Four eco-friendly homes with real style and character
Living in an eco-friendly home needn't mean suffering in a characterless box. Carla Passino picks out four homes across the country which offer vibrant homes that will do their bit to help the environment.

Worcestershire – £1.095 million
Wycheway House (also pictured at the top of the page) won an award for building excellence, and deservedly so. Rebuilt in 2006, it is extremely well insulated and comes with an air-source heat pump, heat-recovery system, underfloor heating, solar panels and photovoltaic panels, as well as a rainwater-harvesting system.
Even more than green living, the greatest draw at this architect-designed house must be the views. Perched at nearly 1,000ft on the Malvern Hills, it looks out across seven counties, from the Black Mountains in Wales to Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds.
For sale via Knight Frank. See more pictures and details about this property.
Surrey – £1,395,000
This four-bedroom newly-built conversion is quietly tucked away off Wonersh Common, a short distance from Guildford town centre, offering a touch of country charm with swish modern fittings and sound green credentials.
There's a ground-source heat pump to provide warmth in an eco-friendly way, powering underfloor heating that has zoned digital thermostats.
For sale via Clarke Gammon Wellers. See more pictures and details about this property.
Cumbria – £745,950
Sustainability is the byword at eggHomes, a collection of 19 houses in Viver Green, Cumbria – and particularly so at The Tyan, one of the development’s properties and a finalist at last year’s British Home Awards.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
This five-bedroom house combines locally sourced materials with eco-friendly technology, including automatic bathroom lighting, underfloor heating and air-source heat pumps.
For sale via eggHomes – 01539 760577
Anywhere you like – £500,000
Designed by architectural well-being firm Ekkist, in association with RIBA Award winners Studio McLeod, the Ori House turns the concept of Green living on its head. Rather than focusing primarily on the environment, it puts health at its heart with a choice of non-toxic building materials and features that enhance well-being.
The Ori is a self-build house, so the location is entirely up to the buyer.
For sale via Ekkist. See more pictures and details about this property.
Credit: Wickhams, Sussex
A country house in Sussex that comes close to offering true self-sufficiency
We tend to think of country houses as beautiful places, not eco-friendly homes which could set the blueprint for the
Top 5 luxury eco developments
Dotted around some of the globe’s most glorious destinations are some eco-resorts that are leading the way in responsible development;
Carla must be the only Italian that finds the English weather more congenial than her native country’s sunshine. An antique herself, she became Country Life's Arts & Antiques editor in 2023 having previously covered, as a freelance journalist, heritage, conservation, history and property stories, for which she won a couple of awards.
-
Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 pictures
Plus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
By James Fisher Published
-
Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courts
From Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
By Rosie Paterson Last updated
-
Five palatial mansions for sale, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country Life
Sometimes bigger really is better.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villa
Ignore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
By James Fisher Published
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in Cornwall
At Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North Downs
A contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
By James Fisher Published
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record high
Plus, how first-time buyers prop up the mortgage market, why you need to move north if you want to live by yourself, and house-price growth slows
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riot
Unlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
By James Fisher Published
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in Norfolk
Willow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's history
With 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
By James Fisher Published