Converted rectories make charming country homes. We select five of the best.
Hampshire, £1.1 million The Old Rectory, Andover
A fine former rectory, believed to date from the 18th century. Grade II listed, it boasts many original features including fireplaces, panelling and a particularly elegant oak staircase with fluted newel posts and barley twist balustrades. Knight Frank (01488 682 726)
Buckinghamshire, £1.5 million
The Old Rectory, Great Linford
Having been completely restored in 2010, this Grade II-listed house is ideally suited to 21st-century living. It comes with six bedrooms, a large kitchen/breakfast room and a two-acre garden. Jackson-Stops & Staff (01525 290641)
Shropshire, £875,000
The Old Rectory, Rodington
This five-bedroom Victorian house stands in 1.3 acres of very pretty and well-managed gardens and is on the edge of the village. It has been carefully maintained by the current owners and has a good kitchen/breakfast room with an Aga. Strutt & Parker (01743 284200)
Devon, £1.2 million
The Old Rectory, Walkhampton
This early-Regency house is positioned down a private drive on the edge of the village, but within easy distance of the amenities at Yelverton. It comes with seven bedrooms, a cottage and three acres. Strutt & Parker (01392 248 094)
Leicestershire, £1.025 million
The Old Rectory, Braybrooke
A recently refurbished, Grade II listed former Rectory in an attractive Queen Ann/Georgian style with Gothic additions. It sits in attractive mature gardens and grounds. King West (01858 435 970)
Rushbrooke is set to emerge as East Anglia's estate sale of the year.
Privacy and discretion are the hallmarks of one of Suffolk’s most distinguished country estates, the historic, 1,720-acre Rushbrooke estate, four miles from Bury St Edmunds and 18 miles from Newmarket, which is for sale as a whole through Bidwells in Cambridge (01223 559352) at a guide price of £24m.
‘It is rare indeed to find a true estate that combines all the essential components: a high-quality commercial-farming enterprise, a successful private stud farm built up by generations of the same family, a substantial residential property portfolio and an informal family shoot, also with development potential,’ says selling agent James Brooke, who describes Rushbrooke as ‘a walk-in property that will probably emerge as East Anglia’s estate sale of the year’.
The original Rushbrooke estate was owned by the Great Abbey of Bury St Edmunds until about 1180, when the land was granted to a Scotland de Rushbrooke. It eventually passed by marriage to the Jermyn family, who built Rushbrooke Hall in about 1500. The estate passed by marriage back into Rushbrooke hands and was owned by them until 1919, when it was split up and sold by public auction. The Hall was bought, in 1938, by Lord Rothschild, who was looking for a house within easy reach of Cambridge and went on to buy back the farms that had been sold away.
The result is the estate as it stands today, minus the Hall, which was severely damaged by fire and demolished in 1961. The main house is now the more manageable, seven-bedroom Home Farmhouse, which stands in a tranquil setting at the heart of the estate, surrounded by parkland and stud grazing, and is close to the moat of the original Rushbrooke Hall.
In addition to Home Farmhouse, two staff cottages and various ancillary accommodation, the estate boasts two secondary farm- houses and 26 other properties, mostly in Rushbrooke village, which, between them, generate a rental income of some £138,000 a year.
The guide price is £24 million. For further information please contact Bidwells on 01223 559 352.
With royal baby fever sweeping the nation, Fine & Country presents a selection of delightful homes perfect for children.
The one with the nursery: Noblethorpe Hall, Silkstone, £1,650,000 This 18-acre parkland estate has everything a young family could need. The current owners have converted the lower ground floor into an entertainment suite with cinema room and gym. The property commands a beautiful position with panoramic views over the South Yorkshire countryside. Parents can take children to the nearby National Peak Park and it is only a short drive away from the M1 and M62. Fine & Country Barnsley: 01226 729 009
The one with the perfect treehouse: Marsett House, Southwell, £2,800,000
Children will spend endless hours in this state of the art tree house on the grand estate of Marsett House. The treehouse is cedar clad, fully heated, and has its own power supply and satellite television making it suitable for young children and teenagers. Marsett House also comes complete with a professional home cinema, games room, and separate annexe, which could provide the perfect accommodation for a nanny. The parents of these lucky children will also love the master suite with its own dressing room, heated swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi all located on the lower level. Fine & Country Nottingham: 0115 982 2824
The one with the enchanting garden: Kingthorn Mill, Greens Norton, £2,250,000
With summer fast approaching, we cannot imagine a more magical location for a young family to explore and play. Kingthorn Mill not only has extensive private grounds of over 10 acres but there is also an outdoor tennis court and swimming pool. The separate annexe comprises a generous one bedroom apartment, which has an open plan sitting room with fire place, separate kitchen and bathroom, allowing the occupant their own privacy if they wish. Fine & Country Northampton: 01604 309 030
The one with the theatre: The Old Rectory, Fincham, £865,000
With its own private puppet theatre, this is the perfect home for the kids. Children can embrace their theatrical talents in the attic room in this nine bedroom converted country house. The mature gardens stretch to over two acres and are the perfect outdoors play area for children in the summer months. For parents, there is a wine cellar with a series of alcoves and vaulted ceilings. Fine & Country North & West Norfolk: 01553 769 100
The one for the twins: Church Trees, Denton, £650,000
This Grade II Listed family home is a charming hideaway for you and your family. Located at the end of a private no through road, this four bedroom property offers extensive mature gardens for endless fun in the secure grounds in the summer and this twin bedroom has plenty of space for camping adventures in the kids’ size teepee. Fine & Country Grantham: 01476 584 164
In the run-up to the General Election, there’s remarkable value to be found in our eastern counties.
Fig 1: Charsfield Hall near Woodbridge, Suffolk. £1.975m.
From high-profile farms and estates to country houses, mill houses and old rectories, there’s remarkable value to be found in the eastern counties in the run-up to the General Election. With prospective vendors of several important country houses preferring to bide their time until the political dust has settled, most of the houses on offer fall within the £1 million to £2 million price bracket, while the market for farms and estates—driven by a totally different set of parameters—quietly pursues its own agenda.
Stimulated by the expansion of the Addenbrookes bio-medical campus and the transfer of AstraZeneca staff from Cheshire, the market for country houses within the Cambridge/Newmarket/Bury St Edmunds ‘golden triangle’ is thriving, says Ed Russell of Jackson-Stops & Staff in Newmarket (01638 662231), who has launched Grade II-listed The Old Rectory (Fig 2) at Great Bradley, eight miles south of Newmarket, onto the market at a guide price of £2.45 million.
Fig 2: The Old Rectory at Great Bradley. £2.45m.
The impressive late-Victorian former rectory stands in some six acres of lovely mature gardens and grounds on the edge of the ancient Saxon village, the first settlement on the river Stour that forms the border between Suffolk and Essex. The old rectory stands in a secluded setting on the edge of the village and comes with a coach house, a leisure complex, barn stabling and paddocks. It boasts a grand reception hall, four fine reception rooms, a splendid kitchen/breakfast room, six double bedrooms, four bath/shower rooms and a heated indoor swimming pool.
Far from the madding crowd and within range of the Suffolk coast, the county’s best schools and a good train service, Grade II-listed Charsfield Hall (Fig 1) at Charsfield, six miles from Woodbridge, is testing the water through Savills in Ipswich (01473 234800) at a guide price of £1.975m. Sympathetically restored by the vendors, the immaculate 16th-century, six-bedroom house with 17th-century additions stands on high ground on the edge of the village immortalised in Akenfield, Ronald Blythe’s celebrated study of Suffolk rural life.
The 5,600sq ft Charsfield Hall, once part of a large medieval estate, stands in 22 acres of gardens, woodland and meadow in the picturesque Deben valley, some 10 miles from Ipswich. It comes with a two-bedroom annexe, barns, garaging, a tennis court and a heated outdoor pool.
Fig 3: Kings Mill at Littlebury, Essex. Offers over £1.85m.
Launched on the market in this week’s Country Life is charming, Grade II-listed Kings Mill (Fig 3) at Littlebury, near Saffron Walden, Essex, at ‘offers over £1.85m’, through the Cambridge office of Strutt & Parker (01223 459500). The mill house dates from about 1777, although the mill itself is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
The house, then part of the Audley End estate, was built by John Glynn and Richard Ward, the master bricklayer at Audley End House. Another estate link was Kings Mill’s association with the eccentric architect Henry Winstanley, Charles II’s clerk of works at Audley End, who lived in Littlebury and owned part of the mill house’s present garden.
Winstanley was the first man to build a lighthouse on the fearsome Eddystone Rock off Plymouth, which ultimately led to his death—he was swept away by a mighty storm there in 1703. A mound in the garden at Kings Mill was once the site of a building used as a viewing point overlooking the river and may have been a ‘dry run’ for the lighthouse. It’s thought that some of the timbers and stone used for that project were later incorporated in the construction of the present mill house and barns.
The current owners, who bought the house as a virtual wreck in 1999, have done a remarkable job of restoring the 9,300sq ft building, which has accommodation on three floors, including three reception rooms, five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The mill’s 3.8 acres of enchanting riverside gardens—a mix of wild garden and manicured lawns—are a tribute to the owners’ inspired planting over the years.
Fig 4: Grade II-listed Beacons at Wickham Bishops, Essex, has spectacular views over the Blackwater estuary. £1.975m
City-based Londoners are once again scouring the Essex countryside for family homes, says Paddy Pritchard-Gordon of Knight Frank, who is busy establishing his firm’s new East Anglia base in Bishops Stortford. Here, again, the £2 million threshold clearly comes into play and Knight Frank (01279 213174) and local agent Valerie Loveland (01621 893141) quote a guide price of £1.975m for imposing, Grade II-listed Beacons (Fig 4) at Wickham Bishops, which has spectacular panoramic views over the Blackwater estuary.
Beacons was designed by the Essex-born architect Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo, who honed his skills among the likes of Ruskin, Spencer and William Morris. The 5,740sq ft house stands in four acres of beautiful gardens and grounds, 12 miles from Chelmsford, and has three elegant reception rooms, a garden room, a kitchen/breakfast room, a tower room, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a two-bedroom cottage. Leisure amenities include a swimming pool, a tennis court and a gym.
‘Mansion tax—what mansion tax?’ asks laid-back Ben Marchbank of Bedfords in Burnham Market, North Norfolk’s most sought after village, which, he says, ‘trundles on regardless’, seemingly unconcerned about property taxes or the outcome of the General Election. He cites the example of a house there that was sold for £3m in November 2013. A year later, a prospective purchaser turned up wanting to buy the property and was told it wasn’t for sale, but ended up buying it for a reputed £6m. That’s Burnham Market.
Fig 6: The Old Rectory at Burnham Market has a coach house and stabling.
Bedfords (01328 730500) quote a guide price of £2.2m for classic Georgian The Old Rectory (Fig 6), Burnham Market, which was built in 1808–9 by the Coke family of Holkham as a home for its retiring estate chaplain, the Rev Henry Crowe. The house became the village rectory in about 1860 and was owned by the Church until 1982, when it became a private house. The present owner has lived there since 1987.
The house, which has changed little since Georgian times, stands in almost an acre of walled gardens and grounds and has three reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, six main bedrooms and three bathrooms. Ancillary buildings include a coach house, stabling and a range of outbuildings.
Frustrated at the timing of the Election, which has meant the postponement of several major country- house launches, Louis de Soissons of Savills in Norwich (01603 229229) is instead hitting the sub-£2 million market with a trio of grand old rectories.
Fig 5: The Old Rectory at Blickling stands in 1.3 acres. £1.65m.
Top of the list, at a guide price of £1.65m, comes 17th-century The Old Rectory (Fig 5) at Blickling, 12 miles from Norwich, which stands in 1.3 acres of landscaped gardens on the edge of the National Trust-owned Blickling Park estate. Acquired by the present owners in 1999, the 6,868sq ft house has been renovated throughout and offers four main reception rooms, a large kitchen/dining room, eight bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Fig 7: The 14th-century Old Rectory at Oxborough. £1.375m.
Also on the market, at a guide price of £1.375m, is The Old Rectory at Oxborough (Fig 7), seven miles from the Georgian town of Swaffham, which sits in 16 acres of gardens and paddocks with far-reaching views towards Oxburgh Hall, also owned by the National Trust. The former rectory, which dates from the 14th century, was largely remodelled in about 1750, when it was home to the Rev Charles Parkin, who collaborated with the Rev Francis Blomefield and, in fact, wrote the bulk of his History of Norfolk after Blomefield’s death in 1752.
The main house has 5,255sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including three reception rooms, a conservatory, a kitchen/breakfast room, seven bedrooms and four bath/ shower rooms.
Fig 8: The Old Rectory at Gresham. £1.2m.
Finally, for sale at a guide price of £1.2m, is The Old Rectory (Fig 8) in the unspoilt north Norfolk village of Gresham, five miles from Holt, which has been the cherished family home of the current owners for the past 23 years. This gem of a house, which dates from the late 17th century, with 19th-century additions and alterations, stands in 1.4 acres of gardens and grounds and has three main reception rooms, a study, a kitchen/breakfast room, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and three attic rooms.
Arabella Youens selects perfect properties in Essex and Norfolk.
Essex, £2.25 million
Sparrows End, Newport
6 bedrooms, loose boxes, 21 acres
Originally built in 1969, this house was substantially remodelled in the 1980s. All the principal rooms look out towards the garden and parkland, which leads down to the River Cam, and the kitchen comes fitted with high-quality equipment. Audley End station is a mile away. Arkwright & Co (01799 668600)
Norfolk, £935,000
Churchgate House, Wood
Dalling 5 bedrooms, Aga, farm buildings, 3.27 acres
Churchgate House is built of mellow brick and flint and stands at the edge of an unspoilt north Norfolk village. Planning permission is in place to extend the accommodation, including remodelling the north elevation. The gardens are mainly laid to lawn with an area of kitchen garden. Savills (01603 229229)
Norfolk, £850,000
The Parish House, Cley Next The Sea
4 bedrooms, parking for two cars
This building has been skilfully converted from the former village hall into a four-bedroom house. The sitting room on the first floor has panoramic views of the Glaven Valley, Blakeney Point and Cley Windmill. Bedfords (01328 730500)
Norfolk, £525,000
Beulah House, Woodton
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, off road parking, outbuildings
This pretty, Grade II-listed house enjoys unspoilt views over open countryside. It comes with four bedrooms, a traditional coach house and a walled garden, as well as a pretty garden of just under an acre. Humberts (01603 661199)
Norfolk, £2.7 million
Gun Hill Farm, Burnham Overy Staithe
5 bedrooms, tennis court, 3.5 acres
A hidden gem on the edge of Overy Marshes, this Grade II-listed Queen Anne farmhouse has five bedrooms, a tennis court, outbuildings and gardens of about 31⁄2 acres. Knight Frank (020–7861 1779)
This impressive family home is within easy striking distance of Salisbury and the south coast.
The Manor House in Downton is tucked away next to the church in a peaceful corner of this bustling village. Grade I listed, it is said to be the longest continually inhabited house in the South of England, from its original foundation as a chapel in around 850, and later as a medieval hall house. In the 16th century, Elizabeth I leased the house from Winchester College and gifted it first to Thomas Wilkes, Clerk to the Privy Council, and then to Sir Walter Raleigh, who made significant home improvements, not least to impress Queen Elizabeth when she came to stay at the Manor House in 1586.
The property spans two floors and also boasts a three double bedroom cottage. On the ground floor the accommodation comprises a drawing room, sitting room, dining room, a beautiful panelled library, study, kitchen/breakfast room, laundry, bootroom, cloakroom and extensive cellars.
On the first floor the master bedroom suite with bathroom can be found, plus four further double bedrooms and three further bathrooms. Outside are beautiful formal gardens and a walled kitchen garden.
Overall the Manor House in Downton boasts five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a detached two/three bedroom cottage which is currently let as a very successful rental property generating £9,180 per annum.
Downton is a thriving and long- standing community. There are good local facilities in the village which include shops, doctors, dentist, tennis club, the Borough Café, churches, schools, and public houses, as well as the famous Cuckoo Fair held each May.
The city of Salibury is just 6 miles away and the station offers a direct South West Trains service to London Waterloo in around 90 minutes. Southampton Airport and Parkway Station are just 25 minutes to the south, and it is 15 minutes to the M27 Junction 1.
The guide price is £1.6 million. For further information please contact Winkworth Salisbury on 01722 443 000.
Fig 1: One of the loveliest west-coast estates: 748- acre Kilchoan near Oban in Argyll. ‘Offers over £2.25m’
Whatever happens at the polls, buyers, vendors and estate agents north of the border can’t wait to get on with their lives. Given that, last year, 57% of Knight Frank’s Scottish buyers came from outside the country —a trend that has continued into 2015 —it’s encouraging to see vendors launching their houses and estates onto the market before the politicians have time to catch their breath.
‘It makes even more sense,’ says spokesman Ran Morgan, ‘when you consider that Scottish country-house prices remain 22% below the market peak in the last quarter of 2007. This means that a property in Scotland valued at £1 million in 2007 would now be worth £780,000.’ He adds: ‘However, in spite of higher levels of tax, Scottish property continues to offer good value for money, especially when compared with London and southern England.’
Mr Morgan’s view is endorsed by Andrew Rettie of Strutt & Parker, who, already this year, has handled the private sales of three substantial Scottish estates valued between £3.5 million and £7 million. ‘Whatever is happening at home, there is always international interest in buying a part of Scotland,’ Mr Rettie maintains.
Strutt & Parker (0131–226 2500) for one of Scotland’s loveliest small west-coast estates, the idyllic, 748-acre Kilchoan estate (Fig 1) on the north shore of Loch Melfort, between Oban and Lochgilphead on the coast of Argyll. With its myriad islands, peninsulas and sea lochs, Argyll has thousands of miles of coastline, and the quality of the sailing between its shores and the Inner Hebrides is legendary.
With marinas at nearby Kilmelford and Craobh Haven, and a private mooring in Loch Melfort, the estate—which is also run as a working farm with Blackface and Cheviot sheep—is ideally placed for exploring the waters of the west coast. ‘With its feet in the water and no road between the main house and the estate’s one mile of sea frontage, Kilchoan is sailing heaven,’ enthuses Mr Rettie.
The estate, which has been in the hands of the owner’s family since 1926, surrounds the substantial, stone-built, seven-bedroom Kilchoan House which, although in need of updating, stands in acres of beautifully kept gardens, grounds and woodland, with glorious views across Kilchoan Bay towards Shuna, Luing, Scarba and Jura. Other estate houses include the two-bedroom Kilchoan Barn, a detached former farm building, converted in 1990 and currently occupied by the vendors, and the neighbouring Kilchoan Farmhouse, wh‘ich is let. Three holiday cottages yield a significant annual income.
Another magical element of this enchanting place is Eilean Coltair, a nine-acre island off Loch Melfort, which doubles as sheep-grazing and the most perfect picnic spot imaginable. Two scenic hill lochs at the heart of the estate offer brown-trout fishing and visiting red and roe deer allow for stalking and rough game shooting.
Fig 2: Tranquil Scallasaig Lodge at Glenelg, looks over to the Isle of Skye. ‘Offers over £800,000’
Smiths Gore in Edinburgh (0131– 344 0880) are seeking ‘offers over £800,000’ for tranquil Scallasaig Lodge (Fig 2), 11⁄2 miles east of Glenelg, one of the prettiest coastal villages on Scotland’s western seaboard, opposite the Isle of Skye. Built in the late 1800s as the shooting lodge for the Scallasaig estate, the house stands in 13 acres of gardens, grounds and paddocks, skirted by the Glenmore River which flows gently by. Nearby is Sandaig, where Gavin Maxwell wrote Ring of Bright Water.
The house, flanked by banks of rhododendrons and sheltered by mature trees, has two main reception rooms, two smaller sitting rooms and a jolly farmhouse kitchen capable of seating 12 diners. There are four good bedrooms and three bath/shower rooms on the first floor, with a large nursery suite on the attic floor above. Modern comforts are fully available, thanks to mains electricity, private water and drainage, and oil-fired central heating and hot water.
For the sportsman, Scallasaig offers trout and salmon fishing on a lovely stretch of the Glenmore River and the sale also includes a 999-year lease of the shooting and sporting rights over about 1,917 acres of neighbouring hill, grazings and forestry.
The landscape of Scotland is strewn with the ruins of castles and towers built by the great Scottish families to withstand the incursions of rival clans. The county of Kirkcudbrightshire, in Dumfries and Galloway, boasts no fewer than 84 castles, one of which is Barholm Castle (Fig 4)—seven miles from Gatehouse of Fleet— a traditional Scottish tower house dating from the 15th century and meticulously rebuilt in 2005.
Fig 4: The beautifully restored Barholm Castle has views over Wigtown Bay in Kirkcudbrightshire. ‘Offers over £695,000’.
Offers over £695,000 are sought by Knight Frank in Edinburgh (0131– 222 9600) for the picturesque tower house, originally a seat of the McCulloch family—diehard Reformers and Covenanters in the 16th and 17th centuries—who were particularly strong in this part of Galloway. Barholm is reputed to have been a hiding place, in 1566, of the Scottish reformer John Knox and eventually fell into disuse and disrepair in the mid 18th century.
Now fully restored, Barholm Castle, which enjoys spectacular views over Wigtown Bay, has accommodation on four floors, including a great hall, four bedrooms, three bath/shower rooms, and an upper ‘cap house chamber’ with a door leading to the roof parapet, 41ft high. The tower stands in 23⁄4 acres of established gardens, in which shrubs and borders provide year-round colour.
The Anglo-Scottish border between Berwick-on-Tweed in the east and Solway Firth in the west was an area of almost continuous strife until the 18th century. The Homes of Cowden- knowes were one of the great Borders families and it was they who built the historic, category ‘A’-listed Cowden- knowes (Fig 3) at Earlston, near Melrose, which is currently for sale through Knight Frank in Lauder (01578 722814) and Rettie & Co in Me‘lrose (01896 824070) at ‘offers over £1.775m’.
Fig 3: Cowdenknowes stands in 45 acres of magnificent grounds at Earlston in the Borders. ‘Offers over £1.775m’
Cowdenknowes was part of the barony of ‘Ersiltoun’ (Earlston) bought by John Home of Whitrigs in 1489. The earliest part of the present house is the East Tower, which dates from 1554, but was altered in 1883 to form the main entrance. The enchanting manor house of 1574 was built by Sir James Home, whose wealth and status allowed him to indulge in architectural ornamenta- tion to an extent rarely seen in this area at that time.
Subsequent owners added their contributions between 1784 and 1808, again in 1867, and finally in 1883. Since then, more recent owners have also left their mark.
Cowdenknowes stands in 45 acres of magnificent grounds on the banks of the River Leader, a tributary of the Tweed, overlooking the rolling Borders countryside. Accommodation on three floors includes a kitchen/ dining room, a garden room, a family room and a gym on the lower-ground floor; a reception hall, three main reception rooms and a snug on the upper-ground floor; and seven bed- rooms and six bath/shower rooms on the first floor.
Outside amenities include a two-bedroom coach house, a tennis court, a pavilion, an American barn and splendid formal gardens.
Almost 2,000 years of Scottish his- tory are encapsulated within the walls of Carriden House (Fig 5) at Bo’ness, West Lothian, which stands in imperial splendour overlooking the Firth of Forth, with far-reaching views northwards to Fife, and east-wards to Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, 18 miles away.
Fig 5: Some 2,000 years of Scottish history are to be found in Carriden House at Bo’ness, West Lothian, overlooking the Firth of Forth. ‘Offers over £1.35m’
Currently for sale through the Edinburgh office of Savills (0131– 247 3700) at a guide price of ‘offers over £1.35m’, the mansion, much altered over time, stands within the site of a Roman fort at the eastern end of the Antonine Wall, built in the 2nd century as the northernmost barrier of the Roman Empire, across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde.
The original tower house was built, probably on the site of an earlier dwelling, by John Hamilton of Letterick in 1602 and was sold in the late 1600s to the Mylne family of master masons; it was Alexander Mylne who built the west wing. The estate changed hands many times in the 18th century and considerable land- scaping was done in about 1750.
Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope bought Carriden in 1814 and, in 1818, it passed to his son, James, who made further changes to the house and created the nearby modelvillage of Muirhouses to house his estate workers. From the late 19th century onwards, the estate again changed hands several times, before being bought in the late 1960s or early 1970s by the South of Scotland Electricity Board, which planned to build a power station there, but never did.
The house fell into disrepair and was eventually bought and restored in the late 1970s. In 1996, the present owner, a distinguished geologist, bought the property and converted the west wing into an exclusive guest house, the east wing into his family home and the basement into offices.
Carriden House, listed category ‘A’, stands in some 20 acres of established lawned gardens, magnificent trees and woodland walks. The main reception rooms, especially the study with its fine late-17th-century plaster ceiling, the drawing room with its four south-facing windows and the two large dining rooms are particularly noteworthy.
In all, Carriden has 14 bedrooms, all with baths or shower rooms and served by three separate stairways.
Arabella Youens has the pick of the flats in Edinburgh.
Lauriston, £785,000
Simpson Loan
This three-bedroom contemporary apartment is in a Foster + Partners building located in central Edinburgh. It has great south-facing views and there are communal gardens and a parking space. Rettie & Co (0131–624 9088)
West End, £650,000 Lennox Street
A beautifully presented and spacious double upper flat is set over the 1st and 2nd floors within a charming B Listed Victorian building. It has four double bedrooms, a bathroom, shower room and wc. Knight Frank (0131 222 9600)
West End, £595,000
Chester Street
This three-bedroom garden flat was launched on the market last week. It has an under-pavement home office, a garden to the rear and is within walking distance of the shops on Prince’s Street and the financial heart of the city. Strutt & Parker (0131–226 2500)
New Town, £400,000
Drummond Place
This first-floor flat overlooks the communal gardens. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large open-plan living room and kitchen and a dining room that could work as a third bedroom. Savills (0131–247 3700)
West End, £875,000 Lansdowne Crescent
An exceptional ground and garden flat offering ideal family accommodation. It boasts four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an impressive drawing rooms with wooden floors and intricate cornice work. Knight Frank (0131 222 9606)
Rushbrooke is set to emerge as East Anglia's estate sale of the year.
Privacy and discretion are the hallmarks of one of Suffolk’s most distinguished country estates, the historic, 1,720-acre Rushbrooke estate, four miles from Bury St Edmunds and 18 miles from Newmarket, which is for sale as a whole through Bidwells in Cambridge (01223 559352) at a guide price of £24m.
‘It is rare indeed to find a true estate that combines all the essential components: a high-quality commercial-farming enterprise, a successful private stud farm built up by generations of the same family, a substantial residential property portfolio and an informal family shoot, also with development potential,’ says selling agent James Brooke, who describes Rushbrooke as ‘a walk-in property that will probably emerge as East Anglia’s estate sale of the year’.
The original Rushbrooke estate was owned by the Great Abbey of Bury St Edmunds until about 1180, when the land was granted to a Scotland de Rushbrooke. It eventually passed by marriage to the Jermyn family, who built Rushbrooke Hall in about 1500. The estate passed by marriage back into Rushbrooke hands and was owned by them until 1919, when it was split up and sold by public auction. The Hall was bought, in 1938, by Lord Rothschild, who was looking for a house within easy reach of Cambridge and went on to buy back the farms that had been sold away.
The result is the estate as it stands today, minus the Hall, which was severely damaged by fire and demolished in 1961. The main house is now the more manageable, seven-bedroom Home Farmhouse, which stands in a tranquil setting at the heart of the estate, surrounded by parkland and stud grazing, and is close to the moat of the original Rushbrooke Hall.
In addition to Home Farmhouse, two staff cottages and various ancillary accommodation, the estate boasts two secondary farm- houses and 26 other properties, mostly in Rushbrooke village, which, between them, generate a rental income of some £138,000 a year.
The guide price is £24 million. For further information please contact Bidwells on 01223 559 352.
With royal baby fever sweeping the nation, Fine & Country presents a selection of delightful homes perfect for children.
The one with the nursery: Noblethorpe Hall, Silkstone, £1,650,000 This 18-acre parkland estate has everything a young family could need. The current owners have converted the lower ground floor into an entertainment suite with cinema room and gym. The property commands a beautiful position with panoramic views over the South Yorkshire countryside. Parents can take children to the nearby National Peak Park and it is only a short drive away from the M1 and M62. Fine & Country Barnsley: 01226 729 009
The one with the perfect treehouse: Marsett House, Southwell, £2,800,000
Children will spend endless hours in this state of the art tree house on the grand estate of Marsett House. The treehouse is cedar clad, fully heated, and has its own power supply and satellite television making it suitable for young children and teenagers. Marsett House also comes complete with a professional home cinema, games room, and separate annexe, which could provide the perfect accommodation for a nanny. The parents of these lucky children will also love the master suite with its own dressing room, heated swimming pool, sauna and Jacuzzi all located on the lower level. Fine & Country Nottingham: 0115 982 2824
The one with the enchanting garden: Kingthorn Mill, Greens Norton, £2,250,000
With summer fast approaching, we cannot imagine a more magical location for a young family to explore and play. Kingthorn Mill not only has extensive private grounds of over 10 acres but there is also an outdoor tennis court and swimming pool. The separate annexe comprises a generous one bedroom apartment, which has an open plan sitting room with fire place, separate kitchen and bathroom, allowing the occupant their own privacy if they wish. Fine & Country Northampton: 01604 309 030
The one with the theatre: The Old Rectory, Fincham, £865,000
With its own private puppet theatre, this is the perfect home for the kids. Children can embrace their theatrical talents in the attic room in this nine bedroom converted country house. The mature gardens stretch to over two acres and are the perfect outdoors play area for children in the summer months. For parents, there is a wine cellar with a series of alcoves and vaulted ceilings. Fine & Country North & West Norfolk: 01553 769 100
The one for the twins: Church Trees, Denton, £650,000
This Grade II Listed family home is a charming hideaway for you and your family. Located at the end of a private no through road, this four bedroom property offers extensive mature gardens for endless fun in the secure grounds in the summer and this twin bedroom has plenty of space for camping adventures in the kids’ size teepee. Fine & Country Grantham: 01476 584 164
In the run-up to the General Election, there’s remarkable value to be found in our eastern counties.
Fig 1: Charsfield Hall near Woodbridge, Suffolk. £1.975m.
From high-profile farms and estates to country houses, mill houses and old rectories, there’s remarkable value to be found in the eastern counties in the run-up to the General Election. With prospective vendors of several important country houses preferring to bide their time until the political dust has settled, most of the houses on offer fall within the £1 million to £2 million price bracket, while the market for farms and estates—driven by a totally different set of parameters—quietly pursues its own agenda.
Stimulated by the expansion of the Addenbrookes bio-medical campus and the transfer of AstraZeneca staff from Cheshire, the market for country houses within the Cambridge/Newmarket/Bury St Edmunds ‘golden triangle’ is thriving, says Ed Russell of Jackson-Stops & Staff in Newmarket (01638 662231), who has launched Grade II-listed The Old Rectory (Fig 2) at Great Bradley, eight miles south of Newmarket, onto the market at a guide price of £2.45 million.
Fig 2: The Old Rectory at Great Bradley. £2.45m.
The impressive late-Victorian former rectory stands in some six acres of lovely mature gardens and grounds on the edge of the ancient Saxon village, the first settlement on the river Stour that forms the border between Suffolk and Essex. The old rectory stands in a secluded setting on the edge of the village and comes with a coach house, a leisure complex, barn stabling and paddocks. It boasts a grand reception hall, four fine reception rooms, a splendid kitchen/breakfast room, six double bedrooms, four bath/shower rooms and a heated indoor swimming pool.
Far from the madding crowd and within range of the Suffolk coast, the county’s best schools and a good train service, Grade II-listed Charsfield Hall (Fig 1) at Charsfield, six miles from Woodbridge, is testing the water through Savills in Ipswich (01473 234800) at a guide price of £1.975m. Sympathetically restored by the vendors, the immaculate 16th-century, six-bedroom house with 17th-century additions stands on high ground on the edge of the village immortalised in Akenfield, Ronald Blythe’s celebrated study of Suffolk rural life.
The 5,600sq ft Charsfield Hall, once part of a large medieval estate, stands in 22 acres of gardens, woodland and meadow in the picturesque Deben valley, some 10 miles from Ipswich. It comes with a two-bedroom annexe, barns, garaging, a tennis court and a heated outdoor pool.
Fig 3: Kings Mill at Littlebury, Essex. Offers over £1.85m.
Launched on the market in this week’s Country Life is charming, Grade II-listed Kings Mill (Fig 3) at Littlebury, near Saffron Walden, Essex, at ‘offers over £1.85m’, through the Cambridge office of Strutt & Parker (01223 459500). The mill house dates from about 1777, although the mill itself is mentioned in the Domesday Book.
The house, then part of the Audley End estate, was built by John Glynn and Richard Ward, the master bricklayer at Audley End House. Another estate link was Kings Mill’s association with the eccentric architect Henry Winstanley, Charles II’s clerk of works at Audley End, who lived in Littlebury and owned part of the mill house’s present garden.
Winstanley was the first man to build a lighthouse on the fearsome Eddystone Rock off Plymouth, which ultimately led to his death—he was swept away by a mighty storm there in 1703. A mound in the garden at Kings Mill was once the site of a building used as a viewing point overlooking the river and may have been a ‘dry run’ for the lighthouse. It’s thought that some of the timbers and stone used for that project were later incorporated in the construction of the present mill house and barns.
The current owners, who bought the house as a virtual wreck in 1999, have done a remarkable job of restoring the 9,300sq ft building, which has accommodation on three floors, including three reception rooms, five bedrooms and three bathrooms. The mill’s 3.8 acres of enchanting riverside gardens—a mix of wild garden and manicured lawns—are a tribute to the owners’ inspired planting over the years.
Fig 4: Grade II-listed Beacons at Wickham Bishops, Essex, has spectacular views over the Blackwater estuary. £1.975m
City-based Londoners are once again scouring the Essex countryside for family homes, says Paddy Pritchard-Gordon of Knight Frank, who is busy establishing his firm’s new East Anglia base in Bishops Stortford. Here, again, the £2 million threshold clearly comes into play and Knight Frank (01279 213174) and local agent Valerie Loveland (01621 893141) quote a guide price of £1.975m for imposing, Grade II-listed Beacons (Fig 4) at Wickham Bishops, which has spectacular panoramic views over the Blackwater estuary.
Beacons was designed by the Essex-born architect Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo, who honed his skills among the likes of Ruskin, Spencer and William Morris. The 5,740sq ft house stands in four acres of beautiful gardens and grounds, 12 miles from Chelmsford, and has three elegant reception rooms, a garden room, a kitchen/breakfast room, a tower room, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and a two-bedroom cottage. Leisure amenities include a swimming pool, a tennis court and a gym.
‘Mansion tax—what mansion tax?’ asks laid-back Ben Marchbank of Bedfords in Burnham Market, North Norfolk’s most sought after village, which, he says, ‘trundles on regardless’, seemingly unconcerned about property taxes or the outcome of the General Election. He cites the example of a house there that was sold for £3m in November 2013. A year later, a prospective purchaser turned up wanting to buy the property and was told it wasn’t for sale, but ended up buying it for a reputed £6m. That’s Burnham Market.
Fig 6: The Old Rectory at Burnham Market has a coach house and stabling.
Bedfords (01328 730500) quote a guide price of £2.2m for classic Georgian The Old Rectory (Fig 6), Burnham Market, which was built in 1808–9 by the Coke family of Holkham as a home for its retiring estate chaplain, the Rev Henry Crowe. The house became the village rectory in about 1860 and was owned by the Church until 1982, when it became a private house. The present owner has lived there since 1987.
The house, which has changed little since Georgian times, stands in almost an acre of walled gardens and grounds and has three reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, six main bedrooms and three bathrooms. Ancillary buildings include a coach house, stabling and a range of outbuildings.
Frustrated at the timing of the Election, which has meant the postponement of several major country- house launches, Louis de Soissons of Savills in Norwich (01603 229229) is instead hitting the sub-£2 million market with a trio of grand old rectories.
Fig 5: The Old Rectory at Blickling stands in 1.3 acres. £1.65m.
Top of the list, at a guide price of £1.65m, comes 17th-century The Old Rectory (Fig 5) at Blickling, 12 miles from Norwich, which stands in 1.3 acres of landscaped gardens on the edge of the National Trust-owned Blickling Park estate. Acquired by the present owners in 1999, the 6,868sq ft house has been renovated throughout and offers four main reception rooms, a large kitchen/dining room, eight bedrooms and five bathrooms.
Fig 7: The 14th-century Old Rectory at Oxborough. £1.375m.
Also on the market, at a guide price of £1.375m, is The Old Rectory at Oxborough (Fig 7), seven miles from the Georgian town of Swaffham, which sits in 16 acres of gardens and paddocks with far-reaching views towards Oxburgh Hall, also owned by the National Trust. The former rectory, which dates from the 14th century, was largely remodelled in about 1750, when it was home to the Rev Charles Parkin, who collaborated with the Rev Francis Blomefield and, in fact, wrote the bulk of his History of Norfolk after Blomefield’s death in 1752.
The main house has 5,255sq ft of accommodation on three floors, including three reception rooms, a conservatory, a kitchen/breakfast room, seven bedrooms and four bath/ shower rooms.
Fig 8: The Old Rectory at Gresham. £1.2m.
Finally, for sale at a guide price of £1.2m, is The Old Rectory (Fig 8) in the unspoilt north Norfolk village of Gresham, five miles from Holt, which has been the cherished family home of the current owners for the past 23 years. This gem of a house, which dates from the late 17th century, with 19th-century additions and alterations, stands in 1.4 acres of gardens and grounds and has three main reception rooms, a study, a kitchen/breakfast room, six bedrooms, three bathrooms and three attic rooms.
Arabella Youens selects perfect properties in Essex and Norfolk.
Essex, £2.25 million
Sparrows End, Newport
6 bedrooms, loose boxes, 21 acres
Originally built in 1969, this house was substantially remodelled in the 1980s. All the principal rooms look out towards the garden and parkland, which leads down to the River Cam, and the kitchen comes fitted with high-quality equipment. Audley End station is a mile away. Arkwright & Co (01799 668600)
Norfolk, £935,000
Churchgate House, Wood
Dalling 5 bedrooms, Aga, farm buildings, 3.27 acres
Churchgate House is built of mellow brick and flint and stands at the edge of an unspoilt north Norfolk village. Planning permission is in place to extend the accommodation, including remodelling the north elevation. The gardens are mainly laid to lawn with an area of kitchen garden. Savills (01603 229229)
Norfolk, £850,000
The Parish House, Cley Next The Sea
4 bedrooms, parking for two cars
This building has been skilfully converted from the former village hall into a four-bedroom house. The sitting room on the first floor has panoramic views of the Glaven Valley, Blakeney Point and Cley Windmill. Bedfords (01328 730500)
Norfolk, £525,000
Beulah House, Woodton
4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, off road parking, outbuildings
This pretty, Grade II-listed house enjoys unspoilt views over open countryside. It comes with four bedrooms, a traditional coach house and a walled garden, as well as a pretty garden of just under an acre. Humberts (01603 661199)
Norfolk, £2.7 million
Gun Hill Farm, Burnham Overy Staithe
5 bedrooms, tennis court, 3.5 acres
A hidden gem on the edge of Overy Marshes, this Grade II-listed Queen Anne farmhouse has five bedrooms, a tennis court, outbuildings and gardens of about 31⁄2 acres. Knight Frank (020–7861 1779)
This impressive family home is within easy striking distance of Salisbury and the south coast.
The Manor House in Downton is tucked away next to the church in a peaceful corner of this bustling village. Grade I listed, it is said to be the longest continually inhabited house in the South of England, from its original foundation as a chapel in around 850, and later as a medieval hall house. In the 16th century, Elizabeth I leased the house from Winchester College and gifted it first to Thomas Wilkes, Clerk to the Privy Council, and then to Sir Walter Raleigh, who made significant home improvements, not least to impress Queen Elizabeth when she came to stay at the Manor House in 1586.
The property spans two floors and also boasts a three double bedroom cottage. On the ground floor the accommodation comprises a drawing room, sitting room, dining room, a beautiful panelled library, study, kitchen/breakfast room, laundry, bootroom, cloakroom and extensive cellars.
On the first floor the master bedroom suite with bathroom can be found, plus four further double bedrooms and three further bathrooms. Outside are beautiful formal gardens and a walled kitchen garden.
Overall the Manor House in Downton boasts five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a detached two/three bedroom cottage which is currently let as a very successful rental property generating £9,180 per annum.
Downton is a thriving and long- standing community. There are good local facilities in the village which include shops, doctors, dentist, tennis club, the Borough Café, churches, schools, and public houses, as well as the famous Cuckoo Fair held each May.
The city of Salibury is just 6 miles away and the station offers a direct South West Trains service to London Waterloo in around 90 minutes. Southampton Airport and Parkway Station are just 25 minutes to the south, and it is 15 minutes to the M27 Junction 1.
The guide price is £1.6 million. For further information please contact Winkworth Salisbury on 01722 443 000.
Fig 1: One of the loveliest west-coast estates: 748- acre Kilchoan near Oban in Argyll. ‘Offers over £2.25m’
Whatever happens at the polls, buyers, vendors and estate agents north of the border can’t wait to get on with their lives. Given that, last year, 57% of Knight Frank’s Scottish buyers came from outside the country —a trend that has continued into 2015 —it’s encouraging to see vendors launching their houses and estates onto the market before the politicians have time to catch their breath.
‘It makes even more sense,’ says spokesman Ran Morgan, ‘when you consider that Scottish country-house prices remain 22% below the market peak in the last quarter of 2007. This means that a property in Scotland valued at £1 million in 2007 would now be worth £780,000.’ He adds: ‘However, in spite of higher levels of tax, Scottish property continues to offer good value for money, especially when compared with London and southern England.’
Mr Morgan’s view is endorsed by Andrew Rettie of Strutt & Parker, who, already this year, has handled the private sales of three substantial Scottish estates valued between £3.5 million and £7 million. ‘Whatever is happening at home, there is always international interest in buying a part of Scotland,’ Mr Rettie maintains.
Strutt & Parker (0131–226 2500) for one of Scotland’s loveliest small west-coast estates, the idyllic, 748-acre Kilchoan estate (Fig 1) on the north shore of Loch Melfort, between Oban and Lochgilphead on the coast of Argyll. With its myriad islands, peninsulas and sea lochs, Argyll has thousands of miles of coastline, and the quality of the sailing between its shores and the Inner Hebrides is legendary.
With marinas at nearby Kilmelford and Craobh Haven, and a private mooring in Loch Melfort, the estate—which is also run as a working farm with Blackface and Cheviot sheep—is ideally placed for exploring the waters of the west coast. ‘With its feet in the water and no road between the main house and the estate’s one mile of sea frontage, Kilchoan is sailing heaven,’ enthuses Mr Rettie.
The estate, which has been in the hands of the owner’s family since 1926, surrounds the substantial, stone-built, seven-bedroom Kilchoan House which, although in need of updating, stands in acres of beautifully kept gardens, grounds and woodland, with glorious views across Kilchoan Bay towards Shuna, Luing, Scarba and Jura. Other estate houses include the two-bedroom Kilchoan Barn, a detached former farm building, converted in 1990 and currently occupied by the vendors, and the neighbouring Kilchoan Farmhouse, wh‘ich is let. Three holiday cottages yield a significant annual income.
Another magical element of this enchanting place is Eilean Coltair, a nine-acre island off Loch Melfort, which doubles as sheep-grazing and the most perfect picnic spot imaginable. Two scenic hill lochs at the heart of the estate offer brown-trout fishing and visiting red and roe deer allow for stalking and rough game shooting.
Fig 2: Tranquil Scallasaig Lodge at Glenelg, looks over to the Isle of Skye. ‘Offers over £800,000’
Smiths Gore in Edinburgh (0131– 344 0880) are seeking ‘offers over £800,000’ for tranquil Scallasaig Lodge (Fig 2), 11⁄2 miles east of Glenelg, one of the prettiest coastal villages on Scotland’s western seaboard, opposite the Isle of Skye. Built in the late 1800s as the shooting lodge for the Scallasaig estate, the house stands in 13 acres of gardens, grounds and paddocks, skirted by the Glenmore River which flows gently by. Nearby is Sandaig, where Gavin Maxwell wrote Ring of Bright Water.
The house, flanked by banks of rhododendrons and sheltered by mature trees, has two main reception rooms, two smaller sitting rooms and a jolly farmhouse kitchen capable of seating 12 diners. There are four good bedrooms and three bath/shower rooms on the first floor, with a large nursery suite on the attic floor above. Modern comforts are fully available, thanks to mains electricity, private water and drainage, and oil-fired central heating and hot water.
For the sportsman, Scallasaig offers trout and salmon fishing on a lovely stretch of the Glenmore River and the sale also includes a 999-year lease of the shooting and sporting rights over about 1,917 acres of neighbouring hill, grazings and forestry.
The landscape of Scotland is strewn with the ruins of castles and towers built by the great Scottish families to withstand the incursions of rival clans. The county of Kirkcudbrightshire, in Dumfries and Galloway, boasts no fewer than 84 castles, one of which is Barholm Castle (Fig 4)—seven miles from Gatehouse of Fleet— a traditional Scottish tower house dating from the 15th century and meticulously rebuilt in 2005.
Fig 4: The beautifully restored Barholm Castle has views over Wigtown Bay in Kirkcudbrightshire. ‘Offers over £695,000’.
Offers over £695,000 are sought by Knight Frank in Edinburgh (0131– 222 9600) for the picturesque tower house, originally a seat of the McCulloch family—diehard Reformers and Covenanters in the 16th and 17th centuries—who were particularly strong in this part of Galloway. Barholm is reputed to have been a hiding place, in 1566, of the Scottish reformer John Knox and eventually fell into disuse and disrepair in the mid 18th century.
Now fully restored, Barholm Castle, which enjoys spectacular views over Wigtown Bay, has accommodation on four floors, including a great hall, four bedrooms, three bath/shower rooms, and an upper ‘cap house chamber’ with a door leading to the roof parapet, 41ft high. The tower stands in 23⁄4 acres of established gardens, in which shrubs and borders provide year-round colour.
The Anglo-Scottish border between Berwick-on-Tweed in the east and Solway Firth in the west was an area of almost continuous strife until the 18th century. The Homes of Cowden- knowes were one of the great Borders families and it was they who built the historic, category ‘A’-listed Cowden- knowes (Fig 3) at Earlston, near Melrose, which is currently for sale through Knight Frank in Lauder (01578 722814) and Rettie & Co in Me‘lrose (01896 824070) at ‘offers over £1.775m’.
Fig 3: Cowdenknowes stands in 45 acres of magnificent grounds at Earlston in the Borders. ‘Offers over £1.775m’
Cowdenknowes was part of the barony of ‘Ersiltoun’ (Earlston) bought by John Home of Whitrigs in 1489. The earliest part of the present house is the East Tower, which dates from 1554, but was altered in 1883 to form the main entrance. The enchanting manor house of 1574 was built by Sir James Home, whose wealth and status allowed him to indulge in architectural ornamenta- tion to an extent rarely seen in this area at that time.
Subsequent owners added their contributions between 1784 and 1808, again in 1867, and finally in 1883. Since then, more recent owners have also left their mark.
Cowdenknowes stands in 45 acres of magnificent grounds on the banks of the River Leader, a tributary of the Tweed, overlooking the rolling Borders countryside. Accommodation on three floors includes a kitchen/ dining room, a garden room, a family room and a gym on the lower-ground floor; a reception hall, three main reception rooms and a snug on the upper-ground floor; and seven bed- rooms and six bath/shower rooms on the first floor.
Outside amenities include a two-bedroom coach house, a tennis court, a pavilion, an American barn and splendid formal gardens.
Almost 2,000 years of Scottish his- tory are encapsulated within the walls of Carriden House (Fig 5) at Bo’ness, West Lothian, which stands in imperial splendour overlooking the Firth of Forth, with far-reaching views northwards to Fife, and east-wards to Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, 18 miles away.
Fig 5: Some 2,000 years of Scottish history are to be found in Carriden House at Bo’ness, West Lothian, overlooking the Firth of Forth. ‘Offers over £1.35m’
Currently for sale through the Edinburgh office of Savills (0131– 247 3700) at a guide price of ‘offers over £1.35m’, the mansion, much altered over time, stands within the site of a Roman fort at the eastern end of the Antonine Wall, built in the 2nd century as the northernmost barrier of the Roman Empire, across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde.
The original tower house was built, probably on the site of an earlier dwelling, by John Hamilton of Letterick in 1602 and was sold in the late 1600s to the Mylne family of master masons; it was Alexander Mylne who built the west wing. The estate changed hands many times in the 18th century and considerable land- scaping was done in about 1750.
Admiral Sir George Johnstone Hope bought Carriden in 1814 and, in 1818, it passed to his son, James, who made further changes to the house and created the nearby modelvillage of Muirhouses to house his estate workers. From the late 19th century onwards, the estate again changed hands several times, before being bought in the late 1960s or early 1970s by the South of Scotland Electricity Board, which planned to build a power station there, but never did.
The house fell into disrepair and was eventually bought and restored in the late 1970s. In 1996, the present owner, a distinguished geologist, bought the property and converted the west wing into an exclusive guest house, the east wing into his family home and the basement into offices.
Carriden House, listed category ‘A’, stands in some 20 acres of established lawned gardens, magnificent trees and woodland walks. The main reception rooms, especially the study with its fine late-17th-century plaster ceiling, the drawing room with its four south-facing windows and the two large dining rooms are particularly noteworthy.
In all, Carriden has 14 bedrooms, all with baths or shower rooms and served by three separate stairways.
Arabella Youens has the pick of the flats in Edinburgh.
Lauriston, £785,000
Simpson Loan
This three-bedroom contemporary apartment is in a Foster + Partners building located in central Edinburgh. It has great south-facing views and there are communal gardens and a parking space. Rettie & Co (0131–624 9088)
West End, £650,000 Lennox Street
A beautifully presented and spacious double upper flat is set over the 1st and 2nd floors within a charming B Listed Victorian building. It has four double bedrooms, a bathroom, shower room and wc. Knight Frank (0131 222 9600)
West End, £595,000
Chester Street
This three-bedroom garden flat was launched on the market last week. It has an under-pavement home office, a garden to the rear and is within walking distance of the shops on Prince’s Street and the financial heart of the city. Strutt & Parker (0131–226 2500)
New Town, £400,000
Drummond Place
This first-floor flat overlooks the communal gardens. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large open-plan living room and kitchen and a dining room that could work as a third bedroom. Savills (0131–247 3700)
West End, £875,000 Lansdowne Crescent
An exceptional ground and garden flat offering ideal family accommodation. It boasts four bedrooms, two bathrooms and an impressive drawing rooms with wooden floors and intricate cornice work. Knight Frank (0131 222 9606)
A stunning residential estate with views towards Loch Linnhe.
Achara House is situated a short distance from the highland village of Duror, close to the shores of Loch Linnhe and the picturesque Cuil Bay. This Scots Baronial house overlooks its own parkland with views towards the shore of the loch. It’s a short distance from Ballachulish, which has shops and amenities, as well the marina at Appin.
The house is, which is category B listed, was largely built around 1900 on the site of an earlier house.
A solid oak double door leads into a welcoming entrance and reception hall which gives access to all of the ground floor rooms. There is a magnificent drawing room with a large bay window fitted with window seats, a dining room which seats 16 and a fully fitted kitchen. There is also a cloakroom with WC and wash basin, a large games room/ ballroom and a utility room.
On the first floor there are four bedrooms, one of which has an en suite bathroom, together with a further bathroom. On the second floor there are four further bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Outside, the gardens at Achara House are a particular feature of the property with over 130 species/hybrid rhododendrons and a pretty stocked trout pond. There are also two one-bedroom cottages that have been successfully let in the past.
Argyll is one of Scotland’s most beautiful counties, with its extensive coastline and hills forming amazing land and seascapes.
Ballachulish (8 miles) has a range of local amenities including a grocery store, coffee shop, a number of guest houses and a hotel. For the golfer there is a local course at Ballachullish called Dragon’s Tooth. There are a further 5 courses within a 2 hour drive. Nearbly Glencoe offers legendary walking and climbing, as well as skiing.
Fort William (19 miles) is the second largest town in the Highlands. It offers extensive shopping, entertainment and a range of locally renowned pubs and restaurants. Fort William is a central point for hillwalking and climbing due to its proximity to Ben Nevis and many other Munro mountains. It is also known for its nearby skiing and downhill mountain biking at Aonach Mor and its connection to the West Highland Way from Glasgow.
The guide price is £1 million. For further information please contact Knight Frank on 0131 222 9600.
It also boasted over 10 pages of fabulous premium property which you can view again here.
Highlights include:
Roxburghshire, £1.55 million
Ravenswood, Melrose
A magnificent 7 bedroom house in the Scottish Borders overlooking the River Tweed. It boasts extensive outbuildings and equestrian facilities.
Knight Frank (01578 722 814)
Ayrshire, £5 million
Cassillis Estate, Maybole
An imposing A listed castle standing high above the River Doon. It comprises 13 bedroom, a ballroom, library and a cinema.
Savills (0131 247 3700)
Kent, £2.5 million
Crowbourne Grange, Goudhurst
A sophisticated and spacious 5 bedroom country house in an unrivalled rural idyll commanding views over the River Teise and beyond.
Jackson Stops & Staff (01580 720 000)
Argyll, £2.25 million
Kilchoan Estate, Kilmelford
An attractive stone-built 7 bedroom house with a glorious southerly outlook across Kilchoan Bay towards Shuna, Luing, Scarba and Jura.
Strutt & Parker (0131 718 4593)
Wiltshire, £1.6 million
The Manor House, Downton
An outstanding Grade I listed country house in a pretty village location boasting 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, formal gardens and outbuildings.
Winkworth (01722 443 000)
Beautiful country homes with magnificent outdoor space.
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Suffolk, £1.45 million
Chattisham Hall, Chattisham
6 bedrooms, annexe studio, 8 acres
This pretty Georgian house stands on the edge of the village with far-reaching views. It’s been in the same family for a number of years, so the incoming buyer would most likely want to update the interiors, but it has lots of potential, with a series of handsome reception rooms and good-sized bedrooms. Jackson-Stops & Staff (01473 218 218)
Wiltshire, £1.85 million
Durley Gate, Savernake
5 bedrooms, stable block, 5.9 acres
Originally a pair of cottages, the house was sold out of the Savernake estate in the 1970s. It has a large kitchen/breakfast room (with an Aga) and stands in an AONB, just two miles from the shop and mainline station at Great Bedwyn. Marlborough College and St John’s academy are within an easy distance. Knight Frank (01488 682 726)
Northamptonshire, £995,000
The Old Rectory, Woodford
Overlooking the Nene valley and river, this Grade II-listed house stands in magnificent landscaped gardens. There are three reception rooms, a good-sized kitchen and a cellar. Carter Jonas (01604 608 200)
Gloucestershire, £895,000
3 The Manor, Mickleton
This farmhouse forms part of Mickleton Manor, which was con- verted into four properties in the 1980s. It has five bedrooms, two reception rooms, a private terrace and communal gardens. Smiths Gore (01451 832 832)
Essex, £1.795 million
The Old Vicarage, Broxted
Standing in 10.6 acres and enjoying a beautiful garden, which also has an outdoor swimming pool, this five-bedroom house comes with a large reception hall, two reception rooms, a kitchen with an Aga and a separate breakfast room. Cheffins (01799 523 656)
Somerset, £825,000 James Barton, Stogumber
A fine example of a 16th century cross passage farmhouse, Grade II listed James Barton occupies an idyllic setting on the edge of the village, with delightful outlooks over the surrounding undulating landscape. It boasts four bedrooms and a stable block. Jackson Stops & Staff (01823 325 144)
Hampshire, £1.4 million Broad Meadow, Amport
A well-proportioned 4 bedroom family home located in an outstanding location with views over its own land. It features a games room, studio, and approximately 6.5 acres. Amport also boasts an excellent pub called The Hawk Inn. Smiths Gore (01264 774 900)
Worcestershire/Herefordshire borders, £1.5 million Sandlin House, Sandlin
A striking nine bedroom period home with a Georgian mellow red brick front elevation. Situated in a peaceful with rolling rural views, the property also comprises a coach house and outbuildings, gardens, an all-weather tennis court, orchard and fields. Knight Frank (01432 273 087)
Northumberland, £795,000
Widehaugh House, Hexham
An imposing period farmhouse with adjoining converted barn standing in just over 2 acres. It sits in the scenic Tyne Valley and boasts five bedrooms, beautiful gardens, a triple garage and a paddock. Finest Properties (01434 622 234)
Essex, £1.5 million A Grade II listed six bedroom 17th century property that sits in approximately 3.5 acres of beautiful gardens. The formal gardens are laid with a number of separate landscaped areas with a large natural pond, hard tennis court and summer house. Hetheringtons (01277 724 705)
A fine country house influenced by the Cotswold Arts & Crafts movement with enchanting gardens.
Launched on the market in this week’s Country Life, charming, Grade II-listed Kingcombe at Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, one of the loveliest market towns in the Cotswolds, was built in 1925 in the Arts- and-Crafts style for the furniture designer Sir Gordon Russell.
Kingcombe became Sir Gordon’s passion and gradually evolved into a substantial seven-bedroom country house with a notable garden laid out by Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe and Russell Page. Both house and garden have been meticulously restored to their original splendour during the 17-year tenure of the present owner, who has already embarked on the construction of a major neo-Georgian country house, hence the sale of Kingcombe through Smiths Gore (01451 832832) at a guide price of £4.25m.
For further information about Kingcombe please contact Smiths Gore on 01451 832832. The guide price is £4.25m.
Building a playhouse in the garden will both captivate children's imaginations and get them outdoors. Arabella Youens finds out what's on the market.
When we celebrated The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the BBC produced a documentary of Princess Beatrice showing journalist Andrew Marr around Y Bwthyn Bach—or The Little House— the miniature cottage in the grounds of Windsor’s Royal Lodge that was presented to Princess Elizabeth for her sixth birthday on behalf of the people of Wales. At the time, Princess Beatrice had been charged with redecorating the house so it was ready for the next generation—The Queen’s ever-increasing number of great- grandchildren—to enjoy.
Judging by business at three leading playhouse companies, the appetite for building wendy or treehouse structures in gardens is voracious—particularly, according to the directors of The Playhouse Company, from grandparents seeking to entertain (or establish a strong enough draw for) visiting grandchildren.
The Herefordshire-based outfit was commissioned by one couple last year to create a playhouse with a difference for their three grandchildren, with the proviso that it had to fit around a 200- year-old oak tree. The result is a series of platforms, covered stages, a tunnelled walkway and a rope bridge that runs along the existing border of the garden.
‘It’s about enticing children away from their televisions and computer consoles and getting them into the great outdoors, using their imaginations and creativity,’ explains director Richard Frost.
The concept of the playhouse has evolved from the miniature cottage via more extravagant princess castles to even an entire ‘pirate island’ built on a lake in Cambridgeshire, complete with a ‘raider’s raft’ or pirate boat featuring a Yamaha outboard motor. According to Sege Rosella of The Master Wishmakers, the only limit to what his company will build is science (and, of course, funds).
‘Our service is completely bespoke— if you want a miniature version of your 300-year-old Georgian mansion, complete with a replica of Great-Aunt Joyce’s table in the dining room, we can do it,’ says Mr Rosella. The company, which makes everything by hand in its Northamptonshire workshop, will take care of every element, starting with architectural drawings through to gaining planning permission where required and installing the finished product.
‘Generally, a customer will come to us and we’ll think together about what their children or grandchildren are interested in and then we’ll have fun creating some ideas,’ explains Mr Rosella. So far, these have included an American-style drive-through diner and an aircraft-hanger bedroom. ‘We have to imagine ourselves as children again, which isn’t tricky as we’re all quite playful in the office,’ he adds.
Sally Stone and Alex Watkins operate Stone & Watkins Playhouses in mid Devon. The company’s replica Queen Anne manor house drew the crowds (as well as commentary in Country Life) when it was first unveiled at the Chelsea Flower Show in 1999. There is a range of playhouse and treehouse designs to choose from, but, as every- thing is made to order, they can be adapted to accommodate awkward spaces or existing trees.
Mr Watkins recommends people have an eye on the future. ‘Younger children will love a simple playhouse, but, by the time a child is four, they might want something more adventurous, with a slide or a swing.’ Later still, it’s worth thinking about installing a platform or raising the playhouse. ‘I think it’s a fundamental part of being a child to want a place that’s yours higher up. When you’re a kid, everywhere belongs to grown-ups, but a treehouse or platform can be a sanctuary solely for children.’
Prices for playhouses, not unlike the grown-up version, range widely. You can buy something on a smaller scale off the shelf from John Lewis for about £250 and the sky is seemingly limitless for something conjured up by The Master Wishmakers. Stone & Watkins Playhouses quotes £3,765 as a starting price for one of its cottages, but the Queen Anne replica will set you back £24,495.
Last weekend, at Badminton Horse Trials, The Playhouse Company launched the latest model in its col- lection, which is more modest in both structure and price. The Gypsy Caravan has a stable door to the front, two single windows on one side plus another window at the back and costs £1,750 (including delivery).
Buckinghamshire, £1.5 million
Shropshire, £875,000
Devon, £1.2 million
Leicestershire, £1.025 million
Roxburghshire, £1.55 million
