By Kate Youde
For medieval splendour
Visited by Queen Elizabeth I in 1575, the Hazelbury Manor estate in Wiltshire, south-west England, dates back to the 14th century but has been redeveloped and restored during the intervening centuries, with later additions including an indoor swimming pool. The Grade I-listed main house (pictured above) has at least 10 bedrooms and features a Great Hall with a first-floor gallery and a panelled dining room. The estate, which comes with 181 acres of woodland and pasture, also has secondary accommodation including the 17th-century, four-bedroom Dower House. The guide price is £8.5mn.
For rooms with a view
Set atop a rocky outcrop within 51 acres of wooded grounds in the southern French département of Gard, this 19th-century castle has an unobstructed outlook over the surrounding countryside and the river Rhône. The master suite — one of seven bedrooms — has a tower from which to take in these beautiful views, or there are various outdoor terraces. For those seeking a different type of contemplation, the property has its own consecrated chapel dedicated to St Mark. The asking price is €2.5mn.
For period features
This early 18th-century villa on a hillside to the north-west of the Italian city of Lucca retains its original wall and ceiling frescoes. These well-preserved paintings include detailed landscape scenes in a small sitting room, colourful floral motifs and ornate patterns. The sale of the Tuscan estate, which is on the market for €5.25mn, includes another five-bedroom house and two outdoor swimming pools. There is an olive grove among the 4ha of land.
For a castle
The history of Hartree House in the Scottish Borders dates back to the 14th century. However, the imposing feature that welcomes visitors to the eight-bedroom main home is a Victorian tower, added to an earlier Georgian building. The current owners have made modernising updates in the past decade, installing solar panels and ground source heat pumps, and creating spaces including a glass-floored reading room and a gym. The estate, which is on the market for offers over £4.2mn, includes a three-bedroom apartment, a one-bedroom flat and a two-bedroom lodge.
For Gilded Age glamour
Built in 1881, this mansion in Dupont Circle, Washington DC, is the former home of politician James G Blaine, who twice served as US secretary of state in the late 19th century. The four-bedroom property’s interiors reflect its location in what was the capital’s hub of high society, including what the selling agent calls “embassy-sized” living and dining rooms. Modern comforts include a 60ft rooftop lap pool and a temperature-controlled wine cellar. The 7,000-sq-ft home, plus more than 14,000 sq ft of commercial space, is on the market for $29.95mn.
Photography: Strutt & Parker; Knight Frank; Angus Behm/Savills; TTR Sotheby's International Realty
