Romantic houses for Valentine’s Day
According to data provided by Rightmove, Victorian homes are the most searched-for property style, followed by Georgian, then Edwardian. These characterful period properties with their historic charm, high ceilings and spacious interiors are often showcased in glossy period dramas, from Bridgerton to Downton Abbey. Victorian houses in particular are often in some of the most desirable locations with good access to schools and transport links.
Whether your dream property is a Georgian country house, a chocolate-box thatch, or a home with riverside views, the following properties on the market now are all picture-perfect:
Tewin Water House, Welwyn £900,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/hit250379/
What could be more romantic than enjoying drinks on the roof terrace of your penthouse apartment, watching swans gliding along on the river? You get that and more at this three-bedroom apartment in Tewin Water House on the Tewin Water estate in Welwyn. The Grade II listed house was built in 1798, is set in landscaped grounds, and approached via a long private driveway. The apartment has period features including high ceilings and sash windows, and living space includes two reception rooms, one with steps to the roof terrace. The principal bedroom has an en suite shower room, and the two other double bedrooms share a main bathroom. The river Mimram runs through the 10 acres of private gardens and grounds which are rich in wildlife.
Windmill House, Biddenham, Bedfordshire £2,000,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/bed250304/
This Edwardian property is the epitome of a country house dream, set in a private position surrounded by around 2 acres of landscaped gardens. The oldest parts of the property date back to 1910, and over 3,500 sq. ft. of accommodation is arranged over two floors. There is extensive driveway parking and a detached four bay garage and garden machinery store. The thatched outdoor dining area and the tennis court will have you dreaming of summer.
Lilley House, Lilley, Hertfordshire £1,600,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/hit170231/
This Georgian house comes with a self-contained one bedroom annexe, and is set in almost 2 acres of gardens and paddocks. Built in 1810, Lilley House has just under 3,850 sq. ft. of living space, including the one-bedroom annexe. In addition to the four formal reception rooms, an open plan kitchen/breakfast/family room and four double bedrooms, the property also has a cellar, a two-bay garage, two stables, a tack room and a barn. If you need to leave this bucolic bliss, you’re within 4 miles of Hitchin town centre and commuter trains which reach Kings Cross in 29 minutes.
1 The Green, Ickwell, Bedfordshire £950,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/bed250257/
Impossibly pretty, this Grade II listed 18th century cottage overlooks the village green and maypole, making it a perfect vantage point for the annual Mayday celebrations. There is a bright kitchen with an Aga and butler sink, and immaculate gardens are principally lawned with shaped borders, mature trees, and a wildlife pond.
The Cabin, Grafton Regis, Northamptonshire £500,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/tow240298/
If a child was asked to draw a fairy tale cottage, surely this would be it? On the edge of a village with views over open countryside,The Cabin was formerly a tied cottage on the Grafton Estate. As characterful inside as out, the ground floor has exposed ceiling beams and an inglenook fireplace with a bread oven, as well as cottage doors, casement windows and early built-in cupboards. Small and perfectly formed, over 2000 sq. ft. of living space includes two reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room with an adjacent butler’s pantry and a cloakroom, plus two double bedrooms and a family bathroom on the first floor. Planning and listed building consent (now lapsed)| was granted in 2006 for a single storey rear extension.
Chestnut Farmhouse, Monks Risborough, Buckinghamshire £1,495,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/ris220235/
There’s not much this Grade II listed farmhouse doesn’t have: landscaped gardens, four garages and off-street parking, plus a separate Grade II listed barn and an indoor swimming pool. The views are also wonderful, open countryside to the rear, with thewooded hill and historic Wheatleaf Cross chalk carving visible from the front of the property. Dating from the mid-18th-century, the farmhouse is built of chequered red and vitreous bricks, and both the farmhouse and the 18th-century thatched barn have been lovingly restored.
Vine Cottage, Padbury, Buckinghamshire £1,000,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/buc250139/
Who doesn’t love a thatched cottage? This one has three reception rooms, a one-bedroom annexe, off street parking, a double garage with an office above, outbuildings including a gym. In a private position surrounded by gardens, this 16th century cottage has three reception rooms and four bedrooms, plus a family bathroom with a free-standing roll top bath.
64-66 Blunham Road, Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire £950,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/bed250113/
Pretty in pink, this thatched cottage may be Grade II listed but it is firmly in the 21st century with a solar hot water system and an EV charge point. Set in approximately 2.36 acres of private formal gardens,period features include exposed timbers, inglenook fireplaces, and ledge and brace doors, all perfectly blended with modern amenities.
The Old Rectory, Sherington, Buckinghamshire £2,000,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/oly190289/
Nothing says romance more than an Old Rectory and this one is clad in wisteria to boot. Set well back from the road with views of the village church, there are over 2 acres of mature, wraparound gardens. Rich in character and history, period features include mullioned windows, fireplaces, decorative plasterwork, exposed beams and timbers, and a magnificent 18th century staircase. A colossal 5,450 sq. ft. of living space here includes 3 reception rooms and 7 bedrooms over three floors, and two detached outbuildings provide an opportunity for even more accommodation.
The Grange, Maulden, Bedfordshire £2,950,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/bed140703/
Another former rectory, this late 17th / early 18th century Grade II listed property has been transformed into a historic family home. Over 14 acres of landscaped gardens are thought to have been created by Capability Brown and include a summerhouse, rose beds, an orchard and woodland.
Ridgewell House, Little Missenden, Amersham £2,950,000
https://michaelgraham.co.uk/property/ris250229/
In a particularly beautiful spot backing onto open countryside, this Grade II listed link detached house is within walking distance of amenities in the highly sought after village of Little Missenden. The accommodation is very well presented, and character features include tall sash windows, high ceilings and deep skirting boards typical of the Georgian era, alongside a bespoke kitchen, and contemporary bath and shower rooms.
