IN the late 1800s, the poet and scholar A. E. Housman famously hailed four settlements in Shropshire's picturesque Clun valley-Clunton, Clunbury, Clungunford, and Clun-as being 'the quietest places under the sun.
No matter how quiet those places may be, they're surely not as quiet as the ancient east Hampshire village of Binsted, which, despite being listed in the Domesday survey, has no written history for the period from the 12th century until the early 19th century. According to the village website, this is because 'nothing of any significance appears to have occurred in Binsted during that period, or if it did, it seems to have escaped the attention of those responsible for documenting history.
Although located less than three miles from its nearest neighbour, the well-documented village of Bentley, and less than four miles from the Georgian market town of Alton, Binsted was, historically, a small, isolated farming community, set in a tranquil landscape of farms and woodland where life followed the seasons from one year to the next.
Now, change is on the horizon, following the launch onto the market, for the first time in 70 years, of the timeless, 569-acre Hay Place estate at the southern end of the village, at a guide price of $12.5 million through Savills in Winchester (01962 857441). Fortunately, any change at Hay Place is likely to be minimal, given that the estate falls within the South Downs National Park, although planning consent has been granted to convert a range of traditional farm buildings thought to date back to the mid-Victorian era' into four residential units.
Denne historien er fra August 17, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 17, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery