Big enough to be spacious, small enough to be cosy and manageable, Glebe House might just be the perfectly sized country house says Penny Churchill.
Some country houses can be a daunting prospect. Unruly gardens that have been largely neglected for decades; vast swathes of land whose management could easily be a full-time job; crumbling bricks and mortar that must be repaired in line with listed-building regulations; and of course the phrase to send a chill through the blood of many a house-buyer: ‘modernisation required throughout’.
No such concerns exist, thankfully, with the sale of Glebe House, in Northamptonshire, the ‘county of squires and spires’. This delightful home in the pretty village of Twywell, six miles from Kettering and 10 miles from Oundle, is something of a Goldilocks house — not too big, not too small — that’s come to the market at a guide price of £2.85m through Savills in Stamford.
Described by the agents as ‘a perfectly-sized country house set in beautiful gardens’, the handsome Georgian former rectory, which is unlisted, does exactly what it says on the tin.
Impeccably restored by the current owners, whose family home it has been for 25 years, Glebe House stands in about 4½ acres of landscaped gardens, paddocks and woodland on the edge of the village, with views of St Nicholas Church.
It offers everything a sporting country family could wish for, including a secluded swimming pool and pool house, tennis court and stables.
The classic Georgian house provides light and airy accommodation on three floors, including four reception rooms and a huge family kitchen/breakfast room.
There is also an elegant principal bedroom suite, five further bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor and three double bedrooms, plus two bath/shower rooms, on the floor above.
Glebe House is for sale at £2.85m — see more pictures and details.
Also on the market nearby
In nearby Islip, this house — for sale with Woodford & Co at £1.295 million — is right on the banks of the millstream, and features five bedrooms and a beautifully-refurbished interior, as well as a large garden, mooring and fishing rights.
At £775,000 with Jackson-Stops, Mulso Cottage is another option, a hugely-pretty five-bedroom cottage in the historic village of Finedon with an elevated position and walled gardens.
Best country houses for sale this week
A house that's straight out of Cider With Rosie, and a picture-perfect cottage that's commutable to London make it into
