From an artist's studio with views of Chelsea in London to a 12th-century castle in more than 300 acres of grounds in the Limousin-Perigord National Park in France, eight of the best properties for salewith libraries.
Castle Limoges, Limousin-Perigord Regional Park, France. A castle dating from the 12th century surrounded by parkland gardens. One of the turrets is lined with bookcases and the stairs lead up to a library. 40 rooms including 16 beds, banquet room and a chapel. The 395-acre grounds include gardens, woods and moors with five lakes. €16.8m Groupe Mercure +33 (0)636-82110.
The Chanters House, Ottery St Mary, Devon. A Grade II*-listed mansion that was once the home of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It has views over the parkland and surrounding woodland and inside there are oak floors, panelled rooms, and a 70ft library with a 30ft ceiling that houses the Coleridge family's 22,000-book collection. 12 en suite beds, 3 receps, 21.4 acres. £7m Strutt & Parker 01392-215631.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Enever House, Little Rissington, Gloucestershire. A renovated Grade II-listed house. It has exposed ceiling beams, large inglenook fireplaces, flagstone floors and a first-floor library. 5 beds, 3 baths,5 receps, breakfast kitchen, utility, cloakroom, parking, gardens. £895,000 Butler Sherborn 01451-833141.
Library House, Apley Park, Bridgnorth, Shropshire. A substantial portion of a Grade II*-listed mansion designed by John Webb in 1811 and set in the parkland of Apley Estate. The library has intricate plasterwork and fan-vaulted bay windows. 6 beds, 6 baths, 3 receps, library, larder, summer kitchen, wine cellar, studio room, private garden, garage, parking, shared access to 15 acres of communal gardens. £850,000 Savills 01952-239500.
Mallord Street, Chelsea, London SW3. A late 19th-century artist's studio with a wood-panelled library. It has open fireplaces with period surrounds, and the original artist's studio on the top floor has views of London. 2/3 beds, 3 baths, 2 receps, garage, cloakroom. £5.95m Savills 020-7578 9000.
Plaish Hall, Plaish, Church Stretton, Shropshire. A Grade I-listed Tudor mansion with formal gardens and countryside views. It has panelled rooms, large period fireplaces, oak floors and there is a bookshelf-lined study on the ground floor and an upper library. 9 beds, 9 baths, 4 receps, 12.75 acres. £1.65m Strutt & Parker 01743-284200.
Wybournes, Kemsing, Sevenoaks, Kent. A grand country house built in 1906 in landscaped gardens, in need of some modernisation. Period features include panelled rooms, oak floors, sash windows, fireplaces and a library. 10 beds, 6 baths, 5 receps, domestic offices, cellar, 1 bed first-floor flat, 2-bed second-floor flat, garaging, outbuildings, greenhouse, tennis court, 4.9 acres. £2m Knight Frank 01732-744477.
Yew Corner, Laleham, Surrey. A mid-19th-century, Grade II-listed property in a Thames-side village. It has a panelled library with a fireplace, plaster mouldings to the ceiling and a central skylight with the original etched glass and gilt detailing. 5 beds, 4 baths, dressing rooms, 2 receps, pool. £2.45m Jackson-Stops 01932-821160.
-
8 of the best houses for sale with annexesThe best houses with annexes – from a period property in the Lake District to a 13th-century house with a two-bedroom annexe in Saltwood, Kent
-
Zelenskyy moves to appease Donald Trump – what happens now?Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is conceding ground to secure the least-worst deal possible, says Emily Hohler
