By George Upton
For a zip wire
As its name might suggest, High View, a nine-bedroom Victorian mansion just outside Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, is situated on an elevated position. There is a large terrace where guests can take in the views across the 45-acre estate — which includes formal walled gardens, woodland and a lake — and the countryside beyond. There are many walking routes through the grounds but for the more adventurous there is a zip wire that runs direct from the terrace (right-hand end in the picture below) to the lake, where there is an island with a bothy, if they want to stay the night while they’re there. The property is priced at £17.5mn.
For a go-kart track
This 2,800-acre estate in Virginia was previously owned by Bernard Arnault, the chief executive of LVMH, and has been extensively modernised by its current owners over the past two decades. There are two restored historic manor houses in addition to 19 smaller residences, several event spaces, a brewery and tasting room, and a tap house that includes a full-service kitchen. Guests might like to use the two stables — there are extensive trails for horses, cycling and walking — two tennis courts, swimming pool, 180-ft water slide, lake, several beaches and go-kart track (beyond the tennis court in the photograph below). The estate is on the market for $52.6mn.
For an outdoor kitchen
From its exterior, it’s difficult to tell that this six-bedroom farmhouse, nestled in the fields outside the Dutch town of Bergen, is only 10 years old. Despite the traditional black clapboard and thatched roof, the house has many modern features, including a covered veranda with an outdoor kitchen and heaters, and a heated swimming pool, which allow guests to be entertained outside year round. The property, which includes a two-bedroom guest house, is on the market for €5.795mn and includes use of the canal that runs past the house, for boat trips to the picturesque city of Alkmaar.
For a panoramic terrace
This 10-bedroom mansion is situated in Ermoupolis, the historic capital of the Greek island of Syros. The property has most recently been used as a hotel but is now being listed — for €6.5mn — as a private residence. As a result, it has been well maintained and modernised, and guests can benefit from private verandas and plunge pools (main image, above) with sea views. There is also a large roof terrace that offers a panorama along the historic harbour and across the Aegean to the nearby islands of Mykonos and Tinos.
For an outdoor cinema
This five-bedroom home in Mallorca dates from the 14th century and is thought to be one of the oldest fincas (a traditional farm building) on the island. Built into a mountain, the main house has many dramatic cavelike spaces but the property is also notable for its gardens, which were designed by Stephen Lacey, a Jacuzzi set into an old stone mine and an outdoor cinema area. As well as the terrace of the main house, there is a separate dining area inside an adjacent cave with views of the surrounding landscape. Here, guests can be entertained with wine from the property’s vineyard and tall stories: according to local legend, the finca was the childhood home of Christopher Columbus — the consensus is that Columbus is from Liguria. The property is on the market for €3.975mn.
Photography: Strutt & Parker; TTR Sotheby's International Realty; Netherlands Sotheby's International Realty; Greece Sotheby's International Realty; Savills
