Pastoral care

Nestling in the smallest postcode in London, Beresford Terrace 2 is a sweet, bright home that reminds us of an English country cottage. With its original fireplace, duck egg blue walls, pretty kitchen and roll-topped bath, you could be forgiven for thinking that London is a long way away.

Upon closer inspection, however, you may notice the high ceilings, modern couch, and, of course, your nearness to the centre of town. Because, for all its rural charm, Beresford Terrace is in fact less than half an hour from Oxford Circus.

Land girl

Your host is a documentary maker who specialises in films on food and farming, and you can see it in every fibre of her home. She’s lived all around the UK and acquired treasures both large and small, look out for the antique kitchen scales and some beautifully battered furniture. But her most precious possession is her agrarian ethos. See it everywhere from the well-weeded vegetable beds outside the window to the flowers on the vintage china. She may live in the city, but she’s made her patch of land a true oasis in the concrete jungle.

Bucolic bliss

You’ll find the topsy turvy layout of Beresford Terrace tremendously appealing. Downstairs you’ll discover the master bedroom, with its lovely garden view and enormous gilt framed mirror. Next door there’s a further double, and along the corridor you’ll find a bathroom so quaint it could have come straight from Beatrix Potter.

Upstairs there’s a beautiful, relaxed living area, with an original working fireplace, large curved windows and gleamingly pale floors. The galley kitchen opens out onto the gorgeous walled garden. Eat inside or out, at twilight, surrounded by fruit and flowers, you’ll find the big smoke feels an awfully long way away.

Town and country

Highbury Fields are a few steps away, and down in Highbury Barn you’ll find cafes, delis and one of the UK’s foremost vendors of cheese. Nearby Upper Street is packed with buzzy bars, boutiques and restaurants. And if you want to get into town, Highbury & Islington tube can whisk you into zone 1 in less than twenty minutes.