If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, just imagine how healthy you would be if you had your very own orchard.

As September fast approaches we are entering the apple harvest season, which means the apples would be just about ready to pick right now. The idea of strolling to the bottom of the garden to find a paddock full of apple trees groaning under the weight of their fruit sounds tempting.

So tempting, in fact, that it got us searching for properties with orchards. Here’s our pick of the crop…

Churchstow, Devon
£1,000,000
This 14^th-century country house is tucked away in a valley created by the River Avon.

The house has three/four bedrooms and comes with a separate studio in a converted barn.

Its 2.5 acres of cider orchards sit alongside paddocks and two ponds linked by waterfalls.

Wacton, Norfolk
£995,000
Eight miles from the market town of Diss, Wacton Hall is a well-restored 16^th-century manor house.

It has six bedrooms, five reception rooms and four bathrooms. The established orchard is hard to miss – the drive passes through on its approach to the house.

West Hall, Suffolk
£850,000
Paradise Farm, a 16^th-century five-bedroom farmhouse, comes with not one but two orchards.

It also has several acres of woodland, meadows, paddocks, former kitchen garden, lawns and ponds.

Crickleaze, Somerset
£790,000
The orchard that comes with this Victorian coach house is in good company – it sits alongside a swimming pool, fish pond, kitchen garden and bluebell copse.

The house, situated in a tiny hamlet, has five bedrooms and three reception rooms.

If any of you saw Dragons’ Den last night you’ll have witnessed the usually hard-headed Peter Jones get in touch with his inner child and fork out £28,000 for a miniature timber-framed Tudor play house.

I’ve never been a big fan of Jones, but I have to admit there was something quite touching  about his spontaneous show of astonishment and delight when the quaint little structure was unveiled by its maker Russell Bowlby.

Jones, however, didn’t completely lose the plot: he bought the playhouse but refused to invest in the business. Just as well, because had he stumped up some cash there’s no knowing how Duncan Bannatyne would have reacted. But it wouldn’t have been pretty.

I’m guessing Jones has a garden big enough to accommodate the Tudor Cottage, but if timber-framed charm is his thing there are plenty of equally enchanting full-sized houses he could  purchase.

Here are a few beauties currently for sale:

1. Plympton St Maurice, Plymouth

 2. Bethersden, Kent

3. Old Woking, Woking, Surrey

4. Hartshorne, Derbyshire

If you’ve ever seen Withnail & I, you’ll know of Uncle Monty’s cottage. The Cumbrian farmhouse is the scene of a disastrous weekend, and it has become almost as iconic for Withnail fans as the film itself.

The cottage, real name Sleddale Hall, was auctioned in February for £265,000, after reportedly lying derelict for a number of decades. The buyer, Sebastian Hindley, planned to sympathetically restore it and open it up to the local community as a museum in tribute to the cult film. However, he failed to raise the cash, and now the cottage has been re-sold and it’s back in the hands of a private owner.

The home (which needs more than a little bit of work) now belongs to architect Tim Ellis, whose bid was passed over in the original auction (which also attracted rumoured interest from Kate Moss and Chris Evans, and a bid from a consortium of Withnail fans). He’s now converting the property into a home, but promises to stay true to the ‘Withnail atmosphere’.

But if you’re not a Withnail fan, here’s a question for you. Which fictional property would you like to buy? Tell me in the comments!

Chesterton Humberts made a smart move when they hired an in-house historian to write about their most interesting properties – the amount of PR coverage alone has surely made it worth while.

However, Melanie Backe-Hansen hasn’t spent all of her time trawling through dusty archives. She’s also been busy online, writing a very engaging and well-designed blog – The House Historian – not to mention guest blogging over at Country Life.

She has a Twitter account too with 479 people following her posts on everything from Colebrooke Row, the street Boris Johnson now calls home, to a house in Mayfair associated with the ‘happy valley’ murders in colonial Kenya – the case that inspired the book, and later the film, White Mischief.

Being a bit of a history geek, I’m all for these archival anecdotes, but Chesterton Humberts say their clients are loving it too – buyers, because it helps bring the property to life, and vendors because they can see how it might help attract interest and viewings.

All very clever, and also rather apt. Chesterton, after all, have quite a historical pedigree of their own: founded way back in 1805 by the uncle of the writer GK Chesterton, they’re one the UK’s oldest estate agents.

Good to see that possessing deep historical roots doesn’t have to mean being stuck in the past.

It’s that time again. We’re kick-starting the week with a look at what’s happening on some of our favourite property blogs.

For celebrity property porn, you can always rely on the Real Estalker. This week they’ve been snooping around Lou Reed’s newly purchased Hamptons home and Bjork’s New York pad.

For stats, head to the Money Blog, where Friday’s chart of the day measures the rise of new house building, and its effect on property prices.

Over at A Slice of the Property Cake, Mr Jackson has been admiring this brand new architect-designed property.

On Winging It, Mike’s wreck of the week is a £150,000 Perthshire folly, while Joss is checking out properties with some of the best sea views the South West has to offer.

And it appears that 4Homes’ Rich Payne also loves to be beside the seaside, as he showcases his top five contemporary coastal homes.

Happy reading!

They’re all aghast over at Curbed about a rental property in Waldorf Towers, New York, priced at a humungous $140,000 per month.

Why so much? Well, to begin with, it was Cole Porter’s home from 1934-1964 – the place, no less, where he penned the song “Don’t Fence Me In” and, appropriately enough, “You’re The Top” (you’re a Waldorf salad…).

Waldorf Towers is as exclusive as New York gets – a legendary boutique hotel occupying the 28th-42nd floors of the Waldorf Astoria on Park Avenue. The apartments, they claim, “are distinguished by unparalleled luxury, elegance and privacy” and the room service is “impeccable and personalized”.

Maybe so, but if these pictures are anything to go by, the apartment in question is pretty underwhelming  – a bit like an upmarket conference hotel circa 1979.  Bland, says Curbed … I agree.

I’m thinking London can do better, so not to be outdone by our transatlantic cousins, I’ve taken a look through the Primelocation.com listings and have found a rental property that’s actually more expensive than Waldorf Towers.

True, it’s a house, not an apartment, but even so … Wellington Court in the Harrods Estate in Knightsbridge will set you back a cool £25,000 per week. At the current rate of exchange that works out at $164,906 per month.

For that you get six bedroom suites, seven bathrooms, two receptions, a library, a screening room, a gym, a hydrotherapy spa, two kitchens and numerous terraces. Oh, and by the way, if you want it as a short let, the price rises to £40,000 pw.

Fancy a peek?  Thought you might!  Of the two, I know which one I’d prefer to live in…

It’s not every day that you get the chance to rent a bona fide architectural classic but that’s exactly what’s on offer over at The Modern House at the moment.

The beautiful Tilty Hill Barn, designed by über minimalist John Pawson, is a gorgeous essay in finely-honed simplicity: plain white walls, cool glass panels, polished floors and rectilinear shapes are set against the wonderfully gnarled integrity of the original timber beams.

The end result is a contemplative and Zen like space – exactly the kind of effect for which Pawson is most famous. But there’s nothing cold and sterile about this house. 

Minimalism, as Pawson has explained, is not about there being nothing there; it’s about returning to, and celebrating, the very essence of things: space, light, and the defining qualities of a few carefully chosen materials (stone, glass, timber, plaster, metal).

To some it’s a rigorous and severe aesthetic, but for Pawson the crispness and clarity of the minimalist space is a form of liberation.

“It was a sense of the oppressive weight of possessions that gave me my first taste for simplicity,” he notes in his collection of musings on the subject.

“The minimum is the perfection an artefact achieves when it is no longer possible to improve it by subtraction.”

Tilty Hill Barn has appeared in numerous publications and has been the subject of a book, Barn, by Pawson and his client, the photographer Fi McGhee.

If you can’t abide clutter and love cutting-edge contemporary design,  it’s yours for the renting for £3,500 pcm.  Click pics for full details.

It seems only fair that I write about Greenwich. After all, I live here and it’s one of my favourite parts of London. It’s also one of the most sought after, thanks to its perfect mix of little town atmosphere and great location (it’s just twenty minutes from Central London).

The best bits: the views that stretch across the park are the finest in London (I’m not being biased, I promise); the university buildings, which were designed by Sir Christopher Wren; the hustle and bustle of the market at the weekends.

Throw in a whole host of boutiques and restaurants, and a few famous residents (Jools Holland and Lawrence Lewellyn-Bowen live here) and you’ve got yourself a perfect little location. If you can find somewhere to buy, snap it up quickly – properties don’t stay on the market for long around here.

Where should you buy? Anywhere around the park is usually a good bet. My dream house would be on Royal Hill. And of course, anywhere in the Greenwich Triangle would be perfect.

Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

West Grove
This six-bedroom, five-floor Victorian terraced house is in a great location for both Greenwich and Blackheath. It’s situated between Greenwich station and Greenwich Park.

And it’s not just a good location that makes this property worth its £2,950,000 price tag. It’s amazing on the inside too – it’s got a huge open-plan kitchen/dining/family room, underfloor heating and mood lighting.

Torn between garden or roof terrace? Well don’t be – this property has both, and the latter offers some terrific views across London.

Crooms Hill
Near the park, yet tucked away from the tourist traps, Crooms Hill is a great little spot. The avenue is shaded and meanders all the way between Blackheath Common and the old outdoor market. Put simply, it’s the perfect street.

Quiet, friendly but in the midst of everything you need. Close enough to Royal Hill to take advantage of the local grocery shops and right by the good schools too.

Could you aks for anything more? Well, this property comes with all that but also gives you seven bedrooms and great views over the park as well. The perfect Greenwich home? Quite possibly.

St. Alfege Passage
If you’re going to live in Greenwich, then the centre is where you really ought to be. Most of the properties in the centre fetch over a million, but I’ve found this lovely little house that is on the market for just £769,950.

Most of the houses in the centre of Greenwich are town houses – straight onto the street, so you don’t get any greenery – but this one is situated in a lovely little courtyard overlooking a church.

So if the park isn’t enough greenery for you, this place might be perfect. Did I mention the conservatory? No? Maybe I should. It has a conservatory too.

Forget their reputation as a cheap alternative to a London flat or a route in for cash-strapped first-time buyers. Forget the perceived misery of a freezing winter’s night on a leaky, creaky boat. That’s not the sort of houseboat I mean. I’m talking about the luxury sort of houseboat – the ones that come with four or five bedrooms, sunken swimming pools or 1,000 sq ft terraces.

If you can pass the hurdles of expensive, hard to get moorings and non-existent mortgages for houseboats (apparently around 90 per cent of sales are by cash buyers), and you do buy your very own luxury houseboat, you’ll be in very eclectic yet esteemed company. Damien Hirst, Nick Cave and Bear Grylls have all been proud houseboat owners.

Still not convinced that life on the Thames can be glamorous? Let’s see if these dreamboats can change your mind.

Riverside Quarter, Wandsworth
£1,300,000
This four-bedroom, two-level floating home has an open-plan living space and a 1,000 sq ft roof terrace. It’s moored at the popular Riverside Quarter, with 24-hour security and concierge, on-site restaurants, gym, and an underground parking space.

Cheyne Walk, Chelsea
£1,100,000
Another four-bedroom offering, this houseboat is moored on Cheyne Walk, one of the most exclusive river locations in London, with impressive views up and down the Thames. It is offered with the opportunity to purchase a 10-year license with option to renew.

Cadogan Pier, Chelsea
£1,000,000
In a licensed mooring just minutes from the King’s Road in Chelsea, this three-bedroom houseboat has open-plan living, spacious front and rear decks and a sunken swimming pool.

Lightermans Walk, Wandsworth
£825 per week
For those who would rather rent than buy, this three-bedroom houseboat has a 70ft roof terrace, two reception rooms – one with a double-height ceiling and a wood burning stove –  and two bathrooms. It comes with an underground parking space and use of the gym and swimming pool at Prospect Quay.

Today is the Glorious Twelfth – the day that the grouse season officially begins. To mark the occasion, here’s our pick of the best Scottish shooting estates currently up for sale.

Yester Estate, East Lothian
One of Scotland’s great houses, this category A listed building has gate lodges, 14 bedrooms, a gothic-style category B listed stable block, 500 acres and a wooded river gorge that provides excellent topography for shooting. It’s on the market for £12,000,000.

Ackergill, Highland
This original 15^th century tower is set in an unspoilt location and is currently run as an exclusive retreat. It’s got 17 en-suite bedrooms, guest cottages, Britain’s most northerly opera house, an impressive tree house and shooting and fishing rights leased over 4000 acres of the neighbouring estate. All for £5,000,000.

Torridon, Highland
An 18-bedroom Highland shooting lodge in a magnificent position on the north shores of Loch Torridon with four cottages, estate buildings and a boathouse. It’s for sale for £3,500,000.

Midmar, Aberdeenshire
For a guide price of £3,500,000 you get a 10-bedroom 16^th century castle complete with contents and approximately 185 acres, including shoot facilities.

Craighall Castle, Perthshire
 This historic cliff-top castle is on the market for £2,200,000. It’s got 12 bedrooms and comes with a stable block, extensive lawns, salmon fishing averaging 139 salmon and grilse, rough shooting and roe stalking, and Scotland’s second deepest gorge.