Three historic country houses in Yorkshire, a stone’s throw from the most northerly of Britain’s 16 white chalk horses, offer comfortable contemporary living and fascinating backstories

Brimming with character, an inimitable Aga inevitably rules the roost and each of these houses boasts one–perfect for gathering and gossiping around and devouring whatever magic emerges from its cavernous ovens

Comfortable seclusion is on offer at three historic houses, each beautifully presented and set in glorious landscapes worthy of God’s own county

Bucklesham Hall, Bucklesham, Ipswich, Suffolk. A renovated, 15th-century hall set in formal gardens with spring-fed lakes, including one with a Japanese-style bridge and an island. It has beamed ceili

Christine Faughlin sings the praises of a converted chapel on the 30,000-acre Bolton Abbey estate in the Yorkshire Dales

Dray House, Dyrham, near Bath, Gloucestershire. A detached family home next to the historic grounds of Dyrham Park. It has a terrace with pizza oven, an electric-car charging point, and a wooded area