Savills Magazine, Issue 61, 2008
UK rural homes
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Be inspired by this collection of fine houses, many of which are new to the market. From a converted chapel in Cornwall to a castle in Ayrshire, they represent the diversity of Savills’ portfolio. Could your future home be among them?
Cornish cream
Enjoy some of Britain’s finest views from this idyllic home
Catch of the day
The River Tay’s Kercock Fishings offer prolific numbers of salmon
Et in Arcadia ego
Enjoy the pastoral pleasures of Evelyn Waugh’s former home
A duke’s dream
Oakley House, near Bedford, was a country retreat for aristocracy
The glass house
A cubist conservatory creates space and glamour in a family home
A Georgian delight
Palladian grandeur meets contemporary elegance
A medieval masterpiece
The Old Rectory, Standlake, dates back to the 13th century
This green and pleasant land
Morval Estate offers more than 1000 acres of prime Cornish land
From Tudor to Stuart
Two periods of architecture combine beautifully at Church House
Cornish cream
Enjoy some of Britain’s finest views from this idyllic home
John Betjeman considered Portloe to be “one of the least spoiled and most impressive of Cornish fishing villages” and this is the setting of the Old Chapel, a property owned by the family of the late writer, Roald Dahl. This Grade II listed former chapel, built in 1882, is situated 10 miles from Truro on the Roseland Peninsula, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Positioned 150 yards from the harbour, the house is blessed with a sense of privacy as well as ‘wrap-around’ sea views. Living space is organised over three floors in a conversion that retains much of the character of the original building. Tall, arched windows allow light to flow through the large split-level living space, which comprises living room, dining area, kitchen and huge galleried mezzanine.
It’s rare that the opportunity arises to buy such a characterful property by the sea. The new owners of the Old Chapel can eat al fresco on the south-facing stone sun terrace, laze on the elevated lawn then freshen up in the thermostatic shower carved into the cliff face.
Price: £750,000
Contact: Jonathan Cunliffe
+44 (0)1872 243 201
jdcunliffe@savills.com
Catch of the day
The River Tay’s Kercock Fishings offer prolific numbers of salmon
Owning more than two miles of double bank fishing in a beautiful landscape must be every angler’s dream. At the Kercock Fishings, 15 miles north of Perth, catches of salmon and sea trout are improving yearly, with the current five-year average standing at around 300 salmon. There are currently two fishing huts and planning permission for a third. As Anna Thomas of Savills Edinburgh highlights, “The River Tay is Scotland’s best-known salmon river, and the opportunity to own a part of it does not come up often.”
Price: As a whole, offers over £1.55 million
As part (Upper Kercock), offers over £775,000
Contact: Anna Thomas
+44 (0)131 247 3720
athomas@savills.com
Et in Arcadia ego
Enjoy the pastoral pleasures of Evelyn Waugh’s former home
Piers Court near Dursley is best known for being the home of Evelyn Waugh, who lived here from 1937-56, writing some of his most acclaimed works. The classical Georgian elegance of the house is beautifully complemented by the grounds where formal gardens lead to elegant avenues of beech hedges, with pasture and parkland in the distance. Cradled in the lee of Stinchcombe Hill on the edge of the Cotswolds, Piers Court offers dramatic views over the Severn Estuary to the Forest of Dean and the Welsh hills.
Price: £3.5 million
Contact: Anthony Coaker
+44 (0)1285 627 558
acoaker@savills.com
A duke’s dream
Oakley House, near Bedford, was a country retreat for aristocracy
The estate at Oakley dates back to the 11th century and for many years it was a hunting lodge for the dukes of Bedford. It was the fifth duke who, in 1789, commissioned a remodel of the house, which gave Oakley its French-influenced design and gracious verandah. The house is perfect for those who like to socialise on a grand scale, with its imposing entrance hall, spacious drawing and dining rooms and magnificent entertaining room with minstrel gallery.
“Oakley House is one of Bedfordshire’s finest examples of Georgian architecture,” says William Duckworth-Chad of Savills. “It is a sophisticated house in what is sometimes known as an unfashionable county, but why? Bedford, just four miles away, offers a regular and fast train service to London St Pancras with the European destinations of Paris and Brussels taking about two hours from there.”
Price: £2.95 million
Contact: William Duckworth-Chad
+44 (0)20 7409 8885
wdchad@savills.com
The glass house
A cubist conservatory creates space and glamour in a family home
Cherry Trees in Chislehurst, Kent, is a striking example of how modern design and technology can be used to enhance a period property. Built in 1867, the house has superb oak flooring, marble fireplaces and period-style cornicing, but surprises are in store to the rear where a two-storey conservatory of seamless glass opens out into the gardens. The extra living space becomes a window on the changing seasons and colours of nature, and an underlit water feature adds a sensual touch.
There are elements of modern design throughout this beautiful home, from the high specification bespoke kitchen to the Philippe Starck bathroom fittings. Living areas are spaced over four floors and include a drawing room, kitchen/breakfast room, living room and study. With six bedrooms and six bathrooms, this is the perfect home for a growing family. As Helen Wood of Savills Locksbottom states: “Cherry Trees is spacious, light and blends contemporary-style living with Victorian charm. It has the ‘wow’ factor.”
Price: £1.95 million
Contact: Helen Wood
+ 44 (0)1689 869 600
hwood@savills.com
A Georgian delight
Palladian grandeur meets contemporary elegance in the Cotswolds
Dowdeswell Court, near Cheltenham, was originally the principal house of an estate acquired by the Rogers family in 1582. Fast forward to 1833 and the house, still owned by the same family, required such extensive repair that the only solution was to build an entirely new property on the original site. The architect at the time remodelled Dowdeswell as a neo-classical Palladian mansion, introducing Corinthian-style columns and matching cornice on the front elevation. Some features of the original house remain, including two tunnels and a medieval-style banqueting hall.
Dowdeswell Court has recently been restored, introducing touches of modern styling that complement rather than compromise the character of the building. According to Marcus Binney, Chairman of Save British Heritage, Dowdeswell is, “A magical and theatrical transformation of a Georgian country house.”
Price on application
Contact: Luke Morgan
+44 (0)207 016 3789
lmorgan@savills.com
A medieval masterpiece
The Old Rectory, Standlake, dates back to the 13th century
The elegant contours of the Old Rectory are reflected in the whispering waters of the River Windrush. The oldest part of this Oxfordshire property dates back to 1228 and over the years it has been developed sympathetically by its owners. A magical family home, it is packed with rustic features including full-length sash windows with shutters, oak panelling and exposed beams. The beautiful gardens include an orchard, a tennis court and a vegetable garden.
Price: £2.5 million
Contact: Ronnie van der Ploeg
+44 (0)1865 339 705
rvanderploeg@savills.com
This green and pleasant land
Morval Estate offers more than 1000 acres of prime Cornish land
Located outside Looe in the Cornish countryside, the Morval Estate represents all that is idyllic about England. Offering an exceptional shoot and further sporting potential, a residential property portfolio comprising 27 houses and cottages, and over a thousand acres of land, it is an investment opportunity not to be missed.
“The scarcity of estates featuring this amount of land, and the opportunity to improve the already impressive sporting facilities, give Morval huge market appeal,” says Alex Lawson, Director of Farms and Estates at Savills.
Price in excess of £10m
Contact: Alex Lawson
+44 (0)20 7409 8882
alawson@savills.com
From Tudor to Stuart
Two periods of architecture combine beautifully at Church House
This delightful property between Hastings and Rye in East Sussex has two attractive facades, which could belong to different houses. The east wing of Church House was built in 1593 for John Frewin, Rector of Northiam, and the west wing was added by his great grandson, Captain Thomas Frewin, in the early 18th century. Inside, period features include ancient beams, decorative cornicing and late 16th/early 17th-century panelling. Accommodation on three floors is spacious for entertaining and every-day life. The family entrance opens into a welcoming kitchen with French windows leading to the garden, while reception rooms include a large sitting room with hearth and a panelled drawing room with fireplace and polished stone floor.
The secluded gardens encircle the house in a series of ‘rooms’ enclosed by hedges or walls. Tucked out of sight in one of them is a swimming pool, with a terraced seating area.
Price: £3.75 million
Contact: William Peppitt
+44 (0)1580 720 161
wpeppitt@savills.com
