Bright and white
New year, fresh start in whiter-than-white houses
West Sussex, £1.35 million
A little mackerel-fishing hamlet until the 18th century, when Georgian Society flocked to the seaside, Worthing, with its Art Deco pier, is as popular as ever. This Grade Ii*-listed five-floor townhouse on Park Crescent—designed in the 1830s by Amon Henry Wilds in a serpentine shape with a triumphal arch at the entrance, overlooking Amelia Park—is a rare occurrence on the market. Beautifully kept, it has six bedrooms (including one in a stand-alone apartment on the lower ground floor), two garden terraces, a balcony and a roof terrace. Winkworth (01903 216219)
Hampshire, £620,000
Three vaulted bedrooms at 17th-century Fern Cottage, in the east Hampshire village of Upper Froyle—about four miles from Alton and six from Jane Austen’s Chawton—peep out beneath thatch towards views over a mostly lawned garden and lovely countryside. There are plenty of exposed beams throughout and, downstairs, two reception rooms off a galleried kitchen. Knight Frank (01256 630971)
Buckinghamshire, £2.2 million
Formerly a well-known equestrian centre, Dorcas Farm retains two stable blocks amid 10 acres of formal gardens, a vegetable garden, orchard, paddocks, tennis court (needs restoring) and an outdoor school. The house itself is, we’ll admit, not strictly white—there’s a hint of ecru—and has five bedrooms, four reception rooms and a one-bedroom annexe. There are nearly 5,800sq ft of versatile outbuildings, boast agents, the whole set in the village of Stoke Hammond, with Fenny Stratford about 2½ miles south. Michael Graham (01908 399199)
Cornwall, £2.85 million
Arts-and-crafts Perran Cove enjoys a south-west-facing ‘grandstand’ position, say agents, offering jawdropping views over the Helford River, with its world-renowned sailing waters, and unspoilt ancient woodland. This tranquil spot is at the end of a private road on the Budock Vean estate, within walking distance of a golf course and wrapped in 1⅓ acres of landscaped park peppered with camellias, rhododendrons, azaleas and macrocarpas. Barrelled ceilings, granite fireplaces, balconies and sun terraces brightened by wisteria offer plenty of character and there are five bedrooms, as well as a studio above the garage. A private right of way leads down to a little-known cove and there’s also a boat store. Perran Cove is near the village of Mawnan Smith, with Falmouth six miles away. Lillicrap Chilcott (01872 273473)
London TW11, £3 million
Charming Weir Cottage, at the entrance to the Teddington Riverside development with its 2½ acres of landscaped gardens, was originally a lock-keeper’s home, before becoming the official gatehouse for the famous Teddington Film Studios. The Morecambe & Wise Show, Pop Idol and The Office were filmed there, to name a few, together with the lost 1934 Murder at Monte Carlo, Errol Flynn’s first major role, which is now on the British Film Institute’s 75 Most Wanted list. With four bedrooms, this architectural witness to history has now been beautifully restored— gable ends, curved turret and balconies pristine—and the views over the garden towards the river are uninterrupted. Hamptons (020–3369 4568)