Country Life UK Property Pages: 18th August 2021

AUGUST 18, 2021

EVERY WEEK

Flower forecasters

How plants predict the weather

GUERNSEY AUGUST 18, 2021 CLI318.cover.indd 1

Ben Goldsmith: a farm on the wild side In the ribbons: why rosettes matter ISSUE: 33

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£4.25

12/08/2021 12:28

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ABB OTTS ANN, HAMPSHIRE

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beautifully presented Grade II* listed village house set within a 2.60 acre walled garden, offering privacy and seclusion. Believed to date back to 1762, The Old Manor offers fine family accommodation over three floors above a large cellar.

7 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 | S W I M M I N G P O O L W I T H P O O L H O U S E G A R A G I N G W I T H F L AT O V E R | W I L D F L O W E R M E A D O W | V E G E TA B L E G A R D E N | P O T T I N G S H E D & O R C H A R D A N D O V E R 4 M I L E S ( L O N D O N WAT E R L O O F R O M 6 9 M I N U T E S ) | S A L I S B U R Y 1 1 M I L E S

Guide price £3,750,000 Knight Frank London & Winchester edward.cunningham@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7121 george.clarendon@knightfrank.com 01962 656115 Ref: CHO012135269

knightfrank.co.uk

HULCOTE, BEDFORDSHIRE Asking Price: £1,325,000 5 Bedrooms

5 Reception Rooms

3 Bathrooms

E EPC

A 12th century detached former watermill with 2.5 acres of grounds, stables, a double garage and driveway parking for eight cars in a rural hamlet with six other properties.

The 3,555 sq. ft. of accommodation is over three floors, including a refurbished lower ground floor with a pantry, a sitting room and study. The rear garden has a lawn with flower and shrub borders and paved seating areas. There is also a vegetable garden and a stream with a bridge to a wood owned by the house. Equestrian facilities include a 650 sq. ft. barn with attached stables, a corral and a fenced paddock.

Woburn Sands Office | Richard Tyrrell | 01908 586400 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 MATTINGLEY, HAMPSHIRE

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farmhouse set in the centre of approximately 96 acres with extensive equestrian facilities and agricultural buildings, all requiring updating. Blue House Farm occupies a delightful position on the edge of the popular and convenient village of Mattingley.

6 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 | 2 D E R E L I C T C O T TA G E S I N D O O R R I D I N G S C H O O L | 2 8 L O O S E B OX E S | 2 P E R I O D B A R N S | PA ST U R E & WO O D L A N D | E P C E HARTLEY WINTNEY 2.5 MILES | HOOK 2.5 MILES | BASINGSTOKE 7 MILES

Offers in excess of £3,650,000 Knight Frank London & Basingstoke edward.cunningham@knightfrank.com 020 450 27121 mark.potter@knightfrank.com 01256 806421 Ref: CHO012079984

knightfrank.co.uk

Castle with Views to France Hythe, Kent Hythe: 2 miles, Ashford International Station: 11 miles (London St Pancras from 37 minutes) Situated on the edge of the escarpment, this Grade I listed castle enjoys stunning views across the Romney Marsh towards the English Channel. Currently operating as a wedding and corporate entertainment venue, the property includes stables, 1 staff flat, 4 holiday let cottages, restaurant, remains of a Roman fort, walled garden, further gardens and enclosures.

About 137 acres | Guide £11 million

Will Peppitt Savills London Country Department 020 3553 7833 wpeppitt@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Devon, South Hams

A spectacular Art Deco property with panoramic sea and countryside views and excellent detached annexe Kingswear: 2.5 miles, Brixham: 2.5 miles, Dartmouth: 3 miles, Exeter: 29 miles Hall | Drawing room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast/sitting room | Games room | Office/studio | Shower room | Extensive ground floor terraces Principal bedroom suite with bathroom, dressing room and balcony | 3 Further bedroom suites | Detached annexe with 4 bedrooms and separate gardens | Double garage | Gardens with exceptional sea views | Stables | Large barn | Tennis court | Pastureland About 16.6 acres Richard Speedy

James Mackenzie

Exeter Office 01392 248 207

Country Department 020 3642 4591

richard.speedy@struttandparker.com

james.mackenzie@struttandparker.com

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

West Sussex, Nr Petworth

An enchanting ancient farmhouse, with ancillary accommodation, barns and stabling, nestled in the South Downs National Park Pulborough station: 3.7 miles (London Victoria 80 mins), Petworth: 4.6 miles, Guildford: 25.4 miles, Central London: 58 miles Main House: Hall | 3 Reception rooms | Study | Kitchen/breakfast room | Utility room | 4 Bedrooms | 2 Family bathrooms Annexe: Sitting room | Kitchen | Bedroom with balcony | Bathroom | Studio barn | Hay barn | Stable block (6 units) | Workshop/potting shed Greenhouse | Formal gardens | Vegetable garden | Wild flower meadows | Paddocks | Woodland | Pond About 59.38 acres

/struttandparker

Tom Shuttleworth

Paul Machell

Country Department 07919 128 193

Chichester Office 01243 885 665

thomas.shuttleworth@struttandparker.com

paul.machell@struttandparker.com

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Meet the Victorian Society

Continuing to shine a spotlight on experts in their field, this week’s focus is on Joe O’Donnell, Director of the Victorian Society, which campaigns on behalf of Victorian and Edwardian buildings.

Joe O’Donnell Director of the Victorian Society

Although I’ve always been interested in historic architecture, I never considered it as a career option. Then I bought a Victorian house in Lewisham which needed huge amounts of work. Realising I needed to deepen my knowledge, I turned to the society for help - and a new professional path emerged.

Our mission is twofold: first is to protect properties from disfiguration or demolition - as a reflection of the prejudices when the listing system was created in the mid-20th century, many interesting Victorian and Edwardian houses are unlisted. Secondly, we educate through a series of lectures, events, books and journals.

We’re thrilled to have been invited to comment on the following properties with interesting Victorian details marketed through Savills. The reuse of our wonderful historic buildings, rather than wasteful demolition and rebuild, is key to a sustainable future. We hope new owners will join the society for advice and support our future campaigns.

Watch me discuss Victorian and Edwardian properties with Savills Director Hugh Maconochie here: http://sav.li/meetourexperts

FOR SALE | Sevenoaks, Kent | Guide £10 million The Victorians understood the importance of first impressions and I especially like the carved pillars at the bottom of the stairs.

FOR SALE | Battersea, London SW11 | Guide £2.975 million | Freehold The exterior use of ornament, with its multiple string courses combining with the decoration on the windows and doors, is very pleasing.

For further information on the Victorian Society or any of the properties shown here, please contact Savills Country Department below.

Lindsay Cuthill Savills Country Department 020 4502 8986 lcuthill@savills.com

Hugh Maconochie Savills Country Department 020 3797 2208 hmaconochie@savills.com

SOLD | The Heath House Estate, North Staffordshire | Offers in excess of £6.25 million There is so much to love about this characterful house where the interiors have been so carefully looked after. The Jacobean-style ceilings and the entrance hall staircase are stunning, but what I love most of all is the tower – who doesn’t dream of a tower?

UNDER OFFER | Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire | Guide £1.195 million Demonstrating the flexibility of Victorian houses, a bedroom has been converted into a bathroom with an original fireplace and sash window.

FOR SALE | Braintree, Essex | Guide £1.395 million I love that this former church, repurposed as a home, has retained features such as the gothic staircase, polychromatic brick and stained glass.

Exceptional Country Residence Sevenoaks, Kent Sevenoaks Station: 2.8 miles (London Bridge from 22 minutes) Once home to the eminent architect Charles Robert Ashbee, this is a handsome unlisted and refurbished Arts and Crafts country home set within parkland grounds in a rural location. 4 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms (5 en suite), further bathroom, study, sauna, steam room, swimming pool, tennis court, secondary accommodation, summerhouses, pool house, pavilions, garaging, formal gardens and grounds. EPC = F About 16 acres | Guide £10 million

Will Peppitt Savills London Country Department 020 3925 6807 wpeppitt@savills.com

David Johnston Savills Sevenoaks 01732 807 692 djohnston@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Breath-taking Church Conversion Braintree, Essex Braintree: 5.8 miles, Halsted: 6.5 miles, Stansted Airport: 19.6 miles This beautiful converted Victorian church stands in a lovely stretch of open countryside in the village of Blackmore End. Originally commissioned by the Courtauld family as a place of worship, it was converted in 2014 and re-imagined for 21st century living. Stunning full-height reception room, bespoke open-plan kitchen/dining room, 4 bedrooms, dressing room, study, garden cabin, substantial parking area, extensive lawns and south-facing terrace. EPC = D Guide £1.395 million

Stephen White Savills Chelmsford 01245 808 671 swhite@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Exceptional Family Home Battersea, London SW11 Battersea Park: 0.2 miles Set over five floors, this beautifully presented Victorian home close to Battersea Park offers an outstanding entertainment space. 3 reception rooms, open-plan kitchen/dining room, 6 bedrooms (1 en suite), 1 further bathroom, games room, utility room and garden. EPC = D Freehold | 2,886 sq ft (268.12 sq m) | Guide £2.975 million Mayow Short Savills Battersea Park 020 3733 7470 mshort@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Views of Saundersfoot Bay Saundersfoot, Pembrokeshire Tenby: 4 miles Thought to date c.1870, this renovated and refurbished Victorian home enjoys wonderful sea views. 5 reception rooms, 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, David Salisbury orangery, cellar, workshop, landscaped gardens and grounds. Adjacent 2 bedroom cottage available by separate negotiation.

Guide £1.5 million Daniel Rees Savills Cardiff 029 2263 8502 drees@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Delightful Edwardian Home Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire Beaconsfield Train Station: 0.6 miles Believed to date back to 1911, this lovely family home combines a perfect blend of character features and modern finishes. 3 reception rooms, kitchen, 4 bedrooms (1 en suite), further bathroom, study, utility room, gravelled driveway and mature rear garden. EPC = D Guide £1.25 million Chris Moorhouse Savills Beaconsfield 01494 857 770 cmoorhouse @savills.com

Ben Dommett Savills Beaconsfield 01494 855 771 bdommett@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Steeped in History Gilston, Essex Harlow Town Station: 1.6 miles (London Liverpool Street from 30 minutes) Constructed c. 1889, this Grade II listed Arts and Crafts style home is full of character with fine examples of original Victorian features throughout. 5 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, stable block, separate coach house, storage barn and mature grounds.

About 7.37 acres | Guide £1.85 million Tim Phillips Savills Bishop’s Stortford 01279 888 275 tmphillips@savills.com

Justin Godfrey Savills Bishop’s Stortford 01279 881 224 jgodfrey@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Buyers are flocking to the South West Encompassing some of the UK's best-loved coastal destinations such as Devon and Cornwall, as well as wonderful countryside and thriving towns, it's perhaps unsurprising that prospective buyers in the South West were 45% higher than the five-year average in July*.

Here is a selection of properties available.

Bulford, Wiltshire A delightful former vicarage with great potential and impressive gardens.

6 - 7 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 | W O R K S H O P | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 1 . 3 3 A C R E S | E P C F

Guide price £1,100,000

rob.wightman@knightfrank.com 01488 758437

Longburton, Dorset An unlisted and beautifully presented Victorian house with four acres and lovely countryside views.

5 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 2 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 4 A C R E S | E P C D

Guide price £895,000

simon.barker@knightfrank.com 01935 805324

Dittisham, Devon Detached cottage with over an acre of rare, private and natural woodland and water views.

3 B E D R O O M S | 2 B AT H R O O M S | 2 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 . 3 9 A C R E S | E P C E

Guide price £1,800,000

christopher.bailey@knightfrank.com 01392 240978 Source: Knight Frank data

Batheaston, Bath A detached family home in an elevated position, with mature gardens and a swimming pool.

4 B E D R O O M S | 3 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 . 3 8 A C R E S | E P C E

Guide price £1,350,000

francesca.leighton-scott@knightfrank.com 01225 685523

Axbridge, Somerset Superb farmhouse in glorious countryside with stabling, tennis court, land and a separate annexe. Further land is available by negotiation.

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 5 . 4 5 A C R E S | E P C E

Guide price £1,950,000

james.toogood@knightfrank.com 01174 054802

Friary, near Bath A charming 19th century detached cottage in an idyllic location with river frontage, close to Bath.

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 | A P P R O X I M AT E LY 0 . 3 9 A C R E S | E P C E

Offers in excess of £850,000

francesca.leighton-scott@knightfrank.com 01225 685523

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

LEIGH, SURREY GUIDE PRICE £3,750,000 FREEHOLD

SUNNINGDALE, BERKSHIRE £7,950 PER MONTH

An attractive substantial six/seven bedroom house with two separate cottages situated within its own land of ten acres including a swimming pool, tennis court, garaging, paddock and stabling. EPC D

A contemporary home within walking distance of the mainline station and the shops, offering three bedrooms, garden and basement studio including it’s own separate kitchen, en-suite and own entrance. EPC B

Hamptons Dorking 01306 867614

Hamptons Sunningdale Lettings 01344 985977

NEAR CHURT, HAMPSHIRE

KINGSTON BLOUNT, OXFORDSHIRE GUIDE PRICE £749,950 FREEHOLD

A substantial eight bedroom country house remodelled in 2021. Offering a gym, substantial annexe, four bay barn style garage, swimming pool and seven acres of garden and woodland. EPC: D

An attractive bright four bedroom, two bathroom semi detached house, converted in 2015 with pretty gardens, located it in an idyllic Chiltern village. EPC C

OFFERS IN THE REGION OF £3,000,000 FREEHOLD

Hamptons Liphook 01428 786269 HAMPTONS.CO.UK

Hamptons Great Missenden 01494 857812

BENDENDEN, KENT GUIDE PRICE £3,750,000 FREEHOLD

PRESTWOOD, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE GUIDE PRICE £1,625,000 FREEHOLD

In the heart of the Weald of Kent, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a handsome, Grade II Listed country house surrounded by approximately 21.6 acres (8.75 h) of landscaped gardens and grounds, together with an exceptional range of outbuildings.

A hidden period gem filled with character offering five bedrooms, four bathrooms, three receptions, kitchen with aga, a one bedroom annexe, lovely landscaped gardens and double garage. EPC E Hamptons Great Missenden 01494 857812

Hamptons Tunbridge Wells 01892 882984

THORNBURY, SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE £1,900,000 FREEHOLD

SHURLOCK ROW, BERKSHIRE £10,000 PER MONTH

A substantial and well-appointed Victorian Vicarage, nestled in this bustling market town with over 4800 sqft of accommodation, lovely gardens of 0.6 acres and a separate, internal annexe. EPC E

A beautiful neo-Georgian residence with an impeccably designed interior offering four bedrooms, three receptions, two bathrooms, bespoke Smallbone kitchen and landscape gardens. EPC E

Hamptons Bristol 0117 911 6839

Hamptons Maidenhead Lettings 01628 873543 HAMPTONS.CO.UK

WINTERGILL PLANTATION AND WEST ARNECLIFFE WOOD EGTON BRIDGE, NORTH YORKSHIRE

Two freehold commercial woodlands for sale as a whole or in 2 lots situated in the North York Moors National Park In all, about 250.93 Acres | Guide prices for the Whole £1,600,000 or Lot 1 £1,440,000 (225.72 acres) or Lot 2 £160,000 (25.21 acres) Contact Mike Tustin or John Clegg on 01869 254938 miketustin@tustins.co.uk | johnclegg@tustins.co.uk Tustins Group Ltd Unit 2, Park Farm, Akeman Street, Kirtlington, Oxfordshire OX5 3JQ

CHARTERED FORESTRY SURVEYORS, VALUERS & AGENTS

THE HOME OF PREMIUM PROPERTY O U R PROPE R T Y PAGE S A R E W H E R E T H E F I N E S T HO U SE S A R E SHOWC A SE D T O A R E F I N E D, W E A LT H Y R E A DE R SH I P I N B O T H T H E U K A N D OV E R SE A S

COUNTRY LIFE is where buyers search for their dream For property advertising information please contact Oliver Pearson: oliver.pearson@futurenet.com – 07961 800887

CLF FP.indd 1

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david parfitt at home beside the tidal Thames

Drinking at the Pub, Sundown £950 oil on board

17 x 20 cms

Palms and Pub Goers oil on board

Under the Bridge, Morning

£9,500

oil on canvas 85 x 65 cms

63⁄4 x 77⁄8 ins

£1,650

30.5 x 31 cms

12 x 121⁄4 ins

331⁄2 x 255⁄8 ins

On view in the Gallery 18th August – 3rd September The water rises and falls with the tide, the sun and seasons come and go, there is the never-ending passage of boats and birds and people.

So Parfitt does not wander too far from home in search of a subject.

‘Narrowing it down opens up a potential whole new world. By stopping and looking, you see all the variety in one place, and then it no longer looks like one place anymore.’

Fully illustrated catalogue available to view online at www.messums.com

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

Reading on the Balcony oil on board

36 x 46 cms

£3,250 141⁄8 x 181⁄8 ins

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

Property market

Penny Churchill Left: Eardisley Park, Herefordshire, won the Restoration of the Year award from the Georgian Society in 2003. £1.95m commissioned to oversee the reconstruction shortly after completing work to repair the damage caused by the fire at Windsor Castle in 1992. The building work at Eardisley was undertaken by Hereford-based restoration specialists I. J. Preece and Son. The present house was erected on the existing footprint, using materials salvaged from the site wherever possible, including almost all the original bricks, which were laid using inside bricks facing outwards with modern cavity wall insulation behind. Old flooring, panelling and bathroom fittings were sourced from elsewhere and modern heating and plumbing systems were installed.

It was described by the Devon Gardens Trust as an “intensely Gothic mansion”

Phoenix from the flames Two glorious houses that burnt to the ground– one in Herefordshire in 1999 and another in Wiltshire in 1882–have been rebuilt, as another, in Devon, has been beautifully updated

I

T was every country-house owner’s worst nightmare when, early one morning in January 1999, handsome Eardisley Park in the picturesque Wye Valley, 15 miles northwest of Hereford, burnt to the ground, leaving only the stone plinth enclosing the basement and the north wall of the classic Grade II*listed Queen Anne house still standing.

Fortunately, its owners, Nigel and Jane Morris-Jones and their four children, were away at the time, but the disaster was compounded by the fact that they had spent the previous three years restoring the house they had bought in 1996.

The original Queen Anne house was built

by William Barnesley, a London merchant who bought the estate in about 1700. It stands on historic parkland established as a deer park in medieval times by the Baskerville family, where once stood the 11th-century Eardisley Castle that was razed to the ground after the English Civil War. The attic of the new house was converted into an additional storey later in the 18th century.

Undeterred by the enormity of the task, the couple set about ‘not only rebuilding the house, but rebuilding better than before’. Conservation architects Donald Insall Associates were

The works were completed in December 2001. In 2003, Eardisley Park won the Restoration of the Year award from the Georgian Society, followed, in 2010, by Restoration of the Century for the West Region from COUNTRY L IFE . Announcing the award, the magazine’s Architectural Editor John Goodall wrote: ‘On two counts, the work [at Eardisley Park] can fairly be considered a restoration rather than a re-creation. First, because it has respected the original fabric wherever possible; second, because they have aimed to reflect in the present building the history and architectural evolution of the house…

The final product speaks for itself: a wonderful country house with a patina of age that might easily trick the eye of the most keensighted enthusiast.’

Now for sale through the Hereford and Worcester office of Knight Frank (01905 723438) at a guide price of £1.95 million, Eardisley Park is classically symmetrical with four double-aspect rooms on each of the four floors, all opening from central landings.

On the raised ground floor, the four main rooms—kitchen/breakfast room, dining room, drawing room and study/library—open into one another to provide an interconnected space for large-scale entertaining.

In total, the house offers 6,224sq ft of accommodation, including the kitchen/ breakfast room, four main reception rooms, seven bedrooms, five bathrooms and cellars.

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

It stands in landscaped gardens and grounds of about 15 acres and comes with a swimming pool, paddock, small lake and ‘an extensive range of Grade II-listed outbuildings arranged as a series of courtyards with enormous development potential,’ adds selling agent Charles Probert.

Grand, Grade II-listed Everleigh Manor at Everleigh, on the north-east edge of Salisbury Plain, 4½ miles south-east of Pewsey, has had its share of ups-and-downs over the years, too. Owned by the Crown during the reigns of Henry IV, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, the Everleigh estate was acquired by Sir John Astley in 1765 and continued in the ownership of the Astley baronets until the turn of the 20th century. The present manor house was built in the 1700s, possibly on the site of an earlier house, and later extended with the addition of east and west wings.

The Astleys left Everleigh Manor in 1856, after which it was leased to a series of tenants, including Charles William Curtis, a wealthy gunpowder maker, from 1880 to 1886. In 1882, a fire destroyed much of the central part of the house, although the damaged area was rebuilt the following year. In 1917, the manor was sold to a timber merchant, who stripped the house of its mainly oak timbers. Sold again as a convalescent home after the First World War, the house was requisitioned in 1939 by the War Department as a military hospital and, later, a research laboratory.

Top, above and left: Grade II-listed Everleigh Manor in Wiltshire was restored inside and out by the current owners and offers some 21,265sq ft of living space in the main building, as well as 30 acres of gardens and grounds. £6.75m

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Property market

Above and right: Grade I-listed Bishops Court in Devon was remodelled in 1860 and restored by the current owners. £4.5m The building reverted to private residential use when the army left in 1991.

The manor had lain empty for some time when, in 1999, it was acquired by its present owner, who embarked on a major renovation of the 21,265sq ft main building, where everything is about ‘the bigger picture’. Highlights include the splendid vaulted entrance hall, the orangery with its ornate ceilings and the principal reception rooms, where countless windows ensure a flood of natural light and wonderful views of the manor’s 30-odd acres of gardens and grounds.

Currently for sale through The Country House Dept in Oxford (01865 338300) at a guide price of £6.75m, Everleigh Manor offers six fine reception rooms, eight luxurious bedrooms and seven bath/shower rooms on three floors in the main family house, with various service rooms at lower-ground level. Since 2016, the West Wing, comprising a reception area, kitchen, utility, dining room and 10 bedrooms on three floors, has been run as a successful bed & breakfast enterprise with its own separate entrance.

Down in Devon, Richard Addington of Jackson-Stops in Exeter (01392 214222) seeks ‘offers over £4.5m’ for Grade I-listed Bishops Court near Clyst St Mary, five miles from Exeter, aptly described by the Devon Gardens Trust as ‘an intensely Gothic mansion’ remodelled

in 1860–64 by the Gothic Revival architect William White, who worked on Grade I-listed Dartington Hall near Totnes at about the same time. At Bishops Court, he transformed a house of about 1800, which itself incorporated the remains of the most important medieval residence of the Bishops of Exeter, acquired in 1265 and used by them until 1546.

Set in more than 30 acres of parkland at the end of an imposing lime avenue, Bishops Court stands in open countryside above the valley of the River Clyst and comprises, in addition to the principal family living accommodation, five self-contained apartments, a Grade II-listed thatched gate lodge and the original medieval tithe barn and adjoining stable block, both listed Grade I.

The current owners of Bishops Court, who bought the draughty 11,796sq ft building in 2003, are artists and architects who have carried out their own sensitive, but practical restoration of the historic structure. They have carefully updated the interior of the main house, which now boasts four main reception rooms, the former chapel and eight bedrooms, most of which have bathrooms en suite.

The former service wing has been converted into three self-contained one- and two-bedroom apartments and two studios, all let on assured-shorthold tenancies, which, together with the Renewable Heat Incentive from the wonderfully efficient biomass boiler system, provide a substantial income stream.

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Property news

Annunciata Elwes

Good week for The good life Start-up online agent Country House Department, which focuses on going beyond bricks and mortar to sell a lifestyle for £1m-plus houses, its celebrating its first year in business with £38m in house sales to show for it Street art A mural of England footballer Marcus Rashford, painted in June on Gainsborough Road in Finchley, North London, has added £54,411 in value to every house on the street, according to Land Registry data

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SOUTH-COAST new-build likened to an Art Deco-style lighthouse—‘the most significant coastal property to come to the open market in the West Country for many years… iconic in the true meaning of the word,’ according to Christopher Bailey of Knight Frank—will launch to market at the end of this year and interested parties are invited to get in touch (020–7629 8171).

From its three-acre site on the cliffs at Croyde, north Devon, between surfers’ paradise Saunton Sands and Baggy Point, striking Chesil Cliff House was in construction for almost a decade and the subject of the ‘saddest episode ever’ of Grand Designs in 2019, in which the family who hoped to live in it ran out of money mid project. Happily set to complete by the end of this year, the fivebedroom house, which has a sauna, pool, private beach and three-bedroom annexe cut out of the rock face called The Eye, will open at a guide of £10 million.

‘There is nothing else to compare it with on the market right now,’ continues Mr Bailey.

‘It certainly sits at the very top of the national coastal waterfront market and I have no doubt it will attract keen interest globally.’

If you go down to the woods today

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EEP within magical Tehidy Woods, this adorable 18th-century cottage was once a lodge to the Tehidy estate; now, it’s a two-bedroom dwelling, beautifully kept, that makes clever use of the little thatched building’s strange shape. East Lodge, near the village of Illogan and benefiting from its proximity to the Tehidy Golf Club on the edge of a stretch of Cornish AONB, is for sale through Lillicrap Chilcott at £395,000 (01872 273473).

Your podcast library Winkworth has launched The Property Exchange podcast; presented by journalist and broadcaster Anne Ashworth, episodes so far discuss topics such as town vs country and ‘Retail to residential—can the high street become home?’

Power to the people The local authority in Salcombe, the Devon idyll nicknamed Chelsea-onSea, has boldly insisted that all newbuilds be sold as a ‘primary residence’—and must stay that way, too.

Currently, 57% of residences in Salcombe are second homes with property prices through the roof

Alamy

On top of the world

The road ahead Savills has upgraded its year forecast to 9% growth (it was 4% pre the SDLT holiday extension); meanwhile, Knight Frank says values increased by 3.7% in the three months to June, the strongest quarterly growth in 15 years, and average prices are 10.5% higher than last year

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Go fish T

HE wilds of Exmoor are always a draw, especially so at the moment—which makes the emergence of a ‘perfect lifestyle opportunity’, to own a profitable trout farm, extra intriguing. In the Haddon Hills, close to the hamlet of Hartford, Exmoor Fisheries sustainably breeds and farms high-quality rainbow trout for restocking purposes, comprising 14 earth ponds within its 6¾ acres, fed from a spring and the River Haddeo. The hatchery produces more than 450,000 fry per annum—most go to other farms and fisheries, but some are sold locally (an area that could be expanded upon)—and onsite accommodation includes a twobedroom 18th-century barn conversion and three-bedroom Pheasants Nest, with impressive views. £1.15 million through Fenn Wright (01206 216555).

Local heroes The old-school publicans Ron and Ruby love their life at the Ferret and Weasel in Lower Foxley so much that even an eye-watering offer from the fashionable chef Bertrand Balsamic failed to dislodge them. They enjoy maintaining the venerable traditions of that endangered species: the Cotswold boozer that still offers the pleasures of gammon and egg, a jukebox and an opportunity to have your own tankard over the bar. Ron toys with the idea of leaving their timewarp to the National Trust, ‘lock, stock and barrel, even Ruby’s pickled eggs and the patterned carpets’. When Balsamic settled for a pub in the neighbouring village, Ron and Ruby noticed a stream of new customers. ‘If there’s any foam in here, I hope it’s on your beer, not your food,’ said one exasperated local. GK 9000

Alamy

Illustration by Emma van Zeller

Baxter, will you marry me?

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N AI butler, launched last year by OKTO Technologies, has silently (and invisibly, as is his wont) taken the luxury property market by storm.

Baxter is already a fixture at homes in Knightsbridge and Belgravia, not to mention high-end developments at 80 Holland Park by Christian Candy, The Peninsula, SW1, and Mayfair Park Residences, W1.

Like the kind of husband we’d love to have (but sadly doesn’t exist), Baxter knows what you’re thinking before you’ve uttered a word, thoughtfully adjusting everything from music to security, using facial ID to lock and unlock doors. If you’re exercising, for example, he’ll monitor humidity levels and maintain air quality; he even considers circadian rhythms to keep you productive. He creates optimum lighting and sound for Zoom calls, then realigns for an evening wind down by putting on your favourite playlist, switching on the oven, shutting the curtains, diffusing relaxing bergamot and lavender scents through the house and making sure your bottle of Sauvignon is at just the right temperature. Frankly, we hope Baxter is single. Visit www. oktotechnologies.co.uk 109

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