Houses in the woods: Where to find a home in a forest

Whether you’re looking for a secluded property as your main residence or as a second home, it’s possible that you’ve considered houses in the woods. 

It is not always the case that a house in the woods has to be buried deep in the middle of a forest, it might simply be that the property is shielded from a passing road or footpath by mature woodland and gives a feeling of living in the woods. 

Having a home that offers this level of privacy is incredibly appealing to many, meaning these homes can often be in high demand but short supply, and in many cases, as with many prime properties, they rarely make it onto the open market. 

If you’re undecided on where to live and are prioritising the prospect of finding a home in a forest, the following areas might be worth considering as likely locations where you’ll find houses in the woods. 

The New Forest, Hampshire

Many homes within the beautiful New Forest National Park are surrounded by woodland and residents can enjoy the added benefit of being within easy reach of the coast too. 

The New Forest is a wonderful place to live, residents enjoy peace and privacy, yet due to the excellent transport connections via rail and road, London is within a reasonable commuting distance.  

The centres of Brockenhurst, Lymington and Lyndhurst are amongst the locations that offer an excellent range of amenities, houses in the woods can be found on the outskirts of these towns and the areas in between.  

Villages such as Sway and Burley are places where you can hope to find homes set back from the road and hidden from view by mature trees. 

Given the nature of the New Forest it’s unsurprising that of all the locations to consider looking for houses in the woods, this area is one of the top areas for buyers to focus a search. 

The Cotswolds, Gloucestershire

Whilst much of the Cotswolds is expansive rolling hills, there are many woodland areas and it is possible to find houses in the woods.

Often tucked away and hidden in the valleys, these picturesque stone built properties can offer residents the feeling of being entirely remote and removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, often whilst still having a village or town not too far a drive away for amenities. 

The villages between Stroud and Cirencester, such as France Lynch, Chalford and Sapperton, are locations to consider on a search for a house in the woods within the Cotswolds. 

Grand stately homes are often surrounded by a mature forest to ensure privacy and that is demonstrated across the Cotswolds with large manor houses often found to be surrounded by woodland, though these properties are rarely available to buy on the open market. 

Surrey Hills, Surrey

Those who visit Surrey Hills are likely there to enjoy the far-reaching views over rolling hills and the beautiful countryside, many of the areas surrounding Surrey Hills are wooded and there are some enchanting properties hidden in the woods. 

The village of Shere is picture perfect and a desirable place to live, for those seeking a house in the woods, the area that surrounds the village is largely forested. 

Nearby, in another popular Surrey Hills village, homes in Peaslake often enjoy a position surrounded by woodland, similarly buyers should include the village of Holmby St Mary in their Surrey property search when looking for a home in a forest. 

Naturally being a hilly area, some elevated properties are fortunate to enjoy a position surrounded by trees yet have far reaching views.  

There are many parts of Surrey that have woodland areas and within those it’s usually possible to find houses in the woods, or properties positioned on the edge of a forest. 

Due to the privacy mature woodland can offer, many private estates are filled with mature trees and offer houses in the woods. Wentworth and St George’s Hill, for example, have trees throughout. 

Perry Wood, Kent

Perry Wood is an ancient woodland in East Kent. As you’d expect from an area that is a managed woodland, there are houses in the woods dotted around the area. 

The villages near to Perry Wood, such as Selling and Chilham are incredibly green and are beautiful, tranquil places to look for a home surrounded by trees. 

Homes are often tucked away on narrow single track lanes framed by tall trees, giving an old worldly feel to the area. 

The Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty overall is a wonderful place to live, local residents enjoy an excellent quality of life and ready access to main transport connections with the M2 and M20 motorways running either side of the area. 

In the Perry Wood area residents benefit from the local train stations such as Chilham, from which you can reach London in around an hour and a half – ideal for the irregular commuter. 

Fort William, Scotland

At the foot of Ben Nevis, Fort William is the perfect place to live if you enjoy the outdoors. Due to the natural landscape many houses in the woods can be found in the area surrounding the town and in locations across wider Lochaber. 

Houses in the area can be tucked away amongst the trees, hidden from the view of passers-by, yet they’ll often enjoy breathtaking views over a loch or even of magnificent Ben Nevis. 

Fort William is an ideal centre to be close to as there are convenient transport connections to both Edinburgh and Glasgow and a wide range of amenities. 

Finding houses in the woods

The areas listed here are just a few locations in which home buyers can expect to find houses in the woods. Across the UK there are many more places where house hunters might find a home in the forest. 

Our team of professional property finders are experts in their field and have an intrinsic knowledge of the areas in which they operate. 

If you need to live in a certain area but are hoping to find a house in the woods, they’ll be able to guide you on which locations are more likely to feature the type of home you are seeking. 

For a no obligation discussion with a member of the team please do get in touch.