It is the week to be thinking about gardens and the homes that are contained within them. As RHS Chelsea rages, property coverage on the website this week will have a focus on homes with fine gardens.
First up, Mark Smith of Strutt & Parker’s Banbury office is handling the sale — at a guide price of £2.25m — of the delightful, Grade II-listed Friars Well at Aynho, which stands in 17¼ acres of Capability Brown-designed parkland, once part of the Cartwright family’s Aynhoe Park estate.
Built by the Cartwrights in 1763 of stone under a Stonesfield-slate roof, the substantial nine-bedroom house, originally known as Aynhoe Park Cottage, has been extensively remodelled over the years and, in the 1950s, was renamed Friars Well after the natural spring in the grounds.
At about the same time, the Classical architect Raymond Erith, who did notable work in the popular Northamptonshire village dominated by Grade I-listed Aynhoe Park, was commissioned by the Cartwrights to remodel Friars Well. This he did by enhancing its Georgian proportions, re-ordering the interior and installing a fine curved staircase, one of his signature designs. He also raised the roof level and introduced a series of attics.
In the 1960s, Lady Ward moved from Aynhoe Park to Friars Well, where she retained John Fowler of Colefax & Fowler to advise on further alterations to the house, including ground- and first-floor extensions to the rear.
She also enlisted landscape architect Lanning Roper to design a series of garden ‘rooms’, which were imaginatively planted to counter the prevailing wind by creating private sheltered areas around the house.
Beautifully maintained by its current owners during their 11-year tenure, Friars Well offers 5,735sq ft of elegant accommodation, including five reception rooms, nine bedrooms and five bathrooms.
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Magnificent mansions across the Home Counties, from £3 million to £14 million, as seen in Country LifeA waterside dream home and a house and estate with over 1,100 years of history make our round-up this week.
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A dozen slices of al fresco inspiration from the best designers in BritainAmelia Thorpe shares her pick of the most beautiful outdoor furniture and accessories to help you make the most of summer.
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Magnificent mansions across the Home Counties, from £3 million to £14 million, as seen in Country Life
A waterside dream home and a house and estate with over 1,100 years of history make our round-up this week.
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Vibrant colours and exquisite taste make this three-bedroom London townhouse singOn Kennington's West Square, this Grade II-listed home is a monument to the discerning eye.
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Lawns, glorious lawns at this Grade II-listed home in Hampshire where a sustainable future meets a storied pastThere are 'old rectorys', and then there's The Old Rectory.
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'A monument to Edwardian excess' that was built by the millionaire industrialist who founded Pinewood StudiosBents House is a classic Peak District mansion which shows that good taste and deep pockets can coexist very happily.
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A glorious home in a water tower overlooking Suffolk's finest seaside townThe Water Tower on Priors Hill Road in Aldeburgh stands out in more ways than one
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The Cold War test facility that became a beautiful family home — complete with two levels below groundRotunda would suit a spy and their family.
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Five elegant East Anglian homes for sale, from £1m to £10m, as seen in Country LifeOur look at some of the best homes to come to market via Country Life this week includes one of Norfolk's great houses.
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What would you do with 2,780 acres of pristine land in Dumfries & Galloway?The Cally Estate offers a world of possibilities, and four separate properties.
