Country Life: 20th July 2022 Early Property Pages

EVERY WEEK

JULY 20, 2022

Love’s labours The making of a glorious Welsh garden

ISSUE: 29

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JERSEY

Pop goes the weasel: the smelly world of mustelids

JULY 20, 2022

Skeletons in the closet: life on a Roman site Lindisfarne revisited and the cornflower returned

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La Rue De La Roulerie, Jersey 5-7 bedrooms | 6 bathrooms | 7 reception rooms | Gymnasium | Swimming pool complex | 2 staff/guest cottages Gated tree-lined drive | Stabling | Landscaped gardens | Freehold

One of the most important private estates in Jersey that carries international recognition.

An impressive neo-classical inspired property which sits in the middle of about 17.69 acres.

St Helier 2.4 kilometres | Jersey Airport 9.7 kilometres

Guide price £39,950,000 Knight Frank London & Jersey oliver.rodbourne@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7108

alex.collins@knightfrank.com 020 3866 7845

Wilsons Knight Frank clifford@wilsons.je 07797 723 804

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CLOPHILL, BEDFORDSHIRE Offers In Excess Of: £1,850,000

5 Bedrooms | 2 Reception Rooms | 2 Bathrooms | N/A EPC

A Grade II listed 18th century former watermill set on a plot of six acres. Over 3,400 sq. ft. of living space includes a detached former miller’s cottage. The property owns the water rights on the River Flit which runs through the whole plot, with its own waterfall and mill pond. The grounds include gardens, a wooded area, a meadow and paddock land.

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

michaelgraham.co.uk michaelgraham_living

1 2

3 REF: A2364

Le Chemin De Beau Port, Jersey 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 4 reception rooms | Swimming pool | Jacuzzi | Balcony | Garage | Coastal location Breathtaking sea views | Landscaped garden | Freehold

A stunning modern prestige home, occupying a virtually unrivalled coastal location, directly overlooking St. Brelade's Bay. St Brelade's Bay 2 kilometres | Jersey Airport 3 kilometres | St Helier 7.1 kilometres

Guide price £12,500,000 Knight Frank London & Jersey oliver.rodbourne@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7108

alex.collins@knightfrank.com 020 3866 7845

Wilsons Knight Frank aimee@wilsons.je 07797 825410

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Charming Chiltern Home Latimer, Buckinghamshire Chesham: 3 miles, Amersham: 3 miles, Central London: 30 miles An attractive period property believed to date back to the late 18th century, situated within the rolling Chiltern countryside with beautiful gardens and its own chalk stream. 4 reception rooms, principal bedroom suite, further 5 bedrooms (1 en suite), further 3 bathrooms, home office, workshop with studio above, tennis court, swimming pool, terrace and landscaped gardens. Coach House available separately. Freehold | Council Tax Band = H | EPC = E

About 2.48 acres | Guide £2.75 million

Hugh Maconochie Savills London Country Department 020 4579 8262 hmaconochie@savills.com

Nick Pounce Savills Beaconsfield 01494 304 015 npounce@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Surrey, Nr Englefield Green

A fine 18th century mansion house with ancillary dwellings, set within 65 acres and enjoying far-reaching views towards historic Runnymede M25 (Jct 13): 2.3 miles, M4 (Jct 6): 6.7 miles, Egham station: 1 mile (London Waterloo 42 minutes), Windsor: 4.5 miles, Heathrow Airport (T5): 5 miles, Central London: 23 miles Reception hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Sitting room | Summer room | Study | Kitchen/breakfast room Utility room | Principal bedroom suite | 6 Further bedrooms (1 ensuite) | Family bathroom | Shower room | Roof terrace 4 Ancillary dwellings | Garaging | Gardens and grounds | EPC Rating: House: E, Ancillary dwellings: D In all about 65 acres

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

Guide Price £8,000,000

Guy Robinson

Tom Shuttleworth

Head of Residential Agency 020 7591 2213

Country Department 020 7591 2232

guy.robinson@struttandparker.com

thomas.shuttleworth@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

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Croyde, North Devon 5 bedrooms | 5 bathrooms | 4 reception rooms | 3 bedroom annexe | Garage | Infinity pool Gardens | Direct water access | Foreshore | Freehold

One of the UK's most spectacular coastal new build properties with about three acres of grounds including a private beach cove and foreshore, and panoramic views over Saunton Sands, Croyde Beach and out to sea.

Croyde Beach 0.6 miles (on foot) | Saunton Sands 1 mile | Braunton 3.7 miles | Barnstaple 9.4 miles

Guide price £10,000,000

Knight Frank London & Exeter hamish.humfrey@knightfrank.com 020 4579 2478 christopher.bailey@knightfrank.com 01392 240978

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Islay House, Isle of Islay, Argyll 13 bedrooms | 13 bathrooms | 6 reception rooms | Coastal views | Woodland | Outbuildings | Courtyard Gamekeeper's cottage | Boathouse | Income stream from hotel business | Potential for alternative uses Approximately 28.84 acres | EPC F | Freehold

An iconic refurbished country house hotel situated in beautiful scenery overlooking its magnificent gardens, beyond to the coast and Rhinns mountains. The property has significant potential for further development with planning permission and listed building consent for up to 27 bedrooms.

Bowmore 3 miles | Port Ellen 12 miles | Islay Airport 9 miles

Offers over £2,750,000 Knight Frank Edinburgh tom.stewart-moore@knightfrank.com 0131 516 6328

knightfrank.co.uk

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REF: EDN012287140

1 Winner of six customer experience awards in 2021

1 2 3 4

REF: WRC012228922

Kinsham, Herefordshire

8 bedrooms | 4 bathrooms | 4 reception rooms | 3 bedroom lodge | Cottage | Coach house | Church of All Saints within the grounds Parking | Garage | Gardens | Woodland | Single bank fishing | Approximately 36.64 acres | Freehold

A charming Grade II listed country home set in wonderful grounds with exceptional views out over the valley and to the River Lugg below.

Presteigne 4 mile | Shobdon 6 miles | Ludlow 14 miles | Hereford 21 miles

Guide price £2,250,000 Knight Frank London & Shrewsbury peter.edwards@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8544

kevin.boulton@knightfrank.com 01743 664202

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W A T E R F R O N T

O U T N OW

T H E F I N E S T W AT E R F R O N T P R O P E R T I E S F R O M A R O U N D T H E W O R L D

West Sussex/Surrey borders, Cox Green

An outstanding country house offering far-reaching views to the North Downs with a further six estate houses Cranleigh: 4.9 miles, Petworth: 13.6 miles, Guildford: 14.3 miles, Central London: 42 miles, Gatwick Airport: 22.7 miles, Heathrow Airport: 39.7 miles Hall | Drawing room | Sitting room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Study | Principal bedroom with ensuite 9 Further bedrooms | 3 Further bathrooms | Cellar | Stables | Tennis court | 6 Recently refurbished estate houses Gardens and grounds | Parkland | Permission has been granted to significantly extend the main house Further permissions granted for a substantial swimming pool/leisure complex and garage/stable block About 78.02 acres | Available as a whole or in lots

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

Offers in Excess of £16,000,000 (whole)

Tom Shuttleworth

Ken Roberts

Country Department 07919 128 193

Guildford Office 01483 610 270

thomas.shuttleworth@struttandparker.com

ken.roberts@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

West Sussex, Itchenor

A prime waterfront property, needing complete renovation, in the sought-after sailing village of Itchenor Itchenor Sailing Club: 200 yards, Chichester Marina: 4 miles, West Wittering: 5 miles, Chichester: 5 miles, Goodwood: 8 miles, Southampton Airport: 36 miles Approved planning consent (ref. 20/02795/DOM) for: Entrance hall | Study | Dining room/kitchen TV room | Sitting room | Guest cloakroom | Utility room | Principal bedroom with ensuite bathroom 5 Further bedrooms (4 ensuites) | 2 Further shower rooms | Roof terrace | Garden | Garage

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

Offers in Excess of £2,950,000

Alice Luxmoore-Styles

Tim Wenning

JSA: Tod Anstee

Country Department 020 7052 9666

Chichester Office 01243 885 665

Chichester Office 01242 523 723

alice.luxmoore-styles@struttandparker.com

tim.wenning@struttandparker.com

stod@todanstee.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

AMERSHAM, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE GUIDE PRICE £795,000

[2 bedrooms] [2 reception rooms] [2 bathrooms] [stunning location] Situated on the second floor of this gorgeous Grade I listed mansion, an impressive apartment offering luxurious accommodation with superb potential for those looking to create a bespoke residence. Council Tax band G. 01494 855703 Amersham@hamptons.co.uk

SNEYD PARK, BRISTOL £1,800,000 LEASEHOLD

[6 bedrooms] [3 bathrooms] [3 reception rooms] An impressive semi-detached Victorian house extending to 4,500 sq ft, with incredible period features, a detached double garage and a secluded garden. Leasehold 833 years remaining. Ground Rent £33 pa. EPC D. Council Tax band G 0117 911 6839 Bristol@hamptons.co.uk

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

TILFORD, SURREY GUIDE PRICE

£2,750,000 FREEHOLD

[6 bedrooms] [3 reception rooms] [approx 6.5 acres landscaped gardens] The major portion of Sir Edwin Lutyens first Country House retaining many important features situated in beautiful landscaped gardens having undergone recent major renovations originally designed by Gertrude Jeykell extending to approximately 6.5 acres. Council Tax Band G HAMPTONS FARNHAM

01252 757213

FARNHAM@HAMPTONS.CO.UK

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

GREAT COTMARSH FARM, COTMARSH, BROAD TOWN,WILTSHIRE A picturesque farm with an outstanding period farmhouse and scenic views across the Wiltshire countryside Substantial 8 Bedroom Farmhouse | Farm Buildings | Pasture & Arable Land | Totalling 171 acres Available as a whole or up to four lots GUIDE PRICE £2,425,000 Royal Wootton Bassett – 3 Miles | M4 Junction 16 – 4.8 miles

Rural & Commercial Valuers

01793 842055

Contact Helen Wiltshire or Mark Webb helen@webbpaton.co.uk mark@webbpaton.co.uk

webbpaton.co.uk

Guernsey issue DISCOV ER T H E L AT EST PROPERT Y HOTSP OTS A MONG GU ER NSE Y ’S DR A M AT IC COA ST L I N E A N D U NSP OI LT BE ACH ES

O N S A L E A U G U S T 17, 2 0 2 2

Don’t miss your chance to advertise in our Guernsey special issue Booking/copy deadline: August 3, 2022 For more information on advertising, please contact Lucy Khosla, lucy.khosla@futurenet.com – 07583 106990

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This is the life.

Is it Yours?

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International SUMMER 2022

THIS SCEPTRED ISLE

Alan Copson/AWL Images

Jersey’s royal connections

Local traditions: the Battle of Flowers PAGE 36

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Do the locomotive: the Railway Walk PAGE 28

The best properties for sale on the island PAGE 38 14/07/2022 16:51

Country Life International Don’t miss

Weekender After a two-year hiatus, the island’s great summer festival returns to the Royal Jersey Showground on September 2–4, promising a weekend packed with music (www.weekender.je)

Home from home A

NEW mural graces the streets of St Helier.

Created by British artist Gabriel Pitcher, Home celebrates immigrants who have moved to the island from places as far afield as Portugal, Romania and Poland, but doesn’t shy away from reflecting on the difficult choices and sacrifices they had to make.

Produced by ArtHouse Jersey and streetart organisation Wood Street Walls, the piece covers about 6,458sq ft on the front of the Normans builders-merchants headquarters, making

it one of the largest murals in Europe. ‘Pieces of art in the public realm, such as this mural, play an important role in strengthening a sense of place and belonging,’ Tom Dingle, director of ArtHouse Jersey, said when the work was unveiled in June. ‘Home reaches under the surface of the assumptions that might be made about the experiences of people who have moved to Jersey from abroad and does so with transparency and honesty.’ The mural will remain in place for 18 months.

Let’s hear it for puffins

T

WO enormous willow puffins stand guard in the grounds of National Trust Jersey at Plémont. Unveiled in April, the sculptures are part of an ongoing effort to protect the birds’ breeding grounds.

‘We only have four breeding pairs left, from the 250odd pairs there were 100 years ago,’ explains Cristina Sellarés,

project officer for Birds On The Edge at the Trust. ‘Their main threat on land is the introduced predators, such as rats and ferrets,’ which is why invasive carnivores are

It happened in Jersey Bird aboard An unexpected passenger boarded a LibertyBus service to St Helier earlier this year.

Bertie the pheasant stepped on board, sat down and was rather resistant when invited to get off. Eventually, the driver managed to coax him back out onto the road. ‘​​No birds (or drivers or passengers) were

hurt during this incident,’ LibertyBus reported Call the cops The Jersey Police service was formed 70 years ago. The island had had an honorary police since the 15th century and a paid force was created in St Helier in 1853, but it wasn’t until 1952 that a state-wide service

removed from the breeding cliffs. ‘By protecting the puffins, we protect all the other coastal native species in Jersey that share their cliffs.’

Other initiatives include increasing breeding opportunities with artificial burrows, using social-attraction tools such as decoys and carrying out research on the sand-eel habitat around the coast of Jersey.

A seabird trail allows visitors to spot puffins and other species without disturbing them.

The Corn Riots Harvest Festival This unusual event commemorates the 1769 riots that followed a food shortage and led to a change in legislation establishing the States Assembly as the only body that could pass laws in Jersey, on September 30– October 2 (www.jersey.com) La Faîs’sie d’Cidre Jersey’s annual cider festival takes place on October 15–16 (www.jersey.com)

A traditional Christmas From shopping to Christmas lights, there’s plenty to do at Christmas in Jersey, including discovering ancient seasonal traditions at Hamptonne Country Life Museum on December 17–18 (www.jerseyheritage.org)

was launched. Its 64 officers fielded about 2,700 calls—now, there are 215, who, in 2021, received about 28,000 calls

occupation in 1945. The Earl and Countess of Wessex took part in the event, delivering a message from The Queen

Back to the streets After two years of pandemic, Jersey was finally able to hold street celebrations for Liberation Day, marking the end of the German

Hot from the tropics Late in June, Jersey birdwatchers were treated to the unusual visit of a tropical bird, the bridled tern, spotted on Les Ecréhous, an archipelago off the main island

Robbie Dark; Alamy; Getty

Home, one of the largest murals in Europe, celebrates immigrants who have moved to Jersey

Jersey International Air Display Pilots from the RAF and international services will take to the skies in a jaw-dropping display on September 8 (www.jerseyair display.org.uk)

26 | Country Life | July 20, 2022

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Country Life International

Where trains once crossed

I

SIT at a trellis table, tucking into plates of Padrón peppers, chipirones and patatas bravas as my children dig in the golden dirt with a stick and the sun’s rays, refracted through the branches of tall pine trees, create patterns that dance on the faces of passing walkers. The Spanish food, the rural setting and the blazing sunshine create the illusion of being somewhere considerably more Mediterranean than the Off The Rails café, a wooden shack about halfway along Jersey’s Railway Walk, a fourmile, off-road path that follows the route of an old railway line.

The first train ran from St Helier to Corbière on August 5, 1885, and riding the railway became one of the highlights of a sojourn to the island for the tourists that flocked here from the late-Victorian era— I have a photograph of my paternal grandparents laughing in a carriage as they

journeyed along the coast during one of their many holidays. My grandmother’s cloche hat dates the picture to the 1930s, probably just before the railway closed in 1936.

The view of the golden arc of St Ouen’s Bay is spectacular During the Second World War, the German occupying forces briefly resurrected the railway and extended it east to Grouville and north to Ronez quarry, so that they could easily transport the sand and stone they needed to build their fortifications.

Some of these German remains are still visible, including an embankment at what was Pont Marquet Station, about half a mile from Don Bridge.

Today, the Railway Walk links Corbière, at the very western tip of the island, to St Aubin.

Eastwards, it is downhill most of the way, but we chose to go the opposite way and brave the vigorous uphill walk, because Corbière is the best place to enjoy the late-afternoon sun and dramatic sunsets.

St Aubin, our starting point, is a little harbour town lively with art galleries, antiques shops, bars and restaurants. We spend a pleasant hour watching the yachts in the marina, exploring the art in the Harbour Gallery and walking the cobbled back streets where we rummage through boxes of antique postcards and old Jersey memorabilia in the vintage stores. The distinctive, gabled building of St Brelade’s Parish Hall, its creamtinted wings setting off the orange of the central trunk, was once the Terminus Hotel, a favourite with visitors who wanted to be close to the platform to board the train into

28 | Country Life | July 20, 2022

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Alamy

Antonia Windsor takes in the views along Jersey’s Railway Walk

Alamy

Exploring Title here

St Helier or out to the western beaches. The walk begins by winding up parallel to St Brelade’s Hill, the steepest part of the route.

‘It’s so great to have such a long, off-road path to enjoy,’ says local resident Kate Kirk, who explains it is not only the preserve of pedestrians. ‘This is where my children have learnt to ride their bikes and the surface is smooth all the way, which means it’s also safe for pushchairs and wheelchairs or mobility scooters.’

She reports that, usually, the path is quite quiet, but during the pandemic it gained a new popularity. ‘The Railway Walk is one of my abiding memories of lockdown. I was desperate to get some fresh air and so we packed a picnic and cycled off to Corbière.

We were surprised how many people had had the same idea. The beach at Corbière is never usually busy—but it was that day.

Probably much like in the days of the railway.

We paddled in rock pools and climbed rocks and it all felt wonderfully fresh and new.’

As it approaches St Ouen’s Bay, the path is wide and flat, becoming increasingly sandy towards the aptly named Blanches Banques (‘white banks’), an SSSI at the top of the dunes that mark the southern end of the bay.

The view of the beach’s golden arc is spectacular, whether it takes in the wide expanse of sand towards the 18th-century La Rocco Tower, or, at high tide, the skilful display by local kite surfers jumping high off the waves.

We pause a while, as the children run through the long grass looking for bits of flint, which are remnants left by the early Neolithic settlers that occupied this area between 6,000 and 4,500 years ago. We find a little pile at the edge of a rabbit burrow.

As we push ahead, the walk is flanked by tall pines that were planted as part of a treebuilding exercise shortly after the railway

The Jersey Railway Walk links Corbière, where the lighthouse (above) marks the island’s south-western tip, and St Aubin

closed. Now, their canopies form a tunnel, providing welcome shade from the afternoon sun. We pass dog walkers and cyclists and it begins to feel so long since we saw a car that it’s like being on the (motor-free) island of Sark.

Eventually, we come out at Corbière, near the Phare restaurant, and the iconic lighthouse rising from the sea—built in 1874 and the first in the British Isles to be made of concrete—reminds us that we are very much in Jersey. Sitting on a terrace, a pint of the local Liberation Ale in hand, we watch the sky begin to turn red, silhouetting the jagged rocky outcrop on which the lighthouse stands and signalling the end of a magnificent Jersey adventure.

July 20, 2022 | Country Life | 29

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Country Life International

32 | Country Life | July 20, 2022

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Royal visits

Our Queen, the Duke From a brace of mallards to a placid cow, Matthew Dennison examines the unusual connections between Jersey and the Royal Family

E

VEN in black-and-white photographs, the sun is shining. It is June 1949, four years after British forces liberated the Channel Islands from German occupation, and the heir to the throne, Princess Elizabeth, is opening a development of homes built for veterans at Grève d’Azette in Jersey. A little girl, Sheila Le Breuilly, has been chosen to present a bouquet of yellow roses to the princess. She wears ribbons in her hair and executes a well-practised curtsey.

Fast forward to 2001. Since 1952, Princess Elizabeth has been Elizabeth II; she has returned to Jersey, a dependency of the British crown. On this occasion, it is not yellow roses that the monarch receives, but a brace of mallards, imported from nearby France, as the species is protected in Jersey.

Yellow roses, you may think, are preferable to dead ducks, but the latter constitute a highly symbolic offering, a reminder of the homage that, centuries ago, the island’s ruler expected from Jersey’s lords of the manor.

The island’s links to the Crown pre-date many aspects of the UK’s royal heritage.

The Channel Islands were part of the Duchy of Normandy before William the Conqueror successfully invaded England in 1066 and, in Jersey, islanders have been known to joke that, in 1066, they were on the winning side at the Battle of Hastings. In this sunny island granted self-governing status by King John more than 800 years ago, the gift of mallard, presented on a silver salver, acknowledges the authority of the current ‘Duke’—for the past 70 years, Her Majesty The Queen.

Jersey may be part of the British Isles, but it is not part of the United Kingdom. A ‘peculiar of the Crown’, its allegiance is not to Westminster and the British Parliament, but to the sovereign herself. ‘Technically, we don’t recognise The Queen as The Queen, but “Our Duke”,’ Connor Burgher, St Helier’s town centre and events manager, tells me, Her Majesty The Queen inspects a guard of honour after arriving in Jersey in 1957

and it may be significant, as Mr Burgher indicates, that portraits of The Queen on Jersey banknotes have repeatedly depicted the monarch bare-headed. British banknotes until 1990 featured an image of The Queen wearing George IV’s diamond diadem of 1820—associated on the mainland with the State Opening of Parliament—but Jersey chose images by Pietro Annigoni and Norman Hepple, in which The Queen, although grandly dressed, was without either the Imperial State Crown or St Edward’s Crown, both visual reminders of the sovereign’s place in Britain’s constitution.

Islanders have been known to joke that, in 1066, they were on the winning side This is not a reflection of anti-royalist discontent. ‘It’s fairly safe to describe Jersey as generally a royalist island,’ says Mr Burgher.

‘Islanders love anything connected to the Royal Family: we’re very proud of our connection with the Crown.’ ’Twas ever thus.

Although neighbouring Guernsey supported Cromwell and the Parliamentarians during the English Civil War, Jersey remained loyal to Charles I, later sheltering the exiled Charles II. Nor did German occupation in the 20th century—with all its hardships and terrors—see Jersey’s loyalty waver.

Most recently, many thousands of islanders took part in Jersey’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, which included a visit by the Earl and Countess of Wessex. On this occasion, The Queen sent formal greetings. She recalled ‘with fondness and pleasure’ her visits to Jersey, beginning in 1949. To local royal watchers, this was no surprise. Members of the Royal Family, as Sally Le Brocq, a jurat of Jersey’s Royal Court, notes, ‘seem to relax when they come here. I think they’re aware of the warmth of the welcome that they get’.

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Country Life International

Queen Victoria rhapsodised about Jersey’s “beautifully deep blue sea” Jersey also has deep connections with other members of the Royal Family. In 1972, conservationist Gerald Durrell invited Princess Anne to become patron of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, which he had founded in 1959. Characteristically, The Princess accepted on condition that the role be a demanding one. Forty years later, she made her 19th visit to the trust at its headquarters at Jersey Zoo. Her bond with the charity is

The Queen is presented with her second Jersey cow during a visit to the island in 1978

described by its workers as ‘very close’ and her frequent visits to the island help maintain it; she returned in 2021, to open the zoo’s butterfly and tortoise house.

Among other royal charitable patronages are the National Trust for Jersey, of which The Prince of Wales is patron, and the Royal Jersey Agricultural and Horticultural Society, and the Jersey Cattle Society of the United Kingdom, both patronages of The Queen.

During Her Majesty’s visit to Jersey in 1957, the former presented her with a Jersey cow called Beauchamp Oxford Lady. Lady joined the dairy herd at Windsor begun by Prince Albert in 1871, a homelier fate than that of the trumpeter swans given to The Queen months earlier by the government of British Columbia: the swans were re-homed in the wetland wildlife reserve near Slimbridge.

Jersey prepares to welcome a new Lieutenant Governor this year. Vice Admiral Jerry Kyd CBE will take over the role from October, succeeding the current Governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton GCB. Vice Admiral Kyd has had a long career in the Royal Navy, most recently as Fleet Commander.

Although The Queen has a personal representative in Jersey, the Lieutenant-Governor based at Government House, there is no doubt among islanders that it is she herself who commands the greatest affection. ‘Jersey is incredibly fond of Her Majesty,’ says Mr Burgher. On this distant island, love for ‘the Duke’ is palpable and enduring.

Alamy; Getty

Even Queen Victoria, that most exacting of royal observers, unbent on the island, rhapsodising, after her visit to St Helier in September 1846, about the ‘beautifully deep blue sea’, the ‘indescribable’ effect of the sunlight on the coastal scenery and the island’s interior, which she labelled ‘extremely pretty, very green and full of orchards’.

Victoria accepted an invitation to become ‘Visitor’ of the public school named in her honour in the aftermath of her visit. The foundation stone of Victoria College was laid on her birthday in 1850, in front of a crowd of 20,000 people. Today, The Queen is Victoria College’s Visitor. On her third, and most recent, visit in 2001, she presented prizes for history, science, mathematics and modern languages. Unsurprisingly, Jersey’s links with the Crown feature in the school’s history curriculum. ‘I don’t know what’s taught in every school on the island,’ laughs Mr Burgher, an old boy, ‘but royal history was certainly taught at Victoria College.’

Left: The Prince of Wales at Jersey’s VE Day 50th anniversary celebrations. Right: A warm welcome for Her Majesty in 1978 34 | Country Life | July 20, 2022

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In Jersey you, your family and business can grow and prosper.

Finding a location that benefits your business and your family might be your principal driving force but choosing a place to become your home is about much more. Residency in Jersey works for your wealth and your business but importantly, the Island also offers an enviable quality of life for you and your family. ✚

Enviable Quality of Life

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To discuss residency in Jersey, please call Kevin Lemasney, Head of High Value Residency Engagement +44 (0)7797 783457 or email k.lemasney@gov.je

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Country Life International

Flower power As the Battle of Flowers celebrates its 120th anniversary this summer, Martha MacDonald traces the event’s quirky past

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HERE are several aspects about living in a place like Jersey that you don’t realise are unusual until you leave the island. Startling discoveries include finding out that many of your British friends didn’t grow up mostly at the beach as you did, that £1 notes aren’t legal tender beyond Jersey’s shores and that an annual parade where teams compete to make the most ambitious flower-bedecked float is, in fact, not a universal experience.

What a shock to the system.

For Jersey residents, the parade, called the Battle of Flowers, is a normal summer staple: the island’s different parishes (there are 12 in Jersey) and other community groups join forces to make huge, motorised floats covered in brightly coloured, dried and fresh flowers, which are

then paraded along the seafront promenade.

Every float has its own theme and is brought to life with music, dancers and other costumed characters, who greet the crowd as the floats trundle down the Avenue.

Except that the more one thinks about the Battle of Flowers, the less ‘normal’ it seems.

It is, in fact, an utterly bizarre tradition dating from 120 years ago. Who would have thought that a one-off parade to honour the newly crowned Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902 would blossom into one of the largest floral carnivals in Europe and a beloved piece of Jersey’s heritage and culture?

Neither a pandemic, nor two World Wars— let alone the odd mishap and spot of inclement weather—have proven a match for Jersey’s special concoction of community spirit and flower power and

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Alamy

Jersey’s spectacular annual Battle of Flowers parade, which started in 1902, is one of the largest floral carnivals in Europe

Local traditions

Alamy

Jersey’s 120-year-old Battle of Flowers parade is a riot of colour, featuring music, dancing and floats of all shapes and sizes

the event is now deeply entrenched in the island’s identity. Almost every family seems to have at least one Battle of Flowers tale, whether it’s pulling an all-nighter to get your parish’s entry finished on time or a story about young children who earned a coveted spot on the float only to miss out on their 15 minutes of fame because they fell asleep during the parade. It’s this paradox between the awesome spectacle of the floats and the rough and readiness of things that never go quite to plan that’s a big part of the Battle’s charm. Predictably, over 120 years, the event

has undergone several changes—not least the ‘Battle’ element of it, which originally involved everyone pulling flowers off the floats and playfully chucking them at one another, but had to be re-thought in 1960, when some people swapped ‘petal’ for ‘metal’ and pulled welded steel from the floats to throw instead.

In place of the traditional ‘flower fight’, it was decided that petals would be dropped on the crowd from a helicopter overhead.

Over time, the parade has also attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors. Since the Battle’s post-war revival in 1951, famous

faces such as Petula Clark and Christopher Biggins have been invited to participate, but in 1912, the floral festivities were graced by a rather more impromptu celebrity appearance. Finding himself at a loose end when on tour to Jersey’s Opera House with Fred Karno’s Company, who should turn up to that year’s Battle of Flowers, but Charlie Chaplin himself. A contemporary extract from the local paper reports that the silent movie star’s cameo caused ‘much amusement and some vexation to the organisers’.

Local-history books are fit to bursting with delightfully wacky stories, many of which revolve around the rather risky entertainment acts that have performed at the event over the years. Aussie, the boxing kangaroo, made an appearance in 1932; in 1939, Tony Deering and his Motoring Maniacs drove at speed through flaming hoops, causing the Jersey Evening Post to remark that ‘it was only by the mercy of providence that no one was killed’; but nothing compares with Roy Fransen, who, in the 1950s, set himself on fire and leapt off a 70ft tower in a ‘dive of death’ into a small pool of water that was also on fire.

This year’s Battle of Flowers, taking place in St Helier on August 11, will likely be a more sedate affair than the Battles of yesteryear.

But its return after a two-year Covid-induced hiatus is in itself another triumphant moment in the parade’s incredible history.

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Country Life International

Diamonds of the first water From traditional granite houses to beachside retreats, Holly Kirkwood has the pick of the best properties for sale across Jersey St John, £4.95 million With incredible views out across Bonne Nuit Bay from almost every room, this charming country house blends old and new features beautifully. Built in 1904 as the summer house of a former Bailiff of Jersey, the older part of Furze Cottage retains many original details, with an award-winning modern extension adding a magnificent 32ft living room and extra accommodation. There are five reception rooms downstairs, plus a large country kitchen. The two principal bedrooms are located in the older part of the house with a further two bedrooms in the extension. Outside, a combination of lawns and terraced areas lead onto terraces and decks that are wonderful for entertaining.

Hunt Estates (01534 860650)

St Martin, £1.6 million This spacious, five-bedroom property sits within an exclusive development of six modern family homes on the edge of St Martin’s village. Accommodation spans three floors with an eat-in kitchen, a large living room and an orangery downstairs; the large bedrooms are spread across the first and second floors. Outside is a wonderful walled garden and the village’s many amenities are mere moments away.

Thompson Estates (01534 888855)

St Brelade, £6.5 million Situated above St Aubin, La Provence Farm is a fully renovated country house with 2¾ acres of land and terrific views across St Aubin’s Bay. As the name implies, it is built in Provençal style and totals nearly 8,500sq ft of living space, including seven bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large kitchen, a handsome dining room, a sitting room and a separate media room. There’s also a full leisure suite, plus a wine cellar, a games room and garaging for five cars.

The gardens have been beautifully maintained, with the west-facing swimming-pool complex getting the sun well into the evening. Savills (01534 722227) and Hunt Estates (01534 860650)

St Peter, £5.95 million Located outside St Peter’s village, Colony House is an exceptional modern country property built to elegant Georgian proportions. The ground floor has a wonderful layout, flowing from the family kitchen through the generous reception rooms, which include a romantic orangery. There are six bedrooms and six bathrooms upstairs, with state-of-the-art tech throughout the house. Outside, there is self-contained accommodation above the garage and the heated swimming pool comes with a pretty pool house.

Savills (01534 722227)

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christiesrealestate.com

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

One of the finest homes on the south coast, the property is in an elevated position providing panoramic sea views. Recently renovated, it enjoys indoor and outdoor pool. £25M.

Renovated home of over 10,000 sq ft in St Brelade. Sea views, 3 acres of landscaped and natural gardens, lawned amphitheatre, pool, adjacent flat. £16.5M.

On 11 acres, elegant, quality family home of Palladian design set in an elevated position with panoramic views. Indoor pool, stunning entrance hall, integral guest accommodation. £13M.

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

One of Jersey’s finest homes and gardens, this family residence of 10,400 sq ft enjoys 7.5 acres gardens and parkland walk, outdoor swimming pool, tennis court, cottage. £12M.

Exceptional home entirely renovated. includes nearby fields, extensive garaging, cottage, staff accommodation, sand school, stables, tennis court, indoor pool, cinema, wine room. £11.5M.

Stunning new build with panoramic sea views. Completion Spring 2023. 8,450 sq ft, 5 beds, infinity pool, gym, cinema, extensive garaging. Purchaser can be involved in final fit out. £14M.

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS

Stunning 10,500 sq ft home combines the beauty of Jersey granite with a modern day interior, having been subject to a full renovation using highest quality fittings. 10 acres of land. £8.75M.

Stylish, contemporary renovated property approached through gated entrance with far reaching country and sea views. It is designed for family and entertaining. Offers over £5M.

With views over Bonne Nuit Bay to France, this luxury home, set high above the beach, has a modern extension, beautiful gardens and breathtaking cliff path walks nearby. £4.95M.

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Gill Hunt | +44 (0)779 772 1881 gill@huntestates.com

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

Offered For Sale By: Hunt Estates

London 8 King Street, St. James’s London, SW1Y6QT, UK +44 20 3824 1951

New York 20 Rockefeller Plaza New York, New York, 10020, USA +1 877 745 5574

Hong Kong 22nd Floor, Alexandra House 18 Chater Road, Central, Hong Kong +852 5808 7680

Property St Clement, £3.8 million This traditional granite family property sits surrounded by beautiful gardens a short walk away from the beach at Robin Bay. Large windows, high ceilings, period features, fireplaces and floors of wood, oak and stone give the house plenty of character; downstairs, the conservatory, farmhouse kitchen and breakfast room all face south with views out over the terrace.

Upstairs, seven bedrooms and three family bathrooms are spread across two further floors. The pretty landscaped gardens, which house a swimming pool, are filled with scented shrubs, roses and herbs.

Hunt Estates (01534 860650) St Brelade, £9.95 million Dating back to the 16th century, with 19th- and 20thcentury additions, La Rocquaise combines wonderful character with an extraordinary beachfront location in the heart of St Brelade’s Bay. Accommodation includes four reception rooms and six to seven bedrooms, with scope for remodelling. The picturesque gardens are huge for the location, offering magnificent views out across the bay and beyond. Knight Frank (01534 877977)

St Lawrence, price on application Villa Cambray is an ultra-modern property currently under construction above Coronation Park in St Lawrence. Spread across three levels, the house will comprise 8,500sq ft of built space, featuring five bedroom suites, front and back kitchens, reception rooms with floorto-ceiling windows, a cinema room, a climate-controlled wine room and a leisure suite, with a lift accessing all floors. Outside, the extensive terraces, an infinity pool and an outdoor kitchen have all been designed to make the most of the property’s south-facing position, with views towards the coast.

Living Room (01534 717100)

St Peter, £10.25 million One of Jersey’s finest modern properties, built in 2011, Mon Bel has high ceilings, light-flooded rooms and generous accommodation. Downstairs, the spacious eat-in kitchen opens into the orangery and then to the poolside terrace, making it the heart of the house. The main house has four bedroom suites—as well as a home cinema and a gym— with another four bedrooms available in a detached cottage.

The 11-acre grounds include landscaped gardens, a heated swimming pool, terracing, farmland and equestrian facilities.

Living Room (01534 717100), Savills (01534 722227), Hunt Estates (01534 860650) and Fine & Country (01534 840022)

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Property market

Penny Churchill

And the rest is history The Surrey Hills is very much Lutyens and Jekyll territory, notably at their first-ever collaboration at the garden designer’s home, Munstead Wood, and nearby Munstead Place

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UILT by a young Edwin Lutyens for garden designer Gertrude Jekyll in 1896–97, Munstead Wood at Busbridge, near Godalming in the Surrey Hills AONB, was the first of more than 100 major collaborations between Lutyens and Jekyll that have graced the pages of Country Life since the magazine’s founder, Edward Hudson, visited in 1899.

For sale for the first time in more than 50 years at a guide price of £5.25 million through Knight Frank, Grade I-listed Munstead Wood, with its trademark long roofs, dormers, tall ornamental chimneys and ‘Surrey-style’ Artsand-Crafts interior, is widely regarded as one of Lutyens’s most important country houses.

Its just over 11 acres of gardens, originally laid out by Jekyll and restored in the 1990s, are independently listed Grade I in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. The sale is being handled by Tim Harriss of Knight Frank’s Guildford office (01483 617910) and Julia Meadowcroft of the firm’s country department (020–7861 5390).

Historically, the site occupied by Munstead Wood was part of the former open common of Munstead Heath, a typical south Surrey landscape described by Jekyll as ‘this country with its great tracts of wood and heathland, beautiful wild ground and soil of bright yellow sand and rock’. In 1878, she moved with her mother to their newly built Munstead House at Busbridge and, four years later, in 1882, acquired the roughly 15 acres of Munstead Wood that lay across the road.

The transformation from pine woods and rough heathland to famous woodland garden took place over many years, during which Jekyll allowed felled woodland to grow, as well as thinning the young trees to create areas of different varieties, each with its

It was an instant connection of true minds, based on a shared love own under-plantings of flowers and shrubs.

The resulting woodland garden was viewed via a series of long walks. Later, the woods would merge gradually into lawns near the house, with seasonal gardens flowering in succession through the year.

The first meeting between Jekyll and Lutyens took place at nearby Littleworth Cross, the home of Harry Mangles, who, with his brother, James, was one of the earliest rhododendron

collectors and hybridisers. Jekyll was visiting one afternoon in May 1889 when she was introduced to Lutyens, who was designing a gardener’s cottage and some garden buildings there. It was an instant connection of true minds, based on a shared love of the vernacular architecture of south-west Surrey, which led to Lutyens being commissioned to design Jekyll’s new home, starting their collaboration that would last until her death in 1932.

Lutyens’s first building for his new partner and patron was The Hut, a cottage built in the grounds of Munstead Wood in 1895, where she lived, worked and wrote until the main house was completed. His last was her memorial at Busbridge Church, where she is buried.

Munstead Wood is built of the local Bargate stone in a U-shape around an open courtyard,

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

The oak-beamed Long Gallery overhanging the courtyard is a classic Lutyens feature

The influence of Gertrude Jekyll is still in evidence at Munstead Wood in Surrey. £5.25m

with a west wing containing Jekyll’s workshops and a service wing to the east. The southern garden elevation has a long tiled roof that extends down to the top of the ground floor, broken by two large gables.

Oak timbers, obtained locally and silvered using a treatment with hot lime, are used throughout the building; other classic Lutyens features include a large hooded fireplace and a shallow-stepped staircase leading up to the oak-beamed Long Gallery that overhangs the central courtyard.

After Jekyll’s death, her nephew, Francis, lived on at the property, during which time he wrote her biography, based on her pap-ers and drawings. In 1948, buildings to the north and west of Munstead Wood, including

Jekyll’s former gazebo, potting shed, gardener’s cottage and stables, were sold off and converted to four privately owned properties, now known as The Quadrangle, Munstead Wood Cottage, Munstead Orchard and a new house, Heath Lane House. Francis Jekyll continued to live at The Hut until his own death in 1965.

The sale of Munstead Wood follows the death in March this year, aged 97, of Lady Andolyn (Marjorie) Clark, who bought the house in 1987 with her late husband, Bob, later Sir Robert Clark. They met in occupied Italy during the war, where both served as part of Sir Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE). Sir Robert, who enjoyed a successful post-war career

as a director of the Bank of England and chairman of the Mirror Group after Robert Maxwell’s death, died in January 2013.

During their time together at Munstead Wood, the Clarks lavished much evident loving care on the house and its garden, the latter meticulously restored according to Jekyll’s original designs. The main house offers 7,446sq ft of elegant accommodation on two storeys including, on the ground floor, an entrance porch and reception hall, a drawing room, dining room, two studies, sitting room, kitchen/breakfast room, art room and pottery studio, plus domestic offices, stores and access to cellars; the first floor houses the principal bedroom suite, six further bedrooms, two bathrooms and the impressive Long Gallery with its massive oak beams.

Several years before Lutyens completed Munstead Wood, the young architect received an early commission to design nearby Munstead Place in Heath Lane, Busbridge, for wine merchant Charles Heatley and his wife, Constance, on the recommendation of Jekyll.

According to listing details based on Pevsner’s Buildings of England: Surrey (1971), the house, listed Grade II and originally known as Munstead Corner, was built ‘in 1891–92, with hoppers dated 1899 by Sir Edwin Lutyens for Gertrude Jekyll’. The two-storey house is described as being built of ‘coursed and snecked Bargate stone below, half-timbered above with rendered infill, plain tiled roofs and tall brick stacks on left and right…’

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Property market

Above: Munstead Place in Surrey is a superb example of a Lutyens design. Excess £9m.

Below: The six-bedroom house is immaculate following a three-year renovation scheme

Peter Wright Photographer; Bagshaw & Hardy Ltd

David Cole highlights the appeal of Lutyens’s distinctive design, which is ‘evident throughout, with fine joinery, well-proportioned fireplaces, leaded casement windows set in oak mullions and transoms, together with the main stair, considered to be “one of Lutyens’s finest, of any period”’. Although no documents survive to confirm Jekyll’s involvement, Mr Cole suggests that she would almost certainly have been a party to it, ‘given her acquaintance with the Heatleys, the proximity of her home and the distinctive Jekyll hallmarks in the beautifully structured garden design’.

Now, following an extensive three-year renovation programme diligently executed between 2009 and 2012 by the current owners, the immaculate six-bedroom house, set in 7¾ acres of gardens and grounds that include a tennis court, cricket wicket, croquet court and five-a-side football pitch, with planning consent for a swimming pool and pool house, is for sale through Phillippa Dalby-Welsh of Savills (07870 999117), who quotes a guide price of ‘excess £9m’.

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Advertisement promotion

Design for life

The Blackwell Collection’s penthouses combine stylish living with magnificent views

Industrial heritage meets contemporary living to create a chic warehouse feel in the penthouses of The Pickle Factory’s Blackwell Collection

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HE opening of a new show home from London Square is creating waves in SE1 this summer, as visitors can finally view a fullyfurnished penthouse in The Blackwell Collection, a rare example of elevated loft living currently on offer in the area.

A handful of exclusive penthouses located within The Pickle Factory building in the heart of buzzing Bermondsey, The Blackwell Collection is a prime example of how to combine old with new. The show home allows would-be buyers to see for themselves how the building’s remaining industrial elements can be seamlessly integrated into an overall design to produce bright, open spaces with a chic warehouse feel.

Interior design experts Honky provided the show home’s interior and design director Paul Dawson said the company was delighted to work on the project: ‘We drew

Terraces beautifully extend the living space

30

our inspiration from a combination of the space, location and heritage,’ he commented.

‘We have showcased elevated urban penthouse living—amazing city vistas are viewed through oversized Crittall windows that flood every room in this heritage building with light. The success of the warehouse aesthetic is reliant on a cleverly curated mix of furniture and oversize stand-alone art pieces.’

Amazing city vistas are viewed through oversize windows that flood rooms with light The Blackwell Collection’s considered mix of styles and finishes works particularly well in the open-plan living area, where the scrubbed oak dining table sits next to mid-century-style chairs; the regular geometry of the beautiful windows also calls for a mix of textures to complement the interior space. Outside, each of the show home’s three terraces—a wonderful extension of the living space—has its own specific purpose, from alfresco dining for

Each penthouse takes in different city views

10 to the perfect spot for sunbathing. Each of the penthouses is configured differently, boasting its own skyline views of the city, but all are finished to the same exacting specifications, with state-of-the-art fixtures and fittings that include smart induction hobs, wine coolers, fitted wardrobes and elegant bathrooms.

A visit to the show home is an insight into how it feels to live in one of these exceptional penthouses, of which only three remain on the market: viewing, as the saying goes, is highly recommended.

The final two-bedroom penthouse is priced at £1.475 million and three-bedroom ones from £2.4 million. To request a show home tour, please email bermondsey@londonsquare. co.uk, or visit www.londonsquare.co.uk

Images depict previous Pickle Factory show homes, and CGIs depict The Pickle Factory and Blackwell Collection at London Square Bermondsey, indicative only. Details and prices correct at time of going to press

Properties of the week

Arabella Youens

Ripe for restoration These pretty country houses are crying out for some elbow grease and TLC

Cornwall, £750,000 Just over half an hour’s drive from the surfers’ (and socialites’) paradise that is Polzeath lies this traditional stonebuilt house. Set in the hamlet of Withiel, which is home to a sculpture garden, Brooklands has four bedrooms and far-reaching views across a pond and open countryside. This isn’t a project that requires deep pockets and months of agony waiting on builders to finish the works, unless there are aspirations to increase the footprint of the house.

As it stands, the house has plenty of charming features including exposed wooden beams, a fireplace and an Aga. It’s unlisted and comes with a single garage, but any such project would have to go through the usual planning process.

Brooklands is within an easy distance of the market town of Wadebridge and, for those into cycling and walking, the Camel Trail, a 12-mile multi-use route that runs from Bodmin to Padstow, is nearby.

John Bray Estates (01208 862601)

Kent, £1.75 million On the market for the first time in 50 years, Stone Hill Farm, outside the village of Sellindge, is a picture-perfect Grade II-listed Queen Anne house in need of updating and modernising.

The front door opens to a generous entrance hall with rooms leading off, which boast good proportions and historic details, including a large inglenook fireplace. Upstairs, over two floors, are five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The house comes with a one-bedroom cottage and a triple garage. Gardens and land extend to 25 acres and include a tennis court, pasture and paddocks.

Ashford mainline station has services to London St Pancras. Strutt & Parker (01227 473707)

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Berkshire, £1.5 million Decoratively tired, complete with orange pine-boarded walls in the kitchen and one of the bathrooms, this five-bedroom house in Datchet, not far from Windsor, stands in an enviable plot overlooking the River Thames and within walking distance of the village train station. Apart from the kitchen and four bathrooms, which all could do with updating, the layout of the house works well for a family, with the fifth bedroom converting easily into a home office.

There’s plenty of scope at Willows to create more space, believe agents, with a garage, workshop and an outbuilding in the garden—all subject to gaining the usual consents.

Hamptons (01753 415265)

9000

West Sussex, £775,000 The Old Bakery dates back to the 14th century and stands on Lindfield High Street waiting for someone with an enterprising mind to take it over (part of the ground floor and the cellar is designated as commercial space). ‘Once sympathetically restored, The Old Bakery will be one of the finest and most historic buildings in one of the South of England’s most thriving villages,’ says the team at Jackson-Stops, whose offices are just up the street. Jackson-Stops (01444 484400) Norfolk, £850,000 Set in Roydon, a village just outside Diss, from where there are regular services to London Liverpool Street, this Grade II-listed 17th century farmhouse is, according to agent August Atkinson, a ‘unique renovation project’.

Requiring extensive repair throughout, Gables Farm currently has five bedrooms, an attic that remains unconverted, but could be made into further bedrooms or a children’s floor, and a number of outbuildings.

Planning consent had been granted to convert the outbuildings into a three-bedroom house, but this has now lapsed. Outside, there are gardens of about 4½ acres.

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