9 of the loveliest cottages for sale right now
Time and again, the joys of cottages have been expounded. Period features, exposed original beams, vast fireplaces and flagstone floors have become the ideal British interior for many and cottages are in high demand. As Christopher Stocks writes, in his essay that asks why we love cottages so much, “the curious thing is that, until late in the reign of Queen Victoria, the idea of actually wanting to live in a country cottage would have seemed quite mad, at least to anyone who could afford something better.” The reason for this is that they were designated for the poorer people in society, who generally lived in them in “conditions of greater or lesser deprivation, hardship and squalor.”
What was the turning point then, and why do we all want to live in one now? It came, as Christopher continues “as Britain industrialised and we lost touch with the reality of rural life. For those seeking an escape from the raucous, reeking, congested, smoke-blackened hell of a Victorian city, a rural cottage offered a nostalgic vision of peace and quiet.” That ideal remains today, with more people than ever fantasising about leaving the city for a more idyllic country life.
Britain is not short of chocolate-box perfect cottages, with plenty of picturesque villages up and down the country to fulfil even the fussiest house-hunter. So, whether you're fantasising of a life in the cottage from The Holiday, or genuinely looking to up sticks and move to the Cotswolds, we've looked at the listings and rounded up the most charming cottages for sale right now.








