UK's ‘Best Sustainable Home’ The Garden House hits market for £1.5m - and it's in Nottinghamshire

The five-bedroom architectural gem is award-winning

Just outside the ancient market town of Southwell, in the hamlet of Westhorpe, stands The Garden House – a five-bedroom architectural gem crafted by the renowned Allan Joyce.

The property has been voted as ‘Best Sustainable Home’ in the UK by The Telegraph, and is positioned within the former vegetable garden of Westhorpe Hall, is enveloped by a Georgian walled garden dating back to the 1790s.

Beyond its striking exterior, The Garden House demonstrates a thoughtful open-plan layout and practical features. The unrestricted living area on the ground floor sets the stage for family gatherings and entertaining.

Named by The Daily Telegraph as the ‘Best Sustainable Home’, an energy consultant was employed during the build to ensure running costs would be low and the temperature controlled, with features like passive solar design and complete insulation and with robust materials including oak used throughout.

Allan Joyce, who has lived at The Garden House with wife Anna and their children for over 20 years, is also the architect behind the space: “It’s rare these days to have a home that offers so much space but is also efficient to run”, he said.

“Living sustainably is incredibly important to us and led me to install a rainwater harvesting system and a heat recovery and solar collection to ensure as an architect I have the lowest impact on the planet. Our home is still the most sustainable building I’ve ever designed.”

The accommodation spans three floors, with the ground floor boasting an inviting entrance hall leading to a contemporary kitchen and dining area. Bespoke cherry oak cabinets, granite worktops, and a range-style cooker add a touch of luxury to this functional space.

A quirky staircase cleverly disguised as a wine rack leads to the roof garden, providing a vantage point to appreciate the lush gardens and rolling Nottinghamshire countryside.

Descending to the lower ground floor, the prospective buyer will find four large bedrooms, one with an ensuite shower room, and a versatile study. The main bedroom, a haven of tranquillity, features floor-to-ceiling glazing opening to the garden room – an ideal spot to savour a morning coffee.

The exterior of The Garden House is arguably the real seller; the secluded Georgian brick surrounded grounds offering a high degree of privacy. A cobbled driveway leads to a triple car garage and brick store, providing ample parking. The gardens, nurtured over two decades, offer an oasis with mature borders, a sunken lawn, an orchard, and a historic potting shed.

“We’ve loved living in Westhorpe and it’s been the perfect base to raise our children”, said Mr and Mrs Joyce, “we’ve made so many fantastic memories here in the house and surrounding gardens – it's so private it’s been like our own little oasis.

“It’s time for us to move now our children are older and the house has so much potential we hope someone comes in and makes fantastic use of it. We’ve often wondered about using some of the additional space for an annex or home business, the house was designed with flexibility in mind so there’s scope to make it your own.”

The Garden House is for sale for £1.5m with Gascoines estate agent based in Southwell. It can be viewed online here.

For more information call Gascoines on 01636 813245.