Hitcham Vale: A Victorian 'Bijou' Estate on the Elizabeth Line

The inspiration for Gwendolen Fairfax. Set within a private, wrap-around acre, Hitcham Vale is a distinguished 4,000+ sq ft Victorian residence that perfectly balances 19th-century soul with 21st-century 'Country Club' luxury. Famously linked to the social circle that inspired Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, this is a rare opportunity to acquire a home of documented architectural significance just 40 minutes from the City.

The Lifestyle: Country Soul, City Connection
- The Grounds: An established one-acre sanctuary featuring a 32ft heated swimming pool, a full size grass tennis court and two stables.
- The Commute: A scenic woodland walk leads to Taplow Station, offering a direct 40-minute Elizabeth Line connection to Paddington, Bond Street and Canary Wharf
- The Outbuildings: A substantial 1,000 sq ft detached studio with separate access via Parliament Lane, ideal for a professional home office, a private gym or a 6 car collection.

The Residence: 1885 Elegance Reimagined
First feature in The Builders in 1885 as a 'masterpiece of Victorian contrast', the home retains its soaring ceiling heights, original leaded light windows and 'cathedral-grade' integrity.
- Entertaining: Five expansive reception rooms filled with year-round light, featuring elegant, cornicing, open fires and French doors that blur the line between the interiors and the Astor-heritage gardens.
- The Heart of the Home: A warm, Aga-anchored breakfast room serves as the morning hub, while a self-contained top-floor apartment offers ideal flexibility for a nanny or extended family.
- Versatility: Includes a dedicated home office and a ground floor bedroom suite with disabled access, ensuring the home adapts to every stage of life.

A Legacy of the 'Souls'
Once home to Gwendolen Bourke - the high society muse for Wilde's most iconic character - Hitcham Vale sits at the heart of the 'Taplow Triangle'. Boarded by the legendary estates of the Cliveden and Taplow Court, the property enjoys a distinctly rural outlook with direct access to the bridleways of Hunts Wood, yet remaining 20 minutes from Heathrow. Hitcham Vale is more than a home; its a two-fold investment: a distinguished period residence and a highly flexible lifestyle estate capable of supporting the most ambitious professional or creative pursuits.

Summary Specs:
Total Area: 4,000 sq ft Main House - 1,000 sq ft Studio
Acreage: 1.0 Acres (approx)
Leisure: Pool, Grass Tennis Court, 2 Stables
Connectivity: Elizabeth Line (Taplow), M4/M40, Heathrow (20 mins)
Council Tax Band: H

N.B.
We are required by law to conduct anti-money laundering checks on all those buying a property. Whilst we retain responsibility for ensuring checks and any ongoing monitoring are carried correctly, the initial checks are carried out on our behalf by Lifetime Legal who will contact you once you have had an offer accepted on a property you wish to buy. The cost of these checks is £50 (incl VAT), which covers the cost of obtaining relevant data and any manual checks and monitoring which might be required. This fee will need to be paid by you in advance of issuing a memorandum of sale, directly to Lifetime Legal, and is non-refundable. We will received some of the fee taken by Lifetime Legal to compensate for its role in the provision of these checks

Entrance Porch

Original wood flooring and leaded light windows to all sides with fitted bench. Outer double doors and impressive solid wood inner door.

Reception Hall

Inner hall cupboard for coats and shoes with further storage under stairs currently used for sports equipment. Further storage under second 'servants' staircase at the end of the hall together with original 'beam' style burglar alarm (not working).

Breakfast Room/Morning Room

The family hub very much at the centre of the home with four oven Aga with timber mantle overhead, fitted dresser, butler's sink and further fitted cupboards with roll top works surface.

Cast iron feature steps and balustrade leading to the Morning room with limestone floor, exposed beams, radiator, triple aspect with sliding doors open onto a large split level patio leading to pool and tennis court. View to feature gravel area with David Austin roses around a pool. This room provides an ever-changing canvas of the seasons with daily sightings of kite, buzzards, foxes and deer

Drawing Room

1930s parquet flooring with original black border. Dual aspect with leaded light windows to tennis court and leaded light bay window to front aspect. Large ornate marble open fireplace with mirror over to reflect tennis court. Radiators, television point, coving, exposed timber beam, glazed double doors to entrance hall. Covered dual trap door to cellar.

Dining Room

Beautiful sunny room with French doors and leaded light windows onto garden with stunning view of a majestic oak tree surrounded by crocuses, snowdrops and daffodils. Gravel area for table and chairs. Woodburning stove with granite hearth. Dado rail, coving, radiators, solid wooden flooring, working servants' pull cord.

Study

Leaded light window to garden, inset unique electrical fire with stone surround, radiator. Built- in wooden cupboard and shelves.

Rear Lobby

Radiator, 'servants' staircase rising to first floor, part glazed door to garden. Door to inner hallway

Kitchen

Shaker-style hand-made full-height kitchen units comprising deep drawers and shelves, floor and wall cupboards and display shelves. Granite work surface incorporating a sink with drainer and mixer tap. Space for free-standing American-style fridge and freezer. The windows have a view to steps to formal garden. Door to rear courtyard with storage for logs, bins and four sheds.

Reception 5

Formerly used as an office but would originally have been the housemaid's room. Original servants' bells still in place. Currently used as a bedroom. Leaded light window to oak tree and flower bed of perennials. Radiator, tiled fireplace and hearth, coving.

Shower Room

Double shower cubicle with sliding glass splash screen and drop down seat, sliding door to cloakroom with low-level WC, wash hand basin corner unit with radiator, partially tilled walls, leaded light window to side aspect

First Floor Gallery Landing

Dual aspect with leaded light window to side, skylight window to front aspect, further leaded light window at rear, two large built-in linen cupboards door with stairs rising to second floor

Observatory

Situated off the landing at the front of the property, triple aspect with lead light windows to front and both sides

Master Bedroom Wing

Rumoured to have been where the mistress of Edward VII stayed when visiting from London, this majestic Farrow and Ball papered room looks out onto the oak tree and flower bed. Even your king size bed will look small here. Inset electric fire, radiator, leaded light window to side aspect, two fitted corner display units. Door to dressing room and first floor landing.

Dressing Room

Skylight window to side, fitted wardrobes and drawers fill both sides of this spacious room. Leads into:

Master Bathroom

Fitted with an oversized panel enclosed bath with telephone style shower attachment, Victorian style wash hand basin, bidet, close coupled WC, separate power shower cubicle, partially tiled walls, radiator, leaded light window to side aspect, 1930's heated chromed brass towel rail, Jack and Jill door to bedroom 5

Bedroom 5

This bedroom was the original bathroom for the main bedroom but not needing such an extensive dressing room it was changed to a child's bedroom. Plumbing remains should this be preferred. Leaded light window to garden, radiator, wash hand basin vanity unit with storage cupboards underneath

Bedroom 2

Leaded light window to front aspect, radiator, fitted storage cupboard

En-suite to Bedroom 2

Pedestal wash hand basin, close couple WC, corner shower cubicle with sliding glass splash screen, heated towel rail, part tiled walls

Bedroom 3

Split level with a couple of steps, triple aspect with leaded light window to the most spectacular view over the garden and fields beyond. Also excellent view of fireworks at Cliveden. Windows side and front, further skylight , wood laminate flooring, radiator, television point, exposed beams, fitted shelving nook

En-suite to Bedroom 3

Corner shower cubicle with sliding glass splash screen, pedestal wash hand basin, heated towel rail, close couple WC, window to rear, partially tiled walls

Bedroom 4

Leaded light window to side aspect, radiator, wash hand basin vanity unit with storage cupboards underneath and tiled splashback, coving

Family Bathroom

Fitted with a panel enclosed oversize bath and wall Aqualisa mounted shower with glass splash screen, Victorian style wash hand basin, close couple WC, part tiled walls, radiator with 1930's heated chromed brass towel rail

Separate Cloakroom

Window to rear aspect, low-level WC. Access to boarded loft space with pull down ladder.

Second Floor Landing

Window to rear aspect, two large built-in cupboards.

Self-contained apartment

Formerly the servants' quarters, four rooms now split into a large bedroom on one side of a partial wall, lounge/dining the other side and a separate kitchen and bathroom. Great space for au-pairs/nannies, guests and paying guests as they have privacy and their own door from the hall.
Two leaded light windows to front aspect, two under eaves storage cupboards, two radiators, partial split wall separating sleeping area from living/dining area

Kitchen

Radiator, window to rear aspect, range of base level units with single sink drainer and mixer tap, space and point for cooker, space and plumbing for washing machine, space for fridge, space for freezer, part tiled walls and storage in the eaves.

Bathroom

Panel enclosed bath with telephone style shower attachment and mixer tap, close coupled WC, radiator, pedestal wash hand basin, window to rear, dado rail, cast iron feature fireplace

Gardens & Driveway

Five bar gate to front shingle driveway providing parking here for at least five or six vehicles. There is a brick retaining wall and steps up to the formal side gardens. This is where in the summer there can be a grass lawn tennis court, in ground swimming pool which had a new liner, pipework and air source heat pump installed last year. Large flagstone patio area, perfect for entertaining. Timber pool shed with two further tool sheds. The gardens wrap around the property and the plot is around an acre in size, flanked by Parliament Lane on one side and open fields on the other, views across to the former country house, Nashdom. Inset garden pond, rocky shingle area and huge greenhouse. Beautifully landscaped beds to the rear.
Further large area to the rear of the property also accessed by another secure five bar gate provides off-road parking for 10 vehicles.

Building With Potential For Business Use

Timber floor with light and power, fuse box, leaded light window to front aspect, extra wide front door and rear door. Lean-to area which forms part of the footprint of the enclosed building.

Stables

Two stables, light, concrete floor, windows to rear aspect. Yard to front