A brief history of Pye Corner House

Pye Corner House is 450 years old and a Grade Ⅱ listed building. Yet it’s so much more than an architectural delight and if those Cotswold stone walls could talk they would tell tales of love, family, and human connection – for the house has enjoyed a rich history of characterful owners who’ve cared for it through the ages. 

For many years, Michael Naylor, an eccentric bon vivant and business owner resided here with his 20 cats. Lavishing Pye Corner with care and attention, Naylor commissioned many quirky features which guests still enjoy today. Carvings of his two favourite cats, Augustus and Olivia, are found in the dining room’s inglenook fireplace, while the sitting room fireplace is home to a bust representing – according to legend – the local craftsman who built it. 

Naylor adored Pye. That much was immediately evident to Farida King, the much-loved Indonesian matriarch who bought it in 1997, two years after he passed away. The story goes that Farida, described by her three loving daughters as a “force of nature”, dropped everything to fly across the world and view it following a tip-off from her eldest, Tara. Setting eyes on it for the first time she made an offer there and then, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the years that followed the King family have lovingly refurbished almost every element of Pye, transforming its once-derelict top floor into a gorgeous play area for children, and conjuring a stunning self-contained flat from the space above the original garage. The swimming pool has been revamped and an open plan kitchen fitted, encompassed by views of the lush grounds. Clad in cascading wisteria that blooms beautifully in spring, it affords a vantage point from which parents can keep an eye on adventurous children in the self-contained outdoor play area.