Views over mill streams and a beautiful 12th-Century church

Tanning has a long tradition in Downton, and Church Leat is built on the site of the old village tannery, surrounded by the River Avon and water meadows and sitting just below the Grade-I-listed St Laurence’s church. Water is integral to the character of the estate, with some properties actually built over the mill stream, a carrier of the river Avon. All the cottages have a balcony or a conservatory to make the most of the delightful setting, and some even have both.

A footbridge over the river Avon leads into Downton, which is a large village with a good range of shops including a supermarket, hairdresser, a chemist, several pubs and a library. The village is well-known for its fishing and for an award-winning local brewery, and a sports centre, horticultural society, bridge club, choir, and spots for tennis, bowls and cricket, all ensure plenty of activities to choose from. The beauty of the New Forest National Park is only a few miles away, and the city of Salisbury with its cathedral, excellent shops and many cultural facilities is only slightly further afield. If you are keen for a little sea air, both the seaside towns of Poole and Bournemouth are less than an hour’s drive.