AREA
GUIDES FOR THE MILLIONAIRE PROPERTY MARKET
THE MIDLANDS AND CENTRAL SOUTHERN ENGLAND
(For a list of all the prime country estate properties sold
in Central Southern England recently, scroll down the page
to find this information at the end of each particular county
section)
COUNTY BY COUNTY INFORMATION - SOUTHERN
ENGLAND
Please scroll down the page for detailed
information by county:
About the County of Gloucestershire
(For a list of all the prime country estate properties
sold in Gloucestershire recently, scroll down to the bottom
of this page)
Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, Cirencester,
Stowe-on-the-Wold, Bagendon, Moreton-in-Marsh, Forest
of Dean, Cotswolds and the Vale of Evesham and surrounding
areas of Gloucestershire.
One of the most sought-after counties
in England, Gloucestershire is given added appeal by the
fact that both the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne have
made their homes there.
A very rural county which is split in
two by the Severn Vale. To the west is the Forest of Dean
and across the other side of the M5 lie the Cotswolds
and South Gloucestershire. Most of the county to the east
is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Cirencester
is the centre of this region.
To the north/north-west of Cirencester
– out towards Painswick and Birdlip – the countryside
is a myriad of deep wooded valleys. Houses here tend to
be remote, rural and isolated. The area is popular with
the weekend buyer looking to 'get away from it all'. Prices
remain sensible as this is beyond reasonable commuting
distance from London. However, this area – like many
parts of west Gloucestershire – is now much more
accessible thanks to the opening of the A419 dual carriageway
from the M4 to Cirencester which takes 15 minutes off
the journey time from Swindon. Cirencester can now be
reached from London in 1 hour 45 minutes, trains from
Paddington to Kemble (just west of Cirencester) take between
1 and 1 1/2 hours.
Stroud to the west and the surrounding
villages of Woodchester, Nailsworth and Amberley have
unfortunately developed into an industrial sprawl. Many
attractive houses were built by wealthy wool-mill owners
but these usually suffer from a lack of land and views
can be blighted by factories and other development. Inevitably
this development brings with it some degree of road noise.
The guide prices usually reflect this.
The land south of Cirencester is flat.
As a consequence of the topography, it is dominated by
a large RAF base at Fairford and the flight path of RAF
Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. This, together with the ongoing
gravel extraction around the Cotswold Water Parks and
the new dual carriageway between Cirencester and Swindon,
rather blights the area for the country house buyer.
North-east of Cirencester lies the high
Cotswolds with pretty market towns, villages and attractive
rolling countryside. Unfortunately, these villages do
pay a price for their beauty and can be swarming with
tourists in the summer. Stow, Broadway, Bourton-on-the-Water
and Burford are particularly popular. Transport links
to London are focused on Kingham station, south of Stow,
with journeys to Paddington taking about 1 1/2 hours.
This is prime Gloucestershire. The houses are predominately
Cotswold stone and, as the county is so rural, there is
always a shortage of good-quality country houses.
This lack of supply coupled with the
best transport links to London within the county means
that buyers will often have to pay a premium here.
South Gloucestershire, sandwiched between
Stroud and Bristol, is the least attractive part of the
county and is largely residential and industrial. Many
of the Government's target of new homes to be built by
2016 will be accommodated in this area.
In medieval times, Gloucestershire grew
rich on wool, and handsome churches were built in almost
every village. Its fortunes fluctuated, however, and during
the 18th century, the county was seen as a bleak and poor
outpost.
Nothing could be further from the truth
today; Gloucestershire is one of the most sought-after
counties in England, and is given added appeal by the
fact that both the Prince of Wales and Princess Anne have
made their homes there.
Communications to London are good, and
as planning controls are strict, much of the countryside
remains unspoilt. Essentially, there are two parts to
Gloucestershire, which has now reclaimed the northern
section of the former modern county of Avon. To the east
are the Cotswolds, where the stone houses and pretty villages
are popular among locals and tourists alike. To the west
is a rich landscape of orchards and dairies, bordering
the Forest of Dean, once described as 'the most beautiful
assembly of trees in England'.
In the Cotswolds, houses are typically
built of mellow stone with stone slate roofs; to the west,
brick is more common. Prices reflect the county's desirability
and popularity with both commuters and weekenders.
Major towns
Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester,
Burford, Stow on the Wold, Moreton in Marsh, Tewkesbury,
Stroud, Dursley, Wootton-under-Edge.
Transport links
Train: Paddington Cheltenham, 2hr 10min,
£38.70 for a Saver return; Paddington to Bristol,
1hr 30min, £41.50 for a Saver return.
Car: Cirencester is 92 miles from central London via the
M4 and A419; Cheltenham 120 miles, via the M40 and A40);
Bristol 119 miles, via the M4.
Public schools
Cheltenham College (01242 513540). Co-
educational, age range 13-18, day and boarding. Associated
preparatory school. www.cheltcolls.sch.uk
Cheltenham Ladies' College +44 (0)1242
513540 . Girls only, age range 11-18, day and boarding.
www.cheltladiescollege.org
Dean Close School, Cheltenham +44 (0)1242
522640 . Co-educational, age range 12-18, day and boarding.
Associated preparatory school. www.deanclose.co.uk
St Edward's School, Cheltenham +44(0)1242
526697 . Co-educational, age range 2 1/2-18, day. www.stedwards.co.uk
Rendcomb College, Cirencester +44 (0)1285
831213 . Co-educational, age range 3-18, day and boarding.
www.rendcombecollege.co.uk
The King's School, Gloucester +44 (0)1452
337337 . Co-educational, age range 4-18, day and boarding.
www.thekingsschool.co.uk
Wycliffe College, Stonehouse +44 (0)1453
822432 . Co-educational, age range 12-18, day and boarding.
Associated preparatory school. www.wycliffe.co.uk
Westonbirt School, Tetbury +44 (0)1666
880333 . Girls only, age range 11-18, day and boarding.
www.westonbirt.gloucs.sch.uk
Bredon School, Tewkesbury +44 (0)1684
293156 . Co-educational, age range 5-18, day and boarding.
Leisure
Golfcourses: Cirencester (01285 653939);
Cotswold Hills, Cheltenham (01242 522421); Minchinhampton
(01453 832642); Painswick, (01452 812180).
Hunts: the Beaufort,the Berkeley, the
Cotswold, the VWH, and the North Cotswold.
Yacht clubs : rivers Severn, Windrush,
Coln and Churn.
THE BEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSES FOR SALE IN 2004
(A breakdown of what was for sale & purchase prices)
Paulton Fields Farm, Cirencester (737
acre estate, 8 bed manor, farmhouse, 5 cottages, stabling):
£6m
The Manor, Clifford Chambers, Sapperton
(classic manor, formal gardens, stabling, 57 acres): £6m
Foxhill, Hawling, Stow-on-the-Wold (5
bed house, coach house, stabling, 52.9 acres): £3m
Quarwood, Stow-on-the-Wold (classic
Cotswold country house, 5 cottages, 42 acres): £3m
The Garden House, Westonbirt (polo pitch,
stabling): £4m
Kemble House, Kemble (8 bed edge of
village Manor, stabling, 7 acres): £2.75m
Parsonage House, Chedworth (18th century
Cotswold House, garden, 5 acres): £2.25m
Fairford House, Fairford (Georgian 7
bed house, 3 acres, fishing on River Coln): £2.4m
Country Life - June 2005
About the County of Herefordshire
Leominster, Eardisley, Hay-on-Wye, Bodenham,
Kingstone, Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Bromyard and Ledbury
areas of Herefordshire.
A remote, agricultural county, Herefordshire
has recently been discovered by country house buyers.
A primarily agricultural county, Herefordshire
has always seemed remote from London and possesses an
unspoilt rural charm which is only now being discovered
by country-house buyers. Banded together with its neighbouring
county, Worcestershire, for many years - a universally
unpopular fact little acknowledged by inhabitants of both
- it is now once again a county in its own right.
Rich, flat farming country makes up
much of Herefordshire, bounded by the Black Mountains
to the west, the Malvern Hills to the east and the Forest
of Dean to the south. The scenery along the river Wye
in the south is some of the most beautiful in England.
Many of the houses are situated away
from the few main roads, although the M50 to the south
and the M5 to the east ensure that communications to London,
Birmingham and Bristol are good. One of the least densely
populated parts of England, the county is little marred
by light or noise pollution, and has a rural feel that
is lost to much of the rest of the country.
Houses are typically built of sandstone
or brick; slate roofs are the norm. There are also many
half-timbered black and white houses from the 17th century
and earlier. Some large estates still exist, but there
is usually a good supply of substantial farmhouses and
Georgian houses, many of which come with some land and
have been altered little over the years.
Prices are beginning to rise as the
county's popularity increases. The most sought-after area
is the Ledbury-Ross-Hereford triangle, which is closest
to London; the most beautiful countryside, however, is
in the north-west of the county, round Leominster.
Major towns
Hereford, Ledbury, Bromyard, Ross-on-Wye,
Hay-on-Wye, Leominster, Kington, Eardisland.
Transport links
Train: Paddington to Hereford 3hr 5min;
Waterloo to Leominster (direct service), 4hr 10min.
Car: Hereford is 135 miles and Leominster
150 miles from central London, via the M40, A40 and A49.
Leominster is 156 miles from London via the M40, M42,
M5 and A44.
Public schools
Hereford Cathedral School (01432 363522).
Co-educational, age range 11-18, day and boarding. Associated
preparatory school. www.cathedralschool.hereford.sch.uk/
St Richard's, Bromyard (01885 482491).
Co-educational, age range 7-13, day and boarding. www.st-richards.co.uk/
The Pilgrims' School, Winchester (01962
854189). Boys only, age range 7-13, day and boarding.
www.pilgrims-school.co.uk/
The Margaret Allen School, Hereford
(01432 273594). Girls only, age range 3-11, day.
Somerleaze Preparatory School, Lucton
(01568 780473). Co-educational, age range 3-12, day.
Leisure
Golf courses: Kington (01544 230340);
Ross-on-Wye (01989 720267); Herefordshire, Wormsley (01432
830219).
Hunts: the North Herefordshire, the
South Herefordshire, the Radnorshire and West Herefordshire,
the Ledbury.
Fishing rivers: Wye, Lune, Monnow and
Arrow.
[Back to Coverage page]
About the County of Oxfordshire
(For a list of all the prime country estate properties
sold in Oxfordshire recently, scroll down to the bottom
of this page)
Henley, Oxford, Wantage, Witney, Banbury,
Wychwood, Marston, Wallingford, Didcot, Faringdon, Kidlington,
Woodcote and Bicester areas of Oxfordshire.
A prosperous county within easy reach
from London, Oxfordshire boasts a good supply of cottages
and farmhouses and a smaller number of manor houses.
Oxfordshire is one of the most popular
counties in southern England. It is far enough from London
to have its own identity; it has excellent communications
and Oxford is one of the very few cities in England, outside
the metropolis, which offers beauty, culture and quality
of life.
Oxfordshire falls into four main parts
from a residential point of view. The first is the Chilterns
and M40 corridor, the second is Oxford itself, the third
is the Thames Valley and fourth is the Cotswolds. Each
attracts a different sort of buyer who is looking for
different things.
The Chilterns and the M40 corridor,
which runs up to Banbury, is very commutable, both by
rail into Marylebone and Paddington, and by the M40, which
gives it the best road link into the West End of London.
The Chilterns are probably the first real countryside
you come to outside London and the valleys and villages
are both very pretty, with brick and flint houses and
expensive properties. Though much of the countryside is
flat from the edge of the Chilterns up to Oxford, it is
much in demand as the road system means that it is possible
to access more of southern England from here than almost
anywhere else. It is good commuting country.
Oxford itself is probably the only city
in England, other than London, where properties regularly
sell for in excess of £1m. The university is an
obvious draw bringing in wealthy foreign academics, older
students remembering their university days, and families
looking to be near some of the best schools in the country.
Houses within a 15-minute radius of Oxford with an easy
school-run command a premium. Residential Oxford is predominantly
Victorian with few of the Georgian terraces similar to
Cambridge and Bath. What a lot of people forget is that
the outskirts are now home to a thriving business, science
and medical community. The Cowley car-works and its housing
cover much of south-eastern Oxford.
The Thames Valley and the Vale of the
White Horse take up most of South Oxfordshire, much of
which is flat until it rises into the Ridgeway and the
Berkshire Downs. Didcot is the focus for commuting with
fast trains running into Paddington in 45 minutes. Unfortunately,
most of the surrounding area is visually dominated by
the cooling towers of Didcot Power Station. However, this
ease of commuting keeps prices higher than the natural
beauty of the landscape would warrant, though many of
the villages are pretty and unspoiled.
The prettiest part of the county is
the Cotswolds, centred on Chipping Norton. This is outside
comfortable commuting range but has all the cachet of
the Cotswolds with their pretty stone villages, rolling
landscapes and pretty market towns like Burford and Woodstock.
This is classic English countryside with stone-walls and
large manor houses but suffers like many beauty spots
from an excess of tourists and antique shops.
Bounded by the Chilterns and the Cotswolds,
two spectacular upland Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty,
Oxfordshire is a prosperous county within easy reach of
London. Communications have been improved further by the
M40, which runs from London to Birmingham to the east
of the county.
In the centre of Oxfordshire is the
flat countryside of the Vale of the White Horse, over
which there are far-reaching views from the surrounding
hills. This is where the county and university town of
Oxford lies, on the banks of the river Thames, known here
as the Isis.
The vale has many tracts of ancient
woodland, marshland and water meadows, but relatively
few villages. Although cottages and farmhouses are in
good supply, there are a smaller number of large manor
houses with spacious reception rooms.
Building materials vary from stone in
the west to brick and timber in the east and south: there
are also a number of early timber-framedhouses, often
thatched. The most sought-after areas in which to live
include the Chilterns, regarded by many as the nearest
good countryside to London, and the Hambledon Valley.
Major towns
Oxford, Banbury, Henley-on-Thames, Didcot,
Bicester, Witney, Abingdon, Burford, Charlbury, Wallingford.
Transport links
Train: Paddington to Oxford 1hr, day
return £30.00; Marylebone to Banbury, 1hr 10mins,
day return £41.80; Paddington to Henley-on-Thames
56min, £10.90 day return.
Car: Oxford is 57 miles from central
London and Banbury 81 miles, via the M40. Henley-on-Thames
is 28 miles, via the M4 and A423.
Public schools
Abingdon School +44 (0)1235 521563 .
Boys only, age range 11-18, day and boarding. www.abingdon.org.uk
Bloxham School, Banbury +44 (0)1295
720206 . Co-educational, ages 11-18, day and boarding.
www.bloxhamschool.com
Cherwell School, Oxford +44 (0)1865
558719 . Co-educational, age range 13-18, day. www.cherwell.oxon.sch.uk
Dragon School, Oxford +44 (0)1865 315400
. Co-educational, age range 3-13, day and boarding. www.dragonschool.org
Headington School, Oxford +44 (0)1865
741968 . Girls only, age range 3-18 (boys, 3-4), day and
boarding. www.headington.org
Magdalen College School, Oxford +44
(0)1865 242191 . Boys only, age range 9-18, day. www.magdalen.oxon.sch.uk
Oxford High School (01865 559888). Girls
only, age range 3-18 (boys, 3-7), day. www.gdst.net/oxfordhigh/
Radley College, Abingdon +44 (0)1235
543000 . Boys only, age range 13-18, boarding. www.radley.org.uk/
Summer Fields, Oxford (01865 554433).
Boys only, age range 7-13, boarding. www.summerfields.oxon.sch.uk/
Tudor Hall School, Banbury +44 (0)1295
263434 . Girls only, age range 11-18, day and boarding.
www.tudorhall.oxon.sch.uk/
Leisure
Golf courses: North Oxford (01865 554415);
Southfield, Oxford (01865 242158); Chesterton, Bicester
(01869 241204)
Hunts: the Heythrop; the Bicester and
Whaddon Chase; the VWH.
Fishing: rivers Cherwell, Thame, Windrush
and Thames.
THE BEST OXFORDSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSES FOR SALE IN 2004
(A breakdown of what was for sale & purchase prices)
Buckland Park, Faringdon (Grade II*
Palladian mansion, 20 acres): £3.95m
Bolney Court, Lower Shiplake (Thameside
Arts and Crafts house, 11.49 acres): £7.5m
Lock End, Shiplake (6 bed mansion, 6.25
acres): £4.5m
Cherbury House, Kingston Bagpuize (traditional
7 bed farmhouse, 105 acres, stabling): £3.75m
The Old Rectory, Longworth, Abingdon
(Grade II* manor with lordship, 31 acres): £3.25m
Cote House, Bampton (7 bed, Elizabethan/Jacobean
manor, 5.5 acres): £3m
Shilton Manor, Burford (edge of village
manor, 5.5 acres): £2m
Country Life - June 2005
[Back to Coverage page]
About the County of Warwickshire
(For a list of all the prime country estate properties
sold in Warwickshire recently, scroll down to the bottom
of this page)
Stratford-upon-Avon, Royal Leamington
Spa, Warwick, Southam and Rugby areas of Warwickshire.
Located at the centre of England, Warwickshire
isn't particularly favoured by buyers from the South East,
but it is very popular with West Midlands buyers
Curving round the south and east of Birmingham and Coventry,
Warwickshire is located at the very centre of England,
although the exact central point is in dispute. There
are three places that lay claim to it: the cross at Meriden,
High Cross on Watling Street, and the site of a former
oak tree near Lillington.
The Forest of Arden was always associated with the centre
of the English world, and even now has a sense of mystery;
this is also Shakespeare country, and visitors flock to
the poet's birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon, in their thousands
each year.
Despite its central location and good
communications, especially the new part of the M40, which
passes through the middle of the county, and a fast mainline
rail service, Warwickshire is not particularly favoured
by country-house buyers from the South-East. It is perennially
popular with West Midlands buyers, however, pushing up
prices for houses close to good road and rail links to
the conurbation.
The county has some superb scenery,
particularly to the south, where it contains part of the
Cotswolds. Prices are cheaper in less favoured areas,
round Nuneaton and Rugby, and in the Vale of Evesham.
Houses are typically built of Cotswold
stone in the south, ironstone in the south-east and brick
elsewhere; thatch, slate and clay-tiled roofs all feature.
Good village houses and farmhouses can be found throughout
the county.
Major towns
Warwick, Rugby, Nuneaton, Leamington
Spa, Alcester, Kenilworth, Henley in Arden, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Transport links
Train: Euston to Rugby 1hr, £27.50
for a Saver return; Euston to Coventry, 1hr 10min, £30
for a Saver return; Marylebone to Leamington Spa 1hr 30min,
£30 for a Saver return.
Car: Warwick is 90 miles from London,
via the M40; Coventry 92 miles, via the M6 and M1.
Public schools
Twycross House School, Atherstone (01827
880651). Co-educational, age range 8-19, day.
St Joseph's School, Crackley Hall, Kenilworth
(01926 514444). Co-educational, age range 3-11, day
New College, Leamington Spa (01926 424058).
Co-educational, age range 2-18, day.
Princethorpe College, Rugby (01926 634200). Co-educational,
age range 11-18,
boarding and day. www.princethorpe.co.uk/
Rugby School (01788 543465). Co-educational,
age range 12-18, boarding and day www.rugbyschool.net/
Warwick School (01926 492484). Boys
only, age range 7-18, day and boarding www.warwickschool.org/
Leisure
Golfcourses: The Belfry, Wishaw (01675
470301); Kenilworth (01926 854296); Leamington & County
(01926 425961).
Hunts: the Warwickshire, the Atherstone
and the Croome and West Warwickshire.
Yachting clubs: Mid Warwickshire Yacht
Club.
THE BEST WARWICKSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSES FOR SALE IN 2004
(A breakdown of what was for sale & purchase prices)
Ashbourne House, Ashorne (5 Bedroom
manor, cricket field, 26.4 acres): £2.8m
Frankton Manor, Frankton, Nr Rugby (9
Bedroom Georgian Manor, 16 acres): £2.25m
Source: Country Life
[Back to Coverage page]
About the County of Worcestershire
(For a list of all the prime country estate properties
sold in Worcestershire recently, scroll down to the bottom
of this page)
Worcester, Great Malvern, Evesham, Kidderminster,
Bromsgrove and Stourport-on-Severn areas of Worcestershire.
Despite having a few sprawling towns,Worcestershire
remains deeply rural. Its beautiful scenery and reasonable
property prices have long attracted Midland buyers, but
the county is now becoming popular with Londoners too.
Stretching from the Cotswolds in the
south to the Clee Hill in the north, Worcestershire is
a large and often beautiful county. It has always been
favoured by Midlands dwellers, thanks to its scenery,
reasonable prices and easy access to Birmingham. Now,
local buyers face competition from London purchasers deterred
by the high prices of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire.
There are two sides to Worcestershire:
the urban, including towns such as Worcester, Kidderminster,
and Bromsgrove, which tend to sprawl as there has historically
been little pressure on land; and the rural.
Many of the county's former urban areas,
such as Stourbridge and Dudley, have now been incorporated
into the county of the West Midlands; much of the rest
of Worcestershire is still deeply rural. The flat and
fertile Vale of Evesham to the south is renowned for its
fruit and vegetables, and the Malvern Hills in the south
are visible for many miles.
Communications to London and elsewhere
in Britain are surprisingly good, as Worcestershire is
well placed to take advantage of the motorway network.
The M40 extension brings the capital within easy reach,
and the M5 and M42 run through the east of the county.
The most valuable areas of Worcestershire
are east of the Severn, within easy reach of Birmingham;
however, the most beautiful and sparsely populated areas
are to the west of the county.
There is little local stone in Worcestershire,
so traditional houses are usually brick, brick and timber,
or if older, timber-framed with wattle and daub infill.
Few pre-19th century cottages survive,
as they were rarely built to exacting standards, but there
are substantial farmhouses and a number of Georgian houses.
Major towns
Worcester, Kidderminster, Bromsgrove,
Redditch, Droitwich, Malvern, Evesham, Stourport, Bewdley,
Tenbury Wells.
Transport links
Train: Paddington to Worcester 2hr 10min;
Paddington to Evesham, 1hr 45min.
Car: Worcester is 120 miles from London
via the M40, A40 and M5; 135 miles from London via the
M40, M42, M5. Tenbury Wells is 149 miles from London via
the M40, M42, A442 and A456.
Public schools
Bromsgrove School (01527 579679). Co-educational,
age range 13-18, day and boarding. Associated preparatory
school. www.bromsgrove-school.co.uk/
Holy Trinity School, Kidderminster (01562
822929). Girls only, age range 3-18, day. http://www.holytrinity.co.uk/
Malvern College (01684 892333). Co-educational,
age range 13-18, boarding and day. Associated preparatory
school. www.malvern-college.co.uk/
Malvern Girls' College (01684 892288).
Girls only, age range 11-18, boarding and day. www.mgc.worcs.sch.uk/
The Alice Ottley School, Worcester (01905
27061 ). Girls only, age range 3-19, day. www.thealiceottleyschool.co.uk/
The King's School, Worcester (01905
23016 ). Co-educational, age range 7-18, day and boarding.
www.ksw.org.uk/
Royal Grammar School, Worcester (01905
613391). Boys only, age range 7-18, day and boarding.
www.rgsw.org.uk/
Leisure
Golf courses: Droitwich (01905 770129);
Evesham (01386 860395); Habberley (01562 745756); Kidderminster
(01562 822303).
Hunts: the Worcestershire, the Clifton-on-Teme,
the Ludlow. Yacht club: Stourport.
Fishing: river Severn and its tributaries.
THE BEST WORCESTERSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSES FOR SALE IN 2004
(A breakdown of what was for sale & purchase prices)
Rous Lench Court, Evesham (Grade II*
16th Century Manor, 41 acres): £2m
Great House, Leigh (Grade II Queen Anne
house, 25 acres): £2.5m
Source: Country Life
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