Fancy your own Shibden Hall? Genuine Tudor homes might be high maintenance but the TV hit, Gentleman Jack is sparking demand for period properties like these five 16thcentury cottages…

Nothing triggers interest in a specific type of house more than a successful television series.

When Martin Clunes’s Doc Martin was first shown, estate agents in Cornwall, where it was filmed, were besieged with requests to view fishermen’s cottages.

And, the family comedy Outnumbered, starring Hugh Dennis, did much to generate renewed interest in Victorian terraces.

Now we are seeing a similar interest in Tudor homes, thanks to the Beeb’s blockbuster, Gentleman Jack starring Sophie Rundle and Suranne Jones, although set in 18th century Yorkshire, their beautiful home, Shibden Hall is Tudor.

Luckily for buyers who are captivated by Tudor architecture we’ve discovered five cottages for sale from the period – 1485 to 1603 all within easy reach to London.

1. Andover – Hampshire

Chantry Cottage, a four-bedroom rebuilt Tudor cottage in Hampshire’s Andover is just half a mile from the London mainline station yet it’s a world away from today’s ‘cookie cutter’ family boxes.

How quickly can I get to London?

The fastest train is 67 minutes straight into London’s Waterloo Station.

With around 37 trains a day, this has got to be worth considering.

What can I get for my money there?

£425k buys you Chantry Cottage – this is a fabulous four bedroom, rebuilt and restored Tudor cottage. The cottage has bags of room (1600 sq ft over three floors!) and bags of history – it’s known as the Tudor house that moved! It’s only a 10-minute walk from the mainline station and it has a lovely walled courtyard.

If you’re looking for a unique property with space to breathe – this is for you!

The property is marketed by Pearsons and the owners have created their own website to tell the story of house’s rich history: https://chantrycottage.info

What’s the town got?

Andover is a small market town on the mainline to London. There is a street market every Thursday and Saturday in the High Street (which dates back to Saxon times) and it has a small indoor shopping centre. Andover was once was once a stopover for coaches on their way to London, Southampton and Oxford.

The town has 10 primary schools, three secondary schools, two independent schools (one with a 6th form) and a further education college. It’s well serviced with supermarkets including Waitrose and Lidl, lots of eateries and a five-screen Odeon cinema.

What else?

Andover is in leafy Hampshire surrounded by picturesque villages, ancient woodland and glorious country pubs. It’s around a 30-minute drive to Southampton Airport and closer still to Salisbury, Newbury and Winchester. The town looks to be on the up – with the council in the final stages of its Andover Masterplan

2. Hengrave, Bury St Edmunds – Suffolk

How quickly can I get to London?

Fastest train is 1hr 49mins (Liverpool St, change at Ipswich)

What can I get for my money there?

Kennedy Cottage is a quaint Grade II listed three-bedroom mid terraced house situated within the village of Hengrave within the grounds of Hengrave Hall.

Also priced at £425K it’s believed to date back to the 16th century. Features include the Tudor style leaded windows, cast iron open fireplace with surround and hearth.

Marketed with Fine & Country

What’s the town got?

Another historic market town, probably most famous for the ruined Abbey that stands near to the town centre, surrounded by Abbey Gardens, and is one of the hidden gems of Suffolk.

The town boasts quaint old pubs, cafes, bars and clubs – there are lots of places to eat and fast-food outlets of every variety. All the big supermarkets are represented and there is shopping centres.

There are 10 state-funded schools in the district, three independent schools, a 6th form college and a further education college.

What else?

Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds. Built in 1819, this playhouse is the only surviving example of a Regency theatre in this country. It is the only theatre open to the public in the National Trust’s portfolio of properties.Bury Cathedral is quite magnificent and well worth a tour and, there’s Ickworth House, Park and Gardens. The house is now open to visitors and inside you are invited to view the collection of old master paintings housed there. The gardens are really lovely, a mixture of 18th Century Parklands and a more Mediterranean themed area.

3. Old Wroughton, Swindon – Wiltshire

How quickly can I get to London?

The fastest train from Swindon is 52 minutes straight into London’s Paddington Station.

What can I get for my money there?

Midsummer Cottage is a four-bedroom Grade II listed home in the heart of Old Wroughton (four miles from Swindon) The home offers an abundance of character and charm with original features including exposed brick, inglenook fireplaces, wooden beams and not to mention a beautiful thatch. This cottage is marketed with Richard James estate agents.

What’s the closest town got?

Swindon is a very large town, so what it lacks in charm it makes up for in amenities – it’s got the lot! It’s particularly good for shopping boasting the Swindon Designer Outlet is an indoor shopping mall for reduced-price goods (mainly clothing), most of the buildings it uses were former railway works. The outlet is adjacent to the Stem Museum and the National Trust’s HQ.

Swindon has 12 secondary schools, and sixth-form colleges. Two secondary schools also have sixth forms. There is one independent school.

What else?

Swindon is particularly accessible – it’s equidistant between Bristol, Bath and Reading, only 12 miles from Marlborough and around 26 miles from Oxford.

Swindon is surrounded by beautiful countryside, picturesque villages and fabulous country pubs. There are also plenty of historic houses and gardens to visit at the weekend.

4. Kilsby, Rugby – Warwickshire

How quickly can I get to London?

The fastest train from Rugby is 50 minutes straight into London’s Euston Station

What can I get for my money there?

This charming, ‘chocolate box’ three-bedroom, detached cottage will set you back £600K and is believed to date back to the 16th century, it’s situated in the village of Kilsby, just five miles from Rugby. The house is marketed by Picklescott Homes.

What’s the closest town got?

Rugby is a sizeable town has a population in excess of 70k, it’s most famous for the invention of the game of Rugby. The main shopping area is in the streets around the Clock Tower.

There are 25 primary schools, four comprehensive schools, three grammar schools and two independent schools serving Rugby. Rugby School is one of England’s oldest and most prestigious public schools and was the setting of Thomas Hughes’ semi-autobiographical masterpiece Tom Brown’s Schooldays published in 1857.

What else?

Rugby is approximately 35miles away from Birmingham. As well as being on London’s mainline, it’s well served by the motorway network, with the M1 and M6 merging close by Rugby’s nearest airports are Birmingham and Coventry.

The county of Warwickshire is famous for Stratford upon Avon – the birthplace of William Shakespeare and the Warwickshire city of Coventry was the setting for the story of noblewoman, Lady Godiva who rode naked through the streets in protest against taxes.

5. St Ives – Cambridgeshire

How quickly can I get to London?

The closest mainline station for travel to London can be found in Huntingdon (5 Miles away) – about 15 min drive. Huntingdon to London takes around 65mins (St Pancras)

What can I get for my money there?

£275K will buy this lovely two double bedroom, three-storey Grade II listed townhouse in the heart of St. Ives. It’s in an ideal location for nature lovers- the river Great Ouse and Hemingford meadow are within two minutes’ walk of the front door. This property is marketed by Harvey Robinson

What’s the town got?

You’ll find plenty of shops in St Ives, along with some great independent stores and cafes, which make shopping a real pleasure. The pubs are also highly rated by residents, and you’ll find plenty of great restaurants in the area.

One of St Ives’ biggest draws is its proximity to Cambridge, the A1309 is just two miles from the property and provides easy access into the centre of Cambridge, in addition the St. Ives Park & Ride terminal is a ten-minute walk from the front door.

What else?

St Ives is also close to Grafham Water, a large freshwater reservoir that provides a range of outdoor activities and watersports including, cycling, sailing and fishing.

It’s around 17 miles from Cambridge, most famous for the university, which dates back to the 13th century.