The New Murrey and Blue blog

I do enjoy Country Life magazine, mainly for the beautiful old houses that come up for sale and are shown in detail. The actual history of the properties isn’t always mentioned, and so I try to find out more, in the hope of learning of some connection to “our” period. This time the 6-bedroom property in question—see here A 900-year-old farmhouse with higgledy piggledy beams, a suit of armour in the hall — and a very 21st century ‘smart’ swimming pool – Country Life—is Byeballs Farm, Tindon End, Great Sampford, near Saffron Walden in Essex.

From the outside it’s hard to believe the property is 900 years old (although it must be as it’s mentioned in the Domesday Book). And the Country Life article speaks of “….an ancient panelled front door [leading] into a vast hall, which dates from the 1500s, from where steps lead, via a study and music room, to a pretty sitting room lined throughout with medieval murals….” And “….A corridor on the other side of the hall leads to a snug, a separate study and a dining room, which together form the 12th-century part of the house….”

Yes, the Tudors get a mention, but even they can’t lay claim to having been in charge in the 12th century, so they have to get in line with everyone else. Demeaning for them, I know.

I was so hoping to find something exciting from the property’s history, but if anything happened there, or a royal head once graced one of the beds, posterity has overlooked it.

The farm does get a mention in British History Online, see here Great Sampford | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk) but the image below is the whole entry.

To make the house your own today you’ll need £1,675.000, which I think would make even the Conqueror’s eyes bulge somewhat, but while I like it, I cannot say that it features on my shortlist. I’d need history, and somehow, rather astonishingly, this house lacks it!