Domestic Couple — Country Estate, Hampshire

A charming 200-acre country estate in the Hampshire South Downs is seeking a reliable, hands-on Domestic Couple to serve as the backbone of the household's daily operations. The estate includes a Grade II listed Georgian manor house with eight bedrooms, a converted coach house, an orangery, walled kitchen garden, paddocks, and extensive woodland. The property is maintained to a high standard and requires a couple who take genuine pride in preserving the character and beauty of a historic English country house.

The owners — a semi-retired British couple in their late sixties — live on the estate year-round. Their three adult children and growing number of grandchildren visit regularly, with the house at its busiest during summer weekends and the Christmas period. The owners entertain modestly but with style: intimate dinner parties for 6–8, the occasional shooting weekend, and an annual garden party for approximately 80 guests. A part-time gardener visits three days per week, but the couple is otherwise responsible for the smooth running of the entire property.

The housekeeper will manage all interior housekeeping to a high standard — daily cleaning of principal rooms, care of antique furniture and artwork, laundry including pressing of table linens and fine clothing, flower arranging, pantry management, and preparation of guest rooms. Simple cooking for the family (breakfast, light lunches, occasional dinners on the cook's day off) is expected. The houseman/handyman will oversee property maintenance — basic plumbing and electrical repairs, painting, fence repairs, log splitting, snow clearance, vehicle maintenance, and liaison with external contractors for larger projects.

This is a position for a settled, experienced couple who genuinely enjoy country life and take satisfaction in the rhythms of managing a beautiful estate through the seasons. The owners are kind, respectful employers with a long history of retaining staff — their previous couple served for eleven years before retiring.