TOWN & COUNTRY

Frances and Trevor Halliday were delighted to find a pastoral Georgian gem in the middle of London

- PENNY BOTTING

It’s hard to believe that this perfect country cottage, hidden down a lane and surrounded by trees, is only six miles from the Houses of Parliament. ‘When we look out of the windows the view is of greenery and flowers and we hear nothing but birdsong,’ says Frances. ‘It’s amazing to think that we’re minutes away from the hustle and bustle of London life.’

In fact, the area around the house hasn’t changed much since the property was built as two semi-detached cottages in the 1800s. ‘The only difference is that we don’t have sheep and cows grazing on the local common any more.’

Frances and her husband Trevor were amazed that such a gem existed, and admit they had misgivings when the estate agent showed them the brochure. ‘We were curious as to why they had the details of a beautiful country cottage in their southeast London office – we had no idea that this little enclave existed, so we booked a viewing,’ she says.