An English Residence

 My Granny has moved house fifteen times throughout her life and is again considering moving house once more after living at her current property for five years. I have to confess I think I am very much the same and never seem to stay at a property for more than a few years. For me the joy in buying a property is renovating it to ones liking and once this has been achieved, moving on to do the same thing somewhere else. Needless to say it is a great bonus if you can manage to earn a profit throughout the process. 

It is during the Spring and Summer months that you are most likely to sell a house. The warm weather pushes house hunters to venture out of hibernation to find a property just in time to enjoy the Summer and be most at home for Christmas with family. Here are two of the prettiest English homes for sale right now.

 The Circus, Bath

Bath is one of the prettiest spa towns in England and was once a favoured retreat for the British Aristocracy. The Lords and Ladies of the day would travel to Bath from London to take the waters and escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Not wishing to compromise on luxury they often bought exquisite town houses which were built over six stories and provided the space and comforts needed. 

I have always loved Town Houses and this one is exquisite with over six thousand square feet of space including Drawing Room, Dining Room, Games Room, Library, seven Bedrooms and five Bathrooms.  

What I particularly like about this house is that the rooms have been kept to how they would have originally been used. The basement floors of Town Houses were used as kitchens and servants quarters. Today when many people buy Georgian Town Houses they bring the Kitchen to the ground floor (which I detest) and use the basement for saunas, steam rooms and other 21st century mod cons (shudder) However with this house, every room is as it once was, and in my view where it should be. 

The Drawing Room is located on the first floor (Second floor if you are reading in America) which is typical of Georgian Town Houses. These houses were designed with full length sash windows on this floor to afford the occupant wonderful views and beautiful light throughout the day. 

As you can see, this room has been exquisitely decorated in the classic style which really complements the bones of the house. I particularly love the wall to wall carpet which gives such a comfortable look and must feel heavenly to walk on.

The Dining Room is located on the ground floor of the house which in the past made it easier to transport food from the kitchen down below. For modern living it is perhaps not the most practical way to live but who cares? For me, beauty beats practicality and I prefer the kitchen with it's noise and smells to be right out of the way!

The Library is next to the Dining Room on the ground floor and has a pretty bow window that overlooks the garden. 

The ground floor accommodation concludes with this perfect little Games Room with it's fabric lined walls. Just behind the vase of flowers on the card table you will notice a jib door; This leads to a powder room. This room is utterly charming and so beautifully decorated.

The ground floor Entrance Hall with its stone flag floor and cantilever staircase. I think it is a good idea to leave entrance spaces rather neutral in colour.

The Master Suite is located right above the Library and shares the same style bow window as a result. Such a romantic, elegant room.

The Master En Suite which has been kept traditional. I always prefer the use of carpet in bathrooms so that you can use the room as a place to relax and unwind.

Town Houses don't normally have garden spaces as the owners had large Country Houses with acres of land. However this house has a delightful garden which has been landscaped to maximise the outdoor experience. 

 The Circus, for sale with Knight Frank 

The Old Vicarage, Wiltshire

Have you ever seen such a pretty chocolate box house? The Old Vicarage is situated in the picturesque Cotswolds, perhaps the perfect place to own an English Country House. Unlike The Circus, this house has scope for redecoration depending on personal taste and preference. Structurally and internally sound, this house is ready and waiting for Colefax and Fowler wallcoverings and Stark carpet.

The Old Vicarage has just over five thousand square feet of space including large Entrance Hall, Drawing Room, Dining Room, Sitting Room, Orangery, Five Bedrooms and Four Bathrooms. Included in the sale are a number of outbuildings such as log store, green house and ancillary accommodation. 

The heavenly gardens were designed by Chelsea Gold Medal award winner Peter Dowle and are compartmentalised into different sections to include a Victorian Garden,  Italianate secret garden, woodland garden and herb garden.

The Drawing Room is a good size and architecturally pretty. How would you decorate this room?

I just love how the light pours though the sash windows in this Country Kitchen. You will notice the newly built Orangery that leads off this room.

The Orangery definitely needs a special touch to transform it into a place worth using. 

One of the Bedrooms in the property. I think that this is perhaps the best room in terms of decoration but then again a new house is there to do as you please!

And finally the heavenly garden with nothing but countryside to view for miles.

The Old Vicarage, Wiltshire, For sale with Strutt and Parker

So which would you prefer? The grand Townhouse in Bath or the pretty Country House in Wiltshire?

Please note, this article is NOT an advertisement and was written purely for the interest of the reader and myself.