Country Life: July 28, 2021 Early Property Pages by lkhosla

JULY 28, 2021

EVERY WEEK

NEW-BUILDS

Join the great British butterfly safari

ISSUE: 30

JULY 28, 2021 CLI315.cover.indd 1

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£4.25

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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866 A selection of occasional tables exclusively hand-made in the neoclassical style. The tops with bevelled tempered glass inset to a decoratively veneered frame with hand carved rope perimeter. The reeded square legs taper to a matching veneered oval undertier with inset stringing, joined by shaped stretchers. Tables below illustrated in crotch mahogany with gilding and brass inlay.

Side table £1,800 Width: 72 | Depth: 52 | Height: 61 cm

Coffee table £2,740 Width: 134 | Depth: 78 | Height: 49 cm

Console table £2,395 Width: 122 | Depth: 40 | Height: 86 cm

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

Crotch mahogany

Amara ebony

Crotch sycamore

Bur walnut

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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HORTON, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

pretty Georgian moated home with an extensive range of outbuildings set in 28 acres. Believed to date back to 1760, it has been in the same family ownership since 1939 and has been subject to extensions and improvements creating the lovely home it is today. 8 B E D R O O M S | 6 B AT H R O O M S | 5 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | 1 B E D R O O M C O T TA G E | S TA B L I N G A G R I C U LT U R A L B A R N & F O R M E R E S TAT E O F F I C E W I T H D E V E L O P M E N T P O T E N T I A L | S W I M M I N G P O O L | E P C F CHEDDINGTON 1 MILE (LONDON EUSTON FROM 44 MINUTE S) | BERKHAMSTED 10 MILE S

Guide price available upon request Knight Frank London & Beaconsfield edward.welton@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7216 william.furniss@knightfrank.com 01494 853619 Ref: CHO130099

knightfrank.co.uk

SHERINGTON, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Guide Price: £3,250,000 7 Bedrooms

4 Reception Rooms

4 Bathrooms

N/A EPC

A Grade II listed 18th century Manor House with approximately 4.5 acres of gardens, a working moat, and outbuildings with an annexe, a gym, a double garage and carport. The Manor and its moat go back over 900 years, but the current house was built outside the moat in the 1770s. Additions have been made over the years and, in 2015 a further entrance hall and a modern kitchen/breakfast room with a family room was added. The moat, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, surrounds the gardens and grounds which have formal areas with facilities for outdoor entertaining. Fixed and floating bridges cross the moat to the island which has wide lawns and many specimen trees.

Olney Office | Jonathan Selsby | 01234 712424 London Office | Bob Bickersteth | 0207 839 0888

14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London

michaelgraham.co.uk

michaelgraham_living

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CHILTON CANDOVER, HAMPSHIRE

Grade II listed period country house set in 16.16 acres of beautiful countryside in the sought-after Candover Valley. The property offers an exciting opportunity to create a unique and enviable home, ideal for formal entertaining as well as comfortable family living. 7 B E D R O O M S | 6 B AT H R O O M S | 6 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 | S W I M M I N G P O O L T E N N I S C O U R T | E X T E N S I V E O U T B U I L D I N G S | WA L L E D K I T C H E N G A R D E N | P A S T U R E & W O O D L A N D A L R E S F O R D 6 . 1 M I L E S | B A S I N G S T O K E 8 . 3 M I L E S | W I N C H E S T E R 1 2 .7 M I L E S

Guide price £4,000,000 Knight Frank London & Winchester edward.cunningham@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7121 george.clarendon@knightfrank.com 01962 656115 Ref: WIN012182692

knightfrank.co.uk

Award-winning Waterside Home St Mawes, Cornwall Truro: 19.2 miles, Newquay Airport: 27 miles Immaculate home with panoramic views and direct water access to the Percuil River. 3 reception rooms, 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, home office, wine store, internal lift, balcony and hot tub terrace, integral boat store/workshop, garaging and hardstanding for boat storage/trailers/vehicles. EPC = C Price on application

Chris Clifford Savills Cornwall 01872 885 837 cclifford@savills.com

Mark Willson H Tiddy St Mawes 01326 270 212 mark@htiddy.co.uk

savills

savills.co.uk

Historic Manor House Royal Wootton Bassett, North Wiltshire Swindon Station: 8 miles Enchanting property with substantial outbuildings and a wonderful garden. 4 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, tennis court, cottage, outbuildings, garden, orchard, pasture and woodland. Further 50 acres, farm buildings and an unmodernised cottage available separately. About 61 acres | Available as a whole or in 2 lots Whole: Guide £2.55 million or Lot 1: Guide £1.75 million Anthony Coaker Savills Cirencester 01285 895 713 acoaker@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Bedfordshire, Lidlington

A rare opportunity to purchase a commercial and diverse farming estate in central England Steppingley: 1/2 mile, Flitwick: 3.5 miles (48 mins to St Pancras), Milton Keynes: 8 miles, London: 45 miles, Luton airport: 17 miles Grade II Listed farmhouse with 6 bedrooms, outbuildings and gardens | 8 Let office units | Extensive range of modern grain and cold storage Traditional farm buildings | 6 Cottages | Telecommunications mast | Arable land with underground ring main irrigation | Reservoir with abstraction licence for 220,000 cubic metres | Mixed woodland | Commercial partridge and pheasant shoot About 1,306 acres (528 ha) Available as a whole

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

Guide Price £17,000,000

Sam Holt

Matthew Sudlow

Mark McAndrew

Eastern Estates & Farm Agency 07702 317 301

Central Estates & Farm Agency 07912 391 202

National Estates & Farm Agency 020 7318 5171

sam.holt@struttandparker.com

matthew.sudlow@struttandparker.com

mark.mcandrew@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

It's time to buy in the South East. In June 2021, exchanges were 144% higher than the five-year average in the South East region of England, testament to the strength of demand for country homes in this beautiful part of the UK. Here is a selection of properties currently on the market.

Tunworth, Hampshire Exemplary modern country house with a separate studio/annexe.

5 - 6 B E D R O O M S | 4 B AT H R O O M S | 3 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 0 . 7 3 A C R E S | E P C B

Offers in excess of £2,000,000

shaun.hobbs@knightfrank.com 01256 806421

Upper Hartfield, East Sussex An impressive family house with excellent equestrian facilities in the heart of Ashdown Forest.

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 | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 5 . 1 7 A C R E S | E P C D

Guide price £2,000,000

simon.biddulph@knightfrank.com 01892 888494

Lower Eashing, Surrey An exquisite period house in superb gardens of almost an acre.

3 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 0 . 8 8 A C R E S | E P C D

Guide price £1,250,000

tim.harriss@knightfrank.com 01483 355875 Source: Knight Frank data

Tonbridge, Kent A spacious family home covering one half of a six roundel Oast.

Guide price £1,600,000

matthew.hodder-williams@knightfrank.com 01732 807851

Grayswood, Surrey An attractive village house with outbuildings and a swimming pool.

3 - 5 B E D R O O M S | 2 - 4 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 LY 0 . 6 6 A C R E S | E P C E

Guide price £1,400,000

aelish.paterson@knightfrank.com 01428 786268

Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire A pretty, Grade II listed, detached house with a swimming pool and grounds of approximately 1.8 acres. 5 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

Guide price £1,400,000

marcus.browne@knightfrank.com 01962 656115

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

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HATTON, WARWICKSHIRE

ympathetically restored and truly unique, the luxury apartments within Grade II listed Haseley Manor offer the superlative in timeless design and style. Apartment five is a showcase of uncompromising specification and chic interior design, whilst also enjoying an expansive private terrace; perfect for drinks in the sun. B E D R O O M | B AT H R O O M | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S G AT E D D E V E L O P M E N T | C O M M U N A L F O R M A L L A N D S C A P E D G A R D E N S WA R W I C K 3 . 5 M I L E S ( L O N D O N M A R Y L E B O N E F R O M 9 0 M I N U T E S ) | L E A M I N G T O N S PA 6 M I L E S

Guide price £650,000 Knight Frank Stratford-upon-Avon james.youngman@knightfrank.com 01789 863993 Ref: SNH190206

knightfrank.co.uk

new & exclusive property showcase

All these properties appeared exclusively with us 24 hours or more before Rightmove or Zoopla.

Carnon Downs, Cornwall

£795,000

offers in excess of

A five-bedroom detached family home offering the ultimate in style and luxury; with gardens, a workshop and gated driveway/garage. Contact: Truro office 01872 395947

Torquay, Devon

£695,000

Fort Augustus, Highland

£450,000

offers over

This beautiful, bright and spacious threebedroom barn conversion, with unique character, would make a perfect family home. Contact: Wellswood office 01803 912944

Charming five-bedroom traditional stone-built property set in a secluded riverside location close to the village of Fort Augustus. Contact: Inverness office 01463 357910

Aysgarth, North Yorkshire

Painswick, Gloucestershire

£1,750,000 guide price

An impressive Victorian, former vicarage, beautifully restored and lying in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Contact: Leyburn office 01969 738983

£1,500,000

guide price

Perched on the fringe of Painswick with the most amazing views, it’s all about the location with this superb Arts and Crafts home. Contact: Cotswolds office 01453 571913

To view these and the finest selection of premium properties, search OnTheMarket at CountryLife.co.uk and set up a property alert today. West Tytherley, Hampshire

£1,475,000

guide price

An impressive five-bedroom period property (set in 4.7 acres) with stables, a double garage, potential annexe and wonderful views. Contact: Salisbury office 01722 515891

Holsworthy, Devon

£775,000 guide price

A substantial six-bedroom detached farmhouse, set in over 13.5 acres, with lovely rural views. In need of modernisation. Contact: Bude office 01288 353661

See www.onthemarket.com/newandexclusive. Agents specify exclusivity.

Essex, Wickham Bishops

Mark Rimell

Mark Davies

Country Department 020 7318 5025

Chelmsford Office 01245 806 371

mark.rimell@struttandparker.com

mark.davies@struttandparker.com

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

Hertfordshire, Hunsdon

Guide Price £3,750,000

/struttandparker

Mark Rimell

Rozanne Edwards

Country Department 020 7318 5025

St Albans Office 01727 238 467

mark.rimell@struttandparker.com

rozanne.edwards@struttandparker.com

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

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

SOUTH CORNWALL – NEAR HELFORD RIVER AND FALMOUTH BAY Helford Passage 5 miles ~ Falmouth 4 miles ~ Truro 11 miles ~ Maenporth 5 miles ~ Constantine 3 miles ~ Mawnan Smith 3 miles (all distances approximate).

The masterful and exemplary renaissance of a Grade II Listed south facing Manor House of 14th Century origin, in a blissful private North Helford setting, hidden at the end of a long treelined driveway with 2.5 acres of wonderful gardens and grounds. With extensive and superbly appointed accommodation of circa 5,300sq.ft. which includes wonderful waxed oak panelling and doors, enormous granite fireplaces, huge oak beams, a magnificent reception hall with splendid oak staircase, a stunning 29’ kitchen/breakfast room, plus a self-contained 1 bedroomed annexe. Situated in an idyllic and very peaceful location, between the highly sought after villages of Mawnan Smith and Constantine and within very easy reach of Falmouth. Ground Floor: reception hall with wc, dining room, morning room, drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, snug/TV room, utility/boot room, inner hall, library, 5th bedroom, shower room. First Floor: galleried landing, principal bedroom suite, guest bedroom suite, 2 further bedrooms, cinema room, family bathroom. Outside: 1 bedroomed annexe, oak framed garage/workshop, stone barn, open log store, beautiful gardens and grounds. In all, about 2.5 acres. Offers over £2,750,000 www.lillicrapchilcott.com

Freehold

| 01872 273473 |

Sole Agent email sales@lillicrapchilcott.com

Property is now on Instagram

The Scotland issue E X PL OR I NG BE AU T I F U L HOM ES I N SCO T L A N D’S MOST ST U N N I NG L O C AT IONS ON SA L E AUGUST 25, 2021

Don’t miss your chance to advertise in our Scotland issue

Booking/copy deadline: August 11, 2021

For more information on advertising, please contact Julia Laurence julia.laurence@futurenet.com – 07971 923054

Property market

Penny Churchill

Picture perfect The market’s blooming in the South of England with three historic manor houses

UST as the country-house market seemed to be coming off the boil, three small manor houses, each set in gardens of distinction in a prime South of England location, have suddenly burst onto the scene. Paul Finnegan of Savills (07967 555513) is handling the sale of historic, Grade I-listed Rymans in the parish of Appledram, West Sussex, a picturesque coastal area three miles south-west of Chichester, bounded to the west by the main channel of Chichester Harbour, to the north by the River Lavant and to the south by a stream that runs into the harbour below Birdham Mill. He quotes a guide price of £4.5 million for Rymans, described by Pevsner as ‘a delightful

small 15th-century manor house’, which takes its name from William Ryman, a prominent merchant and lawyer who was knighted in 1420 and appointed Sheriff of Sussex in 1434. He built the house of stone from the Bembridge and Ventnor quarries in about 1410. This oldest part of the T-shaped house, which remains largely unaltered, comprises a three-storey stone tower with trefoil windows and a south wing of two storeys under a tiled roof. In 1654, the Ryman family sold the house to the Smith family of Binderton, who, in 1656, renamed it Appledram Place. The Smiths lived there until 1730 when it passed by marriage to the Bartellot family who owned it until 1913.

The two-storey east wing contains the former hall, built in the early 17th century and extensively remodelled in 1913–14 by the architect and historian Walter Godfrey, who also added the service wing to the north. In 1913, he replaced the original main staircase to the first-floor Great Chamber with the present 17th-century staircase and rebuilt the fireplace. Godfrey restored and adapted a number of important historic buildings and gardens throughout the South of England, including Chelsea Old Church, the Memorial Chapel at Eton College and Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, where his reconstruction of the interior was deemed ‘exemplary’ by Pevsner.

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk Left: Grade I-listed Rymans in West Sussex dates from the 15th century and offers 5,400sq ft of space and 15 acres. £4.5m

Rymans was later owned by the antiquary, Walter Peckham, and then by the Phillimore family, who further altered the house and laid out the splendid Grade II-listed ornamental gardens between 1910 and 1950. The present owners, who bought Rymans in the mid 1990s, have carried on the inspirational work initiated by their predecessors both inside and outside the house, converting the former stables to provide a second three-bedroom cottage and maintaining and nurturing the manor’s nearly 15 acres of formal and walled gardens, pasture and woodland.

The present owners have carried on the inspirational work of their predecessors In all, Rymans offers some 5,400sq ft of accommodation in the main house, including four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, butler’s pantry and office on the ground floor; a central landing/music room, master suite, four bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor; and a further large bedroom with its own separate staircase on the second floor. Worthy of note are the dining hall with its fine open fireplace, beamed ceiling and original stone floor; the well-proportioned drawing room with its working fireplace and elegant marble surround; the bright and cheerful kitchen/breakfast room; and the spacious master suite with its lovely views over the formal gardens. Divine inspiration has never been lacking at nearby Runcton Manor, a fine country house predominantly Regency in style, but with 17thcentury origins, before which a small monastery is believed to have existed on the site. Its present owners who, in the mid 1990s, bought the Grade II-listed house set in almost six acres of lawn, gardens, river, orchard and woodland, three miles south-east of Chichester, have established the manor in recent years as a yoga and spiritual retreat where people have come to unwind and connect with Nature. Runcton Manor and its grounds, shielded by light woodland from the no-through village road, dominate the southern part of the conservation area around the pretty village of Runcton, which, despite its proximity to Chichester, has retained its peaceful rural character. In the 1970s, the manor was owned by

Top and above: Grade II-listed Runcton Manor in West Sussex is a fine country house in the Regency style, with six acres of grounds, eight bedrooms and a stable annexe. £4m a local architect who built himself a contemporary house on the opposite side of the clear stream that traverses the grounds and passes under a pretty flint bridge, over which a long driveway leads to the west front of the house. To the north east, a courtyard of stables and outbuildings provides garaging and storage, beyond which a pathway leads to a productive kitchen garden. Nearby, a heated swimming pool is concealed by high brick and stone walls and surrounded by stoneflagged surrounds planted with sedums, euphorbias and yuccas. For sale through Mark Astley of JacksonStops in Chichester (01243 786316) for ‘offers

over £4m’, Runcton Manor offers 7,156sq ft of living space on three floors, currently arranged in an adaptable, multi-generational layout, with four/five reception rooms, two kitchen/breakfast rooms and domestic offices on the ground floor; four/five bedrooms and three bathrooms on the first floor; and three further bedrooms, a wet room and a sitting room on the second floor. More accommodation is available in the stable annexe, where there is planning consent for further residential conversion. Over in the Garden of England, Edward Church of Strutt & Parker in Canterbury (01227 473700) quotes a guide price of 87

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Property market

Above and right: Grade II-listed Ulcombe Place in Kent is a former residence of an Archbishop of Canterbury and is now a seven-bedroom family home. £3m £3m for heavenly Grade II-listed Ulcombe Place, near Maidstone, which stands on high ground next to the 12th-century parish church of Ulcombe on the Greensand Ridge of the Kent Downs, with views over the High Weald AONB. Ulcombe Place boasts impeccable ecclesiastical connections, having been owned by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury between 1207 and 1228, who founded a monastic college on the site in the 13th century. The house is thought to have been a priory connected to Ulcombe Church. More recently, St John Newman is understood to have visited Ulcombe Place and penned several poems relating to the house and church. The property remained with the Langton family until the 15th century and the main building dates from that period. Owned in the Tudor era by the St Leger family, Ulcombe Place was largely altered in the 18th century, before the Revd Theodore Butler may have added the signature verandah in lateVictorian or Edwardian times. The informal plantsman’s garden was probably laid out in the Victorian era.

Built using traditional Kent ragstone, Ulcombe Place is a gracious family house with beautifully proportioned rooms set in delightful grounds that include a swimming pool within a walled garden. In all, it boasts 6,515sq ft of accommodation including three/four reception rooms, a study, large kitchen/dining room, various utilities, seven bedrooms (two ensuite) and three bathrooms, plus a one-bedroom staff or guest annexe.

Mr Church comments: ‘Ulcombe Place is a substantial stone house, with parts dating back to the 13th century, but with Georgian and Queen Anne additions—an architecture rarely seen in this part of the county where most houses are timber-frame. It occupies an unbeatable position on the Greensand Way, one of many historic houses built close to the natural springs that abound in these parts.’

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MARTYN R. MACKRILL

A Cutter’s Breeze

Tally Ho, Fastnet Race 1927

oil on canvas 76.2 x 101.6 cms 30 x 40 ins

The Fastnet Race 1927

Sprung planks, burst sails and broken spars saw the windswept Fastnet fleet of 1927 reduced from 15 yachts to just two. Now a private battle was taking place between Tally-Ho, an English cutter and La Goleta, an American schooner. These two very different craft were sailed hard by exemplary crews for nearly six days of severe gales, huge seas and driving rain. They finished within 42 minutes of each other and so put an end to – at the time – the hardest fought ocean race ever. Mackrill is Honorary Painter to the Royal Yacht Squadron and is now accepted among the foremost marine artists of his generation.

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

Tel: +44 (0)20 7287 4448 www.messums.com

Properties of the week

Edited by Annunciata Elwes

In with the new From London to Taplow, Carla Passino finds some of the country’s best new developments and contemporary homes

London SW1, from £1.763 million Outdoor space is always at premium in central London, making The Broadway, Northacre’s sixtower development on the former site of New Scotland Yard’s headquarters, especially appealing. Four of the 19 penthouses come with enormous private roof terraces of up to 2,346 sq ft, which take in views of Buckingham Palace, St James’s Park, Mayfair, The London Eye and, of course, Westminster. All the apartments, which range from one to five bedrooms, also have access to communal landscaped gardens on the fourth floor. The interiors are almost as beautiful, their contemporary look complemented by luxurious 1920s touches (inspired by the jewellery of the time) and a nod to the site’s historic surroundings. The Broadway offers owners a 24-hour concierge service and a vast array of entertaining, health, fitness and spa facilities, including games room, gym, yoga room and an 82ft-long pool. JLL (020–4524 3377)

West Sussex, £2.15 million Kestrel, in West Wittering, is designed to make the most of the light and the fine views towards the coast and the South Downs. An open-plan living space occupies the first floor, which is glazed to take in the panorama; some panels slide to give seamless access to two outside spaces —a 21ft-wide balcony and a roof terrace that’s a perfect place to watch the sun rise. But perhaps the best place to relax and enjoy the surroundings is the second floor’s Sky Room, which has a triangular apex window looking out towards the coast. A glass bridge links this bedroom to its dressing room and bathroom. Three more bedrooms are on the ground floor. Strutt & Parker (01243 832600)

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Properties of the week Berkshire, £4 million Luxury meets sustainability at this contemporary house in Taplow. Set in 1½ acres, Skyfall has a carbon-free, energy-efficient design: it has a green heating system combining air-source heat pump, solar panels and a thermal energy storage system, plus high levels of insulation and sedum roofs. None of this impinges on the opulent feel, with 6,367sq ft of accommodation (all with home automation system for lighting and sound). The ground floor is mainly taken up by an open-plan living space, which flows seamlessly into a sitting room with floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding doors to the terrace. On the lower ground floor, reached via a glass-and-concrete staircase, are five bedroom suites, including a vast master bedroom with dressing room and bathroom. There is also a cinema room and gym. Savills (020–7016 3780)

9000

London W11, from £2.6 million for a two-bedroom apartment No 80, Holland Park is Christian Candy’s most important project after One Hyde Park and it lives up to expectations. On the north side of Holland Park, this group of 25 properties—a mix of apartments, penthouses and townhouses—reinterprets the area’s Victorian architecture in a contemporary, luxurious key. The properties have all been individually designed—some have ceilings that are more than 11ft high—and feature Gaggenau and Miele appliances in the Bulthaup kitchens, limed-oak wood flooring and Carrara-marble bathrooms. Every property has access to outdoor space in the form of balconies, terraces, courtyards or gardens, with the rear of the development opening directly onto Holland Park. Complementing all this are the 24-hour concierge and the 55ft pool with spa facilities and a gym designed by Olympic triathlete Tim Weeks. Knight Frank (020–7861 1777)

Local heroes The cheap (but slow) builder Illustration by Emma van Zeller

The abrupt end to Rufus’s career in advertising had a silver lining; he was free to fulfil his long-held dream of setting up a ‘boutique’ building firm in Dorset. Low overheads (a van and small ads in back of The Lady)) mean that he can significantly undercut local building firms. Although he relies heavily on YouTube for technical know-how, his lack of experience is outweighed by his boyish charm. The fact that he listens to Radio 3 and offers to walk the dogs blinds clients to his patchy knowledge and glacial pace. When jobs over-run, he explains that the secret to the best building jobs is ‘evolution not revolution’. When he eventually finishes, six months later, clients are sad to see him go. As are the dogs. Little do they know that there’ll be at least another six months of snagging. GK

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Country Life: July 28, 2021 Early Property Pages

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