Living in a house on the banks of the River Thames is a dream for millions of Londoners when the time comes to move out of the city. But realising that dream isn’t always easy: some homes are worrying close to the waterline; some have water access but compromised views, or vice versa; and when those two concerns aren’t present, the price tags often exclude all but the very wealthiest buyers. Yet there are times when a real gem comes to the market which seems to have all the boxes ticked.
Just such a house has come up for sale via Savills, priced at £1.795 million: Quarry End, perched above the riverbank in an enviable position. This grand home has sweeping views of the River Thames near Marlow, with gardens that tumble down towards the waterside, and a terrace for outdoor dining that overlooks the 100ft mooring. The views are little short of spectacular.
As grand as the setting is, the house is – relatively speaking, at least – fairly modest, with five bedrooms and three reception rooms laid out in the 2,263 sq ft of space.
That said, there’s vast scope for extension and improvement – and in many of the rooms, a lot of the latter needs doing. The family who are selling the house have been here since the 1940s, and while there are no obvious problems to be rectified, the décor and fittings feel as if they may not have changed much during that time.
Extending upstairs would be the natural option, since the ground floor footprint is more than double that of the upstairs; there’s also a courtyard area at the back of the house which could potentially be built upon, thereby increasing the footprint further. Any work would obviously need all the right permissions, and also to be done nicely: this is such a pretty house it’d be a terrible shame to spoil the character.
As well as the terraced garden, lawn and river frontage, the property also includes a small tranche of woodland towards the back of the house – between that and the river, this really does feel like a home with a touch of Wind in the Willows about it.
Despite that rural feel the house is actually fairly close to Marlow itself, with the High Street – with its mix of shops, restaurants and bars – less than a mile away.
Quarry End is for sale via Savills at £1.795 million – see more pictures and details.
-
Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom 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.
-
Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country LifeSometimes bigger really is better.
-
Five frankly enormous mansions, including one with its own private swimming lake, as seen in Country Life
Sometimes bigger really is better.
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villaIgnore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in CornwallAt Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North DownsA contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record highPlus, 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
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riotUnlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in NorfolkWillow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's historyWith 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
