Maybe it's the fact that we recently finished watching the BBC adaptation of Howard's End, and maybe it's the gloomy time of year – whatever the reason, there's something about seeing a tumbledown country house such as The Old Rectory in the hamlet of Michaelstow which makes us wonder whether now is the time to up sticks and move to the West Country.
The £1.5 million price tag of this beautiful home might be a bit of a roadblock, of course, but for those fortunate enough to be searching in this bracket this is a place which looks every inch the classic bucolic dream.
It's a five-bedroom home in four and a half beautiful acres of Cornish countryside, including formal gardens, woodland and a paddock, all with a terrific location on the edge of this picturesque north Cornwall village.
Downstairs, the floorplan reads rather like a classic Cluedo board: library, drawing room, study, kitchen, pantry – and while we don't remember 'utility room' being featured on the board game, it's probably a welcome sight in any case, particularly at the 23' x 14' dining-kitchen will no doubt be the heart of life in this house.
The gardens have a similarly perfect checklist of features: there are plentiful old trees, one of which has a swing hanging from its bow; there are lawns and a pond, walled garden and a swimming pool, and even a paddock for those who keep horses.
Beyond that there are also several outbuildings – arranged around a courtyard – which include a games room, garage and a 'gardener's WC'. Because who wants to have to tramp back to the house when you're caught short while tending the vegetable patch and fruit garden?
The games room in particular could potentially be converted into accommodation – there is such lovely outdoor space here, we'd imagine it would be a hugely popular place on Air B'n'B or similar.
Michaelstow itself is a tiny settlement, but is not far off the main A39 which runs up and down this part of the Cornwall coast. That location gives easy access to the usual hotspots including Padstow Rock, Tintagel and Boscastle, all of which are with 10 or 15 miles. Closer still is Wadebridge, which has all the major town amenities you'd need including supermarkets and a cinema.
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