Some years back, I first encountered the modernist High & Over house in Amersham, Bucks on the classic Metro-Land documentary and ever since, I've had a secret yearning to own the property. Well, it's now up for sale. Just a shame about the price tag.
It's an amazing house, the work of Amyas Connell and dating back to 1931, it was the first modernist property to be built in Great Britain. Sadly, it was split into two houses in the early 1960s (before it got listed status), but the current owners have re-united the two parts, as well as restoring High & Over to its former glory.
Indeed, the house is now a mix of old and new, offering up many original features, including the spiral staircase encased entirely in glass, the chrome double front doors, the large circular balcony overlooking the marble-floored hall and the spectacular roof terraces. Even the original circular swimming pool survives.
In terms of specifics, the house offers 7/8 bedrooms, 6 reception rooms, those roof terraces and the pool, as well as all the modern amenities, a couple of garages and 1.7 acres of land. Of course, it's also on the Metropolitan line, as the earlier-mentioned documentary indicated. Fancy it? Well, you'll have to dig deep as the house is up for £2,395,000. But if you want to check it out, there is a viewing day on Saturday 15th May, which should be well worth attending.
