Grade II-listed The Abbey at Aston Abbotts, in the heart of the Buckinghamshire countryside some five miles north of Aylesbury, is an imposing Georgian house with an interesting history.
First launched on the market at a guide price of £5.25m at the start of the financial crisis in 2009, the house, set in some 43 acres of gardens, parkland, paddocks and open farmland, is now in need of thorough renovation and is currently on offer through Knight Frank and Savills at a guide price of £4.25m.
It will take a new owner with broad shoulders and deep pockets to restore the once grand country house to its pristine splendour, but, given the estate’s outstanding location within easy reach of both Oxford and central London, it could be a gamble well worth taking.
There has been a property on this historic site since Domesday, although the present house, which has 15th- and 16th-century origins, dates from the early 1800s and was named after lands confiscated from the Abbots of St Albans by Henry VIII.
Illustrious past occupants include the Duke of Buckingham, the polar explorer Sir James Clark Ross and, during the Second World War, Czechoslovakia’s president-in-exile Dr Edvard Benes.
Even now, The Abbey boasts all the attributes of a classic small country estate, including wrought-iron entrance gates, a gate lodge, a long carriage drive and a manageable, 11,480sq ft, Georgian main house with later extensions, five reception rooms, a fine staircase hall, an open-plan kitchen/breakfast room, eight bedrooms, six bath/shower rooms and a three-bedroom staff wing.
Amenities include a lake, an enclosed courtyard with traditional stables and groom’s accommodation, a walled swimming pool area, a games room, a party barn, and a hard tennis court. What more could a busy commuter want?
100 years of the House of Windsor: The story of the British royal family's great rebranding
Clive Aslet reports on the evolution of the House of Windsor – through George V, Edward VIII and George VI
Credit: Kenwood - John Lennon's house in St George's Hill, Weybridge - Knight Frank
Inside the mansion where John Lennon lived at the height of Beatles fame
John Lennon and his then-wife Cynthia bought this beautiful house in St George's Hill as The Beatles were at the
A magnificent new mansion with interiors by Linley – and the best views in St George's Hill
This newly-built house in St George's Hill is the latest home demonstrating that the property market is alive and well
-
'Just look at those stairs. Just as an art form, they are bewitching, like the shell of a nautilus': The lure of buying a stairway to heavenIt seems like madness to buy a house purely because you fall in love with the staircase — but sometimes, they are simply so beautiful that it's impossible to resist. Toby Keel takes a look at some glorious examples of staircases we've seen in Country Life in the last couple of years.
-
'I found myself in a magical world of a sun-dappled forest, speckled with wild flowers of kaleidoscopic colours and brilliant mosses': Solo walking in the PyreneesThe Pyrenees reserves its best treasures for walkers prepared to venture off the well-beaten trail, says Teresa Levonian Cole, on a solo holiday in Ribes de Freser.
-
'Just look at those stairs. Just as an art form, they are bewitching, like the shell of a nautilus': The lure of buying a stairway to heaven
It seems like madness to buy a house purely because you fall in love with the staircase — but sometimes, they are simply so beautiful that it's impossible to resist. Toby Keel takes a look at some glorious examples of staircases we've seen in Country Life in the last couple of years.
-
A one-of-a-kind waterfront estate with two private beaches is for sale on the same storied American island that Jackie Kennedy, the Obamas and Princess Diana have all visitedBeach Farm on Martha’s Vineyard — a favourite summertime holiday destination with prominent American families — is a perfect melding of New England and Scandinavian design styles.
-
The architect who created the MI6 building only designed a tiny handful of houses — and one of them is now up for sale in one of London's most bucolic spotsSir Terry Farrell designed the beautiful, light-filled, T-shaped Drum House in Petersham, with gardens laid out by John Sallis Chandler, who has won multiple RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medals.
-
'True waterfront homes are finite... miss one and it could be years before you see another like it again': Why the best waterfront property always hits the spotThere’s no denying the appeal of waterfront property, which now sells for some 51% more than its inland equivalent, finds Knight Frank. Annabel Dixon explores the shore.
-
19 charming homes for sale, from picture-perfect cottages to beachside retreats, as seen in Country LifeThis week's selection of some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week.
-
Tim Burton is selling the house he shared with Helena Bonham-Carter, a sublime home on the Thames that comes with three private islandsMill House in Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire, might just be the perfect English country home.
-
A spectacular tower for sale that's a blend of Victorian folly, architectural marvel and 21st century family homeHadlow Tower has space, and a back story of love, jealousy and intrigue.
-
A spectacular, light-filled home on the Isle of Wight where you can see the water from practically every windowPenny Churchill takes a look at the grand and impressive Fishbourne Quay House.
