Country Life: November 17, 2021: Early Property Pages by lkhosla

EVERY WEEK

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

The restoration game

Why the listing muddle must end

ISSUE: 46

PRINTED IN THE UK

£4.50

RESTORATION & LISTED BUILDINGS NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Crowns and mitres: how to shape apple trees The man that made the golden eggs Funny field names and the queen of ships

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ONE FAMILY SPECIALISING IN FINE FURNITURE SINCE 1866

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

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

£1,720 each

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

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WO ODBRIDGE , SUFFOLK

quintessential Georgian Grade II listed house close to the Suffolk Heritage Coast. This immaculate and impressive Queen Anne property is set in beautifully maintained gardens and grounds.

Offers in excess of £2,750,000 Knight Frank London george.bramley@knightfrank.com 020 4502 8284 georgie.veale@knightfrank.com 020 3995 0779 Ref: CHO012127377

knightfrank.co.uk

PITSFORD, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Offers In Excess Of: £2,000,000 5 Bedrooms

4 Reception Rooms

2 Bathrooms

N/A EPC

A Grade II listed 18th century folly with gothic ornamentation and a crenelated parapet, set in 2.11 acres of south facing gardens with rural views over the Boughton Conservation Area. The property dates from 1776 and is one of six Boughton Follies built by the 2nd Earl of Stratford and Wentworth to enhance the views from his home, Boughton Hall. Originally the home farm for the hall, it was named after the Battle of Bunker’s Hill in 1775. The 2.11 acres of land include formal gardens predominately laid to lawn with an orchard. There are over 4,430 sq. ft. of outbuildings including a Threshing Barn, a tack room, eight stables, and a Bothy with self-contained one bedroom accommodation.

Northampton Office | Ian Jepson | 01604 611011 London Office | Bob Bickersteth | 0207 839 0888

14 offices covering 8 counties and Central London

michaelgraham.co.uk

michaelgraham_living

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MERE , WILTSHIRE

n outstanding Grade I listed manor house of significant architectural merit offering 17,267 square foot of accommodation. Set in an elevated position, the property has far-reaching views over its own parkland of 58 acres and towards The Blackmore Vale. 1 0 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 | C L O C K T O W E R W I T H 2 F L AT S C O A C H H O U S E | S TA B L I N G | 2 U N O C C U P I E D L O D G E S | S W I M M I N G P O O L | W O O D L A N D | L A K E G I L L I N G H A M 5 M I L E S | C A S T L E C A R Y 1 2 M I L E S ( L O N D O N PA D D I N G T O N F R O M 9 5 M I N U T E S )

Guide price £5,500,000 Knight Frank London & Sherborne edward.cunningham@knightfrank.com 020 4502 7121 luke.pender-cudlip@knightfrank.com 01935 805324 Ref: CHO012121916

knightfrank.co.uk

Impressive Family Home Lea, Lincolnshire Gainsborough: 2.8 miles Architecturally designed modern home which offers wonderful lateral living with a grand entrance hall. 5 reception rooms, 8 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, games room, swimming pool, garage and landscaped garden. EPC = B About 3.3 acres | Guide £1.25 million Rupert Fisher Savills Lincoln 01522 716 950 rfisher@savills.com

Michelle Weaver Savills Lincoln 01522 712 586 mweaver@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Victorian Country Estate Castel, Guernsey St. Peter Port: 3.6 miles A rare opportunity to acquire one of Guernsey’s most beautiful historic properties dating back to the 1500s, situated in picturesque valley surroundings with mature woodland and walled gardens. 5 reception rooms, 10 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, barn, fronted courtyard and agricultural land. About 14.4 acres | Guide £4.95 million Richard Fox Savills Guernsey 01481 713 463 richard.fox @savills.com

Nick Paluch Savills Guernsey 01481 713 463 nick.paluch @savills.com

savills

savills.gg

Kent, Near Deal

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

Edward Church

Simon Backhouse

Canterbury Oﬃce 01227 806 892

edward.church@struttandparker.com

simon.backhouse@struttandparker.com

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

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The Computer Generated Images shown are for illustrative purposes only and not to be replied upon.

4 5 TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT

itting in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells, Nevill Row is a collection of eight modern Victorian-style homes. Each home has been individually designed by boutique developers, Beau Property. 2 B E D R O O M S | A L L O C AT E D PA R K I N G BESPOKE MODERN SHAKER STYLE KITCHENS I N D I V I D U A L LY D E S I G N E D B AT H R O O M S

LIME STONE FI RE PLACE S | BE SP OKE JOINERY P R I VAT E G A R D E N W I T H E A C H H O M E T U N B R I D G E W E L L S S TAT I O N 0 . 6 M I L E S | T H E PA N T I L E S 0 . 2 M I L E S

Prices from £450,000 - £600,000 Knight Frank Tunbridge Wells ross.davies@knightfrank.com 01892 888494

knightfrank.co.uk

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WRAXALL , D ORCHESTER

n unlisted 16th century cottage with a 20th century extension. Situated in an unspoilt quiet hamlet and surrounded by the Wraxall Manor Estate, there is immediate access to miles of beautiful riding, dog walking and rolling countryside.

Guide price £675,000 Knight Frank Sherborne luke.pender-cudlip@knightfrank.com 01935 805324 Jackson-Stops philip.ribon@jackson-stops.co.uk 01308 423133 Ref: SHE012147237

knightfrank.co.uk

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3 STO CKSFIELD, NORTHUMBERLAND

n imposing and substantial Victorian country house situated in extensive private grounds and woodland. The property is set amidst rolling Northumbrian countryside, on the edge of the popular commuter village of Stocksfield.

Guide price £1,975,000 Knight Frank Melrose james.denne@knightfrank.com 01896 888502 Finest Properties corbridge@finestgroup.co.uk 01434 622234 Ref: EDN012147358

knightfrank.co.uk

Buyers are continuing to head to the Home Counties In October 2021, the number of offers accepted were 83% higher than the five-year average*. With its wide array of locations, each with distinctive personalities, rolling countryside and quick transport links to London - it's no wonder why. Here is a selection of properties available.

Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire A fabulous property in a stunning location on the river's edge. 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 | E P C F

Guide price £2,200,000

matt.davies@knightfrank.com 01491 815299

Ascot, Berkshire A superb family home in the heart of South Ascot.

6 B E D R O O M S | 5 B AT H R O O M S | 3 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C B

Guide price £3,750,000

greg.crosse@knightfrank.com 01344 989436

Chesham, Buckinghamshire A brand new detached home built to a high specification.

5 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 | E P C B

Offers in excess of £1,350,000

harry.prynn@knightfrank.com 01494 853619 Source: Knight Frank data

Cobham, Surrey A beautifully designed ground floor apartment in a popular development.

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

Guide price £2,750,000

charles.davenport@knightfrank.com 01932 800998

Esher, Surrey A modern family home set in Claygate's premier residential road. 5 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 6 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S | E P C C

Guide price £2,650,000

adam.burlison@knigtfrank.com 01372 885688

Weybridge, Surrey A beautiful home located within St George's Hill private estate. 6 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 | E P C D

Guide price £3,500,000

andrew.chambers@knightfrank.com 01932 809938

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

Your partners in property for 125 years

knightfrank.co.uk

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3 NR TISBURY, WILTSHIRE

n exciting and rare opportunity to build a beautiful country house within a smallholding/equestrian property of 14.47 acres. The property is situated in an elevated position off a country lane on the edge of Chilmark, a highly sought-after village. 4 B E D R O O M S | 3 B AT H R O O M S | 2 R E C E P T I O N R O O M S O U T B U I L D I N G S | S TA B L E S | G A R D E N | F I E L D S | E P C C T I S B U R Y 3 . 5 M I L E S ( L O N D O N WAT E R L O O 1 H O U R 4 5 M I N U T E S ) | S A L I S B U R Y 1 0 M I L E S

Offers in excess of £1,500,000 Knight Frank London & Sherborne sarah.ka.brown@knightfrank.com 020 7590 2451 luke.pender-cudlip@knightfrank.com 01935 805324 Ref: CHO012161340

knightfrank.co.uk

Holiday home ownership for 1/8 the cost pacaso.com/uk

Traditional Farmhouse Chipstead, Surrey Chipstead Station: 1.4 miles, Central London: 15 miles A very picturesque Grade II listed farmhouse of great style and character that has been in the same family for about fifty years. 5 reception rooms, 7 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, annexe barn, double garage and landscaped gardens. About 1 acre | Guide £1.8 million Jamie Williams Savills Reigate 01737 887 874 jgwilliams @savills.com

Steven Stokes Savills Reigate 01737 886 993 steven.stokes @savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Handsome Cotswold House Fairford, Gloucestershire Cirencester: 9 miles, Swindon: 13 miles A classic Cotswolds home with a self-contained wing. 3 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, south-wing comprising 3 reception rooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and landscaped gardens. About 1.2 acres | Guide £2.6 million Anthony Coaker Savills Cirencester 01285 895 671 acoaker@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

Beautiful Barn Conversion Horsted Keynes, West Sussex Haywards Heath Station: 5 miles, Gatwick Airport: 17 miles Extended, refurbished and beautifully presented conversion with superb detached annexe and lovely countryside views. 2 reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, 2 en suite bedrooms, study area, detached 1 bedroom annexe, terraces and garden. EPCs = E & F

About 0.4 acres | Guide £1.25 million Rohan Vines Savills Haywards Heath 01444 846 525 rvines@savills.com

savills

savills.co.uk

new & exclusive property showcase

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

Oxshott, Surrey

£1,995,000 guide price

Oxshott Manor is a grand ﬁve-bedroom family home, tucked away down a private gated driveway close to Oxshott village High Street. Contact: Cobham ofﬁce 01932 964747

Desford, Leicestershire

£725,000

guide price

Nr. Bamburgh, Northumberland

£700,000

guide price

A beautiful four-bedroom house with landscaped gardens. The property is a one-of-a-kind build of traditional design. Contact: Market Bosworth 01455 364852

A magniﬁcent three-bedroom tower house in a gorgeous rural setting overlooking Bamburgh. Contact: Northumberland 01434 671004

Witton-le-Wear, County Durham

Kingswood, Surrey

£795,000

guide price

A substantial and spacious stone-built property, situated in an elevated position and enjoying superb open countryside views. Contact: Barnard Castle 01833 314983

£800,000 guide price

This detached chalet-style house has traditional cottage character; featuring ﬁve bedrooms, a detached garage and private gardens. Contact: Kingswood ofﬁce 01737 483772

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

£750,000

guide price

A spacious four-bedroom house set in 0.64 acres in a beautiful sylvan setting near Haldon Forest yet within easy reach of Exeter. Contact: Exeter ofﬁce 01392 976719

Lynstead, Kent

£1,750,000 guide price

An award-winning oast house conversion with a ﬂexible layout of substantial proportions. Set in lush gardens with a tennis court. Contact: Canterbury ofﬁce 01227 319798

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

SOLD

Kent | Otham

SOLD

East Sussex | Bodle Street Green

Guide Price £2,000,000

Kent | Boxley

Guide Price £2,250,000

Guide Price £2,450,000 SOLD

SOLD

Kent | Plaxtol

SOLD

Kent | Challock

Guide Price £2,500,000

Kent | Nr Deal

Guide Price £1,950,000

Guide Price £2,750,000

A selection of recently sold homes from the people who move you.

Tom Shuttleworth

Edward Church

Andrew Harwood

Victoria Rose

Country Department

Kent

Sevenoaks Office

thomas.shuttleworth@struttandparker.com

edward.church@struttandparker.com

andrew.harwood@struttandparker.com

victoria.rose@struttandparker.com

020 7591 2232

01227 806 892

01732 807 279

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

SOLD

Kent | Petham

SOLD

East Sussex | Jevington

Guide Price £2,250,000

Guide Price £2,450,000

SOLD

East Sussex | Wilmington Guide Price £1,600,000

Kent | Wingham

Guide Price £1,650,000

SOLD

Kent | Tonbridge

Guide Price £2,500,000

Kent | Boughton Monchelsea Guide Price £2,200,000

If you’d like an up-to-date market appraisal, please get in touch with a member of our team.

Simon Backhouse

Jane Layfield

Adrian Passingham

Liza Howden

Canterbury Office

Lewes Office

South East Estates & Farm Agency

simon.backhouse@struttandparker.com

Jane.layfield@struttandparker.com

adrian.passingham@struttandparker.com

liza.howden@struttandparker.com

01227 806 892

01273 805 822

020 7591 2214

/struttandparker

@struttandparker

struttandparker.com

A DESTINATION OF MEDAL WINNING OLYMPIC AND EUROPEAN EQUINE CHAMPIONS, FIVE STAR FACILITIES AND A 6 BEDROOM FAMILY HOME WITH ADDITIONAL 3 BEDROOM BED & BREAKFAST POTENTIAL SET IN CIRCA 20 ACRES OF BEAUTIFUL NIDDERDALE COUNTRYSIDE. Main House: Ground Floor: Entrance hallway, kitchen with dining, living room and dining room, utility with wet room and cloakroom/wc. First Floor: Master bedroom with ensuite bathroom, double bedroom with ensuite shower room, two further double bedrooms and a house bathroom. Second Floor: Two double bedrooms and a shower room. Further accommodation: Three ensuite double bedrooms each accessed separately, previously used as Bed and Breakfast accommodation. Outside: Private gated entrance, driveway with parking for multiple vehicles, front lawned area and rear terrace. Equestrian facilities: Indoor competition arena, heated viewing area, automated Monarch horse walker, floodlit all weather outdoor arena, post and railed fenced paddocks, menage, full indoor arena, 37 wooden stables with a number of tack rooms and rug rooms, wash boxes and two equine solariums. In all circa 20 acres.

Guide Price £2.5 million

QUINTESSENTIAL WEST CORNWALL LOCATION Newquay Airport 51 miles, Penzance Heliport 11 miles, Porthcurno 1 mile, Sennen 4 miles, Truro 37 miles - all distances approximate

A sensational opportunity - truly ‘once in a lifetime’ - to acquire a hidden south west facing ‘gem’ of a Cornish hideaway nestled just above Porth Chapel cove on the south Cornish coast between the Minack Theatre and Porthgwarra…the stuff that dreams are made of. Comprising a 1,600sq.ft. seafacing main house created in 1965 with enormous scope to enhance and redesign (subject to all requisite consents) and a pair of classic double fronted stone cottages in a time warp, requiring comprehensive renovation. Completely off the beaten track, about 225 yards from a little known beach and weathered granite cliffs in circa 2.5 acres of gently sloping grounds in one of the most exquisitely beautiful and unspoiled locations on the coast of West Cornwall. Main House: entrance porch, dining room, kitchen, conservatory. Landing, lounge, 3 double bedrooms, family shower room, separate wc. Pair of Cottages: sitting room, kitchen/dining room, side entrance porch, family bathroom. Landing, 3 bedrooms. Entrance porch, sitting room, kitchen/dining room. 2 bedrooms, family shower room. Gardens and Grounds: integral single garage, workshop, parking area, gently sloping lawn, extensive gardens and grounds. In all, about 2.5 acres. Offers over £1,500,000 www.lillicrapchilcott.com

Freehold

| 01872 273473 |

Sole Agent email sales@lillicrapchilcott.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

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Property market

Penny Churchill

Labours of love Two country houses have flourished under the stewardship of their current owners, whose efforts have turned them into perfect homes

Originally built for Mary Sargant-Florence, Lord’s Wood in Buckinghamshire is now the home of David and Millie Messum. £8m

HE last time Grade II-listed Lord’s Wood, near Marlow, Buckinghamshire, appeared on the open market was in 1973, when an article in COUNTRY L IFE (November 15, 1973) was curiously dismissive of the architectural merits of the handsome Lutyens-style house. It was built in 1899 for the artist Mary Sargant-Florence, a prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group, whose daughter, Alix, married James Strachey, youngest brother of one of the group’s founders, Lytton Strachey. The opening paragraph reads: ‘The house would hardly merit a second look as a piece of architecture; you can see dozens similar

in the millionaires’ belt north of Regent’s Park, or in the plushier interstices between the South Coast resorts. But as the contents have been dispersed, and as the house will no doubt fade into managing-directorial anonymity, it is worth recording its history as a Bloomsbury footnote.’ Far from fading into ‘managing-directorial anonymity’, a year later a For Sale sign for Lord’s Wood caught the eye of London art dealer David Messum and his wife, Millie, who were then living in Old Beaconsfield. They bought it within a week, without commissioning a survey and apparently unaware of its Bloomsbury connection.

Now, 47 years on, having transformed the house and its former studio set in 35 acres of extensive gardens and grounds on the beech-covered hills of the Chilterns AONB, north of Marlow, into a charming country home of rare distinction and a showcase for art and sculpture, the Messums are ready to move on. Consequently, Lord’s Wood is for sale through Knight Frank’s Country Department (020–7861 1070) at a guide price of £8 million. Mary Sargant-Florence was a suffragette and an ardent feminist, who insisted on retaining her maiden name when she married Henry Florence, an American music student, in 1888. He died in the early 1890s

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Find the best properties at countrylife.co.uk

The interiors of the Queen Anne-style property have been extensively refurbished

and, some years later, Sargant-Florence decided to build a home in the country for herself, her son, Philip, and her daughter, Alix. She settled on Marlow, then the site of an artists’ colony led by the sculptor and potter Conrad Dressler. True to her feminist convictions, she tried to change the name of the property to Lady’s Wood, but tradition prevailed and Lord’s Wood it remained. Her architect, Granville Streatfeild—who trained with Reginald Blomfield and the eminent Sir Thomas Graham Jackson and married suffragette Lucy Deane, Britain’s first female factory inspector—designed the new house, built of local bricks under a Westmorland slate roof, in the Queen Anne style of the day. Sargant-Florence adopted the functional

principles of William Morris and supervised every phase of the build. No plaster was allowed on the walls; many of the doorways were left without doors and covered only by curtains. Water closets were taboo and it was only when Alix and her husband moved to Lord’s Wood during the Second World War that the plumbing in the house was modernised. Both were psychoanalysts, chosen by Freud to translate his works into English— a mammoth task that they completed at Lord’s Wood, where they lived permanently after Sargant-Florence’s death in 1954, surrounded by mementos of Bloomsbury past. It’s all a far cry from Lord’s Wood today, after nearly half a century of the Messums’ stewardship, during which time much creative energy, inspiration and hard cash has been expended in transforming every aspect of the house and garden. During their tenure, staircases have been repositioned, walls have been removed, fireplaces have been rebuilt and exposed pipes and electrical wires concealed, but important original features such as high ceilings, classic cornicing, period fireplaces and elegant windows have been carefully retained. The main house provides 4,964sq ft of elegant living space on three floors, including a bright and cheerful reception hall; a large drawing room with French windows leading to the parterre garden; the little-altered, hexagon-shaped dining room overlooking the gardens; and a light and spacious kitchen/ breakfast room. The first floor houses the principal bedroom suite, three double bedrooms (two with en-suite bathrooms) and a separate shower room, with three more

double bedrooms, a single room, a bathroom and a hobby room on the second floor. Standing next to the house is the large studio where Sargant-Florence worked as a muralist and where she taught the artist Stanley Spencer the craft of mural painting. Currently used as an art gallery/office complex, it offers a further 2,393sq ft of useful space on two floors. Outbuildings include the Lytton Barn and the James Barn, both currently used for storage, but with potential for conversion, subject to planning consent.

Both were psychoanalysts, chosen by Freud to translate his works into English And so to Lord’s Wood’s pièce de resistance—the five acres of wonderful gardens painstakingly created by the combined efforts of the Messum family over many years. They feature richly planted herbaceous borders, mature trees, yew hedging and topiary, a parterre planted with box, a flagstone terrace and a formal garden mainly laid to lawn. A pergola walkway leads to the wildflower meadows with their glorious views over the Chilterns and a private area, accessed via a brick arch, houses an outdoor swimming pool—a splendid place for entertaining. If the Messums had plenty to contend with when they bought Lord’s Wood, an even bigger challenge awaited the owner of Grade IIlisted Wonersh Mill, near Shamley Green, 91

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Property market

‘A fusion of industrial history with 21stcentury solutions’: The Water Mill, Surrey, rises from the ashes of a old mill. £8.5m

in the Surrey Hills AONB. The magical sound of running water and the appeal of a water mill, unseen and untouched for years, were the triggers that led Neal Futcher to embark on an extraordinary engineering project that took 12 years to complete at a cost of several times its original budget. The property was a derelict green-oak structure built into a dam holding back a large mill pond adjoining the mill house next door, when, in 2005, Mr Futcher bought it and set out to convert it into his dream country home. Having found a local surveyor who knew the previous owner, he was happy to hear that a budget of £900,000– £1.2 million would cover the cost of conversion. A local architect recommended an engineer who had worked on a number of marina developments on the south coast as someone capable of carrying out the work. The first set of bad news came when the engineer proposed carrying out a geological survey on the site that would cost £300,000– £400,000 before any building work could begin. It was back to the drawing board and a search for a new architect, this time locally based Elspeth Beard, who had to redo all

the drawings before submitting them to the planners. They promptly rejected the plans because, in their view, you couldn’t put a basement underneath a house in green-belt territory. For Mr Futcher, a basement was essential to achieving the size and design of house he wished to build. Finally, after four years of planning argument, Mr Futcher and his team went to appeal and won their case. Planning permission (since lapsed) was also secured to build a large barn to provide garaging or office space.

Seven years later, Wonersh Mill, now known simply as The Water Mill, represents a remarkable fusion of industrial history with 21stcentury solutions. Currently for sale through the Savills Country Department (020–7016 3780) at a guide price of £8.5m, the 8,231sq ft house, which boasts five reception rooms, five bedrooms, six bathrooms and indoor and outdoor pools, stands in a little under eight acres of terraced gardens, with a mill race running along the edge of the grounds—the whole set against a sylvan backdrop of ancient trees.

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Ainscough Strategic Land works in partnership with rural landowners and their agents across the country to promote land through the planning system with the aim of securing permission for an alternative use—usually new homes or business spaces. The company funds the process at its own risk and landowners retain ownership and use of their land until a sale is agreed via open-market bidding. A family-owned business, Ainscough is responsive, straightforward and friendly and its expert team will deliver a tailored strategy for each site. Contact Ainscough Strategic Land for a no-obligation chat with one of the planning advisors. (01942 269791; www.ainscoughstrategicland.co.uk)

Bell Ingram

Bell Ingram are leading, independent rural land and business specialists in Scotland and the north of England. Established in 1899, the firm has a staff of 100 professionals, who offer a highly personal and professional approach to provide clients with quality advice on their land or property needs. For 121 years, Bell Ingram has managed some of the UK’s finest agricultural, residential, forestry and sporting estates. Its team of experienced chartered surveyors oversees a large number of farms, estates and corporate properties, ensuring clients maximise their assets and comply to the ever-changing rural management requirements. (01738 621121; www.bellingram.co.uk) 30

Properties of the week

Annunciata Elwes

A new lease of life From a windmill to old stables, these conversions pack historical punch Hampshire, £2 million Modern reimaginings at Old Barley Mow Farmhouse have been thoughtfully made, including the large balcony off the master bedroom, with its dressing room and en-suite bathroom, French doors and fullheight triple windows, which overlook the garden and picturesque Basingstoke Canal. Located in the village of Winchfield, not far from Farnham, it has four bedrooms in all, plus a self-contained one-bedroom annexe and barn-style garage. The welllandscaped garden has canal frontage of about 190ft, with a private mooring. Hamptons (01252 216577) Northumberland, £1.6 million Originally part of the Stelling Hall estate, The Old Stables and single-storey Stable Cottage form a U-shape around a perfect cobbled courtyard, with the two properties linked by a striking tower with an archway. The main house has four bedrooms, the cottage two, and, in keeping with the building’s history, there’s a large paddock, modern stables, tack room and hay store beyond the gardens. Each property has its own drive and private outdoor space and exposed beams and fireplaces blend well with the modern renovation work; there’s also a study at the top of the tower with excellent views over the Tyne Valley. The little village of Newton is a short distance away, with one of the oldest inns in the county, and Corbridge is under five miles away. Finest Properties (01434 622234) 94

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Properties of the week

Somerset, £465,000 When The Empire was built in 1901, it was ‘Bath’s foremost luxury hotel’, say agents, and its beautiful proportions and splendour, particularly the grand staircase, remain. Earmarked for buyers aged over 50, No 34 is a twobedroom flat, which, being on the fifth floor, enjoys spectacular views over the Georgian city and famous horseshoe weir through mullion windows from a building that could not be better located, directly between the Abbey and the Avon. Hamptons (01225 220216)

Northumberland, £1.25 million Set in Acomb village, close to the market town of Hexham and a stone’s throw from some of the finest stretches of Hadrian’s Wall, including Sycamore Gap and the Roman forts of Housesteads and Vindolanda, this intriguing property started life as a windmill in about 1720. In use until the 1900s, when its sails were removed and additions made as part of its conversion, The Lantern is now a four-bedroom home that has been added to over the years and still has potential for development in the form of a large triple garage with storage on the floor above. The tower itself contains a sitting room with fireplace, secondary dining room, bedroom and shower room; the master bedroom has an adjoining dressing room and en-suite bathroom. Grounds of nearly three acres are sheltered and prettily landscaped with mature trees, shrubs, outdoor seating areas and a gazebo. Finest Properties (01434 622234)

Local heroes The fair-weather cyclist Illustration by Emma van Zeller

9000

Before lockdown, Graham berated the swarms of cyclists that hampered his daily commute. But, earlier this year, with time on his hands—and increasing weight on his girth—he decided that if you can’t beat (or overtake) them, you might as well join their lycra-clad ranks. He took advantage of his company’s bike-to-the-office scheme (overlooking the fact that he didn’t have an office to bike to) and invested in a vision in gleaming carbon on which he spent the summer swathed in Italy’s swankiest cycling finery. But, with winter upon us, the bike’s in the garage and he’s back in his car, grinding his gears behind hardier MAMILs, grumbling about how they have ‘all the gear but no idea’. GK

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