Devon, £3 million
The seven-acre grounds almost steal the scene at Grade I-listed The Manor House in Bradninch, where a lake, a bridge-topped stream and the landscaped gardens designed by Jill Billington and Mary Payne offer sweeping or intimate vistas, depending on the vantage point. Paths and seating areas are cleverly designed to enjoy the grounds—especially the horseshoe-shaped expanse at the top of a gentle slope, which overlooks an ancient Lucombe oak. However, the interiors, too, have much to be commended, not least the panoramic master bedroom (one of seven), in which Charles I slept when he visited The Manor House in 1644; the 18th-century dining hall, which Pevsner praised as ‘noble, restrained, classical’; and the 16th-century drawing-room, with its stained-glass windows, oak panelling and beautifully carved overmantel featuring the vicissitudes of Job. The property also comes with a self-contained apartment and an indoor pool. Strutt & Parker (01392 215631; www.struttandparker.com)
Shropshire, £1.6 million
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