There are words we like at Country Life, especially when it comes to property. We like things that are beautifully presented. We like things with far-reaching views. We like a bit of history, and we have high standards.
It’s nice, then, when a home slides across the property desk that ticks all those boxes. It makes my life easier to write about them, especially when I have a bit of a cold, as I do now.
Today’s example, befitting of the magnificent new website you are currently reading this on, is known as Liliac Cottage. It is for sale with Hamptons for £1.4 million.
Parts of the cottage date from 1640, I am told, and it was originally two properties that have since been joined to create one detached home of four bedrooms, a large kitchen/dining area, two studies and two reception rooms.
Should I ever be lucky enough to meet whoever designed and decorated the interiors of Lilac Cottage, I would shake their hand. Inside the relatively austere exterior is a beautifully decorated home. I doubt the pictures do it justice.
But they are very nice pictures so we will take the time to appreciate them anyway. I love the mixed use of fun wallpapers and soft pastel colours throughout. The contrast of the dark and period sitting (with the inspired choice of putting the tv on an easel) and the light and airy kitchen. The green of the garden room creating a pleasant blend between the inside and the outside. It’s all just very pretty and it all looks like it should be in a magazine. Which is lucky, as this technically is a magazine.
Outside, things continue in a similar vein of loveliness. The grounds and gardens extend to about a third of an acre, with an extensive lawn, large dining terrace and detached summer house with power and light connected. The surrounding landscape is protected (for now) Green Belt land.
The property sits on the edge of the village of Bayford, which has a train station, pre and primary schools and a nice church. The nearest pub is in Brickendon and is a 20-minute walk away, while Hatfield, St Albans, Hoddesdon, Broxbourne and their many amenities are a short drive away. According to Google Maps, Hertfordshire Zoo is also nearby, which is nice.
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attachedUpper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
-
The Great Gatsby, pugs and the Mitford sisters: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 16, 2025Wednesday's quiz tests your knowledge on literature, National Parks and weird body parts.
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attached
Upper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
-
What should 1.5 million new homes look like?The King's recent visit to Nansledan with the Prime Minister gives us a clue as to Labour's plans, but what are the benefits of traditional architecture? And can they solve a housing crisis?
-
Welcome to the modern party barn, where disco balls are 'non-negotiable'A party barn is the ultimate good-time utopia, devoid of the toil of a home gym or the practicalities of a home office. Modern efforts are a world away from the draughty, hay-bales-and-a-hi-fi set-up of yesteryear.
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country LifeOur pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
-
The finest interiors in Edinburgh? A seven-bedroom townhouse furnished by Robert Kime comes to marketSituated on one of the New Town's grandest terraces, this four-storey property is a collector's dream.
-
A Grade II*-listed country manor with one of the most beautiful drawing rooms in EnglandIf Old Manor Farm in Somerset is good enough for Pevsner, it's good enough for you.
-
An eight-bedroom home in Surrey where an army of robots will look after your lawnsDo not fear the bladed guardians of Monksfield House. They are here to help.
