The quintessential Georgian farmhouse owned by a make-up artist to the stars
Watkins Farm was bought in the 1990s by Amanda Jackson Sytner and James Wedge and has undergone an extensive refurbishment.


With its classic Georgian home and colourful Italianate garden, Watkins Farm is the epitome of rural tranquillity.
The property was acquired by make-up artist Amanda Jackson Sytner and her husband, artist James Wedge in the 1990s and has benefited from their good taste and keen eye for design. Amanda boasts a portfolio of high profile clients including Dame Helen Mirren, Jerry Hall, Dame Vivienne Westwood and Jane Seymour and has based in Dorset since she moved from London. Watkins Farm is now on the market with Humberts at a guide price of £1.45 million.
The five-bedroom main house has the symmetrical façade typical of Georgian properties. Inside, it is beautifully presented throughout with light and airy interiors, flagstone floors, good ceiling heights, double hung sash casement windows, picture rails, window seats and some exposed roof timbers.
In the well-proportioned drawing-room, there is a smart panelled window seat from which the garden can be admired, and there are doors from the dining-room leading directly out onto the terrace.
Beyond the private south-facing terrace and entertaining area lies the principal lawn, sweeping down to the duck pond complete with island and duck house. Beyond the pond there is an orchard, and the lawn breaks in to a more informal grassed area studded with trees, which in turn leads to a delightful area of young broadleaf woodland comprising of mostly oak and ash. To the south of the house is a colourful Italianate garden from which a gate opens through to an enclosed and well-screened kitchen garden complete with fruit cage, greenhouse and side access gates to the drive.
Among Watkins Farm's range of outbuildings is a cottage, which was converted in the 1990s from former farm buildings and is handsome in its own right. The planning permission allows it to be used for holiday letting purposes.
An exceptional Queen Anne-style house in the heart of the Blackmore Vale
Chetnole House at Chetnole has delightful grounds running down to the River Wiggle.
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.
A rolling Dorset estate with a picturesque 'Arts-and-Crafts' farmhouse at its heart
Blackdown House Farm at Briantspuddle was part of the once-great Bladon estate.
Credit: Old Came Rectory - Thomas Hardy's friend's house
A sprawling Dorset cottage for sale where Thomas Hardy met his inspirational mentor
Old Came Rectory is a delightful thatched cottage just outside Dorchester where one of Britain's greatest writers was a regular
Agnes has worked for Country Life in various guises — across print, digital and specialist editorial projects — before finally finding her spiritual home on the Features Desk. A graduate of Central St. Martins College of Art & Design she has worked on luxury titles including GQ and Wallpaper* and has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Horse & Hound, Esquire and The Independent on Sunday. She is currently writing a book about dogs, due to be published by Rizzoli New York in September 2025.
-
‘It had the air of an ex-rental, and that’s putting it politely’: How an antique dealer transformed a run-down Georgian house in Chatham Dockyards
An antique dealer with an eye for colour has rescued an 18th-century house from years of neglect with the help of the team at Mylands.
By Arabella Youens Published
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in Kent
North Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
By James Fisher Published
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in Kent
North Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
By James Fisher Published
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streets
This six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
By James Fisher Published
-
A tale of everyday life as lived on Britain's most expensive street
Winnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
By Lotte Brundle Last updated
-
Damon Hill's former home in Marbella is the perfect place to slow down
The glorious Andalusian-style villa is found within the Lomas de Marbella Club and just a short walk from the beach.
By James Fisher Published
-
A 327-acre estate in the heart of 'England’s Côte d’Or', with a 26,000sq ft Georgian style home at its heart
Stokes Hall in the Crouch Valley is an inspiring property looking for a new owner.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
Schreiber House, 'the most significant London townhouse of the second half of the 20th century', is up for sale
The five-bedroom Modernist masterpiece sits on the edge of Hampstead Heath.
By Lotte Brundle Published
-
Is the 'race for space' officially over?
During the lockdowns, many thought the countryside was the place to be. It seems many are now changing their minds.
By Annabel Dixon Last updated
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?
The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
By Annunciata Elwes Published