Four beautiful properties with built-in-businesses to help you start a new life in the country

Devon — £2.5 million

Nestled in a hidden valley on the northern fringe of the Exmoor National Park near Lynton comes Oare House, a five-bedroom family home with both farming and sporting potential.

The main house is a mix of modern and period features, with rooms such as the traditional dining room working seamlessly with the contemporary kitchen.

The property sits on the side of the valley, with the more formal gardens leading down the hill, giving far-reaching views over the farmland beyond. On the farming side, traditional stone barns, as well as a more modern agricultural building, form a courtyard with access to the 167 acres of land included with the house. Furthermore, 160 acres of shooting rights across neighbouring land are included in the sale.

For sale with Strutt & Parker. See more pictures and details about this property.

Northumberland — £4.25 million

The year of the ‘staycation’ is very much upon us and, even when coronavirus leaves these shores, the trend will be here to stay. Few places are better prepared to take advantage than The Old Rectory and the Cheviot Holiday Cottages.

The eight-bedroom main house is a picturesque manor house, with a wealth of period features and fittings over its two floors, including a magnificent oak staircase.

Outside, a well-established business of eight holiday cottages, each of which has been independently awarded Five Star Gold by VisitEngland, provides a substantial income. There is a landscaped garden to the rear of the main house, mostly set to lawn with mature and well-planted borders, the whole further enhanced by stables and paddocks.

For sale with Finest Properties. See more pictures and details about this property.

Norfolk — £2.23 million

Can you describe a hotel as a bit of a ‘fixer upper’? One such example might be the Maltings in the village of Weybourne, with its 18,000sq ft of accommodation and unspoilt view of the sea.

The main building is of traditional Norfolk flint, with some parts dating all the way back to the 16th century (thankfully, it has been modernised since then).

Currently, the hotel offers 16 bedrooms, a self-contained cottage, a bar, dining rooms and lounges, but, with the right investment, could take on a whole new lease of life, with potential to expand the accommodation to some 30,000sq ft of space. With a wealth of local attractions nearby, such as the RSPB’s Cley Marshes and Titchwell Marsh, you’ll never be short of visitors.

For sale with Dewitts. See more pictures and details about this property.

Somerset — £2.5 million

What was once a traditional thatched Somerset longhouse in the Blackdown Hills AONB has now become Brook Farm, a modern and spacious seven-bedroom home disguised in a more traditional exterior.

As well as being recently restored, renovated and extended to an impeccably high standard, Brook Farm sits in some 14 acres of Somerset countryside, near Chard.

Although the exterior of the house retains its period feel, inside, the owners have created an effortlessly modern and open-plan living space, which includes a new kitchen with all the trimmings, a private gym, cinema and games room and, vital today, office space. Externally, a modern outbuilding offers further scope for increased office space and The Bothy, a one-bedroom detached annexe, provides ample income as a holiday let.

For sale with Jackson-Stops. See more pictures and details about this property.

Credit: Strutt and Parker

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