I would like a garden and we both would like to live in a period property rather than a new build house or apartment. Can you find us anything that might suit our needs?The adviceKATY POWNALL WRITES: The most expensive and desirable area of Cowes (and therefore the one you should avoid should you want any substantial change from your £250,000) is the old town. The problem JANET EDWARDS OF STOKE-ON-TRENT WRITES: My husband is due to take early retirement next year and we are hoping to sell the large house in which we brought up our children and buy a smaller home. As we are both enthusiastic sailors we would be very interested in buying something in the town of Cowes on the Isle of Wight but know very little about the area or property market. A total of 52 acres now remain, but only 18 are being sold with the house. The other 34 are devoted to Jane's 75-strong menagerie of sheep, cattle, geese, turkeys, horses and donkeys. The couple intend to retain this parcel of land, with the animals on it.The 18 acres of grounds being sold off with the house are home to a selection of ancient trees, including Canadian redwood, English oak and Scottish pine. The enclosed cottage garden has a pair of mulberry trees that are said to be more than 1,000 years old and still bear fruit.
There are also a series of apple orchards, as well as a rose garden and a formal Italian garden installed by Jane There's also a canal that links two of the property's ponds. This was created by former residents who had honeymooned in Venice. A heated outdoor swimming pool with an attached bar lies behind the Italian garden, where Robert has sunk a hot tub into the decking. Other outbuildings include the self-contained two-bedroom coach house for guests.Robert and Jane have lived in Kent for many years. They love the countryside with its pretty villages, meandering lanes, hop fields and apple orchards. They appreciate the location, too - they can get to Hastings in 30 minutes, to London within an hour and Jane can be at her hairdressing business in the nearby town of Tenterden in minutes Sounds perfect.
So why do they want to move? "We don't, really," says Robert "We are going to miss it here terribly But we can't really justify having all this space. The giant fireplace remains in good working order and is still the main source of heat during the cold winter months. In fact, the house features an eclectic selection of fireplaces that have been installed at various times and which, along with the central heating, ensure that the place is always snug, in spite of the high ceilings. Another original feature is the monumental studded oak front door. The Elizabethan frame timbering was a slightly later addition, while the sweeping central staircase and gallery areas date from the 17th century.The house is full of surprises and quirky details, such as the elegant bell tower sitting alongside chunky twin chimneystacks. This is accessed via an attic room, and the original mechanisms are still fully functional.The manoreven has its own secret passageway, guaranteed to enchant children, that winds its way down from the back of the study into a cellar with a sealed-off well. Local legend has it that one of the house's former residents drowned here, and that his ghost now haunts the house The Frenches have never seen him, though.
