There’s something very quintessentially British about those picture-perfect Cotswold houses – like Wimbledon, Big Ben or the Queen, these pretty properties are national treasures. Their distinctive sandy-coloured stone can be seen dotted all over the Cotswolds. If you are lucky enough to call one of them home, then you are one enviable homeowner indeed.

Pioneer of the production line, Henry Ford, seemed to think so. Not content with buying just one Cotswold cottage, he went a step further. He tried to buy an entire row of them – Arlington Row in the village of Bibury.

Apparently Ford wanted to ship them back to Michigan to include them in his historical theme park. He was unsuccessful in his attempt however, and instead had to settle for a cottage from Chedworth. Still, that one must have been something special too – deconstructing a house and rebuilding it on the other side of the Atlantic isn’t something you do on a whim.

Arlington Row, which narrowly escaped such a fate, was built from local stone in the 14th century and originally used as a monastic wool store. It was converted into weavers’ cottages in the 17th century, and is now owned by the National Trust – which should protect it from any other over-enthusiastic bidders who might have their eye on buying the whole lot.

The village of Bibury is steeped in history too – William Morris, who had a summer home nearby, declared it “the most beautiful village in England”.

Morris and Ford are not the only ones who fell in love with the Cotswolds – we’re pretty smitten with the houses there as well. If you’re tempted too, check out the homes below. From quaint cottages to rambling country houses, here’s our pick of the properties on the market at the moment – all in that wonderful Cotswold stone.

Fyfield

This Grade II-Listed detached Cotswold stone property has four bedrooms, flagstone floors, exposed timbers and open fireplaces. Its idyllic setting includes mature gardens and views across the countryside and the River Leach. It’s on the market for £1,000,000.

Cirencester

Usquebaugh Cottage, another Grade II-Listed traditional Cotswold property, was originally a series of four cottages that date back to the early 18^th century. Alterations were made in the 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries, but many period features remain. This four-bedroom, three-reception-room property is on the market for £747,500.

Eastleach

This pretty four-bedroom terraced cottage is located in the heart of a rural Cotswold village. It’s for sale for £499,000.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 11:59 am and is filed under Keyword Search of the Week, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.