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Sands
Home Search are independent buying consultants specialising in finding
and acquiring prime country houses & estates, farm & equestrian
property and waterside homes for retained private & corporate
clients.
For further information about our service use the menu at the top
of this page.
About the County of Gloucestershire
(For a list of all the prime country estate properties sold in Gloucestershire
recently, scroll down to the bottom of this page)
Cheltenham, Gloucester, Stroud, Cirencester, Stowe-on-the-Wold,
Bagendon, Moreton-in-Marsh, Forest of Dean, Cotswolds and the Vale
of Evesham and surrounding areas of Gloucestershire.
One of the most sought-after counties in England, Gloucestershire
is given added appeal by the fact that both the Prince of Wales
and Princess Anne have made their homes there.
A
very rural county which is split in two by the Severn Vale. To the
west is the Forest of Dean and across the other side of the M5 lie
the Cotswolds and South Gloucestershire. Most of the county to the
east is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Cirencester
is the centre of this region.
To the north/north-west of Cirencester –
out towards Painswick and Birdlip – the countryside is a
myriad of deep wooded valleys. Houses here tend to be remote,
rural and isolated. The area is popular with the weekend buyer
looking to 'get away from it all'. Prices remain sensible as this
is beyond reasonable commuting distance from London. However,
this area – like many parts of west Gloucestershire –
is now much more accessible thanks to the opening of the A419
dual carriageway from the M4 to Cirencester which takes 15 minutes
off the journey time from Swindon. Cirencester can now be reached
from London in 1 hour 45 minutes, trains from Paddington to Kemble
(just west of Cirencester) take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours.
Stroud to the west and the surrounding villages
of Woodchester, Nailsworth and Amberley have unfortunately developed
into an industrial sprawl. Many attractive houses were built by
wealthy wool-mill owners but these usually suffer from a lack
of land and views can be blighted by factories and other development.
Inevitably this development brings with it some degree of road
noise. The guide prices usually reflect this.
The land south of Cirencester is flat. As a
consequence of the topography, it is dominated by a large RAF
base at Fairford and the flight path of RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
This, together with the ongoing gravel extraction around the Cotswold
Water Parks and the new dual carriageway between Cirencester and
Swindon, rather blights the area for the country house buyer.
North-east of Cirencester lies the high Cotswolds
with pretty market towns, villages and attractive rolling countryside.
Unfortunately, these villages do pay a price for their beauty
and can be swarming with tourists in the summer. Stow, Broadway,
Bourton-on-the-Water and Burford are particularly popular. Transport
links to London are focused on Kingham station, south of Stow,
with journeys to Paddington taking about 1 1/2 hours. This is
prime Gloucestershire. The houses are predominately Cotswold stone
and, as the county is so rural, there is always a shortage of
good-quality country houses.
This lack of supply coupled with the best transport
links to London within the county means that buyers will often
have to pay a premium here.
South Gloucestershire, sandwiched between Stroud
and Bristol, is the least attractive part of the county and is
largely residential and industrial. Many of the Government's target
of new homes to be built by 2016 will be accommodated in this
area.
In medieval times, Gloucestershire grew rich on wool, and handsome
churches were built in almost every village. Its fortunes fluctuated,
however, and during the 18th century, the county was seen as a
bleak and poor outpost.
Nothing could be further from the truth today;
Gloucestershire is one of the most sought-after counties in England,
and is given added appeal by the fact that both the Prince of
Wales and Princess Anne have made their homes there.
Communications to London are good, and as planning
controls are strict, much of the countryside remains unspoilt.
Essentially, there are two parts to Gloucestershire, which has
now reclaimed the northern section of the former modern county
of Avon. To the east are the Cotswolds, where the stone houses
and pretty villages are popular among locals and tourists alike.
To the west is a rich landscape of orchards and dairies, bordering
the Forest of Dean, once described as 'the most beautiful assembly
of trees in England'.
In the Cotswolds, houses are typically built
of mellow stone with stone slate roofs; to the west, brick is
more common. Prices reflect the county's desirability and popularity
with both commuters and weekenders.
Major towns
Gloucester, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Burford,
Stow on the Wold, Moreton in Marsh, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Dursley,
Wootton-under-Edge.
Transport links
Train: Paddington Cheltenham, 2hr 10min, £38.70
for a Saver return; Paddington to Bristol, 1hr 30min, £41.50
for a Saver return.
Car: Cirencester is 92 miles from central London via the M4 and
A419; Cheltenham 120 miles, via the M40 and A40); Bristol 119
miles, via the M4.
Public schools
Cheltenham College (01242 513540). Co- educational,
age range 13-18, day and boarding. Associated preparatory school.
www.cheltcolls.sch.uk
Cheltenham Ladies' College +44 (0)1242 513540. Girls only, age
range 11-18, day and boarding. www.cheltladiescollege.org
Dean Close School, Cheltenham +44 (0)1242 522640. Co-educational,
age range 12-18, day and boarding. Associated preparatory school.
www.deanclose.co.uk
St Edward's School, Cheltenham +44(0)1242 526697. Co-educational,
age range 2 1/2-18, day. www.stedwards.co.uk
Rendcomb College, Cirencester +44 (0)1285 831213. Co-educational,
age range 3-18, day and boarding. www.rendcombecollege.co.uk
The King's School, Gloucester +44 (0)1452 337337. Co-educational,
age range 4-18, day and boarding. www.thekingsschool.co.uk
Wycliffe College, Stonehouse +44 (0)1453 822432. Co-educational,
age range 12-18, day and boarding. Associated preparatory school.
www.wycliffe.co.uk
Westonbirt School, Tetbury +44 (0)1666 880333. Girls only, age
range 11-18, day and boarding. www.westonbirt.gloucs.sch.uk
Bredon School, Tewkesbury +44 (0)1684 293156. Co-educational,
age range 5-18, day and boarding.
Leisure
Golfcourses: Cirencester (01285 653939); Cotswold
Hills, Cheltenham (01242 522421); Minchinhampton (01453 832642);
Painswick, (01452 812180).
Hunts: the Beaufort,the Berkeley, the Cotswold,
the VWH, and the North Cotswold.
Yacht clubs : rivers Severn, Windrush, Coln
and Churn.
THE BEST GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNTRY HOUSES
FOR SALE IN 2004
(A breakdown of what was for sale & purchase prices)
Paulton Fields Farm, Cirencester (737 acre estate, 8 bed manor,
farmhouse, 5 cottages, stabling): £6m
The Manor, Clifford Chambers, Sapperton (classic manor, formal
gardens, stabling, 57 acres): £6m
Foxhill, Hawling, Stow-on-the-Wold (5 bed house, coach house,
stabling, 52.9 acres): £3m
Quarwood, Stow-on-the-Wold (classic Cotswold country house, 5
cottages, 42 acres): £3m
The Garden House, Westonbirt (polo pitch, stabling): £4m
Kemble House, Kemble (8 bed edge of village Manor, stabling, 7
acres): £2.75m
Parsonage House, Chedworth (18th century Cotswold House, garden,
5 acres): £2.25m
Fairford House, Fairford (Georgian 7 bed house, 3 acres, fishing
on River Coln): £2.4m
Country Life - June 2005
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benefit from the Sands Home Search service, please call in confidence
on 01425 462 549.
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