Elibank House was built in 1705, designed by English architect Sir John Vanburgh, who was most renowned for designing Blenheim Palace.

The brief was to transform a dark five-bedroom Edwardian detached house into a colourful, light free-flowing family home.

Some homes pull off the trick of offering the best of both worlds. Take as an example Champions Farm, an ancient home that’s been carefully brought up to modern spec while retaining its charm. Then there’s the location: it sits in splendid isolation in the middle of its 111 acres of rolling fields, with magnificent …

Dating from 1896, Ravensbourne in Houghton-le-Spring is a reassuringly traditional Victorian villa featuring a tiled storm porch and four handsomely proportioned reception rooms with bay windows and original fireplaces. It has a large (albeit dated) kitchen, utility room, five bedrooms and a third of an acre of grounds, with secret garden “rooms” accessed via a wrought-iron gateway. Houghton-le-Spring is a town 15 minutes’ drive from Durham. bradleyhall.co.uk

A refined and historic mansion in the pastoral English countryside that is tied to British—and Hollywood—royalty has just hit the market for £13.5 million (US$17.7 million). The more than 300-year-old home is in Hampshire—an area also known as Jane Austen’s County for being the author’s beloved home for much of her life—is known as Shawford Park and the manor is thought to date to 1685.

From unique original features to valuable collections, find out what makes your home a Forever Home that needs the protection of non-standard insurance.

Emma Sherlock's family house is a layered and lovely space filled with art and heirlooms