A National Trust property with 98 years remaining on the lease is for sale with a guide price of £1.5 million.

Smalldean Farmhouse in Lacey Green is believed to have been built in 1835.

The lease, which was renewed last year, is being sold by the present incumbent, pharmaceutical scientist Dr John Adsetts.

He bought the brick and flint farmstead in one and a half acres when he moved his family down south from North Yorkshire to take up a new job in London 33 years ago. He’s now not far short of his 78th birthday and working flat out. In present circumstances, with his expertise, that’s not surprising.

Dr Adsetts travels worldwide in a consultancy role for his own company but is always happy when his schedule enables him to work from home.

Unlike many who buy an old house and then start knocking it down, he is pleased the National Trust doesn’t allow leaseholders to alter the external appearance of one of their houses or change the interior layout without prior permission.

Other than redecorating and installing new kitchens and bathrooms which are allowed, the restrictions imposed by the Trust are intended to safeguard buildings deemed part of the national heritage.

Dr Adsetts and his first wife had no quarrel with that. He nursed her at home before she died. “She didn’t have to go into hospital.”

Right from the start, their new home in Bucks emitted good vibes.

He explains: “We’d been living in a lovely old farmhouse in Yorkshire. When I told colleagues we were looking for something similar in a few acres an easy train commute from my new office I was regaled with horror stories about house prices in areas like Beaconsfield.

“When we came on a recce trip, one of the houses we were shown was this Chiltern farmstead owned by the National Trust. Despite misgivings by my professional advisers, having seen the house, we said ‘dammit, this is the place for us.’”

The living area is spread over three floors. There are four double bedrooms on the first floor all with spellbinding views across the landscape. Three of the bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and feature fireplaces. One of the bathrooms has a bath, the other is a shower room.

There are three reception rooms – two including the morning room are on the ground floor. The study along with the wine cellar are on the lower ground floor. The farmhouse kitchen is easily large enough to eat in. There’s also a utility room.

The grounds include a large stable block with an oak-framed barn providing garaging and storage.

The formal garden wraps round the house on three sides. There’s also a productive vegetable garden, a half-acre paddock plus an orchard with apple, plum, walnut, cherry and damson trees.

Listen up all you real life Tom and Barbaras of BBC’s The Good Life fame - here’s a plot that could suit you down to the ground.