Alan Titchmarsh and his wife Alison have been forced to slash the asking price of their Hampshire farmhouse by £450,000 after failing to find a buyer, according to reports. The 17th-century, five-bedroom Georgian property in Holybourne was initially put on the market last September for just under £4 million.

The couple, who have occupied the Grade II-listed home since 2002, chose to sell in order to be closer to Titchmarsh's two daughters and grandchildren in Surrey. The Daily Mail's Richard Eden has revealed that, despite widespread publicity around the sale, the property has not attracted a purchaser at the original asking price, prompting the significant price cut.

Titchmarsh, 76, has spoken openly about the emotional challenge of leaving the farmhouse, which he and Alison painstakingly renovated over two decades. The television presenter and gardening expert described departing from the home and its four-acre grounds as "a wrench" but said he is approaching the move with a positive outlook.

"So why go? Well... it's time," he wrote in BBC Gardeners' World. "Time for a new challenge. Time to downsize - a little - as those of us of relatively senior years are regularly told would be wise to do."

The pair devoted years to transforming the property into a classic English retreat.

Over the decades, the farmhouse became the backdrop for family gatherings, gardening projects, and countless moments watching their grandchildren run across the meadows. For someone whose professional life has revolved around gardens and domestic spaces, leaving was never going to be straightforward.

"To be honest, we had no plans to move. When you restore an old house and make a garden around it, you pour so much of your heart and soul into it that moving on is bound to be a wrench," Titchmarsh admitted.

He explained that practical considerations — including the challenges of maintaining a period property and its extensive grounds — eventually influenced their decision. "When you are knocking on a bit (which I refuse to believe, despite what the numbers tell me) age puts one's muse on the future - a future which I hope will be long and fulfilling," he said.

"Looking after four acres and a Grade II-listed house has been — and still is — a treat beyond measure, but the day will come when it starts to be overwhelming and I'd rather move on to fresh pastures before that becomes the case."

Their daughters played a key role in helping the couple find a new home, which Titchmarsh described as "long, low, modern - a complete contrast to a Georgian farmhouse."

Despite anticipating a fresh chapter, the move carried emotional weight. "After making the decision, I hummed and haa-ed about the wisdom of it all. But once sound reasoning convinced me this was not giving in and winding down, but simply taking on a new challenge — a challenge that was do-able in the long term — the apprehension was replaced by excitement," he revealed.

Reflecting on his time in Holybourne, Titchmarsh spoke warmly of the memories the property has provided. "I will look back on the years spent here as some of the best of my life; seeing grandchildren come into the world and grow up running through our meadow. It has enriched our lives beyond measure and I will never forget it."

Reach PLC has reached out to Alan Titchmarsh's representatives for further comment.