Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Designer and Presenter
‘My all time favourite part of the country is Gloucestershire. I’d have a Queen Anne house, built before architects got too contrived. It would be modestly-sized, and on the edge of a pretty village: I wouldn’t want to be too remote.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s Dream property for Laurence: Bourton on the Water, Gloucestershire. For sale with Savills at £795,000
Laurence’s dream property is in a pretty north Cotswold village. It’s a Grade II listed Queen Anne house with plenty of space, but at the same time retains a cosy feel.
Julian Fellowes, Actor and Writer
‘My favourite county is Dorset. In a country house I think one wants to be able to sleep at least 12, so six double bedrooms, as much less than that and it can’t be a proper ‘house party.’ I do love running water. I’m not so keen on ponds – unless they are vast lakes with swans, et alia, as there is something slightly stagnant and pongy about them – but a river or a brisk stream takes a lot of beating when it comes to lifting the spirits.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Julian is Green Lane, Ashmore, Salisbury which is on the market for £5.25m with Strutt and Parker:
Green Lane is simply one of the best farms in Dorset. With seven bedrooms, lots of land and an indoor pool Julian can have his perfect house party here.
‘My favourite place to live would be somewhere in the middle of the countryside near Windsor Park as it is ideally located close to London and, because I am a big horse lover, it is great for riding out in. I would have a big spacious white house with large rooms. I would have quite a lot of land around it. It would also need to have a swimming pool and tennis courts and a lovely fully equipped gym because I love exercise.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Isabella: Barton Lodge, Berkshire £14.5m Savills
Barton Lodge has everything Isabella needs. Less than four miles from Windsor, Barton Lodge is a stunning equestrian property with lots of land, gardens, a swimming pool and a gym.
Kelvin MacKenzie, Newspaper Supremo
‘My ideal part of the country would be Godalming, Surrey, around the area where Abramovitch lives (where houses are bloody expensive and miles away from the ‘hoi polloi’). The style would be Something grand on a large scale. ‘I’d like my garden to have a well so that I could draw 220cubic metres of water every day without those pernicious robbers that call themselves water companies seeing a penny of my money.
‘I’m astonished that the government is happy to recycle my money in 50% grants for solar panel roofs – they should insist that all new builds have solar panel roofs anyway.
‘I like the idea of thermal heating – where those bloody bandits that parade as energy companies can’t get their hands on more of my money.
‘I don’t like swimming pools – mainly because you look out of the window and see steam rising and you think that’s nice but then you realise it’s basically £50 notes steaming into the atmosphere and is probably killing a few migrating birds on the way. Also, every year come spring it seems to cost £3175 plus VAT to get the thing going again. I’d like a tennis court instead.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Kelvin is Hurtmore House, on the market with Strutt and Parker for £3.75m.
Hurtmore House near Godalming is a very attractive country property believed to have been built in the late 19th century. It is clad with some impressive climbing plants, and set within 12 acres of land. We’d also recommend Kelvin, who doesn’t like swimming pools and ‘seeing £50 notes steaming up into the atmosphere killing a few migrating birds along the way’, to fill in the pool and sink a well in its place.
‘I would love to live in Powys, in a large well-built Georgian residence.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Cath is Berthddu Hall, on the market with Savills for £1m.
The Hall is a handsome country residence. Dating back to 1730, it is just three miles from the pretty village of Llandinam in Powys.
Chris Beardshaw, Garden Designer and Presenter
‘I’d love to live anywhere on the coast, as long as it’s in the Gulf Stream. My favourite style of home would be a small, cosy cottage, in an area that has a temperate climate. It must be near the sea, so I can run out of the front door and dive into the sea and it must have a lovely garden where I can grow my exotics.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Chris is Dinyan in Falmouth, Cornwall on the market for £1.5m with Savills.
Dinyan, Falmouth, Cornwall is metres from the sea. Perhaps the highlight of its gardens and grounds is the 400ft of frontage to the creek; the rest of the gardens are terraced and include formal lawns, a wooded primrose meadow and a grassed field to the rear which gives him lots room to experiment.
Bear Grylls, Author and Explorer
‘I’d want to live in Wales, with both sea and mountains nearby, and potential for wind powered electricity. It must also have good road access to an airport and lots of space to run my dog.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Bear is Tregaron House, which Knight Frank are offering for £1.45m.
This property has lots of space, with seaside and mountains a short drive/walk away, and the airport is only 12 miles away: lots of room for walking the dog!
‘I’d live on the Hampshire/Berkshire border. Views are crucial to me, so it has to have an uninterrupted view across open countryside or woodland. I’d want big bedrooms, and spacious rooms downstairs with lots of light flooding in. The house would be set back from the road, with perhaps a drive leading up to it.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Clare is Ashe Court, Hampshire on at £2.5m with Knight Frank.
This is a perfect house for Clare with fantastic views, big rooms, a swimming pool and it’s in the ideal location between Newbury and Basingstoke.
Neil and Christine Hamilton, Politician and Writer
‘We’d either look in Wiltshire or Shropshire and we will be looking for rooms which are all on one level on each floor, so we can race our wheelchairs around as we grow old! We also need to have wide staircases, with plenty of room for the Stannah stairlift. As an incurable bibliomane, I am also looking for an extremely large room to house my library and the library bookcases.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Neil and Christine is Netley Hall Dorrington, in Shropshire, being sold for £4m by Savills.
Netley Hall near Dorrington is ideal for the Christine and Neil. It has lots of space for them to spin around in their wheelchairs, plus a grand staircase, and plenty of room for the books!
‘I’d love a house on the Isle of Skye. It would be secluded and modern, with wildlife nearby, and a loch or some kind of coastline.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Andy is Peinmore House, on Skye which is on the market with Knight Frank for £600,000.
Peinmore house is a former manse in one of the prettiest and desirable areas on Skye, with views over Portree Bay and Portree itself.
Steve Cram, Athlete and Presenter
‘I’d go north, north west from Newcastle and look for somewhere quite isolated where I can run and ride my bike. I love getting away from everything. I’d like an old farmhouse with lots of character with four or five beds (space for people to come and stay). I’d like to be about 30 miles from Newcastle airport so I can get out and about easily.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Steve is Elishaw Farmhouse which is offered through Strutt and Parker for £775,000.
This lovely farmhouse is on the fringe of the Northumberland National Park, providing more than enough space for Steve to run and cycle through and it’s just 26 miles to the airport!
Yasmin Mills, Author and Broadcaster
‘My favourite county is West Sussex and I’d love to have a Georgian house with a modern, simple interior – I love the proportions of the rooms inside with the look of the Georgian exterior.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Yasmin is The Old House in West Sussex which is for sale through Savills £2.7m.
Lodsworth is a classic example of the Georgian style over three stories with lovely detailing, which can be dated back to 1728.
‘My ideal place to live would be Scotland and I’d love a Georgian home in Scotland with good proportions, high ceilings, big sash windows and plenty of central heating!’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Rita is Earnieside, Clackmannanshire with a guide price of £875,000 from Savills.
This is a beautiful Georgian house, which sits surrounded by the beautiful Ochil Hills in central Scotland: more accessible than the Highlands but feels just as remote.
Melissa Porter, Broadcaster (www.porterandsmurfit.com)
‘My favourite county has to be Cheshire, and I’d like to build a Huf house (the modular house system designed by Peter Huf) that utilises lots of glass so that I can enjoy open unspoilt views of green rolling hills. My interior would be very minimalist and the colours would be sympathetic to the exterior.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Melissa is The Hough Hall Estate, on with Jackson Stops and Staff for £12,500,000.
This classic estate leaves plenty of room for Melissa to build her dream home to her exact standards, and an excellent country house to stay in while she does so.
Roger Saul, Founder of Mulberry and Entrepeneur
‘Somerset is my favourite part of the country, and my ideal style would be Elizabethan/Mediaeval – an old Abbey/Castle or Manor House. It must be on its own with a great view of the countryside and inside it should have lots of hidden rooms.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Roger is a beautiful castle near Yeovil offered for £22m by Knight Frank.
Described as one of the most romantic estates in England, this unique Grade II Listed castle sits in a spectacular setting with stunning gardens and grounds with a lake… fingers crossed for the secret rooms.
‘I love Suffolk, Devon and Cornwall most of all, and any dream house of mine would definitely have to back onto the beach! It would be a big house which is charming and rambling, but it can’t be twee.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Jane is right on the beach in Felixtowe, sold through Jackson Stops and Staff for £485,000.
This property fits Jane’s bill perfectly, the views are magnificent and this house is anything but twee!
‘My ideal house would be a converted barn or traditional old stone farmhouse in Warwickshire, but with a very simple, modern interior, as roomy and airy as possible. Ideally close to a village/town/train station as I need my fix of a big city on a regular basis! I’d love to be able to have a herbaceous plant nursery on the same site too.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Andy is Finswood farm, Warwick, Warwickshire, on the market with Savills for £850,000.
This is an outstanding farmhouse in 1.5 acres of gardens for Andy’s nursery, and with the train station only a couple of miles away it’s no chore to get to and from civilisation living here.
Kelly Hoppen, Interior Designer
‘My favourite county is Oxfordshire, the perfect place to relax and forget about the hectic city life during the week. I absolutely love it and try to spend as much time there as possible. I would love to live in a Georgian house in the Oxford area with a lot of acreage to it and ideally stables for my daughter, who loves horse riding.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Kelly is Brawns, nr Henley, on the market with Savills for £2.500,000.
With 6 bedrooms and 8 acres, as well as equestrian facilities only 2 miles from Henley this is a lovely property perfect for relaxing in at weekends.
Lysette Anthony, Actress and Writer
‘My favourite county is the Isle of Wight: it is like being scooped up and dropped back into the 1950s. The style of home I’d love will be something that you can rebuild or restore.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Lysette is a wonderful house, on the market with Jackson Stops and Staff for £895,000.
This property is a 1920s house with in an area of outstanding natural beauty to the western side of the Island, with its own well established trees and orchards to add to the feel of going back in time.
‘My ideal place to live would be either the northern part of Cumbria with amazing fell views. I’d like a large home with plenty of light and amazing views. It wouldn’t be too isolated with no more than an acre of land.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Kim is country guest house is on for £925,000 with Savills.
This property has incredible views over the fells, with the market town of Keswick only four miles drive, making it not too remote, although still with plenty of privacy.
Shaun Newton, Footballer for West Ham United
‘My ideal place to live would be Surrey, in a large isolated house with modern interior, on a couple of acres of and with indoor cinema, games room and pool.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Shaun is Updown Court in surrey, on with Savills for £70,000,000.
This property has everything Shaun needs and more: with top notch security, lots of space, complete indoor entertainment on tap, and an all weather sports pitch, he’ll never be bored when relaxing at home.
Ashley and Allegra Hicks, Designers
‘We’d love a proper townhouse in West London – perhaps in Notting Hill with lots of potential for redecoration.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Ashley and Allegra is a large townhouse over four floors in Notting Hill.
Set on Landsdowne Road this house is over four floors, with over 5,000sq ft of space with interiors which could do with a spruce up and access to communal gardens.
Nigel Reo Coker, Football player, West Ham United
‘I’d live somewhere near Kingswood in Surrey in a large house, modern and homely, with a swimming pool, wet room and high tech security.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Nigel is Dawes Green House near Reigate, Surrey and is on the market with Savills for £5m.
This large red brick private residence is protected by nearly ten aces of land, and has separate cottages, swimming pool and tennis court.
Stephen Bayley, Author and Broadcaster
‘Building my own house in SW3 in London would be my dream.’
COUNTRYLIFE.co.uk’s dream property for Stephen is currently three separate flats in Chelsea, being offered by Knight Frank for £3.35m.
Dream property: Currently three flats, this property just off one of the most desirable garden squares in Chelsea and in need of complete refurbishment, so although Stephen might have trouble finding a house to knock down, or a plot of land to build on in SW3, this is an opportunity for him to make the place completely his own, as long as he leaves the period exterior intact.
