A glass half full

The days are getting longer, so why not maximise the light in a conservatory, orangery or vinery?

- James Fisher

Kent, £2.75 million 

A true flower in the garden of England, The Deanery, in Chartham near Canterbury, is an 'exceptional and intriguing home', say agents, and is listed Grade II*. With sections dating from all the way back to the 14th century, the property was once home to the Deans of Canterbury Cathedral, but, fear not, it has been more recently renovated, with the house in its current form rebuilt in about 1738. The property boasts a fine example of a bifurcating staircase in the reception hall, ideal for grand entrances to masquerade balls that you may or may not be hosting, as well as four bedrooms, including an enormous principal bedroom suite with a private dressing room. The three acres of gardens and grounds also play host to a three-bedroom annexe (known as Deanery Cottage), formal lawns, mature trees, a moat and a detached orangery, which contains a mature vine. Strutt & Parker (020-7052 9666)

Cambridgeshire, £2 million