Country Life June 16, 2021 Early Property Pages by lkhosla

EVERY WEEK

JUNE 16, 2021

The magnificent garden of many rooms

ISSUE: 24

PRINTED IN THE UK

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MASTERPIECE JUNE 16, 2021

Beauty or beast? Britain’s deer conundrum The art that comforted a queen The ultimate rose and an insect success

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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866

A Robert Adam style twin pedestal mahogany dining table, handmade in bookmatched crotch okoume veneer. The top with inset brass stringing, square edge, and apron finished with finely hand-carved rope edge in gold metal leaf. The pedestals with concave panelled and veneered sides with further rope detail, on scroll feet with gilding. Length: 82" (208.3cm) | Width: 42" (106.7 cm) | Height: 30" (76.2cm)

£5,675 An impressive dining chair with scoop back fully veneered in bookmatched crotch okoume with inlaid brass perimeter. The front splat in matching veneer with roll top and sweeping reeded arms encapuslating a fixed seat and back in light tan leather. Giltwood rope detail above reeded square tapering front legs and downswept back legs.

£1,720 each

An exclusive new collection of neoclassical and Robert Adam inspired designs in four specially developed finishes, offering individuality and unrivalled value for money.

COVID-19: Our showrooms are open providing a safe environment to view items and discuss your requirements.

VIEW ITEMS IN YOUR HOME WITH OUR APPROVAL SERVICE... VIDEO ONLINE!

OVER 1,000 ITEMS OF EXCLUSIVE CLASSICAL FURNISHINGS IN STOCK

CALL 01491 641115 | WWW.BRIGHTSOFNETTLEBED.CO.UK

nettlebed . oxfordshire . rg9 5dd (open tues-sat)

king's rd . london . sw6 2dx (open mon-fri)

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WISB OROUGH GREEN, WEST SUSSEX

stunning Sussex Farmhouse located on the outskirts of Wisborough Green. This characterful home comes with a spacious one bedroom cottage and sits in gardens and grounds of around 4.5 acres. A further 45 acres of woodland is available by separate negotiation. 7- 8 B E D R O O M S | 5 - 6 B AT H R O O M S | 5 - 6 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S C O T TA G E | T E N N I S C O U R T | S W I M M I N G P O O L | S T R E A M | P A D D O C K S | E P C E & F PETWORTH 9 MILE S | HASLEMERE 11 MILE S

Guide price £2,850,000 Knight Frank London & Haslemere julia.robotham@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8178 russell.grieve@knightfrank.com 01428 786268 Ref: CHO190108

knightfrank.co.uk

STOKE HAMMOND, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Asking Price: £2,250,000 6 Bedrooms

6 Reception Rooms

5 Bathrooms

E EPC

A period five bedroom former farmhouse with a detached one bedroom annexe, extensive outbuildings, a double carport and over 10 acres of grounds with panoramic countryside views. The house and annexe have a total of 4,629 sq. ft. of accommodation and improvements include a new roof in the last 10 years and refurbished hardwood sash windows, most double glazed. There is zoned central heating, 3 phase electricity, two broadband lines and a 4G router for home working. The nearly 5,800 sq. ft. of versatile outbuildings include stables, barns and workshops, some with potential for conversion into additional accommodation STPP.

Milton Keynes Office | Richard Michalski | 01908 399199 London Office | Bob Bickersteth | 0207 839 0888

14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London

michaelgraham.co.uk

michaelgraham_living

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3 HAWKLEY, HAMPSHIRE

mpressive barn conversion with an unusual extension. Refurbished to a high standard throughout, the house is located in an elevated position with views over the South Downs National Park and surrounding countryside.

Guide price available upon request Knight Frank London & Winchester edward.cunningham@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7121 george.clarendon@knightfrank.com 01962 656115 Ref: WIN012132610

knightfrank.co.uk

Exceptional Residential Estate Bures, Suffolk Bures Station: 2 miles (London Liverpool Street from 72 minutes), Stansted Airport: 30 miles Beautiful residential country estate with significant amenity appeal and a substantial income stream, within easy reach of London and Stansted Airport. Moated country house of exceptional quality, Grade II listed 2 bedroom granary, 6 further residential properties, stabling, estate office, extensive outbuildings, Grade II listed Essex barn, garaging, productive arable land and amenity woodland. EPCs = C-E About 494 acres | Guide £10.5 million

Charlie Paton Savills London National Farms & Estates 020 3925 1992 cpaton@savills.com

Will Hargreaves Savills Ipswich 01473 852 726 whargreaves @savills.com

Jim Bryant Bryant Land and Property 01223 842 675 jim@bryantlandandproperty.com

savills

savills.co.uk

East Sussex, Jevington

Guide Price £2,650,000

Freddie Dryden

Lewes Office 01273 805 822

adrian.passingham@struttandparker.com

freddie.dryden@struttandparker.com

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

Somerset, Upper Coxley

/struttandparker

Alistair Heather

Andrew Cronan

Bath Office 01225 982 018

Country Department 07458 087 293

alistair.heather@struttandparker.com

andrew.cronan@struttandparker.com

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Georgian Elegance Exemplified Gatcombe, Isle Of Wight Newport: 3 miles, Fishbourne Ferry: 9.5 miles (Portsmouth Harbour from 45 mins) Beautiful Grade II* listed country house in an idyllic parkland setting with far-reaching views of the Medina Valley. 6 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 10 bedrooms (3 en suite), 2 further bathrooms, cellar, gym, studio, staff flat, swimming pool, tennis court with pavilion, Grade II listed old stable block comprising 2 cottages, garaging and outbuildings, agricultural buildings, formal gardens and lawns, pastureland, woodland, orchard and ornamental lake. About 48 acres | Guide £5.95 million

George Nares Savills London Country Department 020 3944 0287 george.nares @savills.com

Steven Moore Savills Winchester 01962 656 544 smoore@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Outstanding Oxfordshire Estate Kirtlington, Oxford Bicester Village Station: 6.5 miles (London Marylebone from 44 minutes), Oxford: 11 miles Magnificent residential and sporting estate with impressive principal house, immaculate equestrian and stud facilities. 6 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, indoor swimming pool, tennis court, separate wings with guest cottage, garaging and office, extensive equestrian facilities comprising 3 stud complexes, 67 boxes, 8 turnout barns and indoor school, 5 staff houses, 2 flats and paddocks. About 338 acres | Price on application

Crispin Holborow Savills London National Farms & Estates 020 3918 3044 cholborow@savills.com

Richard Binning Savills Oxford 01865 985 626 rbinning@savills.com

George Windsor Clive Windsor Clive International 01672 521 155 gfwc@windsorclive.co.uk

savills

savills.co.uk

Meet Our Experts

With a career spanning 40 years, well over half of which covering Henley and the Chilterns, Stephen Christie-Miller has a peerless knowledge of the local country house market.

Stephen Christie-Miller Head of Residential, Savills Henley-on-Thames

The Chilterns is home. I spent my childhood here and although I did stray away for about ten years, I returned in 2004 and haven’t left. There’s so much going for it: great connections (set to upgrade when Crossrail opens); beautiful market towns with independent shops and cafes; and gloriously unspoilt countryside, thanks to the careful stewardship of local estate owners. Having been here for so many years, I’ve got to know the area and its houses - some of which I’ve sold multiple times - extremely well. The longer you stay put, the more you get to know what people want; it’s like assembling a jigsaw and makes my job endlessly fascinating. At least half our buyers are coming out of London, but others are people who’ve decided these hills and valleys easily rival those found in further reaches of the countryside and two hours on the motorway is just too long. To find out more about the market in Henley and the Chilterns, watch my video update: http://sav.li/meetourexperts

FOR SALE | Littlewick Green, Maidenhead | Guide £1.695 million Perfectly located between two Crossrail stations suiting anyone working in the City, this 5 bedroom cottage is set in a lovely village.

Stephen Christie-Miller Savills Henley-on-Thames 01491 817 824 schristie-miller@savills.com

FOR SALE | Hurst, Twyford | Offers in excess of £2 million With classic Georgian proportions throughout, this family house is set in lovely countryside yet a few minutes from Twyford station.

FOR SALE | High Street, Wallingford | Guide £1.85 million On the market for the first time in 100 years, this Grade II listed house has been run as a renowned antiques centre for decades. This presents a wonderful opportunity for new owners to turn it back into a home (planning permission is in place).

FOR SALE | Peppard Common, Henley-on-Thames | Guide £1.1 million This is a really charming 5 bedroom cottage set in a lovely village within easy distance of Reading for a fast commute.

SOLD | Wargrave, Berkshire | Guide £3.5 million A beautiful Grade II listed village house tucked away on the river with an island.

Beautiful Character Home Esher, Surrey Esher Station: 1.7 miles (London Waterloo from 23 minutes) Picturesque home in private prestigious estate with golf course views. 3 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, study, utility, double garage, off-street parking and garden. EPC = D Guide £2.75 million Karl Matier Savills Esher 01372 885 737 kmatier@savills.com

Trevor Rawlings Savills Esher 01372 888 644 ttrawlings@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

An Italianate Masterpiece Oswestry, Shropshire Shrewsbury: 19 miles, Chester: 28 miles An exquisite Georgian villa in a private rural setting with a beautifully presented interior. 7 reception rooms, 5 bedroom suites, 3 further bedrooms, further bathroom, cellars, 2 bedroom coach house, garage, stunning gardens, grounds and land. About 11 acres | Offers in excess of £3 million Charlie Kannreuther Savills Chester 01244 457 641 ckannreuther @savills.com

Lindsay Cuthill Savills London Country Department 020 3944 4269 lcuthill@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Striking Family Home Chorleywood, Hertfordshire Chorleywood Station: 0.9 miles, Rickmansworth: 4 miles A newly refurbished family home set in a semi-rural location overlooking farmland. 4 reception rooms, 4 bedrooms (4 en suite), further bathroom, feature galleried mezzanine, 2 summerhouses, level gardens and boating lake. EPC = D About 1 acre | Guide £2.95 million Graeme Warren Savills Rickmansworth 01923 883 692 gwarren@savills.com

Sue Trybus Savills Rickmansworth 01923 883 680 strybus@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Historic Country House Hardley, Norfolk Loddon: 1.5 miles, Norwich: 11 miles A historic family home in a commanding position, nestled in rolling Norfolk countryside. 4 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms (3 en suite), further bathroom, cellar, hard tennis court, manège, range of outbuildings formerly with planning consent, formal gardens and paddock. About 2.65 acres | Guide £1.8 million Ben Rivett Savills Norwich 01603 851 513 brivett@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Sold with Michael Graham

MAULDEN, BEDFORDSHIRE Guide Price: £2,000,000 A Grade II listed Georgian six bedroom detached house with an indoor swimming pool, a tennis court, a triple garage and just under 4 acres of landscaped gardens. The property has approximately 7,400 sq. ft. of versatile accommodation with a central two storey double pile house and single storey service wings either side, one of which could be used as a self-contained annexe if required. The gardens are professionally landscaped and include a south facing walled sunken garden and an elevated wooded area, with far reaching countryside views. The property is within walking distance of amenities in Maulden village.

14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London

LD SO

Guide Price: £1,900,000

Guide Price: £1,500,000

KINGSTON BLOUNT, OXFORDSHIRE

SYRESHAM, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Guide Price: £1,750,000

Guide Price: £1,200,000

LILLINGSTONE LOVELL, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

ASPLEY HEATH, BEDFORDSHIRE

THURLEIGH, BEDFORDSHIRE

SHENLEY BROOK END, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Guide Price: £1,500,000

Guide Price: £1,650,000

michaelgraham.co.uk

michaelgrahamliving

michaelgraham_living

LD SO

OLNEY, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

Guide Price: £1,150,000

Guide Price: £1,395,000

UPPER STOWE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

CHAPEL BRAMPTON, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Guide Price: £3,250,000 A 1930s nine bedroom detached house with a separate two bedroom bungalow, an indoor swimming pool, a gym and a tennis court. Electronic gates open to a gravel driveway which leads to the front of the house and continues to a parking area and triple garage. The house has panoramic views over the surrounding countryside and is surrounded by about 5 acres of formal gardens which is divided into separate areas by shaped yew hedges. Equestrian facilities include stables, a manège, and 9 acres of paddocks which have secure storage and separate vehicle access.

14 ofﬁces covering 8 counties and Central London

LD SO

TYRINGHAM, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Guide Price: £2,250,000

LD SO

A Victorian detached house in 6.7 acres of grounds with tennis and badminton courts, a gym, a riﬂe range, a swimming pool, a paddock and stables, and a self-contained ﬂat. The house, which has far reaching views over the Ouse Valley, was built in the 1860s and retains period features including sash windows and fireplaces. The grounds include a formal garden which surrounds the house, and there is also an orchard, a paddock with a newly built stable block, and vegetable gardens. Outbuildings include a twin carport/gym/store which could be converted to additional accommodation subject to the necessary permissions.

WHITTLEBURY, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

BALDOCK HERTFORDSHIRE

Guide Price: £1,275,000

Guide Price: £1,250,000

michaelgraham.co.uk

michaelgrahamliving

michaelgraham_living

LD SO

STAGSDEN, BEDFORDSHIRE Guide Price: £2,300,000

LD SO

A contemporary six bedroom high specification detached house with far reaching countryside views. As well as the main house there is a self-contained guest suite with an en suite shower room, a workshop and a detached oak framed triple garage with a gym/recreation room above. The approximately 1.56 acres of landscaped low maintenance gardens have been designed with an emphasis on entertaining and include an extensive paved area at the rear surrounding a heated outdoor swimming pool, and a covered outdoor kitchen. In addition there are two fenced paddock areas which are suitable for equestrian use.

WHADDON, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

GREAT BARFORD, BEDFORDSHIRE

Guide Price: £1,350,000

Guide Price: £1,500,000

14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London

LD SO

Guide Price: £1,400,000

Guide Price: £1,500,000

OLNEY, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

FAIRFIELD, BEDFORDSHIRE

FILGRAVE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

POTCOTE, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

Guide Price: £1,500,000

Guide Price: £1,300,000

Michael Graham, selling the most desirable town & country homes across 8 counties. If you are considering selling your town or country property, contact your local Michael Graham office for a free market appraisal and see how much further we go to showcase your home.

michaelgraham.co.uk

michaelgrahamliving

michaelgraham_living

Now is the time to buy in the Home Counties The Home Counties have long been a favourable place to call home, offering fast connections to London while retaining a distinctly rural atmosphere. With exchanges 63% higher than the 5-year average* in May 2021, the area's popularity is only set to increase. Here is a selection of properties that is currently available.

Oxshott, Surrey A fabulous detached home extending to over 6,200 sq ft, improved and upgraded by the current owners. 5 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C B

Guide price £3,575,000

nathaniel.bracegirdle@knightfrank.com 01932 800998

Saunderton, Buckinghamshire A very attractive family home offering uninterrupted views to the front and rear. 5 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C F

Guide price £1,495,000

william.furniss@knightfrank.com 01494 853619

Warfield, Berkshire A superb country house with equestrian facilities set in over 12 acres of gardens and paddocks, with ancillary accommodation and a range of outbuildings.

6 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 W I M M I N G P O O L | E P C D

Guide price £3,950,000

greg.crosse@knightfrank.com 01344 989436 Source: Knight Frank data

Offers in excess of £3,250,000

matthew.scott@knightfrank.com 01372 885688

Wallingford, Oxfordshire A delightful house in the centre of Wallingford within a short distance of the river and Wallingford Bridge.

4 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C E

Guide price £1,075,000

nick.warner@knightfrank.com 01491 815299

Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey A rare and unique opportunity to buy an Island home with vehicular access and a three acre garden on the River Thames.

5 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 6 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C E

Guide price £2,450,000

andrew.chambers@knightfrank.com 01932 809938

If you’re thinking of selling your home, or would simply like some advice on the market, get in touch today. We’d love to help you.

Your partners in property for 125 years

knightfrank.co.uk

STORRINGTON, WEST SUSSEX PRICE ON APPLICATION

[8 bedrooms] [Gardens & grounds of 21.5 acres] [2 self-contained staff/ guest cottages] A magnificent Grade II listed Arts and Crafts country house estate with stunning views of The South Downs. The remarkable accommodation extends to over 11,000 sq. ft. and includes eight bedrooms, eight bath/ shower rooms, five reception rooms, and an impressive indoor swimming pool complex. 020 4502 9212

WHEELERM@HAMPTONS.CO.UK

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

THINK OF US AS YOUR PROPERTY MATCHMAKERS

BROMPTON SQUARE, SW3 £3,250 PER WEEK A recently refurbished four bedroom house with double reception, kitchen/dining room, patio garden and access to communal gardens. EPC D 020 3930 5491 knightsbridgelettings@hamptons.co.uk

With the current pent-up demand and a growing database of highquality tenants, many of our lettings properties don’t even make it online before they are let. We let a property every 11 minutes, so it’s not long before we find the right tenant. The skill is matching the right tenant with the right property.

WARGRAVE, BERKSHIRE £12,950 PER MONTH A beautiful property offering luxury living with immense privacy, including five bedrooms, four receptions, swimming pool, annexe and mooring. EPC D 01491 817 943 henleylettingoffice@hamptons.co.uk

BRIGHTON, EAST SUSSEX £5,250 PER MONTH

MARKYATE, HERTFORDSHIRE £6,500 PER MONTH

An elegant Grade II* Listed regency town house set over four floors with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, five receptions and a stunning garden.

A fine Grade II Listed country house with six bedrooms, three receptions, study, five bathrooms, twin garage, private garden and a gardener included.

01273 808 621 brightonhovelettingsoffice@hamptons.co.uk

01727 238 697 stalbanslettings@hamptons.co.uk

KENSINGTON, W8 £3,750 PER WEEK

CLAPHAM, SW4 £2,300 PER WEEK

A stunning property set over five floors with four/five bedrooms, two/three receptions, three bathrooms, roof terrace with 360 degrees views. EPC D

A stunning seven bedroom Victorian family home spanning 3,524 sq.ft. with a landscaped south-west facing garden and an impressive open plan kitchen dining room. EPC C

020 3813 7133 kensingtonlettings@hamptons.co.uk

020 3051 3875 claphamlettingsoffice@hamptons.co.uk

HAMPTONS.CO.UK

Jersey. For business. For life.

Beauport Bay on Jersey’s south-west coast: 49° 10’ 43” N, 2° 12’ 28” W

Jersey. For business. For life. 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. ✚ Pro-Business ■

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Jersey ranks as one of the top oﬀshore ﬁnance centres in the world

10% corporate tax for ﬁnancial services ﬁrms

Skilled, professional workforce

Locate Jersey provides free advice and support to you and your business in becoming resident in Jersey. Please contact Kevin Lemasney, Head of High Value Residency Engagement on +44 (0)7797 783457 or email k.lemasney@gov.je

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locatejersey.com/CL621

HOVE, SUSSEX

sensational seafront location An elegant Grade II listed stucco-fronted Victorian villa with frontage to Kings Esplanade and uninterrupted sea views Restored to exacting standards, generously proportioned accommodation of circa 5,000 sq ft includes an independent self-contained flat A wrap-around roof terrace offers panoramic coastal views and a courtyard provides secure off-street parking FREEHOLD INTEREST FOR SALE

1931 – 2019

The Goldfish Bowl

oil on canvas 91 x 122 cms 36 x 48 ins

23 June – 16 July Rose Hilton, who died in March 2019 aged 87, was an important figure in late twentieth and early twentyfirst century British painting. Grounded in her experiences of the Cornish landscape, her close study of the human figure, and her love for Matisse and Bonnard, she steadily built a reputation as a major St Ives School artist. A singular painter of sensuous, vividly coloured and exotically exquisite images. Rose was a woman who spent a lifetime challenging herself, and an artist whose open-minded determination to improve and willingness to experiment never faltered.

Fully illustrated catalogue available £15

www.messums.com 12 Bury Street, St. James’s, London SW1Y 6AB

Tel: +44 (0)20 7287 4448

Property market

Penny Churchill

Thoroughly modern mansions In the 1930s, COUNTRY LIFE found one of these four Home Counties beauties ‘stimulating’ (although Betjeman wasn’t keen); another has water canons and ‘intelligent’ technology

Above left: Grade II*-listed High and Over in Buckinghamshire is ‘the first truly convincing essay in the international style in England’. £2.5m

INETY years after it was built, one of Britain’s most controversial and iconic country houses, Grade II*-listed High and Over at Amersham, Buckinghamshire, has come back to the market through Savills (07824 592170) at a guide price of £2.5 million. Its Historic England listing describes the striking Y-shaped property—built in 1929–31 and known locally as the ‘Aeroplane House’ for its three wings leading off a hexagonal reception hall—as being ‘of outstanding importance as the first truly convincing essay in the international style in England, one of only two buildings included in The International Style Exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, in 1932’. Back home, the reaction was less enthusiastic. Sir John Betjeman commented: ‘In 1931 all Buckinghamshire was scandalised by the appearance, high above Amersham, of

a concrete house in the shape of a letter “Y”. It was built for a young professor, by a young architect… It started a style called moderne.’ The professor was Bernard Ashmole, of Classical Archaeology at London University, and the architect was Amyas Connell, who won the prestigious Rome Scholarship; he later became part of the pioneering architectural practice of Connell, Ward & Lucas. Although England wasn’t quite ready for ‘moderne’ and plans for the house were passed by the local authority only ‘with extreme reluctance’, COUNTRY L IFE (September 19, 1931) took the opposing stance, hailing High and Over as ‘sound and stimulating architecture, a brilliant synthesis of contemporary thought with contemporary materials’. The article continues: ‘There is nothing in its clean level lines nor in its whiteness that does not harmonise with the rolling chalk uplands. It does, in fact, conform carefully to the contours

of the site. It makes no pretence to having grown out of the soil but says frankly “I am the home of a 20th-century family that loves air and sunlight and open country”.’ Connell planned a formal garden for the estate. Instead, in 1993, the lower part of the 12-acre site was sold and a series of smaller, but similar ‘Sun Houses’ were built to the design of Basil Ward, Connell’s partner and brotherin-law. The main house was later sold by the Ashmole family. After the Second World War, buildings designed by the pioneers of Modern architecture were no longer fashionable and few could afford to live in the grand manner. In the 1960s, High and Over was saved from demolition by being divided into two separate houses, but was reinstated as one dwelling in the 1990s. The current owners have restored many of the original features. In all, High and Over offers 5,000sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

I am the home of a 20th-century family that loves sunlight and open country six reception rooms, eight bedrooms and two bath/shower rooms; a 1,000sq ft roof terrace commands far-reaching views over Old Amersham to the Misbourne Valley. The property retains some 1.7 acres of its original grounds, with terraces and steps leading down to the circular swimming pool, lawns and a lightly wooded backdrop. The use of the landmark building as a film set for period dramas such as the ‘Poirot’ series provides a useful income from time to time. Another bonus is the planning consent granted in April 2018 for the replacement of the garage by a single-storey annexe, ideal as

Top and above: Edwardian Carbone House was built in 1901 and now boasts the latest technology to assist in modern living, as well as more than 11,000sq ft of space. £8.95m 127

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Property market set in 34 acres of gardens, grounds, paddocks and woodland within the Kent Downs AONB. The much-cherished home of the Cantlay family since 1993, Quornden dates from the early 1900s and has been beautifully modernised with the addition, in 2012, of a tripleaspect orangery that provides a central core to the house. Quornden’s famous gardens, once open to the public, include a charming walled garden with an American-inspired ‘Jefferson’ serpentine wall. The main house offers some 7,600sq ft of accommodation on three floors including three reception rooms, two studies, a vast kitchen/breakfast/family room, four bedroom suites, five further bedrooms and two bathrooms. It comes with a one-bedroom cottage, stabling, outbuildings, swimming pool, tennis court and an area of grassland running the length of the valley that serves as a golf practice area. a home office or studio. Families looking for ‘air, sunlight and open country’ allied to the grace and space of early-20th-century architecture, can find it all in favoured corners of the Home Counties. A guide price of £8.95m is quoted by Savills and local agents Statons (01707 661144) for imposing Carbone House on the edge of Northaw Wood, near Cuffley, ‘one of the finest modern country houses in Hertfordshire and certainly one of the most impressive homes in Cuffley, yet only 20 miles from central London’.

The indoor pool has a water wall, a central volcano and water guns Originally built in 1901, the impressive Edwardian country house—in three acres of manicured grounds that include a children’s playground, floodlit tennis court and newly planted orchard—has been transformed by the latest in touch-screen technology into the perfect ‘intelligent’ family home. The main house offers 9,260sq ft of living space, with a further 2,038sq ft in the adjoining threebedroom annexe. Linked to the main house is a residential leisure complex, comprising a gym, steam room, beauty-treatment room, kitchen, lounge area and an indoor pool with a water wall, central volcano and water guns. Down in the garden of England, Edward Rook of Knight Frank (020–7861 5115) is asking £5.35m for secluded Quornden at Ide Hill, near Sevenoaks, a fine, Georgian-style house

Above and right: Quornden in Kent is a secluded Georgianstyle home that has been recently modernised and comes with 34 acres of gardens and grounds. £5.35m

Georgian charm in Farnham

IKE SPARKS of Hamptons (020– 7493 8222) quotes a guide price of £3.5m for elegant Grade II*-listed Guildford House at Farnham, Surrey, a classic, sixbedroom Georgian house that dates from the late 17th century with later additions. Owned by the same family since 1998, Guildford House occupies a prominent position on Castle Street and enjoys direct access to the 300-acre Farnham Park from its own delightful walled garden. The house offers accommodation on three floors including a hall, three reception rooms, a kitchen/sitting room, conservatory, extensive cellars, six bedrooms and four bathrooms.

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Properties of the week

There’s no place like home Picture-perfect cottages in the Home Counties

Edited by Annunciata Elwes

Buckinghamshire, £750,000 This is exactly the sort of character cottage to tempt Londoners out of the big smoke. It sits in the coveted Chiltern Hills village of Turville—filming location for The Vicar of Dibley—and is even called Sleepy Cottage. The principal bedroom, with vaulted ceiling and exposed timber beams, overlooks the village green, church and Cobstone Windmill, which featured in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The sense of deja-vu is enhanced by the village’s further appearance in Midsomer Murders, I Capture the Castle, Marple and Killing Eve, among others; Goodnight Mister Tom was actually filmed at Sleepy Cottage. Further acclaim comes from the house’s association with Ellen Sadler, the famous Sleeping Girl of Turville, who lived in the cottage in 1871, when, aged 11, she fell into a deep sleep and didn’t wake up for nine years. This was a media sensation, from which her family (slightly suspiciously) profited; elder Turville residents even talk of a visit from the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII), who laid his hands on her in an attempt to cure her. Whether or not this happened, Ellen woke up shortly after her mother’s death in 1880, got married and, well rested, proceeded to have at least five children. Sleepy Cottage has three bedrooms in all, a manageable garden and greenhouse, and the sitting room has a brick fireplace and log burner. Savills (01491 843024) Surrey, £700,000 Pretty Peaslake—one of the most popular villages in the Surrey Hills, surrounded by rolling meadows and Hurtwood forest-clad slopes—is about seven miles from the market town of Dorking, which is peppered with antiques shops and not far from Box Hill. On the edge of the village, Pear Tree Cottage is built of Bargate stone and has three bedrooms. To the front of the house is a lovely cottage garden and, at the back, there are mature hedges, beds, herbaceous borders, pergolas and specimen shrubs. Knight Frank (01483 617919)

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Properties of the week

Buckinghamshire, £1.5 million Originally three workers’ cottages, Greenways, in the village of Whiteleaf, has been cleverly enlarged over the years, its thatched roof and wood beams contrasting attractively with large expanses of glass and a separate contemporary one-bedroom studio. There are three bedrooms in the main house, two en suite, plus an orangery, and the landscaped gardens sit next to the largest remaining natural box woodland in Britain, on the edge of the Chiltern escarpment, with panoramic views. This charming property is accessed down a little footpath or from the end of a private road close to Whiteleaf Golf Club. Princes Risborough is less than two miles away and London only 45 minutes by train from Wendover (five miles). Hamptons (01494 355341)

Local heroes The indispensable car mechanic Illustration by Emma van Zeller

9000

Maj Topbrass, long-serving chair of the parish council, might consider himself to be head honcho in the village, but Dave, the local mechanic, would beg to differ. Dave never pulls rank, but he takes a quiet pleasure in the power he wields when mechanical failure wreaks havoc in villagers’ lives. It comes with all sorts of benefits, from complimentary pints to bottles of Scotch from grateful old ladies whose Honda Jazz he has sorted. Best of all was the unanimous support for his application to convert his former premises into a housing development that rode roughshod over the village plan. He could have taken early retirement, but he’s moved to an industrial unit on the farm because, frankly, he would not only miss the forelock-tugging deference with which he’s treated, but he loves the smell of an oily rag in the morning. GK

Berkshire, £1.4 million On a sunny day, it’s difficult not to be entranced by the pink-rose-covered façade of pretty Glebe House in Warfield, which has five bedrooms, a sleek, yet rustic kitchen with a central island and Aga and four reception rooms littered with fireplaces, log burners and overhead beams. Beautifully kept gardens have well-stocked beds, plus two stables, a summerhouse, garage, wood and bike stores and lots of room for outdoor dining. Ascot is only five miles down the road and Windsor 10. Strutt & Parker (01344 636961)

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