Gone Fishing is back. The sleepy Sunday night hit show set on the bucolic banks of the UK’s rivers follows the comedians Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse as they talk wistfully about life, cook heart-healthy recipes and find new ways to fall over while fishing.
Only the hardest of hearts could fail to be warmed by it, or to be seduced by the best of British landscapes and charming cottages they stay in along the way. In the spirit of the show, we’ve gone hunting for properties that would tickle the turbot of any fishing enthusiast.
Houses with fishing rights are a rarity and are in high demand. Interest is mainly driven by the river it is on — catch records are vital — but it’s all about being able to walk from your front door to your own stretch of water for that all-important alone time in thigh-high waders.
When Oliver Custance Baker, director at the estate agency Strutt & Parker in Exeter, recently put a thatched cottage on the River Exe on the market, it sold within two weeks for well over the guide price after competitive bidding.
“The listing attracted interest from across the world, with all parties interested thanks to the fishing,” he says.
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For the best fly fishing, head along the chalk streams of the Test, Itchen and Kennet in Hampshire, Wiltshire and Berkshire, where properties on the riverbank command a 30 per cent premium, according to Charlie Warner, partner at the buying agency Heaton & Partners.
Grand Scottish estates would not be complete without access to some of the top salmon and trout fishing in the world — but you’ll need deep pockets to retain fishing rights. For those who can afford it, it offers a change of pace. The meditative nature of fishing is perfect for those who have “made it” and are looking for a chance to wind down.
Demand for homes with fishing rights, or near riverbanks, has “stepped up a gear since lockdown” Warner says. He recently found a weekend home along a riverbank in Hampshire for a London buyer, but it quickly became his permanent residence. Warner says: “The feeling of calm you get being on the water, where you know that no one is going to disturb you in your own oasis, is the ultimate dream.”
For sale
Greater Manchester, £55,000
Happy with your house? Buy a pond stocked with carp, roach, tench, rudd and bream. Nestled in the hills above Marple Bridge village, 20 minutes from Stockport, this half-acre plot has gated access, mature trees and shrubs. It’s on sale by informal tender and bids close at noon on Sept 1.
0161 427 2488, gascoigne halman.co.uk
Wiltshire, £1m
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This three-bedroom house with a capacious Dutch barn is on the banks of the River Avon, with potential to build a riverside platform for private fishing and relaxing.
01225 325994, knightfrank.co.uk
Northamptonshire, £3.5m
Pipewell Hall is a beguiling, 17th-century country residence in between Kettering and Corby. There are nine bedrooms, a heated outdoor pool, tennis court and large lake.
01780 750200, fineandcountry.com
Monmouthshire, £850,000
Gilwern Farm is a five-bedroom cottage in the village of Ponthir, a seven-minute drive from the banks of the Usk, a premier Welsh salmon river and one of the best for wild trout fly-fishing in the UK.
07884 231242, mrandmrsclarke.com
Gloucestershire, £2.5m
The aptly named Fishing Lodge is a five- bedroom Cotwolds home with fishing rights on the River Dikler. Near Little Rissington, it has a pony paddock and a studio space.
01451 830731, butlersherborn.co.uk
Buckinghamshire, £3m
You can spot this three-bedroom house from the River Thames in Marlow by its curved turret. It has a 120ft river frontage, a private mooring and a boat house.
01628 260324, hamptons.co.uk
Scottish Borders,offers over £3m
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The Georgian Faldonside House in Melrose is the ultimate entertainment house, with 14 bedrooms, a tennis court and cinema. It’s on the River Tweed, famous for its trout fishing.
01896 807013, knightfrank.co.uk
