‘I was always strong and active in my limbs,’ wrote Gertrude Jekyll of her childhood in the village of Bramley, near Guildford, where the family moved in 1848 and where she and her sister were each given their own gardens to tend.
‘I had no girl companions... It was therefore natural that I should be more of a boy than a girl in my ideas and activities, delighting to go up trees, and to play cricket, and take wasps’ nests after dark, and do dreadful things with gunpowder.’
In 1904, her lifelong love of Nature inspired her to commission Sir Edwin Lutyens to build Millmead House, in the same village, with a view to developing the gardens herself. This five-bedroom house, with a hint of early Georgian in its style, has been enjoyed by the current owners for the past 50 years.
The gardens are ‘sensationally laid out,’ say agents, and, covering just over an acre, they include a summerhouse and two pavilions also designed by Lutyens.
Millmead was first featured in Country Life in 1907 — and its timeless elegance once again graces our pages, 115 years later, as it finds itself on the market via Knight Frank with a guide price of £2.25 million.
Designed by the heavyweights of the architecture and gardening world, Millmead naturally packs a (subtle) punch. Formed of snecked Bargate sandstone with red brick quoins under a tiled roof, the house offers 'the most incredible bones and architectural features in which to create a perfect family home,' say the agents.
Millmead is currently on the market via Knight Frank with a guide price of £2.25 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Bramley: What you need to know
Location: About 3 miles south of Guildford, in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are trains from Guildford to London, as well as great access onto the A3. Gatwick and Heathrow airports are also both less than an hour's drive away.
Atmosphere: The village of Bramley offers everything you need for day-to-day living with a good range of shops, a pub and two churches. Further amenities are available in Guildford, which not only offers plenty of restaurants and shopping options, but a theatre and leisure centre, too.
Things to do: Golf is available at Bramley Golf Club and nearby Guildford offers plenty to do, from visiting the Medieval Castle, art galleries and shopping along its cobbled streets. The Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is pretty much on the doorstep — visit Box Hill, Leith Hill, The Devil's Punch Bowl and Newlands Corner, just to name a few.
Schools: Plenty of excellent choices in the area with St. Catherine's in Bramley, Charterhouse, Priorsfield and Cranleigh School.
See more property for sale in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Robin Hood's seaside getaway, and who appears on the £20 note?Our daily quiz features one of the most beautiful spots in Britain... but where is it?
-
A glorious 17th century home in one of the most exclusive waterside villages in BritainOrchard House was lucky not to have been sunk beneath the surface of Rutland Water when it was created in the 1970s — but it did, and today this wonderful spot is looking better than ever.
-
A glorious 17th century home in one of the most exclusive waterside villages in BritainOrchard House was lucky not to have been sunk beneath the surface of Rutland Water when it was created in the 1970s — but it did, and today this wonderful spot is looking better than ever.
-
A honey-coloured, 300-year-old rectory where every period-house headache has already been solved for youThe Old Rectory is a charming family home that's just undergone an extensive renovation.
-
The sleepy village hall that's been transformed into a breathtaking homeThe Village Hall in Shotley Bridge is a masterful conversion of a much-loved village amenity.
-
Six wonderful rural homes for sale, as seen in Country LifeOur pick of the best homes to feature in Country Life over the past week includes a grand Sussex estate and a delightful riverside home.
-
A five-bedroom former farmhouse brought to life with one of the finest living rooms we've seenGlebe Farm in Nottinghamshire has undergone an astounding restoration to create a very special home.
-
A five-acre estate at the heart of the 'prettiest village in Leicestershire'Horninghold Hall is the jewel in the crown of Horninghold.
-
A wetsuit room, fingerprint entry and coastal views from all the principal rooms: Is this the ultimate Cornish holiday home?Sitting pretty overlooking Polzeath Beach in North Cornwall, Megizzy’s spectacular views, contemporary design and well thought out features are hard to beat.
-
Inside Audrey Hepburn's exquisite Alpine retreatViews of the mountains, 40 acres of gardens and grounds and 10,000 sq ft La Paisible is a subtle yet spacious country home.
