Members -- 6 days ago
Words: Violet
When it comes to the summer months, if the weather holds, sometimes all you want to do is escape to the country. Here are our top country retreats with all the space, grandeur, luxury and Englishness that you could ask for.
PARK HOUSE, GODALMING
Park House is a Georgian-style, 2007-built retreat 45 miles from London. It’s ideal for horse-owners looking for an accessible country pad; the 2012 New Zealand Olympic equestrian team trained in the 12 box-stableyard. Unwind in the Nordic sauna after a hard ride, then jump into the indoor Falcon jetstream swimming pool. If you do feel like exiting your grounds, Park House’s nearest village is Chiddingfold, which has the venerable honour of having made the Sunday Times Top 10 UK villages!
The Georgian design means great room proportions and a Palladian-style entrance. The house is fitted with high-modern luxuries, including mood lighting, a cinema room and exceptional catering facilities. The grounds are lit at night by a sophisticated external lighting system, so it’s a stunning place for events – and there’s plenty of room for overnight guests, with 6 ensuite bedrooms.
Park House, Godalming, £7,950,000, savills.com
PARK PLACE, SURREY
Similarly-named Park Place is a British countryside idyll, whose proximity to Heathrow makes it an accessible piece of rural bliss for jet-setting gents. With its own private entrance into Windsor Great Park, you’re free to roam, should you ever tire of Park Place’s own mature parkland and lake. There’s an impressive sweep through wrought iron gates up to the house, culminating in an elegant stone staircase.
The master bedroom occupies the entire western wing of the house, with 7 further bedroom suites. A swimming pool with pool house promise lazy summer days, and there’s a wine cellar and gymnasium for after-hours. It’s a period gem.
Park Place, Crimp Hill, Surrey, £16,500,000, knightfrank.com
BLETCHINGDON PARK, OXFORDSHIRE
Heritage-wise, Bletchingdon Park is the winner. A Grade-II listed Paladian villa, it’s a stunningly grand Georgian home. A very lucky gentleman is going to live here; exquisite design and upkeep features at every corner, cornice and panel. There’s plenty of room for leisure pursuits; its 125 acres include a tennis court and swimming pool, and inside there’s a gym and spa room. A walled garden and scenic lake complete the picture.
Bletchingdon Park, Oxfordshire, £15,000,000, knightfrank.co.uk
By Charlotte Beale
