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JULY 21, 2021
Telling England’s story
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ENGLISH HERITAGE JULY 21, 2021
Busman’s holidays: historians’ favourite outings The Victorian cook making a comeback The top 10 rosé wines to drink this summer
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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866
The exclusive Dorchester model has a hardwood frame, hand built by British craftsmen onto a burr oak veneered show wood base with giltwood scroll line. The seat has a mesh top coil sprung seating unit whilst the back is hessian webbed. We are offering this stunning sofa and chair suite in quality fabric sourced directly from the mills. Both sofa and chair have soft foam seat cushions, whilst the sofa has feather-filled scatter back cushions, and the chair a fibre-filled formal back cushion, making this suite easy to maintain whilst offering both sumptuous comfort and support. Both with arm pillows and key tassels for the finishing touch. Sofa Width: 225 | Depth: 100 | Height: 100 cm Chair Width: 110 | Depth: 100 | Height: 100 cm
Limited offer £3,715 Available for immediate delivery Visit our website for similar unrepeatable offers
COVID-19: As a family run business, we are continuing with the same proven hygiene proctocol to ensure the health of our customers and team. Masks, distancing, and regular sanitisation of showrooms and vehicles will remain in place along with rapid testing of our team. Masks are available to our showroom visitors.
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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WO ODCOTE , OXFORDSHIRE
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compact country estate in a sought-after location with attractive land and huge potential. The estate has extensive outbuildings, arable land, pasture and woodland. Available as a whole or in lots.
5 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | B I L L I A R D R O O M | 2 C O T TA G E S FA R M B U I L D I N G S | A R A B L E & PA S T U R E L A N D | W O O D L A N D | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 2 6 9 A C R E S WO OD COTE 1 MILE | HENLEY 12 MILE S | CENTRAL LOND ON 47 MILE S
Offers in excess of £6,500,000 for Lot 1 Knight Frank London & Henley-on-Thames clive.hopkins@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8211 nick.warner@knightfrank.com 01491 815299 Ref: CHO012100329
knightfrank.co.uk
CLOPHILL, BEDFORDSHIRE Offers In Excess Of: £2,000,000 4 Bedrooms
2 Reception Rooms
2 Bathrooms
N/A EPC
A Grade II listed 18th century former watermill with a detached one-bedroom cottage, outbuildings, parking and over 6 acres of grounds, walking distance from village amenities. Set over four floors, including a basement level, the property has over 3,400 sq. ft. of versatile accommodation including the detached former miller’s cottage in the garden which provides self-contained accommodation. There is gated driveway parking and an outbuilding comprising two barns. The property owns the water rights on the River Flit which runs through the whole plot, with its own waterfall and mill pond. The 6 acres of grounds include gardens, a wooded area, a meadow and paddock land.
Bedford Office | Richard Banks | 01234 220000 London Office | Bob Bickersteth | 0207 839 0888
14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London
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michaelgraham.co.uk
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michaelgraham_living
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beautiful Grade II listed country house in a quintessential rural position. The house offers fine river views and is set in a highly desirable yet commutable location, on the Shotley Peninsula.
7 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S S TA B L I N G | O U T B U I L D I N G S | K I T C H E N G A R D E N | P O N D | W O O D L A N D | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 7. 8 A C R E S M A N N I N G T R E E 5 M I L E S ( L I V E R P O O L S T R E E T F R O M 6 0 M I N U T E S ) | D E D H A M VA L E 8 . 3 M I L E S
Offers in excess of £2,000,000 Knight Frank London george.bramley@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8284 georgie.veale@knightfrank.com 020 3995 0779 Ref: CHO012106088
knightfrank.co.uk
Prestigious Essex Address Fryerning, Essex Ingatestone Station: 2.8 miles, Chelmsford: 8.8 miles A versatile house and cottage in glorious landscaped gardens and parkland, with convenient access to London by train from Ingatestone Station. 3 reception rooms, 4 bedroom suites, tennis court, swimming pool, 2 bedroom cottage, landscaped gardens, parkland and stables. EPC = D About 7.8 acres | Guide £4.5 million Stephen White Savills Chelmsford 01245 809 793 swhite@savills.com
Tim Phillips Savills London Country Department 020 3930 4475 tmphillips@savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
Exceptional Norfolk Living South Walsham, Norfolk Wroxham: 6 miles, Norwich: 9 miles Historic country house of unquestionable quality in an edge of village setting near the Norfolk Broads network. 7 reception rooms, 8 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, swimming pool, hard tennis court, 2 cottages, outbuildings, walled gardens, water gardens, park and woodland. EPC = D About 25 acres | Guide £3.5 million Ben Rivett Savills Norwich 01603 851 701 brivett@savills.com
Tim Phillips Savills London Country Department 020 3797 4347 tmphillips@savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
Hertfordshire, Sandridge
An outstanding and elegant modern family home in classical style set in 102 acres with breathtaking rural views St. Albans: 3 miles (Kings Cross 26 minutes), Harpenden: 4 miles, A1(M) (J4): 3 miles, Luton Airport: 10 miles, Central London: 25 miles Entrance hall | Drawing room | Sitting room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Dining room | Study | Master bedroom with dressing room and ensuite 4 Further bedrooms (2 ensuite) | Bathroom | Separate 2-bedroom cottage | Large barn with potential to be converted | Mature gardens and grounds | Swimming pool | Parkland and pasture | Planning consent for second cottage, agricultural barn, stables and garages About 102.28 acres
Over 50 Offices across England and Scotland, including prime Central London.
Mark Rimell
Rozanne Edwards
Country Department 020 7318 5025
St Albans Office 01727 840 285
mark.rimell@struttandparker.com
rozanne.edwards@struttandparker.com
/struttandparker
@struttandparker
struttandparker.com
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4 5 LA RUE DE LA ROULERIE, JERSEY
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ne of the most important private estates in Jersey that carries international recognition. An impressive neoclassical inspired property set within 18 acres of stunning gardens, managed woodlands and equine grasslands. 5 -7 B E D R O O M S | 6 B AT H R O O M S | 7 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | G Y M N A S I U M S W I M M I N G P O O L C O M P L E X | 2 S TA F F/ G U E S T C O T TA G E S G AT E D T R E E - L I N E D D R I V E | L A N D S C A P E D G A R D E N S
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2 L A K E S | W O O D L A N D | P O S T & R A I L E D PA D D O C K S S TA B L E C O M P L E X W I T H G R O O M ' S F L AT | 6 L O O S E B O X E S ST HELIER 1.5 MILES
Guide price available upon request Knight Frank London & Jersey oliver.rodbourne@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7108 aimee@wilsons.je 01534 877977
knightfrank.co.uk
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BRUAR, PERTHSHIRE
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wonderful country house set in over four acres of gardens in Highland Perthshire. With far-reaching views overlooking the surrounding Atholl Estate, it is situated close to the renowned House of Bruar.
7 B E D R O O M S | 7 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S P A D D O C K | W O O D L A N D | O R C H A R D | R I V E R F R O N TA G E | H E L I PA D | E P C D B L A I R AT H O L L 3 . 5 M I L E S | P I T L O C H R Y 1 1 M I L E S | P E R T H 3 7 M I L E S
Offers in excess of £1,200,000 Knight Frank Edinburgh tom.stewart-moore@knightfrank.com 01315 166328 Ref: EDN012182078
knightfrank.co.uk
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KIPPEN, STIRLINGSHIRE
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n historic Grade A listed Arts & Crafts house with wonderful landscaped gardens and a lodge house. The property is set amongst the outstanding scenery west of Stirling and located just a few yards from the heart of the charming village of Kippen.
1 0 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | PAV I L I O N G A R D E N S | P O N D | T E N N I S L AW N | W O O D L A N D | PA D D O C K | O U T B U I L D I N G S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 6 . 0 1 A C R E S STIRLING 10 MILE S | GLASGOW 26 MILES | EDINBURGH 48 MILE S
Offers in excess of £1,500,000 Knight Frank Edinburgh tom.stewart-moore@knightfrank.com 01315 166328 Ref: EDN012188708
knightfrank.co.uk
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TARBERT, ARGYLL AND BUTE
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istoric 15th century castle in need of refurbishment with a cottage and charming walled garden. Situated in a private position on the west coast of South Knapdale, the property offers fabulous coastal views.
1 0 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S P L O T W I T H P L A N N I N G C O N S E N T | W O O D L A N D | M A U S O L E U M | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 2 1 . 0 8 A C R E S | E P C G TA R B E R T 1 5 M I L E S | L O C H G I L P H E A D 2 0 M I L E S | G L A S G O W A I R P O R T 9 9 M I L E S
Offers in excess of £650,000 Knight Frank Edinburgh tom.stewart-moore@knightfrank.com 01315 166328 The Estates Office paul@theestatesofficeargyll.com 01631 705480 Ref: EDN012188851
knightfrank.co.uk
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LOWER BINTON, WARWICKSHIRE
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superb farmhouse with secondary accommodation and equestrian farm with rural views over the South Warwickshire countryside. The Court House is set in a private position within 57 acres of pasture and woodland, enjoying a south-facing elevated position on the edge of Lower Binton. 5 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | 2 B E D R O O M C O T TA G E | 1 B E D R O O M A N N E X E T E N N I S C O U R T | 2 7 S TA B L E S | FA R M B U I L D I N G S | PA D D O C K S | S M I T H Y S T R AT F O R D - U P O N - AV O N 4 M I L E S | WA R W I C K PA R K WAY 1 4 M I L E S
Guide price £2,950,000 Knight Frank London & Stratford-upon-Avon jamie.robson@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7203 william.ward-jones@knightfrank.com 01789 863993 Ref: CHO012191272
knightfrank.co.uk
Demand is high for homes in the South West In June 2021, exchanges in the South West were 169% higher than the five-year average*, and for every new instruction, there were 12 prospective buyers. With quintessential British charm and rolling countryside views, it's easy to understand why demand is so high. Here is a selection of properties currently available.
Whatley, Somerset A substantial detached family home with a variety of outbuildings, paddocks and woodland; in the village of Whatley. 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 | A P P R O X I M AT E L E Y 2 6 . 7 7 A C R E S | E P C B
Guide price £1,950,000
francesca.leighton-scott@knightfrank.com 01225 685523
Marnhull, Dorset A charming period house overlooking unspoilt countryside with potential annexe and beautiful garden. 7 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | G A R D E N | G R A D E I I L I S T E D
Guide price £1,100,000
luke.pender-cudlip@knightfrank.com 01935 805324
Tarrant Launceston, Dorset A Grade II listed 17th century cottage with a large garden bordering the River Tarrant.
5 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 . 0 1 A C R E S
Guide price £995,000
luke.pender-cudlip@knightfrank.com 01935 805324 Source: Knight Frank data
Steeple Ashton, Wiltshire A picturesque Grade II* listed family home set in pretty landscaped gardens, with land.
4 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 5 . 9 3 A C R E S | E P C D
Offers in excess of £1,500,000
rob.wightman@knightfrank.com 01488 758437
Upper Littleton, Bristol Somerset Long house in a country setting with land, outbuildings and stabling.
5 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 4 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 3 . 9 5 A C R E S | G R A D E I I L I S T E D
Guide price £1,395,000
james.toogood@knightfrank.com 01174 054802
Lanreath, Cornwall Offering a rural lifestyle near the Cornish coast with a significant business income through four cottages. 5 - 1 2 B E D R O O M S | 5 - 1 1 B AT H R O O M S | 3 - 6 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 8 . 1 5 A C R E S | E P C F
Guide price £1,650,000
christopher.bailey@knightfrank.com 01392 240978
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
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PEEBLES, SCOTTISH B ORDERS
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elightful former farmhouse set in an elevated position with wonderful views over the Tweed Valley. Its central location provides an excellent combination of privacy and peace, yet is within commuting distance of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
6 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S WA L L E D G A R D E N | O U T B U I L D I N G S | C O N V E R T E D B A R N | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 6 . 1 A C R E S | E P C E P E E B L E S 6 M I L E S | B R O U G H T O N 6 M I L E S | M O F FAT 2 7 M I L E S
Offers in excess of £1,200,000 Knight Frank Melrose james.denne@knightfrank.com 01896 888502 Ref: CHO012070732
knightfrank.co.uk
new & exclusive property showcase
All these properties appeared exclusively with us 24 hours or more before Rightmove or Zoopla.
Embleton, Northumberland
£1,400,000
offers over
A stunning Grade I listed house in a popular coastal village, with extensive grounds and gardens, requiring repair/modernisation. Contact: Hexham office 01434 671004
Kenilworth, Warwickshire
£1,750,000 guide price
Beaworthy, Devon
£600,000
offers in excess of
A stunning thatched house on this prestigious road in Kenilworth Old Town. Set within 0.6 acre gardens. Contact: Kenilworth office 01926 267786
Set amidst rolling countryside, a fabulous 5 bed barn conversion with extensive beamed accommodation, barn, gardens and paddock. Contact: Torrington office 01805 447989
Eversholt, Bedfordshire
Beckenham, Kent
£2,200,000 guide price
A charming small farm, with 26 acres and 3 letting annexes, bordering the Duke of Bedford’s Woburn estate. Contact: Woburn office 01525 204916
£2,295,000
Located on the prestigious Manor Way is a recently refurbished five bedroom detached home, with beautiful and extensive gardens. Contact: Beckenham Sales 020 8033 2485
To view these and the finest selection of premium properties, search OnTheMarket at CountryLife.co.uk and set up a property alert today. Brighouse, West Yorkshire
£1,500,000
The Grade II listed Toothill Hall has stunning grounds (set in 1 acre of land) with extensive parking, turning circle and garage. Contact: Huddersfield office 01484 973963
Steep, Hampshire
£985,000 guide price
A wing of a country house in an elevated spot with far reaching views in the popular village of Steep. Contact: Petersfield office 01730 297952
See www.onthemarket.com/newandexclusive. Agents specify exclusivity.
Residency Not Required Trinity, Jersey St. Helier: 4.6 miles, Jersey Airport: 7.6 miles One of the best Non-Qualified Jersey country houses available. 6 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, heated swimming pool and pool house, separate studio cottage, outbuildings with development potential (STPP), ample private parking with 2 driveways and manicured lawns. Guide £5 million Debbie Le Brun Savills Jersey 01534 722 227 debbie.lebrun@savills.com
Savills, proudly sponsoring the Channel Islands Hobie Cat Championships 2021
savills
savills.je
Former Rectory in 24 Acres Arthingworth, Leicestershire/Northamptonshire border Market Harborough: 6 miles A versatile property situated on the edge of the village, with substantial land and accommodation in excess of 10,000 sq ft. 5 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, swimming pool, selfcontained annexe flats, detached offices, garaging for 12 cars, gardens and paddocks. EPC = D About 24 acres | Guide £2.45 million James Abbott Savills Stamford 01780 407 530 jabbott@savills.com
Charlotte Paton Savills Stamford 01780 408 317 charlotte.paton @savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
Quintessential Farmhouse Fordingbridge, Hampshire Salisbury Station: 9 miles (London Waterloo from 90 minutes) Grade II listed farmhouse with a stylish open-plan barn conversion. 3 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, studio/music room, 3 bedroom annexe with 2 bathrooms, double height traditional barn with workshop, carport, picturesque gardens and former paddock. About 1.45 acres | Guide £1.65 million James McKillop Savills Salisbury 01722 562 927 james.mckillop @savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
Historic Grade II* House Newport, Shropshire Shrewsbury: 19 miles, Birmingham Airport: 48 miles A truly historic Grade II* listed house situated in stunning formal gardens within a highly desirable village setting. 3 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, library, billiard room, swimming pool, 2 bedroom cottage, private chapel, summerhouse, mature gardens, walled garden and orchard. About 2.92 acres | Guide £1.7 million Tony Morris-Eyton Savills Telford 01952 897 785 amorris-eyton @savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
Unique Opportunity York, North Yorkshire York City Centre: 1.8 miles This residential development site is an exceptional opportunity on the edge of the city. In close proximity to York Racecourse, with impressive views and private frontage, the site comprises a paddock of undeveloped grassland and has outline planning permission for a ‘one off’ house. About 2.23 acres | Offers over £1 million Edward Stoyle Savills Yorkshire 01904 891 673 edward.stoyle @savills.com
savills
savills.co.uk
MALLORCA
Hillside finca with stunning mountain, valley and sea views set in thirty-five acres of almond, fig and carob trees with woodland walks within a large private estate of 3,500,000 square metres. The nearby Senorial finca converted to a five star hotel has a spa, fitness centre and two restaurants, out of sight but a ten minute walk away. A mature Zen inspired, landscaped garden with olive and Mediterranean oaks, spacious lawns and a 14 x 6 metre salt water pool looking towards the sea at Costa del Pins and Canyamel, truly amazing sunrise and sunset vistas. Five bedrooms including upper Master bedroom with terrace, five bathrooms, high tech kitchen with SieMen integrated kitchen appliances, large reception room, opening onto spacious patio, bookcase-lined study and extensive library. Underfloor heating and silent air conditioning. Bougainvillea and Bignonia covered terraces to west and east of the main building. Holiday rental licence. Six minute drive from historic north eastern town of Arta and ten minutes to the only surfing beach. Quiet and peaceful surroundings in the protected nature reserve of the Peninsula de Llevant, a little known and secret valley of Mallorca.
Euros 5,300,000
Tel 0034 672 411 912
BEACONSFIELD, BUCKINGHAMPSHIRE £3,250,000 freehold
WOOBURN GREEN £6,500 PCM (£1,500 pw)
A modern stylish and spacious country house laid out over three floors sitting in an elevated position in a sought after neighbourhood. The property is set in over a third of an acre of private landscaped gardens. EPC C Hamptons Beaconsfield 01494 854713
A stunning detached house, beautifully presented with a tasteful décor set in an idyllic picturesque setting surrounded by manicured gardens and views over the countryside with a detached annexe/garage. EPC B Hamptons Beaconsfield Lettings 01494 853769
HAMPTONS.CO.UK
LANSDOWN, BATH offers in excess of
£2,250,000
[5 bedrooms] [3 receptions] [prime location] A Grade II Listed home with the most glorious views across Bath. The south-west facing garden is beautifully landscaped and the interior has been recently refurbished and includes drawing room, library and a stunning open plan kitchen, it also benefits from two garages and parking. HAMPTONS BATH 01225 800657
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Santon, Isle of Man - Price on Application 4 BEDROOMS | 3 BATHROOMS | 7 RECEPTION ROOMS | 2 BEDROOM GUEST COTTAGE | LEISURE WING LARGE INDOOR EQUESTRIAN CENTRE | CIRCA 19 ACRES | STABLES | TENNIS COURT A Georgian style mansion house with distant sea views. Nestling in landscaped gardens and sheltered paddocks. Airport and private schools 3.5 miles. Douglas 4.5 miles Low Personal Tax Rates. No Capital Taxes. No property restrictions. Safest place to live in the British Isles. The natural choice for you, your family and business.
Shane Magee, Chairman | Shane.Magee@chrystals.co.im +44 (0)1624 623778 www.chrystals.co.im
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Drawing of St Dunstan-in-the-West by SPAB Scholar Ptolomy Dean
Founded by William Morris, the SPAB protects the historic environment from decay, damage and demolition. It responds to threats to old buildings, trains building professionals, craftspeople, homeowners and volunteers and gives advice about maintenance and repairs. Since 1877 countless buildings have been saved for future generations.
Information about maintaining your home is available through events, courses, lectures, publications and telephone advice. To support our work why not join the SPAB? Members receive a quarterly magazine, our list of historic properties for sale and access to our regional activities.
www.spab.org.uk 020 7377 1644 A charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales. Company no: 5743962 Charity no: 1113753 37 Spital Square, London E1 6DY
Guernsey issue DISCOV ER THE L ATEST PROPERT Y HOTSPOTS A MONG GUER NSE Y ’S DR A M ATIC COA STLINE A ND U NSPOILT BE ACHES O N S A L E A U G U S T 18 , 2 021
Don’t miss your chance to advertise in our Guernsey special issue Booking/copy deadline: August 3, 2021 For more information on advertising, please contact Oliver Pearson oliver.pearson@futurenet.com – 07961 800887
Property market
Penny Churchill
Forever England These quintessentially English estates are the perfect places to revel in the beauty of this green and pleasant land Burrow Farm in Buckinghamshire has a Grade II-listed manor house at the heart of an established sporting estate. £30m for the whole
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LIVE HOPKINS of Knight Frank’s farms and estates department is overseeing the simultaneous launch onto the market of two of the most picturesque country estates in the Chilterns: the 477-acre Burrow Farm estate, set in the Hambleden Valley, Buckinghamshire, and the 285-acre Beech Farm estate, near Woodcote in south Oxfordshire. The sales follow the recent deaths of the both the estates’ former owners—David Palmer of Burrow Farm and Maj Sir David Black of Beech Farm—both of whom were champions of the countryside with a keen interest in local affairs, serving as High Sheriffs of their respective counties in 1993. Both were aged 92 when they died, Palmer in 2019, and Sir David in May of this year. Born the son of an army officer in 1926, Palmer served with the Life Guards in
Burrow Farm’s 477 acres are a glorious mix of woods and deep valleys full of wildlife Palestine, Egypt and Germany before leaving the army for a successful career as a broker, partner and eventual chairman of international insurers Willis Faber, which sprang to fame for having insured RMS Titanic. In 1978, Palmer and his wife, Millie, bought Burrow Farm, which has a fine, Grade II-listed manor house built over three periods, the earliest being the 16th-century Tudor wing to the west, which is connected to a 17th-century brick-and-flint extension and a later post-war wing.
Next to Burrow Farm House stands the impressive, Grade II-listed Chiltern barn, thought to date from the 15th century. A huge, 65ft-long entertaining space with a twobedroom annexe at the far end, it has been the scene of many a memorable gathering during the Palmer family’s tenure. Burrow Farm House itself currently offers 6,414sq ft of light and cheerful living space, comprising five reception rooms—including a triple-aspect drawing room and a large dining room—plus an open-plan kitchen and breakfast room, a spacious principal bedroom suite, six further bedrooms and five bathrooms. If that were not enough, advice sought by the vendors from a planning consultant and architect suggests that a two-storey extension to the east façade of the house could provide a further 4,000sq ft of accommodation, subject to planning and listed-building consent.
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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk
The 65ft-long, Grade II-listed Chiltern barn has been the scene of many great parties
To the north of the main house stands Burrow Farm Cottages, an immaculate, Grade II-listed, eight-bedroom house that works brilliantly as secondary accommodation for family members or guests. It could also produce a significant rental income. The estate also has three cottages and a bungalow close to the main house, plus a collection
of farmhouses, cottages and commercial units at Rotten Row, a mile to the north, which already provide significant rental income. There is also a stable block with four loose boxes, a Dutch barn, four grain bins and two general-purpose buildings. The agricultural land is farmed in hand with the pasture let under an annual grazing licence.
With a splendid new driveway built to provide the most scenic approach to the main house, Burrow Farm’s 477 acres are a glorious mix of woods, deep valleys and rolling landscapes that support an abundance of wildlife. They form the basis of a well-established shoot that was Palmer’s pride and joy, offering some exceptional drives, as well as some excellent deer stalking. Handily located four miles from Henleyon-Thames, 12 miles from Reading and 25 miles from Heathrow, Burrow Farm is for sale, for the first time in 43 years, through Knight Frank (020–7861 1064) and Simmons & Sons in Henley-on-Thames (01491 634282) at a guide price of £30 million for the whole. Across the county boundary in Oxfordshire, Beech Farm is a compact country estate situated amid beautifully maintained woodland, arable land and pasture at one of the highest points of the Chilterns, a mile from the village of Woodcote, 10 miles from Reading and 12 miles from Henley-onThames. Formerly part of the Elvendon Priory estate, it was retained as Sir David’s ‘little piece of rural England’ in 2003, when Elvendon Priory was sold. Sir David served in the Royal Horse Guards, retiring as a major in 1960, before joining the Berkshire Territorials and later the Voluntary Reserve. A keen fieldsportsman
Beech Farm, Oxfordshire, enjoys fine views from its farmhouse, set in 285 acres of Chiltern countryside. Excess £9m for the whole
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Property market
The perfect equestrian estate, neo-Classical Soulcombe, Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, has three stable complexes set in 338 acres. £18m
and hunting man, he was joint-master of the Garth and South Berks Foxhounds from 1965 to 1973, later becoming chairman and president. Hounds were always welcome on his estate, where a successful shoot is still run in conjunction with the neighbouring Elvendon Priory estate. Cleverly converted from a traditional barn in the mid 1990s, Beech Farm’s 8,127sq ft main house, which is unlisted, combines the relaxed ambience of a family farmhouse with some imposing high-ceilinged rooms designed for formal entertaining. The grand entrance hall leads into the drawing room and sitting room, both of which have dual access to the gardens and grounds, with views over immaculate lawns and herbaceous borders to the fields below and on towards Wantage in the distance. In all, the house offers four reception rooms, two studies, a billiard room, a kitchen and breakfast room in need of upgrading and various domestic offices on the ground floor, plus a large principal bedroom suite, two further suites, two further bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. Additional properties include two three-bedroom cottages to the rear of the farmhouse. The farm
buildings to the east include a large barn that could potentially be used as a party barn or as part of an extension to the main house. Beech Farm is being offered at a guide price of ‘excess £9m’ for the whole, or at ‘excess 6.5m’ for lot 1, which comprises the main house, the gardens, grounds, two cottages and 94 acres of land (020–7861 1064).
For the buyer interested in horses, the facilities are exceptional George Windsor Clive of equestrian specialists Windsor Clive International (01672 521155) and Crispin Holborow of Savills (07967 555511) are joint agents in the sale of Soulcombe, a pristine residential, equestrian and sporting estate located a mile from the village of Kirtlington, on the edge of the Cotswolds, 6½ miles from Bicester and 11 miles from Oxford. A guide price of £18m is quoted for the 338-acre estate, at the heart of which stands
an imposing, neo-Classical main house providing 8,169sq ft of accommodation, including a grand entrance hall, three principal reception rooms, a dining room, offices, seven bedrooms (five with en-suite bathrooms), a gym, an indoor swimming pool, a billiard room, wine cellar and stores. Flanked by separate pavilions—one used as a cottage, the other as a garage with a flat above—the house stands on high ground looking south-west over the rolling countryside of the lovely Cherwell Valley. The estate offers a further five houses, two flats and extensive equestrian facilities, including three stud complexes. The land is predominantly pasture interspersed with 60 acres of woodland, hedges and new plantings that provide the basis for an enjoyable family shoot. Commenting on the sale, Mr Windsor Clive says: ‘Although Soulcombe is a fantastic family house with a fine estate, for the buyer interested in horses, the facilities are exceptional. With three separate stable complexes, it is perfectly placed for the breeder, competitor or polo player. It is currently the home of the renowned Kirtlington Stud, whose owner could, if required, rent back a substantial part of the equestrian operation.’
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Annunciata Elwes
A view to kill for Spies, scandal and era-defining hardball are replaced with Raffles-branded luxury residences that pack historical punch in the capital’s Old War Office
Above: The views over St James’s Park from the roof of the Old War Office. Below: Former occupant James Bond (Daniel Craig)
W
ISE as he was, as Winston Churchill puffed on a Romeo y Julieta at his Mountbatten desk in Whitehall’s Old War Office—a Portlandstone, Edwardian Baroque behemoth built in 1906 at the eastern edge of St James’s Park in central London—he could little have imagined the building’s future as one of Europe’s first ultra-luxurious Rafflesbranded residences. Located on the site of the former Palace of Whitehall, the Alfred Drury sculptures of Virtues and Values atop the Grade II*-listed Old War Office witnessed a turbulent century before MoD operations moved out in 2015, a year after the building’s sale to the Hinduja Group, for a cool £350 million on a 250year lease. This building was the centre of operations during both World Wars—walls reverberating with Morse-code
beeps and whispers over rustled papers— and the backdrop to the Suez crisis and Profumo scandal. Lord Kitchener peered over his giant moustache to run the ‘Your Country Needs You’ campaign and Lawrence of Arabia was a draughtsman there. We wonder what Ian Fleming, who worked in the building as a naval intelligence officer, would have made of his old stomping ground’s later use
as a film set for a number of ‘James Bond’ films, from Octopussy in 1983 to Skyfall in 2012. Since 2014, the Old War Office’s 2½ miles of corridors, staircases palatial and secret and 1,100 rooms over seven floors have come alive, as experts from Historic England, The Prince’s Trust and the Museum of London Archaeology have flocked in and out, with EPR Architects (behind renovations at The Ned
On this very spot…
Not only is The OWO the site of momentous and clandestine 20th-century happenings—with underground parking taking the place of a Blitz-era bomb shelter —but this plot has seen much more. It began when Henry VIII confiscated Cardinal Wolsey’s house in 1530, turning it into the Palace of Whitehall, with a sumptuous interior much painted by Holbein and a footprint along the Thames larger than Versailles. His jousting tiltyard is now Horse Guards Parade. In 1611, Shakespeare’s The Tempest was first performed here. Other monarchs made additions, including Charles I, who commissioned a Rubens ceiling for the Inigo Jones Banqueting House and, 20 years later, in 1649, was beheaded outside it. It was painted in about 1675 by Hendrick Danckerts (above) and, in 1698, a fire that raged for 15 hours destroyed the entire complex as looters scrambled around burning timbers. Only the Banqueting House survived.
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and Rosewood) overseeing an intricate redevelopment that saw conservationists and archaeologists catalogue every inch of the building’s fabric. As one can imagine, the subterranean tunnels, now blocked up, were labyrinthine, but a splash in the underground 65ft swimming pool is close enough. Launched on the market last month and set to complete in 2022, the 85 new homes, from studios to five-bedroom flats, will be based on the eastern, river side of the building, with ceiling heights stretching up to 14ft, interiors by 1508 London, handcrafted kitchens from Smallbone of Devizes, integrated appliances by the likes of Gaggenau and Miele, marble and onyx bathrooms with brass detailing and arguably the finest views in the capital through bombproof windows and from numerous elegant roof terraces. Upon approach via the Spies Entrance on Whitehall Court—just across the road from the former faux offices of Rasen, Falcon
More than a hotel Without Raffles, a neo-Renaissance paradise founded in 1887 and named for the founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles—a favourite with everyone from the Royal Family to Nöel Coward—we would not be able to enjoy the fruity Singapore Sling. The hotel group also introduced the world to the private butler. Raffles hotels can now be found all over the world, from Paris to the Seychelles, and the London iteration is set to be ‘a new European flagship’. Currently, there are four Raffles residential developments, with a further eight in the pipeline. Watch this space.
& Co Shippers and Exporters, MI6’s original HQ—each residence is tailored to its footprint in the unusual building, which has been divided up with skill and flair. Some are penthouses, some duplex, some contain original wood panelling, mosaic or parquet floors, even old messenger stations, and two feature statuesque corner turrets. Among the 30,000sq ft of spaces exclusive to residents is Churchill’s former office, a 16-seat cinema, gym, three studios and seven lounges. For the first time in more than a century, the public will be invited into the Old War Office for 10 days a year, for tours of historic rooms.
Grain London; Alamy; Imperial War Museum
Above: A view of The OWO from Horse Guards Parade. Below: The Secretary of State Private Secretaries’ Office as it was during the Second World War
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9000
Grain London; Alamy; Imperial War Museum
The terrace of one of the apartments and (below) an example of a master bedroom
In essence, The OWO, as it is now known, embodies ‘vast Imperial wealth… two World Wars, a huge political scandal, the invention of sex in the 1960s… the end of an Empire and a remaking of a national image embodied in the most famous and least undercover spy in film,’ comments architect and author Edwin Heathcote. ‘Bureaucracy has faded in favour of luxury. This is its monument.’ Residents at The OWO will have exclusive access to London’s first Raffles hotel—with interiors by Thierry Despont (Claridge’s, The Dorchester and so on), 125 bedrooms and suites, nine restaurants and bars (including one in a rooftop turret), a spa and a 720-person ballroom—which, at the western end, makes use of the grand Whitehall entrance, just beyond the Quadrangle courtyard from Horse Guards Avenue. ‘Every decision made on The OWO is underscored by passion and respect for the heritage of the building and long-term commitment to London,’ explains Gopichand P. Hinduja, co-chairman of the Hinduja Group. Two-bedroom flats start at £5.8 million, through Knight Frank and Strutt & Parker (020–7139 5012; www.theowo.london)
Local heroes The Olympic fan Illustration by Emma van Zeller
Once every four years, Quentin morphs into a one-track-minded, square-eyed couch potato, transfixed by the sporting phenomenon that is the Olympic Games. His wife, who has already gone to stay at her sister’s for the duration, is mystified, as he has zero interest in the perennial sports of cricket, rugby and football, but give him a bout of taekwondo or table tennis, featuring athletes he has never heard of, and he will be enthralled. It takes some organisation: a fortnight off work, the rental of a largescreen television, two weeks’ worth of food shopping—he’ll look like an M&S ready meal soon—and dragging the sofa bed into the living room (Tokyo timings will mean he’ll be pulling all-nighters). Quentin isn’t bothered whether it’s keirin or karate, water polo or weightlifting; the fact that these sportsmen have been working towards this moment for four years (or, in this case, five) moves him. At the end, he’ll emerge blinking into the daylight and mildly deflated. Still, it’s only three years to Paris. KG
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