Your $32 Million Takes a Village in England

[Frank Booth]

LINKENHOLT, England (AP) -- Sheep dot green hills. Pheasants hop across country lanes. Quaint cottages sit next to a tiny stone church. Neighbors who've known each other since birth greet strangers warmly. And for about $32 million, this leafy, nostalgic slice of England could be yours.

The village of Linkenholt's 21 cottages, grand manor house, lush green cricket pitch and accompanying pavilion are part of an estate that also encompasses 1,500 acres of farmland and another 425 acres of woods.

The entire estate is for sale -- as a whole -- with the only part not on the block being St. Peter's, built on the site of a 12th century church.

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The 40 or so residents, many of whom have lived here all their lives, hope any new owner will keep the estate together and resist the urge to parcel off the land located in Hampshire only 75 miles southwest of London.

''The Garden of Eden, this is,'' said 84-year-old Alan Smith, who moved to the village in 1948 to work on the estate's farm and stayed.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/03/18/world/AP-EU-Britain-Village-for-Sale.html


If I had the money I'd buy this place in a heartbeat. Turn it into an outside mall. Get some Fuddrucker's and TGI Friday's to come in. Maybe build a medieval-themed amusement park or water park, or at least have one of those Medieval Times shows. That would be awesome.

[itsrobert]

1. You forgot the sarcasm tag

???

[sinkingfeeling]

2. If I had that kind of money, I'd buy this place in a heartbeat. Move into the manor house and leave

everything else as it is. Might reopen the pub.