St Leonards, Buckinghamshire HP23

In its own quiet corner of this pretty courtyard shared by just three homes, this handsome Victorian barn was reimagined in the 1990s, creating a stunning private house with an eye for volume, texture and atmosphere.

Set just within the Buckinghamshire border and embraced by the Chilterns National Landscape, Dovecote Barn feels grounded in its bucolic setting, yet is full of unexpected architectural moments.

Stepping inside, a long hallway draws you towards the heart of the home: a dining hall of remarkable height, its vaulted ceiling rising above floor-to-ceiling book shelving that anchors the space with warmth and purpose. In one corner, a black cast-iron spiral staircase winds upwards with sculptural confidence, leading to the first floor. Glazed doors open to the rear garden, letting the room breathe outwards. Timber flooring runs throughout much of the ground floor, adding a warm and quiet continuity beneath foot.

From here, the dining hall flows into the sitting room - a generously proportioned yet cosy space, dual aspect and centred around an exposed brick fireplace with an inset wood-burning stove. Another set of glazed doors opens to the garden while, above, a soaring 12ft vaulted ceiling reinforces the sense of air and volume.

The kitchen, fitted with blue-painted Shaker cabinetry and crisp white granite worktops, has a simple honesty to it. A Belfast sink and garden access complete the room, creating a direct link between the domestic and the natural.

Two double bedrooms sit on the ground floor along with the bathroom. The principal bedroom benefits from a high ceiling and a cleverly conceived mezzanine level that offers a nook above the room and an area for storage or display.

Upstairs, tucked neatly under the eaves, are a study and a further bedroom; spaces that feel gently cocooned by the roofline, perfect for work, retreat or guests.

Outside, the garden is unexpectedly generous: a private sweep of lawn bordered by mature shrubs, herbaceous planting and a scattering of trees. It is a secluded, enveloping space and one that feels entirely its own. To the front, there is parking, along with a carport that provides covered space for another car.

While this corner of Buckinghamshire feels blissfully still, the connections are remarkably swift: around ten minutes to Tring or Wendover, and fifteen to Chesham. From here, routes unfold easily towards London and beyond, whether by mainline rail or the Metropolitan line’s gentle meander into the capital. It all gives Dovecote Barn a character all its own: a home that balances intimacy with openness, a place shaped by craft and light; but where gorgeous, rural calm sits comfortably within reach of the wider world when you need it.

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