The £3.95m Oxfordshire mansion with a swimming pool belonging to the daughter of TV legend Dame Mary Berry remains unsold.
Having been a judge on the show during the BBC years between 2010 and 2016, before it left for Channel 4, the famed cook has lived in Henley with her husband, Paul Hunnings, since 2019.
Their daughter, Belles Berry, also lives in South Oxfordshire, owning a mansion named Blenheim Farm near the village of Ewelme, close to Wallingford.
It was announced back in the spring that she was selling the family country home, which has served as a melting pot for the Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef over the years.
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Listed on the property market with Savills at an asking price of £3,950,000, the home is yet to find a new owner.
The bespoke, handmade kitchen/dining and family room is very much the heart of the home and offers spectacular countryside views and access to the garden terrace through the full-height sliding doors.
The light-filled kitchen, arranged around a central island, complete with 2m long champagne chiller, designed by Belles, is equipped with a dove grey five-door Aga, gifted by Dame Mary.
The antique painted wooden pews and the dresser were from a French monastery.
A host of supplementary appliances are found in the adjacent test kitchen (second kitchen/ utility room).
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Using the main kitchen for entertaining and the second kitchen for housing the equipment works brilliantly, according to Belles.
“The joy of designing your own house is you can have two dishwashers, two washing machines, two fridges and six bins if you want to – and we did.”
The library is full of character and charm and has a window into the kitchen with views of the fields and sky beyond.
The floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are home to part of Belles’ father’s literary legacy.
He had over 5,000 books from his antiquarian shop, so they built the library to house some of them.
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A separate study/office is Belles’ creative hub and sanctuary, being home to her collection of cookery and gardening books.
The principal bedroom has a copper bathtub situated to enjoy the view, and there is a large dressing room with fitted wardrobes and a lantern light.
Its ensuite bathroom is Moroccan, from Habibi Interiors, as is the entrance hall fountain.
All the tiles in the property are from the Italian house Porcelanosa; bathrooms are Lefroy Brooks; finishing touches are Charles Edwards; the polished concrete floor is Lazenby’s; and the bespoke wallpaper is by Zigati, Gucci & Cole & Son.
The walls of the master bedroom and Belles’ office are sustainable bamboo.
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Belles chose the interiors; the wallpaper in the media room is by Andrew Martin and encapsulates the fun vibe of the house, complete with an original 1970’s tan leather sofa to set it off.
And the classic glass-topped drawered furniture is from her father’s antiquarian bookshop.
The material for the blinds was brought back from a family holiday in Belize while the house was being built.
The house includes an oak-framed music room, which they turned into a games room during lockdown and has since become a fun place to spend the evenings
Designed and built by Belles and her husband in 2020 on the site of an old bungalow, the property is situated in the South Oxfordshire countryside overlooking its 10 acres of land.
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Blenheim Farm was previously an alpaca farm, and the family originally lived in the old bungalow when they moved there in 2014, before the family of five moved into the barn to stay on site for the rebuild.
Belles became an “accidental smallholder” and has kept orphaned lambs, cows and ducks. The family also keeps bees that supply their honey.
With over 4,000 sq ft of accommodation, the property’s design takes full advantage of its peaceful position, with glazed walls of sliding doors to all rooms overlooking the gardens and land, offering panoramic, far-reaching views.
The house benefits from underfloor heating via an air source heat pump, polished concrete floors and double glazing throughout.
Outside, there is a characterful three-bedroom barn-style cottage (currently let) with an oak-framed vaulted kitchen/sitting room with garden views, three ensuite bedrooms and a large loft serving as extra reception space.
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The historic village of Ewelme is just over four miles away.
“I studied Feng Shui before we designed the house; a lot of thought went into the architectural drawings and where everything should go," said Belles.
"We worked together with RPA Architects. It was a dream project and one we are extremely proud of.
"It’s a happy house, and it has the wow factor, as the whole of one side is glass and south-facing.”
There is a large shearing shed/barn, which still showcases the alpaca rosettes, and is the perfect place to store cars or boats.
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“We hosted mum’s 80th in there on a perfect summer’s day," said Belles.
“The rose garden is full of mum’s favourite roses, Chandos Beauty”
The gardens were designed by Clara Gardens with plants that sing with the house.
The grounds are also home to a 60-year-old beautiful beech woodland, which Belles has planted with snowdrops from the ancient woodland at Hedsor House.
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The family have added a beautiful swimming pool and tennis court, which Belles says “was a winner in lockdown”.
Belles added: “Blenheim Farm has been the perfect home for the family.
"The children had an idyllic time, I became an accidental smallholder and enjoyed rearing lambs, cows, ducks and beekeeping.
“There’s a wonderful fruit garden at the back of the barn, and mum helps me pick and prune.
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"We pick blackcurrants and gooseberries in autumn, and mum takes her trug home and returns with warm blackcurrant jam by noon.
“Mum used to go ‘primrosing’ to collect primroses where she grew up in Bath when she was a little girl, and now I go primrosing in the woods here in spring and deliver them to her.
“Mum and Dad moved six miles from us in Henley just before lockdown, which is wonderful.
"They usually head over to us on a Sunday for a roast. Mum always brings the pudding!”
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Property agent Victoria Knight, head of office at Savills in Henley-on-Thames, said: “Blenheim Farm has been thoughtfully designed to maximise its scenic setting and bring the outside in.
"Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors frame the rolling countryside beyond, from the light-filled kitchen and living area to the principal bedroom, complete with a copper rolltop bath.
“The interiors are colourful and playful, with a vibrant Moroccan tiled fountain and bathrooms, contrasting with a polished concrete floor.
"With two kitchens, a swimming pool, tennis court and games room, this is a home perfectly suited to family life and entertaining on a grand scale.
“Tucked away down a quiet tree-lined country lane yet only 15 minutes from Henley, the location is hard to beat."
