Properties of the week: boltholes under £500,000
The perfect rural hideaways to escape the hustle and bustle of city life
1
Devon: £399,995

Frog-iMore, Newton Hill, Newton Ferrers
Situated in the heart of this village on the estuary of the River Yealm, just a stone’s throw from the water, shops and yacht club, Frog-iMore would be ideal as a holiday retreat or for someone wanting a low-maintenance waterside home. Main bed with window seats and views of the creek, 1 further bed, family bath, kitchen/ breakfast room, recep with lovely views, rear access via pathway to Newton Hill.
2
Perthshire: offers in excess of £385,000

Niel Gow Cottage, Inver, Dunkeld
A B-listed traditional stone and slate cottage dating from the early 1700s and named after a Scottish fiddle player. Originally two thatched cottages, it has been sympathetically extended and modernised. Main suite, 2/3 further beds, shower, kitchen, 2 receps, office/ bed 4, private south-facing garden.
3
Clackmannanshire: offers in excess of £375,000

7 The Mansion House, Dollarbeg Park, Dollar
A duplex apartment in this Scots Baronial house with fine views to the north across Dollar, Castle Campbell and the Ochil Hills behind. The flat is situated principally on the second floor, but with turret rooms and a spiral stone staircase leading up to the tower’s roof terrace. Main suite, 2 further beds, family bath, kitchen/dining room, double recep, office/ cinema room, private roof terrace, attic, 5 acres of communal gardens.
4
Wiltshire: offers in excess of £400,000

High Street, Bulford, Salisbury
A picture-perfect semi-detached mews cottage nestled on the banks of the River Avon, on the edge of the village. Main suite, 1 further bed, family bath, kitchen, WC, double recep, garage.
5
Pembrokeshire: offers in excess of £425,000

Plas Y Pinc, Trefasser, Pencaer, near Goodwick
An exciting opportunity to reinstate this derelict Grade II coastal cottage, uninhabited since 1957, with stunning views. The property has extant permission to renovate and also benefits from adjoining pastureland of about 10 acres. 2/3 beds, 2 bath/showers, living area.
6
Cambridgeshire: £350,000

Levell’s Cottage, Kirtling, Newmarket
Dating from the early 19th century, with a 1970s extension, this charming thatched cottage has an established garden and period features, and is set on the edge of the village, with views over rolling open countryside. Main bed, 1 further bed, family bath, WC, kitchen, 2 receps, outbuilding/ workshop, driveway with parking for several cars and cart lodge, pretty garden.
7
Dorset: guide £395,000

Manor Cottage, Winterborne Houghton, Blandford Forum
A detached period cottage requiring modernisation, set in about a third of an acre and enjoying views over the surrounding countryside and St. Andrew’s Church. Planning consent for an extension was granted in 1987. 5/6 beds, 2 baths, kitchen, snug, double recep, study/bed 6, workshop/garage with potential for annexe conversion, garden.
8
Gloucestershire: £500,000

Eeyore’s Place, Swindon Village, Cheltenham
A Grade II thatched cottage retaining many period features, set in a semi-rural location close to the centre of Swindon Village. 3 beds, family bath, kitchen/breakfast room, sitting room with deep fireplace and former bread oven, 1 further recep with fireplace, hall, cloakroom/WC, utility, cottage gardens laid to lawn with well-stocked flower beds, parking for 2 cars up a shared driveway.
9
West Sussex: £425,000

Iris Cottage, Singleton, Chichester
A quintessential Grade II cottage in the heart of this Downland village. Believed to date from around 1550, the cottage has a wealth of period features including an inglenook fireplace and exposed beams. 2 beds, family bath, study area, kitchen, double recep, gardens.