Pure enchantment

The lure of the Cotswolds never wavers, as these five new to the market properties show

ONCE settled in the Cotswolds, country-home owners rarely think of selling unless compelled to do so by one of the 'four Ds' that keep rural estate agents in business-death, debt, divorce and downsizing. That premise is supported by the years of ownership clocked-up by the vendors of some of the most appealing country properties currently for sale on the open market within the Cotswolds AONB.

Sam Trounson of Strutt & Parker in Cirencester (01285 653101) quotes a guide price of $5 million for enchanting Baxters Farm with 12½ acres of gardens, paddock and pasture on the edge of the hamlet of Fyfield, three miles from Lechlade and 12 miles from Cirencester.

Surrounded by its own land, idyllic Baxters Farm is a haven for wildlife with more than 60 species of birds; amenities include stabling, a hard tennis court, swimming pool and 400 yards of double-bank fishing on the River Leach, which runs through the property. An adjoining 30-acre field running up to the ancient village of Southrop and separated from the main farmstead by a bank of woodland is available by separate negotiation.

Having bought the property 'as a bit of a wreck' some 30 years ago, the vendors have carefully renovated the charming Cotswold-stone, five-bedroom farmhouse, which dates from about 1800, and transformed the nearby listed stone barn into 'party central' with a 62ft-long reception area, a kitchen/breakfast room overlooking the rose garden and swimming pool, and two double bedrooms plus a bath/shower room on the first floor.

The gardens, designed and laid out by the owners, provide the perfect setting for the house, whereas the sheltered walled herb garden, which contains every culinary herb known to man, is a sensory delight.