This is likely my subconscious trying to tell me something, but I’ve found another house with water frontage on the River Thames and I am yet again compelled to write about it. If you are growing bored of this, fear not, it will likely wear off sooner rather than later and be replaced by something else, like houses made out of glass, or houses that have their own racetrack, or wine cellars.
To the exclusive shores of the Fisheries in Maidenhead, where Hampton have, for £6.75 million, the magnificent Doannee House. It has six bedrooms, about 8,000sq ft of living space and, as discussed, frontage on the River Thames.
The property was originally built in the early 20th century in the Tudor Revival style, and has since been modernised and refurbished to create a family home of the highest quality. The interiors feature many things, among them a music room, enormous kitchen/breakfast/sitting room, a dining room, and an enormous principal bedroom suite (with riverside views, because of course). There is also, as it turns out, a wine cellar.
Outside, the gardens are principally set to the rear of the property and lead down towards the river. An al fresco dining area and seating area dissolves into areas of manicured lawn, beyond which is the mighty Thames. Thanks to a scheme introduced in 2001, the property has not flooded in 20 years and this part of the river is not tidal, so you can quite literally jump into the river for a swim if you felt like it.
Or, you could use a boat, for the property offers not only a landing space next to the lawn, but also a glorious ‘wet’ boathouse. Along the river, it is a short drive/steam/sail/etc down to either Bray or Maidenhead, between which the house is situated.
You can also visit the Elizabeth Line, which is 15 minutes walk away, and takes you to central London, or the newly opened Soho River House, or the infinite other amenities that inhabit this fabled stretch of England’s most famous river.
Florence Nightingale's wisteria-and-ivy-clad childhood home is up for sale — and its incredible setting offers truly life-enhancing beauty
The beautiful Lea Hurst has gorgeous views, delightful rooms and a fascinating history.
Credit: Hamptons
From a bungalow to riverside brilliance: a home on the Thames that lives up to its name
The River Haven in Thames Ditton might just be the best place in London to sit and watch the world
A magnificent ivy-clad mansion in the Wessex Downs which comes with its own Iron Age hill fort
You probably didn't have it on your 'must have' list, but Bussockwood Estate's USP is a great talking point — and
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
-
All fired up: 12 of our favourite chimneys, from grand architectural statements to modest brick stacks, as seen in Country LifeNothing says winter like a roaring fire, and plenty of the houses that we've photographed for the magazine's architectural places have fireplaces and chimneys worth boasting about.
-
What is everyone talking about this week: More than half the country owns a pet and nearly half our marriages end in divorce — no wonder pet-nups are on the risePet-nups, a formal agreement between couples over what should happen to their pets in the event of a split, are on the rise.
-
Utterly wonderful country homes for sale across Britain, from a 10-bedroom mansion to a Devon hideaway, as seen in Country LifeFrom an irresistibly charming house in Devon to a 400-year-old commutable home in Hertfordshire, here's our pick of some of the best homes to come to market via Country Life in the past week.
-
The London house where Rolls-Royce's co-founder Charles Rolls tinkered with his very first car is for sale at £17 millionCharles Rolls, the engineer and co-founder of Rolls-Royce, got his hands dirty when using the stables of this fine London home as a makeshift garage. Annabel Dixon reports.
-
A vineyard for sale on the slopes above 'the best beach in Britain' is for sale at just £650,000In the beautifully unspoilt Devon village of Bantham, an award-winning vineyard is for sale. Toby Keel takes a look.
-
This spectacular 14th-century castle has had its price cut by £7.5 million. Here's whyThe art and science of being an estate agent is never trickier than when dealing with homes that are being sold for the first time in centuries — and Ripley Castle in Yorkshire provides the perfect example. Lucy Denton explains more.
-
A simply perfect thatched cottage in Devon, with charm, walled gardens and all the space you need for family lifeThatched cottages are often pretty, but pretty small — but Julie Harding finds one brings which blends cottage charm with the space of a country manor.
-
'A rare gem' of a country house, in 163 acres of the idyllic Colne Valley, just 50 minutes from the CityThe Regency-style Over Hall in Colne Engaine is a country house whose previous owner has spent 40 years getting everything just right. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
Five home offices so good that every work day will feel like a holiday (well, probably)Five years on from the Pandemic, millions of us are still working from home much of the time — and thus the appeal of a home office is as strong as ever. They don't much nicer than these.
-
A grand country house and 329-acre estate for sale at £1.89 million — and it's on the market for the first time in a quarter of a millenniumArabella Youens takes a look at the beautiful Monreith House and Estate on the south-west coast of Scotland.
