To the manor drawn

There’s something timelessly alluring about the perfect country house and the civilised values it represents – indeed, the rural retreat has been attracting the well-to-do since Roman times, when senators secured villas far from the noise and bustle of the city. In Britain, many of us hanker after a stately manor, a rose-clad farmhouse or a rambling rectory surrounded by lush gardens.

The grand country house is “an icon of British culture”, according to Julian Fellowes, the writer of Downton Abbey. It seems to “encapsulate the ideas that the British have about themselves” while enticing international buyers keen on a taste of English life. Yet there’s a new spin on the story of these quintessential rural homes: increasingly, they are being marketed to rent rather than to buy.

For many years, the designer Nicky Haslam rented an 18th-century hunting lodge in Hampshire. He now lives in a Georgian house on the Daylesford Estate in the Cotswolds, a reminder that the delights of country living can be enjoyed in a cottage, gatehouse or barn conversion as well as in a stately home.

One of the finest country houses to come to the lettings market in the past year is Stanley Park, a Grade II listed, 11-bedroom mansion in Selsey, near the Gloucestershire town of Stroud. Set in 2.5 acres of gorgeous grounds, it has Tudor origins and was revamped in Victorian gothic style in 1850, with a ballroom that offers wide views of Wales. An eight-year renovation retained period features such as an ornate plasterwork ceiling and mullioned windows, while adding modern elements such as a cinema room, gym and sauna.

Grand properties of this kind remain objects of desire: places to entertain, to spend relaxed weekends with friends, to wind down, stroll through sun-dappled woodland, ride – or simply enjoy a beguiling slice of village life. Yet maintaining a large country home requires time, love and commitment. As a result, many of those who long for a rural lifestyle but also prize flexibility are choosing to rent rather than buy. “Renting is a real trend in the Cotswolds – one that has been growing for some time,” says Louise Nicholson, Savills head of lettings for the Cotswolds and Oxford.

These new rural renters want all the fun of a country pile without any of the demands. “It appears that an increasing number of historic houses across the UK are now available to rent on a short- or long-term basis,” says James Probert, editor of Historic House magazine. Nicholson sees rental clients from Britain and beyond, particularly at the upper end of the market. “They can afford to buy, but are choosing not to, for now at least,” she says.

The choice to rent rather than buy has long been regarded as somewhat continental. The adage that an Englishman’s home was his castle implied ownership of said castle – and historically there is a sense that by renting, you are merely investing in someone else’s asset. But the new renters find that it gives them an opportunity to take stock amid a changing global landscape.

Some rent in a “try before you buy” spirit, to see if rural life is for them, and perhaps scout for good schools; others know they want to buy, but are searching for the right property and are prepared to wait. International buyers often rent in London and the country to assess their relative merits – or simply to enjoy the best of both worlds.

In many cases, Nicholson says, the allure is recreational. “Many clients want to fly in, enjoy the season, then leave. It’s part of their year’s fun and they want to see local friends and indulge in hobbies such as riding and fishing.” In doing so, they’re participating in a long tradition: for centuries the British country house was strictly for entertaining, while the city home was for business.

Many stately homes, including Blenheim Palace, have been let at various stages in their history. But, as Nicholson points out, rural rentals come in a wide range of styles, from honeysuckle homeliness to turreted grandeur. “Popular properties range from two-bedroom cottages in premium villages to honey-coloured houses in Bath stone.” One kind of home, however, has eternal appeal, and that’s what Nicholson calls “the really smart farmhouse that has been done beautifully, with a sleek cottage kitchen, strong colours and artisanal materials”.

These properties typically come with extensive acreage, stables, manicured gardens, swimming pools and tennis courts, and command anything from £8,000 to £30,000 a month. So how long do the new breed of renters stay? 

About 30% of tenants, particularly celebrity clients, want a “short, sharp, high-end retreat”, Nicholson says, but the majority want to lock in for 12-24 months – time enough to get their Hunter Balmoral wellies under the kitchen island.

For Savills, the most popular rental area is the Cotswolds, a shortish drive to prime and super-prime west London along the M4 or M40. Here one finds hotspots such as Chipping Norton and pretty villages close to the so-called Golden Triangle: Churchill, Kingham, Upper and Lower Slaughter. Nicholson says renters look at the north Cotswolds too, including Nailsworth and Painswick, as well as Wiltshire, Somerset and Hampshire.

“We’ve seen some large houses come onto the market recently,” Nicholson adds. “Typically they’ve been in the family a long time, and when the owners reach their seventies, they move on because the homes are hard to maintain. Imagine being custodian of that home for a period of time.” Indeed, and sometimes the appeal is that you’re simply passing through – playing a cameo role, if you like, in the long history of a fine old house.

Main image: Manor Farmhouse near Cirencester