Cape Escape

What: Five bedrooms, four baths, one half bath in 5,224 feet on slightly more than eight acres.

Where: Colebrook, Conn., 128 miles northeast of New York City.

Amenities: Formal gardens, stone walls, apple orchard, small pond, views of countryside, pool, barn, tennis court, four fireplaces.

Asking Price: $1.8 million

Opening Bid*: $1.6 million

Listing Agents: Elyse Harney, John Harney, Tom McGowan, Harney Real Estate, (860) 435-2200.

Due Diligence: When New Yorkers Mark and Tania Walker bought this home in 1983, it was the perfect antidote to a busy New York existence. The 18th-century expanded Cape-style house had the kind of antique charm that draws many buyers to this part of Connecticut -- white clapboard exterior, fireplaces, beamed ceilings, hand-painted floors -- but the grounds are just as big an attraction. The house overlooks large formal gardens, wide lawns, a pond, an apple orchard and forest. Until the 20th century, it was a farm with a working orchard. When the Walkers first bought it, they did quite a bit of renovation, upgrading the home's systems and opening up some of the living space, says Mr. Walker. After more than two decades, they've decided to put it on the market as they're building a new home in another area.

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