Country Life Early Property Pages: 28th September 2022

AGeorge IIIstyle oval mirror in the manner of John Linnell. The frame has been hand carved in mahogany afteranoriginal design, circa 1775

Watergildedatour Devonworkshops and painted finishusing 23¾carat goldleaf and thepainted areas waxed to adddepth andtone. A true culminationof highly skilled, specialist artisans worldwide.

Watergilding is carriedout in our Devonworkshops andisanelaborate process requiring greatpreparation, but its eleganceand refinementof finishare unsurpassed. Anumber of coatsofgesso areapplied to the woodtoproducea very fine smooth surface. Anydetaillost due to the application of gessoisre-carved along with anyfurther refinements to the design.

Bespokecommissions undertaken.

£3,900

Width: 25¾inches(66cm) Height:50¾ inches(129.5cm)

Steeped in History

Listed manor housedatingfromthe late 16th centuryinawonderfully mature andevocative ruralsetting wasformerlythe childhood home of HRHPrince Richard,DukeofGloucester. Part of theoriginal estate wasgranted by King HenryVIIIto thethen ChiefofJustice, Sir Edward Montagu. 8bedroom manor house, additional buildingsincludingapartments,barn, cottage, stabling,workshops,extensivegardens, parkland andancient grounds. Freehold |Council TaxBand=H

About 26.94acres |Offers in excess of £4.75million

Barnwell,Northamptonshire PeterboroughStation:14miles (London KingsCross from 50 minutes)

Winner of six customer experience awards in 2021

Winner of six customer experience awards in 2021

Winner of six customer experience awards in 2021

‘Blair Athol’, Bathurst, Central Tablelands, NSW,Australia

•Always the pinnacle of Bathurst society,the ‘Blair Athol’ mansion stands tall as the landmark Victorian estate in Australia’s most historic provincial city

•A 7year back-to-bare-bones restoration has returned ‘Blair Athol’ to her original 1892 glory —agrand 19th Century mansion fit for 21st Century living

•The 5bdm Italianate mansion encompasses stately reception &dining rooms, conservatory,4bdm guest house, garden pavilion &magnificent grounds

•‘Blair Athol’ is truly breathtaking —agrand lifestyle for generations to come

•Whereverthe world takes you, youwill always come home to ‘Blair Athol’

Auction Fri18Nov 10:30am 152 William St, Bathurst, NSW,Australia

Lucy Nell +61 400 726 897 Andrew Crauford +61 417 416 205 blairathol@raywhite.com

RayWhite Emms Mooney

Land of opportunity

Investing in property across the Atlantic is looking increasingly smart, for both business and lifestyle reasons, says Holly Kirkwood

ACOUPLE of decades ago, the only properties Europeans ever really looked to buy in the US were swank pads in New York City or sun-drenched retire ment mansions near the water in Florida. These days, however, the global nature of international business, coupled with working from second and third homes for longer stretches, make the American property market incredibly appealing.

From the big skies of Wyoming to the winelands of California, the quality of life and sheer amount of space on offer look extremely attractive. For those who need to do business in Asia as much as the Americas, LA makes an excellent part-time base. On the east coast, a Manhattan townhouse is never going to go out of fashion. Whether it is the Hamptons or Hawaii, the US is home to sensational holiday houses suited to entertaining friends and family; simply choose a location according to your preferred lifestyle—beach bunny, budding vintner or social butterfly, perhaps.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

$14.995 million

Offering sweeping panoramic views of the spectacular Teton mountain range, this dramatic property, Peace of Jackson, has been built to blend beautifully into its surroundings. The substantial four-bedroom home includes a great room with fireplace, a state-of-the-art kitchen, home cinema, sauna and hot tub. The primary suite has its own private deck and the landscaped gardens include a full outdoor kitchen and 5½ acres of land within easy reach of the slopes, as well as Jackson Hole itself. Sotheby’s International Realty (001 307 690 4335; www.sothebysrealty.com)

Los Angeles, California $29.995 million

On a private tree-lined hillside in Bel Air, 1035, Stradella Road has farreaching canyon, city and ocean views and nearly 1½ acres of land.

A vast modern mansion, it extends to 12,000sq ft, with seven bed rooms and 14 bathrooms. All three storeys feature indoor and outdoor living areas and numerous spaces for entertaining, working and relaxing, including an outdoor kitchen, two pools, custom bar, 12-seat cinema room and an indoor/outdoor gym, plus two garages with parking for five cars. The Agency (001 866 371 6468; www.theagencyre.com)

Honolulu, Hawaii $5.93 million

The Black Point gated community overlooks the coastline on Honolulu’s southernmost point. No 4140 is a handsome modern beach house offering three spacious bedroom suites, plus a further bedroom that connects to the terrace. With rosewood floors and marble counter tops, this beautifully appointed property comes with a blue-tiled pool, as well as an impressive ocean pool, which is accessed via a short walk along the coastline. Sotheby’s International Realty (001 808 306 7005; www.sothebysrealty.com)

Snowmass Village, Colorado $18 million

Bordering the White River National Forest and overlooking the famous ski-in, ski-out Cascade Run at the top of Two Creeks in Snowmass Village, this substantial modern house offers open-plan living at its very best. With four bedroom suites and a warm, traditional design, it’s the perfect property for family gatherings and holidays; the lap pool on the huge outdoor deck under the pine trees makes an ideal place to relax after an exhilarating day in the mountains. Knight Frank International (020–7629 8171; www.knightfrank.com) and Douglas Elliman (001 970 923 4700; www.elliman.com)

Santa Barbara, California $12.25 million

In the prestigious Happy Canyon of the Santa Ynez Valley, Figueroa Farms boasts more than 100 acres of bountiful California land. The magnificent Mediterranean-style main house is substantial, with five bedrooms and six bathrooms; beyond are the guest house and a 4,300-tree olive orchard, as well as 40 acres of valuable south-facing land primed for viticultural development—Rhone and Bordeaux-style varietals are known to flourish here. Village Properties (001 805 689 6262; www.villagesite.com)

Manhattan, New York $6.95 million

Dating back to 1889, 33, West 95th Street is a beautiful pre-war townhouse located just off Central Park on one of the finest tree-lined blocks on the Upper West Side. This elegant property offers four bedrooms, three bath rooms, a large living room, library, den, kitchen and dining room. There are period features including fireplaces throughout and a large basement with lots of potential; the outdoor space comprises a fantastic 50ft-long garden filled with mature trees. Sotheby’s International Realty (001 917 747 0055; www.sothebysrealty.com)

Hamptons, New York $13.9 million

This handsome oceanfront property is situated on nearly 1½ protected acres south of the highway in Quogue village. With 8,000sq ft, 214, Dune Road boasts six bedroom suites, eight bathrooms, versatile living spaces, a chef’s kitchen built for entertaining and a handy guest cottage. Outside, the house comes with some 103ft of frontage, a picturesque walkway to the beach, sunrise and sunset views over the water and an expansive deck with a heated pool and spa. Elliman (001 516 695 3433; www.elliman.com)

September 28, 2022 | Country Life | 47

Property market

WITH little new to look at since the start of the year, the frenzy has gone out of the country-house market in the West Country—especially in Devon, where there is ‘a dreadful shortage’ of family houses in sought-after parts of the county, such as the area around Blundells School in Tiverton, says Ed Clarkson of buy ing agents Property Vision. Fortunately, the West Country is a big place and good houses with land can still be found in tranquil corners closer to London.

Previously located in Dorset and now in Wiltshire following boundary changes, the

manor of Sedgehill was owned by Shaftesbury Abbey in the early 12th century. At the Dissolution, it passed to the Crown and was granted, in 1540, to Sir Thomas Poynings, who immediately sold it to Sir Thomas Arundell. Following Arundell’s arrest and execution, the manor was acquired, in 1573, by William Grove, who was briefly MP for Shaftesbury.

The estate, which diminished in size as farms were sold off, remained in the Grove family until the death of Sir Gerald Grove in 1962. It was sold twice more before 1980, when the early-19th-century manor house was acquired with 50 acres by its present owner.

For sale through Oliver Custance-Baker of Strutt & Parker (020–7591 2207) at a guide price of £4.95 million, Sedgehill Manor, which is unlisted, today stands in 55 acres of formal gardens, pasture and woodland, about two miles from the village of Semley, Wiltshire, and just under five miles from Shaftesbury, Dorset. It comes with a party barn, stabling, workshops and garaging, as well as far-reaching views over the lush pas tures of the vale to the Wessex Heights.

The imposing, 8,452sq ft manor house offers spacious accommodation on three floors, including four reception rooms, a library/

The market may be a little slow, but there are still country-house idylls to be found in the West Country All quiet on the western front

study, kitchen/breakfast room, various utili ties, nine bedrooms and five bathrooms.

In the 1890s, one of the bedrooms in the guest wing was designed by Lady Agnes Grove as her morning room, where she wrote her books and discussed her work with Thomas Hardy, who called her his ‘good little pupil’.

Across the county boundary and within the Dorset AONB, the picturesque conserva tion village of Winterborne St Martin, known as Martinstown, 3½ miles from the county town of Dorchester, stands either side of the River South Winterborne and the B3159, which follows the river through the village. This is Hardy country proper, an area of rich pasture that has been settled and farmed since pre-Roman times.

At the western gateway to the village stands West End House, a classic Georgian country house built in 1787 and set in 35 acres of formal and walled gardens, wood land and fields with panoramic views over the surrounding Dorset countryside. Currently for sale through Savills (020–7016 3822) at a guide price of £3.95m, West End House, also unlisted, boasts large windows with thin sash bars, stone sills and lintels and original shutters and, even on a dull day, is bathed in light, says selling agent George Nares.

The handsome, 5,055sq ft main house has been beautifully renovated and maintained by its present owners, who bought it in 2005. The accommodation comprises four main reception rooms, including a double-length drawing room overlooking the walled garden, a large kitchen/breakfast room, various offices, six bedrooms and three bathrooms. It comes with a three-bedroom cottage and outbuildings such as a garage and barn.

The gardens and grounds are a delightful mix of formal and informal planting, with colourful borders, large expanses of lawn, sculpted hedges and ancient trees, including a splendid copper beech. Of particular note is the south-facing walled garden, with its terraced borders and lawn, ornamental trees and landscaped box hedging enclosed by a stone wall.

Due north as the crow flies, Luke PenderCudlip of Knight Frank in Sherborne (01935 810062) is handling the sale—at a guide price of £6.25m—of elegant, late-Georgian The Old Rectory in the pretty village of Stour Provost, six miles west of Shaftesbury, that was once part of several thousand acres given by Henry VI to King’s College, Cambridge. The main range of the rectory was built by the architect William Wilkins in 1828 for John

Tomkyns, the former Vice-Provost of King’s College, following his appointment as rector, with the service wing added slightly later.

Set well back off a quiet, no-through lane on the edge of the village, the Grade II-listed former rectory stands in 4⅓ acres of gardens, woodland and paddocks in a wonderfully private setting overlooking the Stour Vale, which was originally laid out as parkland below The Manor at nearby Fifehead Magdalen.

For the past 10 years, it has been the muchloved family home of the current owners, who have undertaken a complete refurbish ment of the interior, where three fine reception rooms are grouped around the reception hall, allowing plentiful natural light to flood the centre of the house. The secondary wing is dominated by a large kitchen/breakfast room, the hub of the house, with a large dining area and tall French win dows opening onto the terrace.

A sweeping main staircase leads to the first floor, where the principal bedroom suite is positioned to catch the sun through out the day, with windows on three sides looking out across the grounds to the river and beyond. There are five further double bedrooms, two with bathrooms en suite and two with shower rooms.

Left: Sedgehill Manor stands in 55 acres of Wiltshire countryside. £4.95m. Above: West End House boasts panoramic views over Dorset. £3.95m

Property market

Dorset’s The Old Rectory is Grade II-listed and has been completely refurbished by the owners in the past 10 years. £6.25m

Formal gardens to the south and west comprise a series of tiered lawns, with a heated jacuzzi pool on the highest level and, below it, a croquet lawn and a recently built terrace with a fountain at its centre. This overlooks the hard tennis court and the lower lawn, which slopes down to the River Stour, the property’s northern boundary. Thanks to the weir further downstream, the river flows gently at this point and is wide and deep enough for swimming.

Across the county border in Somerset, Savills (020–7016 37822) quote a guide price of ‘excess £8m’ for illustrious, Grade II-listed Wadbury House, a grand Palladian villa built for Thomas Fussell in 1840 by James Wilson of Bath, which stands in 37 acres of pasture, parkland, woodland and wildflower meadow, a mile from the popular estate village of Mells, 2½ miles from Babington House and 15 miles south of Bath.

Built of Bath-stone ashlar under a slate roof, the striking Italianate country house stands on the site of Wadbury Camp, an ancient fort that protected the mining dis trict of the Mendip Hills in pre-Roman times and still enjoys breathtaking unimpeded views to the Westbury White Horse on Salisbury Plain. On the southern boundary of Wadbury House are the ruins of Fussell’s Iron Works, which produced agricultural tools that were once exported all over the world. Having bought Wadbury House 12 years ago, the present owners embarked on an ambitious restoration of the house and grounds, which included the addition of a substantial stone orangery designed by Bath architect Simon Morray-Jones.

Approached via electric wrought-iron gates along a sweeping carriage drive, the house is entirely hidden within its secluded setting. The main house offers more than 10,700sq ft of living space including a porte-cochère and entrance hall, a grand central hall, piano room, drawing room, two studies, kitchen/break fast room, various utilities, garden room, family room and magnificent dining room

An idyll on the Fowey estuary

FALMOUTH-BASED estate agent Jonathan Cunliffe (01326 617447) is handling the launch onto the market, at a guide price of £2m, of one of Cornwall’s most remarkable waterside properties, The Granary at Lerryn, a pretty village that straddles the river of the same name, which joins the River Fowey further downstream.

Originally built as a grain store in the days when sailing ships carried cargo into Lerryn, then a busy port handling coal, fertiliser, grain, sand and timber for distribu tion to the surrounding farms and estates, The Granary occupies a magical waterfront setting on the north bank of the river, backing onto Ethy Wood, now owned by the National Trust. For the past 15 years, this wonderful stone building has been the cherished holiday home of Sir John and Lady Sorrell.

Having acquired The Granary in 2007, they commissioned prolific American archi tect the late M. J. Long, designer of the landmark National Maritime Museum Cornwall on Falmouth harbour and the Porthmeor Studios in St Ives, to transform the stone granary building into a distinctive waterside home flooded with natural light and, in the words of the architect herself, les pieds dans l’eau.

The design of the interior is simplicity itself. On the ground floor, an open-plan kitchen/ dining room with a central woodburner opens out onto the quayside and the spacious sitting room above appears to overhang the river. Four bedrooms and three bathrooms are spread across the two floors. Enclosed by the property on two sides and a high stone wall, a private, south-facing walled courtyard garden fronts the river and provides an idyllic vantage point from which to observe the wildlife. On the other side of the walled garden, the private quay provides parking for two cars and space to moor or launch a small boat.

The river flows gently and is wide and deep enough for swimming

in the orangery. There is also a gym, shower room and steam room, a one-bedroom annexe and large basement providing cellars, storage and the potential for additional rooms.

Upstairs, the sumptuous principal bed room suite spans the entire southern façade, with views in every direction, bar north; there are five further bedrooms, two bath rooms and a tower room and turret with panoramic views. Further accommodation is provided in a number of cleverly converted cottages and outbuildings. The extensive formal gardens and grounds perfectly com plement the scale of the house, with terraced lawns supported by stone walls leading down to an Italian garden. Beyond the gardens lies historic parkland with mown walks and grazing for the many animals kept by the current owners: these include ponies, goats, alpacas, chickens, sheep, and pigs, which forage in the woodland.

Grade II-listed Wadbury House offers more than 10,000sq ft of living space in 37 acres of prime Somerset countryside. £8m

Properties of the week

Arabella Youens Go west

From Poole to Penzance and across rural cottages, pretty farmhouses and coastal mansions, the wonderful West Country has it all–here’s our pick of the property crop

Cornwall, £1.6 million Overlooking kite surfers in St Mounts Bay and set on a quiet, private lane, Bojowan is a large, light-filled, fivebedroom house. The property lies in Praa Sands, between the Lizard and West Penwith, with a mile-long sandy beach backed by sand dunes. The main living room has a panoramic, five-panel window overlooking the bay and French doors lead from here to a wrap-around terrace. ‘This is a delightful house in a wonderful location,’ says selling agent Sean Anderson. ‘Perfect as a permanent home or a wonderful holiday house, with an ongoing successful guest business.’ Savills (01872 243200)

Dorset , £1.25 million Limekiln House stands in an elevated, yet sheltered position up a farm road leading from the village of East Chaldon, close to the town of Wool. A bridleway runs past the house through the valley and down to the coast at famous Durdle Door, which agents describe as ‘a magical half-hour walk’. The house, which includes five bedrooms and bathrooms, has benefited from being extended over the years and once formed part of the neighbouring Weld estate. ‘We simply fell in love with the position and couldn’t believe our luck,’ say the vendors. ‘It’s so peaceful and all we hear is birdsong.’ Domvs (01929 555300)

Ahelping hand

Finding that perfectpropertycan be tricky,especiallyinareas,suchthe West CountryorLondon, wherestock oftennever reachesthe open market, so abuyingagent is invaluable in securing theright home foryou

Heaton &Partners

Sinceopening theirdoors in 2013,Heaton &Partnershas growntobecomethe preeminentindependent firm of buying agents operatingthroughoutthe SouthofEngland, includingLondon. Itshighlyexperienced team provides property search andbuying advice to clientswithbudgets from under £1million to morethan£100million. The companyhas an unrivalled trackrecordand

TheBuyingSolution

TheBuyingSolutionhas more than 200years of collective experience in itsteamand has acquired more than £600 million of property in theWestCountry in thepast18 years, with 65%ofthese beingoff market.Local experts includeMarkLawson, whospecialises in budgetsover£7.5millionand hasatrack recordofacquiringthe region’s finest farms and sporting estates, andJakeCivardi,who

covers country-housesearches forbudgets above£2 millioninHampshire,westBerkshire, Wiltshire, Somerset andDorset. Their encyclopaedic knowledgeand unrivalled intelligencenetwork make them thego-to agents forthe area if youare lookingfor trustedbuyingadvicewiththe winningedge in theWestCountry or furtherafield (01488657912;www.thebuyingsolution.co.uk)

leaves no stoneunturnedwhenitcomes to findingthe perfectproperty. Theteam workswithutmostdiscretion throughout theentireprocesswithservice excellence at theheart of everything it does.This perhapsexplainswhy former clientsare the firm’s biggestadvocates,according to founderEdHeaton. (01635 887340;www.heatonpartners.com)

AWSPrime Property is an expert property consultancybased in Knightsbridge, encompassingsearch,acquisitionand development. It guidesclients throughthe complexand competitiveprime London market,saving them time,sourcingthe finest andrarest properties,and negotiatingthe best terms forthem. Themajorityofthe acquisitions areconducted entirely off-market,sourced

PrimePurchase

Forthe past 20 years, PrimePurchasehas representedbuyersacquiringsomeofthefinest homesand estatesacrossthe country, many of whichare notavailable on theopenmarket. ItsWestCountry team livesand worksonthe patch, offering an impartialand professional service. Thecompanyonlyrepresentsbuyers andactsintheir best interests, drawingon itslocal knowledgetoimpartconsidered and

from thefirm’senviable blackbook. Founder Alex Woodleigh-Smithcomments: ‘For most of ourclients,their time is simply toovaluable to spendtrawlingwebsites andfielding callsfromagents. We properly research each search,previewinganaverage of 50 properties perclient. Only theverybest reachour shortlists.’ (020–73857049; www.awsprime.com) Property

sensible advice,managingthe negotiation processtoensurethe best possible outcome. With acombined80years of property expertise,Prime Purchase’sWestCountry team is oneofthe best connected in thebusiness, offering only ahandful of clientsatany one time unrivalledaccesstopropertiesavailable both offand on market (07967 555773; www.prime-purchase.com)

Properties of the week

Somerset , £500,000

Enjoying a peaceful position at the end of a no-through road in the village of Hardington Mandeville on the Somerset/ Dorset border, three miles south-west of Yeovil, Rookery Cottage is one of four thatched properties constructed in the late 1990s by local builders. As a result, it marries the appearance of a traditional house with the convenience of a layout designed for modern-day living—there’s no need to duck under very low-hanging beams, for example. There are four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a goodsized garden with a greenhouse and small timber arbour. The nearest rail link to London is from Yeovil Junction. Jackson-Stops (01935 810141)

Somerset , £1.15 million

This handsome Grade II-listed farmhouse stands in the village of Buckland Dinham, a few miles north of the bustling market town of Frome. Glebe House has five bedrooms, as well as plenty of attic space, which offers the potential of further accommodation. The layout is ideal for a family with a large eat-in kitchen, three reception rooms and a snug or home office. Along the front façade of the house is a stone terrace with a seating area, climbing plants and well-stocked flowerbeds. To the side is the main garden, which has direct access to the adjacent field. Glebe House ‘is also ideally situated for those wishing to enjoy the facilities of Babington House Hotel and private members country club only a few miles away,’ say agents.

Hamptons (01225 220216)

Devon , £1 million

Trethule Cottage, set in the heart of the village of Thurlestone, near Kingsbridge in the South Hams, has four bedrooms.

The current owners host paying guests in the Grade II-listed house, which has an eat-in kitchen with an Aga and a rear garden with a raised, decked seating area offering sea views. A short distance from the beach at Thurlestone Sands and its popular Beach House café, the village —which swells with tourists during the summer months—supports a shop, post office, pub and church; the Thurlestone Hotel offers an indoor and outdoor pool, spa and 18-hole golf course. Marchand Petit (01548 857588)

Devon , £700,000

This Grade II-listed, two-bedroom cottage, on the outskirts of Ashburton, was converted from a pigsty 20 years ago and has lots of character features, including exposed stone walls and beams, and an attractive eat-in kitchen with an oil-fired Aga. It comes with two acres of gardens and two outbuildings, which offer the new owners conversion potential, subject to planning consent, says sales agent Jon Emery. The barn is currently used as storage, but has previously been a stable and the washhouse acts as a utility room and further storage space. Bradleys (01626 333636)