Six truly idyllic properties for sale, from idyllic seclusion to a commutable country estate, as seen in Country Life

Somerset — £1,700,000

The glass-walled room. The roses growing across the front door. The chic, clean design and decoration inside.

Yes, this really is it: a country cottage that still, somehow oozes cool. Even the location backs that up: The Newt and the Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Bruton are both nearby.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Dorset — £5,500,000

The home of Kirstie Allsop's late parents — a place they transformed magnificently in almost every aspect — has been on the market for a little while, with the price now reduced to £5.5m.

It represents the vision of its owners translated into a modern Georgian masterpiece by local builder Martin Fulford. ‘A few walls and one window’ are reputedly all that remains of the original farmhouse.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Kent — £10,000,000

With trains to London Bridge in just over half an hour, Tonbridge is a popular commuter haven — and that makes this 24-acre mini-estate incredibly desirable, especially given that permission is in place to create a modern Palladian mansion (the main picture here is an artist's impression).

Your £10m, buys more than a building plot, though: Elizabeth House, the so-called 'Secondary' home of 3,650 sq ft and four floors, is recently completed and ready for new owners to move in.

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

Surrey — £2,750,000

Kitchens sell houses, so they say. If that's really true, you'll need to act quickly to snap up this one: a six-bed wonder on the western fringes of London.

Not that it's just the kitchen that's a draw: the garden is glorious, the rooms have perfect proportions and there's even a cupola skylight above the sweeping staircase.

For sale with Knight Frank. See more pictures and details for this property.

Somerset — £2,750,000

A manor house near Bath that's so unapologetically traditional you'd expect Mr Darcy to wander out of the front door at any moment to glare at people.

Seven bedrooms make this a great home for big families — and a separate three-bedroom coachouse means that it could be a multi-generational home with ease.

For sale with Savills. See more pictures and details for this property.

Devon — £2,750,000

A third house in a row at £2,750,000 seems a bit much, but we couldn't leave this gem out: a wisteria-clad marvel near Axminster.

As idyllic as the house is — and it really is — we'd almost still insist that the gorgeous 29 acres of grounds are really the selling point: this is secluded living in fine style, with gardens, woodland, 1,000 yards of river front and a separate cottage. Bliss.

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

Credit: Strutt and Parker

Best country houses for sale this week

An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for

The Dorset home of Kirstie Allsopp's parents has come up for sale at £6.5 million

TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp remembers the moment her parents first caught sight of Lyddon House in the pages of Country