6 Dreamy Cotswolds Properties | The Good Web Guide

Glimpse inside this pick of our most wanted honeyed stone cottages and grand Jurassic limestone country piles for sale in the Cotswolds now.

Who has not, at some point, indulged in a little light Cotswolds bolthole dreaming? Spanning Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Worcestershire and Wiltshire, the Cotswolds are united by the gloriously inviting vernacular stone, which positively glows in the sun, and the rolling hills amongst which they are set. They are also cohesive in their quintessential Englishness, a characteristic that draws tourists in by the busload year after year, particularly in the perennially popular Bath, Stow on the Wold, Bourton on the Water, Woodstock and Stratford Upon Avon.

It is no surprise that along with tourists, the county-spanning area also attracts many Londoners who wish to escape the city at the weekends or, indeed, permanently. If you count yourself among their number – or you’re simply looking for a new home – we’ve rounded up the best of what’s on the market now, at a range of budgets. Happy ogling.

Bathwick Hill, Somerset

Carter Jonas
£3.75m

Not one for the first time buyer, this, but for those searching for an extraordinary country retreat – or indeed, a main home – to rival any period drama, this Georgian villa must surely be it. Bathwick Hill House is Grade IIª-listed with excellent reason; designed by Edmund Henry Goodridge circa 1825, it stands elevated, majestically overlooking the resplendent city of Bath in all its honeyed stone Georgian glory. There are seven bedrooms, a sweeping driveway, a separate lodge and a swimming pool with Doric columns to rival those of the main entrance. This may remain the stuff of dreams for most of us, but that’s what property porn is for, right?

Millway Tower

Oddington, near Stow on the Wold
£2m

House In Oddington, Stow On The Wold, Cheltenham

Sometimes a property crops up that is unlike anything you’ve seen before. Millway Tower, near the pretty Cotswolds village of Stow on the Wold, is one such. The tower itself originates from 1307, having served the monks of Maugerbury as a saw mill back when Wychwood Forest edged the village. Britain may boast an embarrassment of riches when it comes to relics from the Middle Ages, but few have been modernised so spectacularly as this. There are four bedrooms, a BOSE sound system, a Smallbone kitchen and bespoke Costwolds stonework. Any time travelling medieval monk would scarcely believe his luck.

Blockley, Gloucestershire

Hayman-Joyce
£1.75m

This historic Cotswolds Mill dates from the 1800s and, while it is the archetypal country conversion today with its flagstones, capacious entrance hall and Jurassic limestone facade, it wasn’t always thus. Conceived as a silk mill, it was originally a place of prolific industry; that is until the 1880s, when it was first converted to a domestic residence. In the 1910s, it was snapped up by Fred Storey, a Hollywood filmmaker, who used it as a location in the famous silent movie, Rip Van Winkle. Whoever gets their hands on the keys to this beautiful property will, surely, rejoice in the many hallmarks of the quintessential country getaway (think Agas, woodburners and Belfast sinks), as well as its elegant proportions and wood panelling. Those who like a house with a story would do well to plump for this true exemplar of style and character.

Cirencester, Gloucestershire

Butler Sherborn
£815,000

This Grade II-listed Cotswolds stone house oozes character and charm. Right in the heart of Cirencester, everything you may need – museums, shops, leisure centres – are in walking distance, while on the inside there are five bedrooms, as well as a separate two-bedroom cottage, which would be just the thing for visiting friends or, indeed, your resident granny. Plus, we’re a sucker for a floor-to-ceiling stuffed bookshelf. Sigh.

Bicester, Oxfordshire

Hamptons International
£500,000

This three-bedroom cottage is the perfect thatched hidey-hole cosy dream. Its Grade-II listing reflects the wealth of original features, including exposed stonework, inglenook fireplaces and exposed timbers. It is easy to forget that Bicester is more than a discount shopping destination, courtesy of its resident so-called village, but this historic beauty serves as an excellent reminder. Transport links couldn’t be easier with fast trains reaching London in 45 minutes.

Painswick, Gloucestershire

James Pyle
£350,000