A HAMPSHIRE entomologist's dream home near King's Somborne will remain just that. Farmer and conservationist, Dr Nigel Potter had hoped to build a luxury five-bedroom home at Ashley but ill-health has forced him to abandon the idea and put 1,120-acres of his Forest Farm Estate up for sale. It has a price tag of £6 million.

Dr Potter, had planning permission to build the house last summer but he suffered a stroke the same week as his application was approved.

Now, on his doctor's advice he's decided to drop the idea and take life easier.

"It was a very hard decision to make. It will be very sad to see the land go," said Dr Potter, 68, who will carry on living in his existing home.

"I will probably be left with about 244 acres, mostly arable," he said.

"I expect the neighbouring farmer will do most of the arable work under contract. If I had been given permission to build my new home years ago, I would have been living in it for a couple of years at least.

"Unfortunately I am not as fit as I was and my doctor has told me to ease up a bit. I hope to pass the estate onto someone who will look after it," said Dr Potter, who has invested huge amounts of cash and time into improving his chalk downland estate during the 37 years he's owned and managed it.

The Forest Farm Estate is home to many species of insects, plants and animals including wild orchids and butterflies. And there are also 166 acres of ancient woodland on the estate where numerous owl species breed.

"We have a lot of tawny owls. The love the yew trees and I have got barn owls that nest ever year in the owl box I put up," said the naturalist.

Dr Potter and his wife Muriel plan to continue living in their current Ashley home. He enjoys countryside pursuits such as fishing and shooting. It was while Dr Potter was fishing last summer that he had a stroke.

"It was the same week I got planning consent for the house. The stroke affected my swallowing and I am quite slow. I had four strokes in the previous seven years and a heart pacemaker fitted," he said.

The stroke also affected the vision of the naturalist, who who loves studying wasps and other insects.

The estate was renowned for its shooting.

Dr Potter said he would only keep a small number of partridges on the remaining part of his farm once the rest has been sold.

"This will be for family enjoyment only," said Dr Potter.

Strutt and Parker is handling the sale of Dr Potter's estate. Mark McAndrew, partner at Strutt & Parker's London office, said: "This estate has everything to attract the country sportsman or woman, there is an outstanding shoot on the estate, the world-renowned chalk valley fishing on the River Test nearby and outstanding views across your own land and the countryside beyond."