Escape the City: modern country houses to relocate to
Taking inspiration from Creative Director Jethro Marshall’s departure from London for greener pastures in Dorset, we’ve assembled seven country homes to relocate to.
Newnham, Hampshire
Set in a historic Conservation Area, this four-bed Modernist residence is perched on Newnham village green and has an almost entirely glazed south-facing façade overlooking expansive gardens. Ian Fraser & Associates’ late-1960s design offers privacy through a street-facing brick exterior.
The Gasworks, Upper Slaughter, Gloucestershire
Near the quintessential Cotswolds village of Lower Slaughter, this 2015 build references the area’s agricultural construction heritage with CorTen steel cladding. Architect Chris Dyson’s design acquaints an adapted 19th-century stone gasworks with a new light-filled extension.
St. Ann’s Court, Surrey
Despite being just 12 miles from London, this modernist landmark is set within a wooded nature reserve and its grounds are populated by an orchard, a small lake, kitchen gardens, a rose garden and water lily pool originally designed by Sir Christopher Tunnard.
Bragenham, Buckinghamshire
Nestled in the Buckingham countryside, this former agricultural building was adapted to comprise an oak-framed family house with sustainable credentials. The four-bedroom property includes a storage wing with development potential.
Higham, Suffolk
Three and a half acres surround this undiscovered architectural gem, designed by the architects Peter Aldington and John Craig in 1974. Green fingers are catered for in the walled orchard, which produces apples, pears, plums, peaches, quinces and damsons.
Langley, Kent
The large picture windows of this Mid-Century Modern villa in the Kentish village of Langley afford countryside views beyond the mature hedges and trees of the garden. The downstairs incorporates a study and large garage, while the upstairs living/dining room feels cosy thanks to a wood burner.
Ware, Hertfordshire
Sequestered among barley fields in Hertfordshire, this 1970s house is surrounded by expanses of lawn, woodlands and two ponds. RIBA Royal Gold Medal winner Patty Hopkins of Hopkins Architects designed the five-bedroom house, which incorporates timber from the farm worker cottages that once stood on the site.
Read more: My Modern House: Creative Director Jethro Marshall’s modern country house in Lyme Regis
My Modern House: landscape designer Emily Erlam’s idyllic Norfolk barn conversion
