Summer (house) loving
As the weather becomes more temperate, spending time outside becomes a pleasure. Summer houses now come into their own and become a garden retreat: the perfect space in which to spend a sunny afternoon reading a good book or enjoy an aperitif during the long summer evenings. Ilton Court, situated in the village of Ilton, seven miles from Somersets county capital of Taunton, is a seventeenth-century thatched home set in 1.7 acres of gardens. These include a pretty semi-circular thatched summer house which incorporates an open fireplace and enjoys views of a pretty stone-bordered pond. The house itself comprises a dining room boasting a fine fireplace with cut-stone surround, sitting room with inglenook fireplace and five bedrooms. The village has a cricket pitch, public house and village hall and Ilminster, three miles away, provides for most day-to-day amenities. The property is on the market for 950,000 with our Taunton office (tel.: 01823 325144). For more information, please click here.   Compton End lies at the edge of the village of Compton Street, three miles from the city of Winchester. The garden gazebo was built in 1910, by, then owner, G H Kitchin, who was renovating the property and gardens in the Arts and Crafts style. The structure has pink colour-washed rendered brick elevations beneath a tall-hipped roof of shingles and looks out onto the topiary garden. The historic farmhouse boasts a wealth of period features including polished timber beams and panelled walls. There are four bedrooms, one of which has access to a large roof terrace. Compton Street has both a church and primary school and enjoys a truly idyllic setting, only a short distance from Winchesters amenities. The property is on the market for 1,275,000 with our Winchester office (tel.: 01962 844299). For more information, please click here.   Spring Hill Cottage overlooks the village green of Little Barrington, a village four miles from Burford, in West Oxfordshire. The pretty terraced cottage, believed to date from the 17th century, has an attractive faade, including the fine mullioned window of the sitting room. The three bedrooms are arranged over the first and second floors. The south-facing summer house is located to the far end of the garden, which is mainly laid to lawn. It benefits from a decorative leaded roof, with timber elevations and double-glazed casement windows. There are two public houses in the village and access to beautiful walking and cycling routes which stretch through the Windrush Valley. While Burford provides for most day-to-day amenities, the nearby A40 offers easy access to both Cheltenham and Oxford. The property is on the market for 595,000 with our Burford office. For more information, please click here     Sandalwood Farm is a modern manor house situated three-and-a-half miles from the popular village of Alderley Edge, Cheshire. Located at the end of a long, private lane, the property allows for complete seclusion and enjoys picturesque views over a private lake. The summer house is situated on the lakes central island and is fully equipped with power and light. The property was commissioned by the present owners and is finished to an opulent standard, incorporating a games room, gymnasium, media room, wine cellar, six bedrooms and leisure suite which includes a Jacuzzi, swimming pool and sauna/ steam room. Alderley Edge offers a wonderful range of shopping, educational and recreational facilities and Manchester is just nineteen miles away. The property is on the market for 5,750,000 with our Wilmslow office (tel,: 01625 540340). For more information, please click here.