A chance to buy a house next to the Duke of Buckingham's former home
Gazing out from the windows of Wotton House, a famous Grade-I listed Georgian house in Buckinghamshire, you perhaps wouldn't imagine spying a place like this.

Middle Farm was built in 1977 on a piece of land adjoining Wotton House, an early 18th century home which was once the family home of William Pitt the Younger, and subsequently the Duke of Buckingham (or Richard Plantagenet Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville, to give him his full family name). After that family line died out, Wotton has since had a number of owners including Sir John Gielgud and, since 2008, Tony Blair.
All of which makes the village a surprising place to find such a striking modern design as the one featured on this page, a house which is now on the market at £1.35 million with Michael Graham.
Designed by the architect Dominic Michaelis, this late-1970s creation came out of the architectural movement of the time which sought to maximise space and light with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Rather wonderfully, the present owners have kept the place in 1970s fashion, with a brown-green deep shagpile carpet and furniture which wouldn't look out of place in an Abba video. Even the kitchen has a pleasingly period look which somehow seems just right in the context.
And while lovers of the traditional English country house might be tempted to mop their brow at the architecture, lovers of English country gardens will no doubt see beyond the stark timber-and-glass design, for the all-around glass offers 360-degree views of a formal garden which is truly spectacular, and beyond which lies a lovely orchard.
As well as the eye-catching, open-plan living space there are also four bedrooms and two bathrooms, with the bedrooms opening onto a veranda.
The house comes with around 19 acres of grounds which include open bay garaging, stables, workshops, home offices, and a detached barn – built in a more traditional style – which has the potential to become separate accommodation.
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Horse lovers will be delighted to learn that there are paddocks close to the house, which take up almost 16.5 acres of the total land – enough that a manege could easily be built.
The house was featured in Ideal Home magazine when it was built back in the 1970s.
A handsomely remodelled Queen Anne home with gardens woodland and a poolhouse
Chance of a lifetime.
A country house just outside Winchester with its own opera festival
Dymoke House at Easton boasts a natural amphitheatre of the gardens.
One of John Nash’s least-known country houses comes to the market
Principally designed by John Nash, Warrens at Bramshaw in Hampshire is surrounded by the New Forest.
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
-
If the future of Ferrari is electric vehicles, then it is our future too
It's widely believed that Ferrari will unveil its first electric car this year. It's the signal that the internal combustion era is coming to an end.
By James Fisher Published
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villa
Ignore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
By James Fisher Published
-
Gaze over Cap Ferrat in this four-bedroom French villa
Ignore the wind and the rain. Imagine yourself in this hillside home with some of the best views the Mediterranean can offer.
By James Fisher Published
-
Classical style meets fun and flair in a seven-bedroom manor in Cornwall
At Polstrong Manor, the current owners have combined period charm and elegant modern interiors to create a flamboyant country home 10-minutes from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
Two halves make a sublime four-bedroom home in Kent's North Downs
A contemporary extension to a traditional clapboard house brings light and life to Lavington House.
By James Fisher Published
-
The week in property statistics: Service charges reach record high
Plus, 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
By Annabel Dixon Published
-
A seven-bedroom oast house for sale in East Sussex, where your dreams can run riot
Unlisted, yet full of character, this property in the High Weald National Landscape is an eccentrically furnished family home that screams fun.
By James Fisher Published
-
Character, history and comfort combine in a four-bedroom farmhouse in Norfolk
Willow Farm near Southburgh is that rarest of things — a perfect combination of period charm and modern elegance in some of England's best countryside.
By James Fisher Published
-
A Grade I-listed Georgian townhouse that's part of the fabric of Bath's history
With 5,500sq ft set over six floors in the centre of Britain's most architecturally rich city, there is much to love here.
By James Fisher Published
-
17 delightful homes for sale, as seen in Country Life
Our round-up of some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life this week includes a wonderful Cotswolds home and a happily affordable cottage in the West Country.
By Toby Keel Published