Living in the past

By Diana Wildman
Posted: 2009/01/07

AN increasing number of first-timers are seeking more than just bricks and mortar. When Marnie Readman bought her one-bed apartment, she was purchasing not only a new home but a bit of histo

Wallis House, part of the Great West Quarter in Brentford, west London, was built in 1936. The Grade II listed building takes its name from the architect Thomas Wallis, whose firm shaped Great West Road, lining it with Art Deco factories.

Ms Readman said: "I really love the concept behind the development of this stunning building.
"What's more, the cafés and central piazza will be fantastic for socialising.
"With brilliant transport connections, Great West Quarter will become a must-see destination in its own right.
"All my friends are very envious of my new home."

The development is just minutes away from Chiswick, Richmond, Kew Gardens and the Thames, and is perfectly placed for Heathrow. When complete, it will comprise 773 properties, ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments. Prices start at £149,995 with a marketing suite open daily. To encourage sales, the developer, Barratt, will match your deposit, up to five per cent of the property's value.

If you have deeper pockets and fancy something a little grander, developer Octagon has renovated and converted Wall Hall Mansion, a magnificent castellated 18th-century, Grade II listed building set in private parkland in Aldenham, Hertfordshire.

There are seven apartments available, ideal for downsizers craving the grand life at reasonable prices, which start at £700,000 for a spacious two-bedder.

There is a host of period features in the communual areas, including grand staircases, a hammer-beam ceiling great hall, a silver vault room, ornate cornicing and plasterwork, marble fireplaces, carved panelling and exquisite stained glass windows. The grounds and gardens recently won Express Newspapers' award for Best Landscaping in a Rural Setting.

If you want a thatched, whitewashed, 17th-century country retreat, look no further than Brides Cottage at Haresfield in Gloucestershire, for sale through Humberts' Tetbury office. The guide price is £495,000.

Set in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the pretty three-bedroom/ three-reception room home originally formed part of the Haresfield Court Estate and was offered by the squire as a honeymoon home for his employees.

Re-thatched in 2005, this modernised cottage boasts exposed beams, inglenook fireplaces, the original bread oven and a stone Tudor arch. The gardens were featured in a BBC Gardener of the Year competition. Attached to the house is a garden store and a studio room which could be converted into a home office.

Families keen on rural living in a classic stone farmhouse set in 15 acres complete with woodland and a stream need look no further than Bryncrug, in Snowdonia National Park.

The Chester office of Jackson-Stops & Staff is quoting £450,000 for Cil Cemmaes, a Grade II listed building comprising three bedrooms and two reception rooms.

The price even includes the old mill house. Welsh slate is in abundance both internally with flagstone floors and huge fireplaces, and there are dry stone stepped walls surrounding the front of the property.

The elegant 12,000-acre Goodwood Estate in West Sussex is the home of Lord March and known best for the annual horseracing event Glorious Goodwood, as well as motor racing and golf.

Now the rest of us can sample a slice of this hedonistic lifestyle.

Bellway Southern Counties is building 114 two to five-bed homes in the local vernacular on eight acres within the estate. Called The Grange, prices are from £260,000.

Bellway's Lyn Neale said: "Particular care has been taken with the landscaping of the site, which is in a wooded section of the estate, with the retention of as many mature trees as possible and a specification in the design charter that only native British trees may be planted.

"We are conscious of our responsibility not just to the Goodwood Estate but also to the surrounding neighbourhood to create a truly elegant and desirable collection of new homes."

INFORMATION:
Great West Quarter:
020 8326 7277/www.gwq.uk.com . Wall Hall Mansion:
01923 850680/www.wallhall.com . Brides Cottage:
01666 502284/www.humberts.co.uk . Cil Cemmaes:
01244 328361/www.jackson-stops.co.uk . The Grange:
01243 785835/www.bellway.co.uk