We recently launched a new Property Collections feature on The Modern House website, reflecting the diversity of Britain’s modern architectural heritage. As well as the best one-off Modernist houses, the Collections cover loft apartments, conversions, plots of land, new homes, flats on the Barbican Estate, Span houses, and much more.

Each week in our new ‘Spotlight on’ series a member of The Modern House team will select their favourite properties – past and present – within one of the Collections categories.

This week our Sales Manager, Rosie, has selected her favourite Rural Retreats …

Kenilworth, Coventry, Warwickshire
This iconic 1960s house, set in an idyllic 1.2 acre plot overlooking rolling hills and fields towards Kenilworth, was designed by Robert Harvey, a renowned local architect who was clearly inspired by the American residences of Frank Lloyd Wright. It has been recognised as an exceptional example of 20th century design by Historic England, who have highlighted (amongst other things) Harvey’s “considerable attention to detail”, the “use of high quality materials” and his “well-considered plan” in their Grade II listing.

Burnham Market, Norfolk
This three-bedroom house on the North Norfolk coast is a rare find – it combines a magnificent location in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with modern architecture of the highest quality. Formerly a 1950s bungalow, the house was comprehensively remodelled and extended by Patrick and Claudia Lynch of Lynch Architects in 2002-03. Since then a striking mirrored studio building and car port, also designed by Lynch Architects, have been added.

Plummers Plain, Horsham, West Sussex
This five-bedroom house is an exceptional piece of Scandinavian design, nestled in the Sussex countryside. Built in 1968, it was designed by the Danish architect Aage Møller with his wife Carol, a renowned landscape architect, as their family home and place of work. As with all the finest Modern Scandinavian architecture, the building is distinguished by its clarity of design, quality of materials and connection with the surrounding landscape.

Washbourne, Devon
Described by the author Alain de Botton as “one of the more beautiful things I’ve ever seen”, this five-bedroom house can be found in a magnificent rural setting close to the town of Totnes. Set in approximately four acres of idyllic landscaped gardens, the house was designed by the highly-regarded architect Fiona McLean of McLean Quinlan as a replacement for a farmhouse that stood on the original site. The retention and re-use of the coloured stone from the original structure gives the building a timeless quality that belies the fact it was completed in 2002.

For more Rural Retreats check out our Property Collections.