Dartmoor’s wilds can been spied from the playfully Gothic windows of late-Georgian Highfield House, a six-bedroom villa in one of the most sought-after parts of Totnes, some 25 miles from Exeter. On the market with Marchand Petit at a guide price of £1.25 million, Highfield is mere minutes away from the town centre but offers secluded luxury behind its high walls and stunning views from its hilltop garden.
An orangery and a sizeable cellar are only some of the charms this beautiful period property has to offer. Described as ‘one of the great houses of Totnes’, Highfield is awash with high ceilings and intricate cornicing.
Built in 1825, the house still holds the level of quality and luxury it doubtless held as one of the first residences to be built in the area.
Improvements in 2012 brought with them the orangery, an ideal spot to paint or photograph from, with a consistently gentle light and beautiful views of the surrounding countryside.
The kitchen is handsome and well decorated, with a large central counter and plenty of workspace.
The garden has been carefully tended and enjoys sun all year round, sloping away from the house with mature shrubs and flowered borders. One can only hope that a turn in the weather will give these views the clear days they deserve, but it's hard to imagine even rain spoiling the undulating countryside stretching out before the house.
Deceptively petite from the outside, Highfield is situated over four floors, with a large cellar (complete with wine store), three sitting rooms on the ground floor and eight bedrooms (plus a further study) over the top two floors.
The views from the topmost bedrooms, all painted in neutral shades and fitted with wide windows, are simply exquisite.
All of this hides behind solid wooden gates, giving Highfield the privacy many move away from the city to obtain and enjoy.
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
Credit: Alamy
Seven golden rules for selling a country house
With coronavirus now seemingly past its peak in Britain, we're tentatively beginning to look ahead to how life will get
Get your home's lighting just right: Seven questions answered
Few things are more important for the atmosphere of your home as the lighting. Interior designer Emily Todhunter shares her
How to design a truly sociable kitchen: ‘It’s hard to believe that there was a time when a kitchen was simply a room for cooking and washing-up’
Kitchens have long been the hub of family life, but designs don’t always reflect that. Amelia Thorpe spoke to kitchen
-
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.
