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Welcome to the British Isles!
 eople everywhere are falling in love with English cottage house plans all over again. The demand for English Cottage home plans has increased dramatically and the reason is clear. The houses of Britain offer a wide range of styles, shapes and sizes from the humble country farm house to the more formal, classic English style found in London and surrounds.
Their enduring appeal makes this style appropriate for many settings. No matter where one looks, in the hidden narrow lanes or the coastal paths, an architectural treat awaits to be re-discovered. It is obvious why the English Cottage is so appealing. There is a richness and diversity only to be found in the English village. One thing is certain, the Classic English cottage house plan has an enduring appeal and can be incorporated into a wide variety of residential settings to this day.
Rolling hills of green are dotted with charming rural cottages of local stone from the nearby fields. Special towns of the peaceful Coltswolds are famous for their buttery tan, stone houses and shingled roofs that appear to be straight out of Dickens. Because of their lasting appeal, the quintessential Cotswold towns like Broadway, Burford, Sto-on-the Wold, Chipping, Moreton-in-Marsh, and Upper and Lower Slaughter remain among the the most popular for today's English residential sales.
Many, like Woodstock, just north of Oxford in the heart of England, are famous for their quaint shops, hotels and restaurants huddled around the colorful Market Place. Here, in the shadows of Blenheim Palace, small cottages and quaint houses abound.
Small English cottages such as the Hathaway farm house near Stratford-on-Avon, built in the 1460's, are typical of many of the familiar half-timbered construction technique so often seen throughout England and the British Isles. These cottages have a fairy-tale appeal with hidden gardens overflowing with colorful flowers just beyond an inviting gate, as seen in a cottage in England pictured above.
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Weobley Cottage (A Southern Living Exclusive) |
To the north, winding lanes cloaked in green take one into the lake district of Beatrix Potter fame with its rolling hills, sheep pastures, slate cottages and chimneys crowned with terra cotta stacks. Here, fragrant vines cling to ancient garden walls just as time seems to cling to these modest structures. Elsewhere, flint and limestone, sandstone and millstone grit give small communities the characteristic appearance we associate with timeless English residential design.
The villages of England represent an enduring way of life more than anything else. As early as the fifth century, little settlements took hold and the resulting residential architecture is evident to this day. While there may be no such thing as the "typical" English village, there are many common characteristics.
As in many places in England, one enters another world with every step. The breathtaking scenery with its serene ambience and enchanting houses seem to come straight from a children's story book.
Our houses attempt to take their cue from such settings and centuries old homes from all over England and the British Isles.
From cottages with thatch or stone roofs and heavy timber framing to classic London town homes, England has it all. Our Cottage, Manor and Estate collections let you have a bit of merry Old England in the setting of your choice and designed to suit today's lifestyles.
As these photographs of real English houses attest, England's contribution to residential design is like no other and has an endless appeal.
Let us share our England with you as we add to our "English Classics Collection" of fine English cottage and manor house plans.
Cheers!
What our clients have to say:
- "We're thrilled!....Stunningly beautiful. It is drop dead beautiful! Every side of the house looks as good as the front....so gorgeous and a very comprehensive set of plans." (The Derbyshire 2)
Richard, Salt Lake City Utah
- "I can't thank you enough.....You've just created our dream house! The plan is beautiful. It has that storybook quality. We've owned houses in England and yours is perfect......a work of art . We have looked six years for the right designer and the right house. We just can't say enough about what you have done. We are thrilled....A million thanks." (Fireside Cottage)
Keith and Jackie, Carlisle, Pa.
- "Everything looks great! ........it was such a pleasant and professional experience working with you and your team that we will recommend you to anyone we can!! Thank you again so very much!!" (Fireside Cottage)
Leigh and Gary, North Reading, MA
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The Derbyshire 2 (A Southern Living Exclusive) |
Visit our Postcards From England to see photos from our last trip to England! We hope that this section will give you a feel for the flavor of England and the English country cottage.
"If I ever become a rich man,
Or if I ever grow to be old,
I will build a house with deep thatch
To shelter me from the cold,
And there shall the Sussex songs be sung
And the story of Sussex told."
Hilaire Belloc, Slindon
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Winter 2009 Homestead Preserve Newsletter featuring Fireside Cottage from our English Cottage house plan collection |
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Classic charm of a Cotswold village |
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