Comarques is a dazzlingly pretty village house in almost 48 acres (20ha) of grounds that include 12 acres of gardens and extensive farmland protecting views to the south. The property, near the Essex village of Thorpe-le-Soken, is for sale at £2.5 million and is bigger than it appears, with nine bedrooms and a self-contained annexe.
Its winning looks are the result of unusual octagonal windows — a rare form of Chinese chippendale architecture. This is a signature of the architect Sir Robert Taylor, who worked in a flamboyant Rococo style in the 1750s before adopting a more sober Palladian suitable to his position as surveyor to the Bank of England.
The bustling village of Thorpe-le-Soken is 13 miles beyond Colchester and a little more than