This wonderful three-bedroom Grade II-listed cottage sits within a conservation area in the apricot tree-filled village of Aynho, Northamptonshire. The cottage was built in the 17th century and retains many of its original features, including uncoarsed rubble limestone masonry and a pretty thatched roof. A verdant front garden and a leafy patio to the rear of the house provide inviting outdoor space for relaxing or hosting. Despite its tranquil location, the house is well connected: a nearby railway station at King’s Sutton provides services to Marylebone in 75 minutes, and the M40 is close by.

Aynho’s name derives from Aienho, an Old English word for a ‘spring’ or a ‘hill’. The village is affectionately known as the ‘apricot village’ due to its abundance of apricot trees, and legend has it that villagers used to pay part of their rent with the fruit.

The history of the village is intertwined with that of Aynhoe Park, formerly known as the manor of Aienho. In the 17th century, the manor and much of the surrounding village were purchased by Thomas Cartwright, a wealthy lawyer whose family maintained the estate for over 300 years. It was between the 17th and mid-18th century that many of the vernacular buildings that form the village today were built, including this house on Blacksmith’s Hill, where many local tradesmen are thought to have historically lived and worked.