Through the keyhole: Remote Hebridean cottage and a Vicarage with a murderous past among the most viewed homes on Rightmove this year

A new report from Rightmove reveals the most viewed homes of the year, from a renovation challenge with an intriguing past, to a home so remote it can only be reached by boat — and a footbridge.
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Kristy Gray20 December 2017

A Real Housewives' mansion, a vicarage with a murderous past and a remote cottage in the Outer Hebrides are among the most viewed properties on Rightmove this year.

The property website, which attracts more than 130 million visits a month, has revealed its 10 most-viewed homes of 2017 — and it's a mixed bag.

“This year’s list of most popular homes shows just how much people love having a nosy around some of the most luxurious properties across the UK,” said Miles Shipside, Rightmove director and housing market analyst.

Here are the three most popular homes on the property platform. To see the full top 10, scroll through the gallery above.

Top spot: Warford Hall mansion in Alderley Edge 

1. ​THE EX-FOOTBALLER'S MANSION
Warford Hall, Cheshire

A sprawling mansion in Cheshire's "golden property triangle" has been viewed more than 170,000 times this year. The lavish home is owned by ex-footballer Ashley Ward and his wife Dawn, an interior designer and one of the original cast members of ITV reality series The Real Housewives of Cheshire.

Warford Hall mansion in Alderley Edge has been on the market with various estate agents since 2013 and regularly features as one of the most-viewed properties on Rightmove.

The extraordinary pile, with an asking price £13.5-£15 million, is regularly showcased on Real Housewives and has also featured on the show as the backdrop to the celebrity couple's glittering Crème de la Crème charity ball.

Inside, the 11-bedroom party house has a cinema and games room with a bar, as well as a swimming pool, gym and a spa complex.

Luxury overnight spa packages at Skulpt, the non-surgical clinic located in the 12-acre grounds of Warford Hall, have recently been introduced.

A remote island home in the Outer Hebrides is also one of the most viewed homes this year

2. THE GREAT ESCAPE
Tigh Na Sith (House of Peace), Valasay, Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides

Space-deprived city dwellers fed up with rush-hour trains and sky-high rents might well have spent the year daydreaming of an escape to this three-bedroom cottage on the western coast of the Outer Hebrides.

One of two properties in the hamlet of Valasay, it can only be accessed by a 125ft footbridge over a sheltered lagoon and the nearest shop is over a mile away.

Inside is a luxurious spa-style relaxation suite, complete with indoor Endless Pool swimming machine and sauna.

There is a modern kitchen, newly refurbished bathroom and a cosy, yet contemporary living room, but the property's biggest pull is the breathtaking panoramic views across the Atlantic from the large first-floor deck.

After being on the market for most of this year, the island home is currently under offer for £295,000.

Christ Church in West Yorkshire is for sale with full planning permission to convert the Grade II-listed building into a five-bedroom family home

3. THE INTRIGUING RENOVATION CHALLENGE
Christ Church, West Yorkshire

Buying a Gothic church for £150,000 is a tempting prospect if you're after a Grand Designs-style renovation challenge.

This Grade II-listed church, close to where BBC crime drama Happy Valley is filmed in West Yorkshire, has been listed for sale with full planning permission to convert the 19th-century building into a two-storey, five-bedroom family home.

House prices in the valley are rising and there is limited available land for building affordable new homes, but buyers should expect to spend at least £200,000 finishing the project, according to Reeds Rain estate agent.

However, detached homes in the area sell for an average of £330,000, more than double the church's £150,000 asking price.

Work has already begun on many of the rooms, with the kitchen, three bathrooms, several reception rooms and the bedrooms partially completed.

Potential buyers will also discover this vicarage has a murderous past, when in 1868 the Reverend Anthony Plow forbade his young cook Sarah Bell from a relationship with local man Miles Weatherill.

In a heartbroken rage, Weatherill stormed into the vicarage and shot servant Jane Smith and Mr Plow and his wife Harriet. Smith and Mr Plow died immediately, with Mrs Plow succumbing to her injuries a year later. The stained-glass window at the east end of the church was erected in the Mr Plow's memory.

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