches (175cm) | Depth: 25 inches (64cm) | Height: 39¼ inches (100cm)

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OXFORDSHIRE

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RG9 5DD (OPEN TUES-SAT)

KING’S RD

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LONDON

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SW6 2DX (OPEN MON-FRI)

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MUCH HADHAM, HERTFORDSHIRE

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n impressive Grade II listed country house situated in an elevated position on the edge of a much sought-after village. Having not been on the market for over 50 years, the property offers an exciting opportunity for a new family to make their mark on this significant house.

5 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | S E L F - C O N TA I N E D A N N E X E | E X T E N S I V E G A R A G I N G W O O D L A N D | 3 PA D D O C K S | T E N N I S C O U R T | O U T B U I L D I N G S | S TA B L I N G | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 6 . 5 2 A C R E S B I S H O P ' S S T O R T F O R D 4 . 5 M I L E S | S AW B R I D G E W O R T H 5 M I L E S | C A M B R I D G E 3 5 M I L E S

Guide price available upon request Knight Frank London & Bishop's Stortford edward.welton@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7216 paddy.pritchard-gordon@knightfrank.com 01279 888501 Ref: CHO100444

knightfrank.co.uk Winner of six customer service experience awards in 2021

GAMLINGAY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE Guide Price: £2,250,000

4 Bedrooms | 4 Reception Rooms | 4 Bathrooms | N/A EPC

A Grade II listed 18th century former Threshing Barn in a rural position on approximately 6.63 acres of formal gardens and fenced paddocks. The property has 3,605 sq. ft. of fully renovated accommodation which is centred around a triple height reception hall with an Ash staircase. A further 2,804 sq. ft. of outbuildings includes six stables, a detached garage with space for four cars, and a former Granary which has listed building consent for renovation to create additional accommodation.

Michael Graham Bedford Richard Banks 01234 220000 Michael Graham London Bob Bickersteth 0207 839 0888

michaelgraham.co.uk michaelgraham_living

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WROXTON, OXFORDSHIRE

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picturesque and well-equipped country house beautifully presented throughout.

Situated in just over nine acres of stunning grounds, with a working water wheel, mill stream and trout-stocked wild swimming lake, the property further benefits from its own private golf course in a wildflower meadow and parkland setting.

5 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | S W I M M I N G P O O L & P O O L H O U S E M I L L B A R N W I T H S T O R A G E O R P O T E N T I A L F O R F U R T H E R A C C O M M O D AT I O N | W O R K I N G WAT E R M I L L | E P C D B A N B U R Y 5 M I L E S ( M A R Y L E B O N E F R O M 5 9 M I N U T E S ) | S O H O FA R M H O U S E 1 1 M I L E S | D AY L E S F O R D 1 5 M I L E S

Guide price £3,250,000 Knight Frank London & Oxford peter.edwards@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8544 harry.sheppard@knightfrank.com 01865 987983 william.ward-jones@knightfrank.com 01789 863993 Ref: OXF012197004

knightfrank.co.uk Winner of six customer service experience awards in 2021

A Gem Of A Norfolk Estate Harleston, Norfolk Diss: 12 miles, Norwich 19 miles Site of former mansion house situated within historic parkland offering significant potential for re-development.

Converted former coach house and walled garden, 4 bedroom lodge house, 6 bedroom farmhouse, 12 further residential properties, productive arable land, along with extensive modern farm buildings, pasture land and mature woodland, non-farming income of circa £174,000 per annum. EPCs = D-E About 1,953 acres | Guide £24.25 million

Charlie Paton Savills National Farms & Estates 020 3603 1568 cpaton@savills.com

Christopher Miles Savills East Anglia Farms & Estates 01603 858 738 cmiles@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Devon, Sidbury

A magnificent late 20th century Palladian country house with ancillary accommodation, outbuildings and approximately 94.4 acres Ottery St. Mary: 2.5 miles, Honiton: 3.4 miles (London Waterloo 2 hours and 40 mins), Sidmouth and the Jurassic Coastline: 4.5 miles, Exeter: 10.2 miles Reception hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Sitting room | Morning room | Library | Study | Kitchen | Orangery | Family bathroom Galleried landing | Master bedroom suite with dressing room and balcony | 4 Further bedrooms (2 ensuite) | 3 Shower rooms Pavilion with kitchen, reception/bedroom and shower room | Studio with 2 bedrooms, sitting room and shower room Double garage | 2 Large barns | Gardens and grounds | Pasture | Woodland | Pasture About 94.4 acres

Over 50 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.

Oliver Custance Baker

Richard Speedy

Country Department 020 7591 2207

Exeter Office 01392 215 631

oliver.custance.baker@struttandparker.com

richard.speedy@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Exceptional Far-Reaching Views Sparsholt, Hampshire Winchester: 3.5 miles, Stockbridge: 7 miles A fine example of a Grade II listed Arts and Crafts house. 4 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, swimming pool, tennis court, garage and workshop, 2 cottages (1 currently used as home offices), wonderful mature gardens and paddocks.

About 12.9 acres | Guide £5.45 million

Lindsay Cuthill Savills London Country Department 020 3603 7279 lcuthill@savills.com

Steven Moore Savills Winchester 01962 657 981 smoore@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Magnificent Detached House Bath, Somerset Bath City Centre: 0.9 miles, Bath Spa Station: 1.4 miles (London Paddington from 75 minutes) One of Bath’s finest houses, situated in the heart of Lansdown and offering exceptionally well-proportioned rooms with accommodation arranged over three principal floors. 5 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, driveway, double garage with studio/office over and stunning formal gardens.

About 0.9 acres | Guide £3.95 million

Luke Brady Savills Bath 01225 805 870 lbrady@savills.com

George Nares Savills London Country Department 020 3930 2924 george.nares @savills.com

Charlie Taylor Knight Frank Bath 01225 325 993 charlie.taylor @knightfrank.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Meet Our Experts

While there are many parts of the country that he admires, our head of Cirencester office says he can’t think of anywhere else he’d rather raise his family than on his home turf of the Cotswolds

Sebastian Hipwood Head of Cirencester and Cotswold Country Department

I’ve always wanted to work in property. Growing up outside Tetbury, my father, a professional polo player, bought farms and houses with land as projects, did them up and sold them. It embedded an interest from an early age.

My first experience was working for a farm agency. Later, I did a stint in London with Savills, but the country—in particular the Cotswolds—was always calling. Today I sell some of the finest country houses across the Cotswolds, heading up the Cirencester office and working together with our Country House Department team in London.

This role is about making personal connections and building trust; I check myself by asking whether I’d give the same advice to my family or friends—that’s my yardstick. I love my job, adore this countryside and am committed for the long term. The work I do for clients today will, I hope, lay the foundations for them to rely on my advice in years and decades to come.

To find out more about the market in the Cotswolds, watch my video update here: http://sav.li/meetourexperts

FOR SALE | Fairford, Gloucestershire | Guide £4.8 million The best of both worlds: you can easily walk into Fairford from this classic Queen Anne house set in 15 acres

Sebastian Hipwood Savills Cirencester and Country Department 01285 895 782 sebastian.hipwood@savills.com

SOLD | Upper Kilcott, Gloucestershire | Guide £2.9 million This quintessential farmhouse had been beautifully renovated and had an ultra-modern adjoining barn all tucked away in an amazing valley.

FOR SALE | Badminton, Gloucestershire | Guide £4.75 million I love historic houses and yet not all work for the way we live today—this is an exception. Dating back to the 16th century, it has incredible rooms which flow perfectly for a family as well as easy access for travel.

SOLD | Chalford, Gloucestershire | Guide £2.2 million We sold this Georgian house last year for a delightful client—it was and will continue to be a much-loved family home.

SOLD | Tetbury, Gloucestershire | Guide £2.35 million A beautiful house on a stream which was perfectly sized, central to the village but still private—it ticked many boxes.

Elegant Cotswolds Private Estate Tormarton, South Gloucestershire Badminton: 4 miles, Bristol Airport: 23 miles Elegant Georgian former rectory set in approximately 10 acres of beautiful grounds and gardens. 5 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, swimming pool, coach house ideal for staff accommodation, stone barn with commercial opportunity, mature walled garden and natural pond.

About 9.6 acres I Guide £4.75 million

Sebastian Hipwood Savills Cirencester 01285 895 782 sebastian.hipwood @savills.com

Lindsay Cuthill Savills London Country Department 020 4502 9433 lucuthill@savill.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Striking Queen Anne House Fairford, Gloucestershire Cirencester: 9 miles, Swindon Station: 13 miles A classic Queen Anne style country house in parkland grounds, rarely available in the Cotswolds.

5 reception rooms, 9 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, swimming pool, tennis court, staff cottage, leisure building, outbuildings and landscaped gardens.

About 16 acres | Guide £4.8 million Sebastian Hipwood Savills Cirencester 01285 895 782 sebastian.hipwood @savills.com

Anthony Coaker Savills Cirencester 01285 895 677 acoaker@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

A Country House in Town Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire Oxford: 21 miles Superbly renovated Grade II listed manor house in the town. 4 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms (4 en suite), swimming pool, pool house, garaging and gardens.

About 0.74 acres | Guide £3.5 million David Henderson Savills Stow on the Wold 01451 888 201 david.henderson @savills.com

Lindsay Cuthill Savills London Country Department 020 3930 1598 lcuthill@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Magnificent Listed Grandeur Wisbech, Cambridgeshire Wisbech: 2 miles, Peterborough Station: 22 miles Leverington Hall with 3 bedroom coach house and fabulous gardens. 4 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 shower rooms, study, 32ft games room, cellar, library, original grass tennis court, stables, large wooden store, workshop, 3 garages, landscaped gardens and paddock.

About 2.4 acres | Guide £2.25 million James Abbott Savills Stamford 01780 408 160 jabbott@savills.com

Charlotte Paton Savills Stamford 01780 408 137 charlotte.paton @savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Unique Opportunity to Rent Alford, Aberdeenshire Alford: 5 miles, Aberdeen: 31 miles, Inverness: 78 miles Beautiful Scottish Baronial mansion. 3 reception rooms, 19 bedrooms, games room, wine cellar, tennis court, sporting rights including salmon and trout fishing on the River Don, red and roe deer stalking and low ground shooting rights. Available on a long term rental agreement. EPC = D About 7,500 acres | Details available on request Chris Thomson Savills Edinburgh 07807 999 162 cpthomson@savills.com

Noreen Lambert Savills Inverness 07976 860 559 nmlambert@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

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n exceptionally well-equipped compact country estate with a fine Georgian house and cottages at its heart.

Positioned at the head of a long drive surrounded by 165 acres of stunning gardens and parkland.

7 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | I N T E G R A L S TA F F F L AT 4 C O T TA G E S | P R I VAT E C H A P E L | O U T B U I L D I N G S | G A R A G I N G S E PA R AT E 3 B E D R O O M P R O P E R T Y & E Q U E S T R I A N YA R D | L A K E | PA R K L A N D

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PA S T U R E & A R A B L E | D O U B L E B A N K F I S H I N G | FA M I LY S H O O T | E P C G C H U RC H B RO U G H TO N 1 M I L E | U T TOX E T E R 1 2 M I L E S

Guide price available upon request Knight Frank London peter.edwards@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8544 george.bramley@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8284

Winner of six customer service experience awards in 2021

knightfrank.co.uk

NEAR EMSWORTH, HAMPSHIRE £2,200,000 FREEHOLD

GUIDE PRICE £1,550,000 FREEHOLD

WINCHESTER, HAMPSHIRE

A substantial attractive Grade II listed period house with a detached annexe, outbuildings and stabling, eight bedrooms and four receptions, all set in c. 2.85 acres of lovely gardens & grounds.

A detached four bedroom, four reception room family home designed by an award-winning architect and situated at the end of a private no-through lane and set in attractive gardens of 0.2 acres. EPC C

Hamptons Chichester 01242 801868

Hamptons Winchester 01962 656339

NEAR WINCHESTER, HAMPSHIRE £2,350,000 FREEHOLD EACH

GUIDE PRICE £1,600,000 FREEHOLD

Two beautiful new properties, one five bedroom, one six bedroom, with detached garages and private gardens, set in the picturesque village of Shawford, near Winchester.

A stunning early 17th century, four bedroom, Grade II listed home with separate annexe, attractive walled gardens and double garage. The property has been upgraded and enlarged by the current owners..

Hamptons Winchester 01962 656339

Hamptons Winchester 01962 656339

HURSLEY, HAMPSHIRE

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

KNIGHTSBRIDGE, SW7

£9,850,000

SHARE OF REEHOLD

[3 bedrooms] [3 bathrooms] [off street parking] [24 hour concierge] Occupying a sought-after raised ground level position, this elegant lateral apartment has been completely and meticulously renovated to include air-conditioning; high specification audio visual and Lutron home automation technology. The apartment extends to 2,137 sq ft or 198.62 sq m. EPC D. Hamptons Knightsbridge

020 3813 5275

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

e u l a v e W to grow e c a p s

Your home is much more than bricks and mortar. It’s made up of the friendly neighbours, a like-minded community, and the finest local services on hand to truly make you feel at home. At Fine & Country, our local knowledge helps us truly understand the value of a home. We know the organic butcher, your next artisan baker, a trusted handyman, or a reliable mechanic for your vintage car.

Could one of these exceptional homes offer you an inspiring community to be part of?

WINKFIELD WINDSOR

HENLEY IN ARDEN WARWICKSHIRE

EPC: D £3,500,000 Contact: 01865 953244

EPC: E £2,950,000 Contact: 01217 466400

Tory Hall Farms is set in just under 2 acres, this spectacular equestrian property boasts 4,400 sq. ft. of space including stables and a barn.

Set behind a private entrance within 13 acres of stunning Warwickshire countryside in the delightful hamlet of Buckley Green, is this most impressive barn conversion.

STINTON GREEN WORSECTERSHIRE

CHIPSTEAD SURREY

EPC Exempt offers over £2,500,000 Contact: 01905 678111

EPC: C OIEO £2,950,000 Contact: 01737 361014

This estate extends to circa 40 acres encompassing an exquisite Grade II Listed Country home, beautiful gardens and a 21,000 sq. ft. equestrian centre.

Woodlands Farm enjoys an exceptional level of privacy. This stunning property is set in 40 acres of ground which incorporate paddocks, fields and 14 stables.

Contact your local Fine & Country agent for unrivalled insight into your marketplace and a valuation of your property.

Head Office 119-121 Park Lane, Mayfair, London W1K 7AG Tel: +44 20 7079 1515 parklane@fineandcountry.com fineandcountry.com

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At home in the country The new head of Strutt & Parker’s National Country House Department, Oliver Custance Baker, tells Country Life how his department works, what market changes he has witnessed, and why our love affair with British country houses shows little sign of waning in 2022 What’s the role of a national countryhouse department?

Why does Strutt & Parker have one?

The Country House Department at Strutt & Parker complements our network of more than 50 regional offices and, although it covers the entire country, it is based in London. From here, we have a central base to handle the sales of prime and superprime country houses across the entire breadth and length of the UK. This team plays a crucial part in enabling the company’s work in this area of the market. We act in conjunction with our regional offices, who hold a great wealth of local knowledge, taking the lead on the sale and providing an extra layer of support. With large-scale houses and, often, accompanying land, the sale process can be much more intricate than with a townhouse or cottage.

Britain is home to some of the world’s most incredible architecture, with residential properties dating back centuries. Many of the instructions we handle are listed buildings, with covenants and complex clauses, not to mention subject to increased legislation surrounding period homes. We have a team with great expertise, contacts and

Where once people were pigeon-holed by certain villages, or wedded to a particular train station, today it’s not even about buying in a particular county, it’s about a region

decades of experience with a huge variety of property transactions. The team handles a reduced number of sales than our regional counterparts, because these transactions will often take more time and require more nuanced management.

‘Off-market’ sales are another huge part of what we do. For every beautiful house you see grace the property pages of Country L ife, there are probably a further three on the market that you just won’t ever hear about. Much of our work is about privately selling country houses, tapping into our network of contacts to match prospective buyers with beautiful homes.

How has the super-prime country house market changed in recent years?

The race to the country during the pandemic has been well documented—and this has had an impact on all parts of the market, from quaint cottages up to Scottish castles.

Many are able to work more flexibly, and their need to be in London is reduced to

Woodlands, Hertfordshire, sold a short time before Christmas 2021. The Nash-inspired villa was built 45 years ago and, despite being extremely close to London, is beautifully set within mature parkland with a lake, woodland and paddocks

Strutt & Parker sold Triscombe House, on the Quantock Hills, Somerset, last year. Set in beautiful countryside, this Edwardian country house had burnt down years earlier and had been immaculately restored by its previous owner a couple of days a week, or even a month.

This has thrown the market wide open: owning a country home has become less of a dream and more of a reality for many.

There’s a great number of younger countryhouse buyers entering the market than we’ve seen before, both from within the UK and overseas. We’re seeing entrepreneurs who’ve sold their business using their equity to purchase vast rural homes offering the country lifestyle they seek. And buyers have shifted in terms of the areas they’re looking in. Where once people were pigeonholed by certain villages or wedded to a particular train station, today it’s not even about buying in a particular county, more about being within a certain region.

With travel restrictions reduced for the best part of two years, we’ve started this year with a spike in international interest, which is set to continue. We’ve had interested buyers from Australia, Canada, the US and Europe, all within the first couple of weeks. We’ve been fortunate that global television series such as Bridgerton, Downton Abbey and The Pursuit of Love have continued to profile the very best of British property, capturing hearts across the world.

What’s the best part about your job?

The people. Hands down. And the houses, too, of course. You’re supported by a great network of agents from an incredibly local level right up to global wealth managers,

Currently on the market at a guide price of £3.95m, Grade I-listed Milbourne Hall, Northumberland, is an architectural masterpiece with a central rotunda, curved doors to match the curved apertures, oval rooms, octagonal library and an octagonal courtyard

all of whom are experts in what they do and know. I get to work with agents who have been in this industry for a very long time, with teams boasting diverse experience—whether that’s in the length of their tenure, the regions within which they’ve operated or the houses whose sales they’ve handled.

I love that each sale and each home is completely different from start to finish.

Every marketing process is specific to suit the needs of the client, in order to secure the best possible outcome for the house and the vendor. A variety of factors come into play, including the property location, local market conditions, political climate, market sentiment, the history of the property and client circumstances. The sale of a country house doesn’t happen overnight and preparing for it can begin months and sometimes years in advance. It’s about supporting your client through the process, from the first moment you’re driving down the driveway to long after you’ve sold their home. It’s not uncommon to sell the same house two, three, or even four times, as some of my team have done.

What never gets old is finding the buyer for a wonderful home that will set them for life. The term ‘forever home’ sounds corny, but it’s what we all dream of and making that a reality is what drives our teams.

For further information, please visit www.struttandparker.com or telephone 020–7591 2207

Property market

Penny Churchill

Happy families Home is where the heart is at three family-sized properties that have not been seen on the market for decades

Grade II-listed Hadham Grange, Hertfordshire, boasts 16½ acres of gardens, 5,887sq ft of living space and various amenities. £3.95m

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HERE’S something special about a cherished family home that hasn’t been seen on the market for many years—and buyers, who currently outnumber sellers by an ever-increasing margin, will no doubt be queueing up to view three impeccably located new entrants to the country property market. Today’s COUNTRY L IFE sees the launch onto the

market of secluded Grade II-listed Hadham Grange, near the sought-after village of Much Hadham, half-way between the historic towns of Ware and Bishop’s Stortford in rural east Hertfordshire.

Following the death of its owner, whose home it was for almost 50 years, Hadham Grange is now for sale through Knight Frank (01279 213340) at a guide price of £3.95 million.

The ancient village of Much Hadham lies in a sheltered valley bounded to one side by the fledgling River Ash, a tributary of the Stort, and Hadham Grange occupies a commanding position on the ridge of a wooded escarpment to the east of the stream.

According to its listing, the imposing redbrick house dates from the late 16th or early 17th century and was ‘greatly enlarged’ in

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

Pretty Tudor Cottage has seen various alterations over the centuries and offers almost 5,000sq ft of living space on the edge of the South Downs in West Sussex. £2.25m

the latter painted an unmissable purple that may not be to everyone’s taste.

The early-20th-century part of the house, accessed via the central hallway, contains the principal reception rooms, all of which are impressive spaces with high ceilings.

They include the panelled morning room, dining room and drawing room, the last two of which face south over formal gardens.

The original 17th-century part has some fine timbered rooms with open fireplaces.

A great deal of work was carried out by the owner in the 2000s, when the kitchen and bathrooms were modernised. Today, Hadham Grange offers 5,887sq ft of beautifully maintained living space, including four reception rooms, a conservatory, gymnasium, charming kitchen/breakfast room and four palatial bedroom suites, plus a fifth bedroom and family bathroom.

It comes with a one-bedroom annexe, two period thatched barns (one recently re-thatched), a tennis court, heated greenhouse, extensive garaging and stabling. Also included is a path that leads to the village via a footbridge over the River Ash. Down in West Sussex, Toby Whittome of Lindfield-based Jackson-Stops (01444 484400) is handling the sale of John and Mandy Husband’s delightful Tudor Cottage near the village of Hurstpierpoint, on the edge of the South Downs National Park. The

house, which has been the Husband family’s much-loved home for the past 43 years, sits at the end of a quiet private road, surrounded by farmland to the north and a golf course to the east.

Mr Whittome quotes a guide price of £2.25m for the enchanting, 4,900sq ft house, which has ‘grow’d like Topsy’ over the years, having evolved, not from a Tudor building, but from an older 15th-century hall house, altered and extended in the 18th and late 19th centuries, when it was the mews house to the former Clayton Wickham House (later Beaumont School), which has since been demolished.

The various stages of development can be clearly identified in the present building, from the original two-storey, red-brick hall house with its mathematical tiled main façade, adjoining coach house and converted stables to one side and, on the opposite side, the modern kitchen wing with its family room and study behind. Interestingly, the house is unlisted, which may facilitate any alterations to its layout, such as the conversion of the former coach house to further accommodation.

There was much to do at Tudor Cottage when Mr and Mrs Husband bought the property in 1978, since when they have worked their way steadily through the house, which now offers 4,900sq ft of light, bright

A Canadian soldier painted a maple leaf with the word “home” underneath

the early 20th century. It stands at the heart of a picturesque complex of listed barns, stabling and outbuildings on the edge of the village, surrounded by 16½ acres of beautifully maintained gardens, orchard, kitchen garden, paddocks and woodland.

Approached along its own private driveway that meanders through the grounds —currently a mass of daffodils in full bloom—the main house is built on two storeys with many projecting bay windows,

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Property market

Quay House in Cornwall sits on a prime location on a private peninsula overlooking the beautiful and unspoilt Helford River. £1.35m

accommodation on various levels, including four main reception rooms, a spacious principal bedroom suite, three/four bedrooms, two shower rooms and a self-contained, two-bedroom ground-floor flat. Finally, Mr Husband adds: ‘In addition to the wealth of historic features, there’s also a poignant bit of graffiti from more recent times on the back of a landing door, where a homesick Canadian soldier, who was billeted here during the Second World War, painted a maple leaf with the word “Home” underneath. We promised the previous owners never to paint over it—and we never have.’

Over in the West Country, Falmouthbased Jonathan Cunliffe (01326 617447) is handling the sale of that rarest of beasts, a waterside house in a prime location on the Helford River, one of Cornwall’s most beautiful and unspoilt rivers, historically renowned as a haven for pirates and the inspiration for Daphne du Maurier’s novel Frenchman’s Creek. Today, the Helford

River still offers wonderful boating and a second natural harbour from which to explore the coast, much of it an AONB owned and protected by the National Trust.

The Helford River is historically renowned as a haven for pirates and the inspiration for du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek For sale for the first time since 1975 at a guide price of £1.35m, Quay House at Helford was the treasured home of its late owners for more than 40 years. Set within a large private garden with views across to the sailing club and down the Helford

estuary, the house, which dates from the early 1970s, shares a rare and wonderful position with a handful of other houses on an exclusive private peninsula that juts out from Helford village, effectively separating Helford Village Creek from the Trust-owned Penarvon Cove. Helford’s famed Shipwrights Arms is an easy stroll from the shoreline below Quay House.

As Mr Cunliffe points out, ‘the house, which currently offers a kitchen and openplan living/dining room, four/five double bedrooms, three shower rooms and an attached garage/workshop, is dated by current standards, but it has been lovingly maintained and, being unlisted, offers huge scope for remodelling, enlargement or, indeed, a complete rebuild, subject to the necessary consents. Unusually for a house in Helford village, Quay House is set in generous gardens of about one-third of an acre, with a variety of mature trees and shrubs providing a high level of privacy and seclusion’.

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Beautiful Inside and Out!

All the beauty of wood but without the maintenance Griffin’s Greenhouses are handcrafted & custom built in England from profiled aluminium to resemble wood in traditional designs

For enquiries please contact Sarah Bowen sarah.bowen@peterreed.com Tel: 07711 405277

www.griffinglasshouses.com

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www.peterreed.com

or call us on 01962 772512

17/12/2020 17:10

02/03/2022 15:59

Properties of the week

Annunciata Elwes

Ripe for the picking Character cottages for less than £1 million Norfolk, £365,000 A brook of the River Chet burbles along the edge of the garden, about one-third of an acre, at timber-frame, three-bedroom May Cottage. The home is a charming 17th-century addition to Bergh Apton, with an Aga in its galley kitchen and windows in a Gothic style that appears to have been prevalent in the village at one time. About seven miles south-east of Norwich, Bergh Apton contains a vineyard, as well as two pubs, farm shop and post office.

Durrants (01502 712122) Cornwall, excess £950,000 Paddle boarding, kayaking and generally messing about in boats are activities that are mere steps away from Pear Tree Cottage, a rare Grade II-listed property in Helford, near Helston, right on the river. It has three bedrooms (the master has a painted barrelled ceiling and en-suite bathroom), a broad sun terrace with stairs leading down to the water, woodburning stove and a pretty shuttered bay window with a seat in the sitting room. The popular Ferry Boat Inn is just across the river and the Shipwrights Arms is within walking distance. ‘Seldom do cottages in the heart of the village become available and those with parking and a waterfront are extremely rare and very highly sought after,’ say agents. Lillicrap Chilcott (01872 273473) 140 | Country Life | March 9, 2022

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03/03/2022 16:20

Properties of the week

Buckinghamshire, £900,000 New to the market last week, this pretty cottage under a very neat thatch with an open porch has four bedrooms, with one in the roof space, and four reception rooms, including a large conservatory with French doors to the garden. The Old Farmhouse dates to the 16thcentury and is listed Grade II, but has been refurbished well, with exposed beams, latch-and-brace timber doors, woodburners and fireplaces contrasting nicely with clean, white walls and a Shakerstyle kitchen with granite surfaces and a breakfast bar. The village of Great Horwood is located between Aylesbury, Buckingham and Milton Keynes. Michael Graham (01280 821100)

9000

Bedfordshire, offers over £650,000 Dating back to the 15th century (built during the Wars of the Roses), with 17th-century additions, Grade II-listed Henry VI Cottage sits right by the village church in Husborne Crawley —interesting words that translate to ‘warrior stream’ and ‘crow clearing’ —bordering the Woburn Abbey estate.

Period charm is abundant, with cruck frames, exposed beams and brickwork, a massive inglenook fireplace and a little porch with its own thatched roof to match that of the cottage. There are four bedrooms on the first floor.

Jackson-Stops (01525 290641) 142 | Country Life | March 9, 2022

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