The properties currently on the market in the Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex countryside are wonderfully varied. From cosy cottages to grand Elizabethan manor houses there is much to look at and consider.

SIX OF THE BEST COUNTRYSIDE PROPERTIES IN NORFOLK, SUFFOLK AND ESSEX

TYE COTTAGE

NEDGING TYE, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK

This two-bedroom period cottage dates from the 16th century and is built of traditional oak-frame lath and plaster. It has a catslide thatched roof at the back, two inglenook fireplaces, oak flooring and many original oak doors with Suffolk latches. The Grade II-listed property comes with mature gardens, a one-bedroom annexe and a studio/gym. Nedging Tye is 12 miles from Ipswich.

Agent: Woodcock & Son

Tel: 01473 233355

Guide price: £540,000

THE MANOR HOUSE

ROYDON, DISS, NORFOLK

Built in the 16th century, this Elizabethan manor house retains many original features, including the staircase, panelling, mullion windows, inglenook fireplace and exposed oak beams. The house has five double bedrooms and two reception rooms. The gardens are partially moated and extend to about an acre of land, including a patio area, a garage and a large outbuilding that could be converted.

Agent: Durrants

Tel: 01379 642233

Guide price: £795,000

MOAT COTTAGE

GREAT GREEN, COCKFIELD, SUFFOLK

A Grade II-listed property, this 17th-century detached thatched cottage sits in gardens of just under 1/4 acre with a natural pond, fruit trees, a garden bar, a pergola and a summer house offering views over wildflower meadows. The two-bedroom, timber-frame cottage has recently been rethatched and an extension includes an atrium-style kitchen/breakfast room. Moat Cottage is six miles from Bury St Edmunds.

Agent: Bedfords

Tel: 01284 769999

Guide price: £475,000

POND FARMHOUSE

BIRCHAM TOFTS, NORFOLK

This is a Grade II-listed Queen Anne farmhouse built of brick and flint with many original features, including panelled doors, sash windows with shutters and exposed timbers. The five-bedroom property comes with a self-contained ground-floor annexe with a further two bedrooms. There is 1/2 an acre of part-walled gardens as well as a separate paddock of just over 1 1/2 acres.

Agent: Bedfords

Tel: 01328 730500

Guide price: £1.75 million

FAIRSTEAD HALL

GREAT WARLEY, BRENTWOOD, ESSEX

The architect behind Truro Cathedral designed this Grade II-listed country house, built in 1889. The eight-bedroom, 7,000 sq ft property is set in mature gardens and grounds extending to just under seven acres. There is also a tennis court, an outdoor swimming pool and a stable block. A feature of the Hall is its 13 chimneys and 12 fireplaces.

Agent: Zoe Napier

Tel: 01621 840333

Offers in the region of £3.8 million

THE BROOKS

BILDESTON, SUFFOLK

The Brooks is a seven-bedroom house with a range of outbuildings and just over six acres of grounds tucked behind the village high street. The gardens house a variety of mature trees, including a redwood, and there is an enclosed walled courtyard. Dating back to the 16th century, the property was extended in the 18th century and with later Victorian alterations. There is also a detached two-bedroom cottage in the sale.

Agent: Bedfords

Tel: 01284 769999

Guide price: £2 million