Station Road, Lower Heyford

Believed to date to the 17th century, a delightful house of c.3,500 sq feet in just under an acre of South-facing gardens backing onto open fields. 4/5 bedrooms, 3 receptions, & a wonderful sun room overlooking the gardens. Many amenities nearby and a London station in the village. NO CHAIN.

Lower Heyford is a delightful village. Nestling in a valley with the River Cherwell parallel to the Oxford canal the local scenery is wonderful, with farmland surrounding the village. There is a good local school, a lovely old pub (currently closed but to be refurbished), local store, and access to all points of the compass is exceptional with the M40 and A34 close by plus the Heyford station (Cherwell line) within the village. For those looking for a rural existence combined with nearby access to all amenities there are few better villages in North Oxfordshire.

The Beech House is the sort of attractive property you are always aware of as it peeks enticingly out from behind a wall or a hedge, offering a tantalising glimpse of what may lie behind. In the flesh it more than lives up to the allure suggested on the way past... We believe the origins of the house are 17th century. In the more recent past it has been sensitively extended on several occasions, resulting today in a very sizeable home within really lovely grounds. Our clients are very sad to leave, a move only made necessary by a change of area.

Almost hidden from view arriving from Station Road, you turn onto a gravelled driveway with ample room for various cars, in addition to which double gates behind open onto a hardstanding with space that could provide for more parking or perhaps garages (subject to planning). The facade is so classically Victorian - a charming face of smart cut stone is framed by a verandah that shades the front door. Inside, the hallway continues the theme, with a delightful original tiled floor redolent of the era.

Starting from the left, the first of up to five receptions has been the perfect relaxed and informal childrens' room for many years, offering ample room for shelves, sofas, desks etc - the ideal play room. The box bay and further sash window to the front bring in welcome natural light, and while the pretty fireplace isn't currently used it could be a wonderful winter focal point once more if desired.

And in the natural order of things, it's perfect that the kitchen is next door to the childrens' room... Once two rooms, it has been combined to provide a wonderful day to day hub for the whole family. Timber flooring and work tops provide a warm contrast to the plethora of modern kitchen units, complete with breakfast bar and a double butler sink. In addition to the storage here, the larder next door has to be seen to be believed - at over 4 metres long you are unlikely to run out of storage in here!

Where the two rooms have been combined, the dining area is partly open plan to the right, with dimensions ample for the largest table you're likely to need. A door at the rear leads out to the garden, with a terraced path running round much of the house. Next door a cloak room feeds off the utility room, which is fitted with more cupboards (plus washing machine/drier spaces) topped off with a timber surface and stainless sink. Another external door here ensures wet dogs and children can be dealt with before intruding elsewhere...

The house having evolved as it has, the main living spaces are now significant and very appealing. A pair of receptions have combined, with just the chimney remaining between them, fireplaces on either side retained. One side, which also connects to the kitchen, is fitted as a mix of library and tv room, informal and useful in equal measure. The other includes another classically Victorian bay window with a peaceful outlook across the front garden.

And then there is the sun room. The title undersells what is in fact a rather fabulous glass and timber structure measuring close to thirty feet in width, designed in a traditional Victorian style that perfectly suits the house, but with the addition of some very modern features. A smooth stone-tiled floor hides underfloor heating, there is double glazing throughout, and the opening sections of the roof are temperature controlled to open when the thermometer rises... It's a wonderful room used by our vendors all year, and a place from which the ever-changing view of the wonderful garden is uninterrupted.

At the top of the stairs, a small landing leads off in different directions. Immediately to your left, what we have termed the study has also been used variously as walk-in wardrobe and homework space. It would seem natural that this could become a Jack and Jill bathroom and serve as an ensuite, the bright, double aspect bedroom next door being connected directly to it. Back to the landing, and another double aspect bedroom is a really great size, bright and welcoming. The smaller bedroom adjacent offers the first glimpse of the view out across the gardens from a window to its rear. And its more compact size is usefully offset by a cupboard fitted in the chimney alcove. Serving all these rooms, a very modern bathroom is light and bright, with a white bath suite complemented by similar colouring throughout, maximising the light and flattering the proportions.

The main suite is very much the best in all respects. An almost perfectly-square bedroom offers a wonderful, panoramic view over the gardens through large sash windows. This combined with tall ceilings and a fireplace makes it a really inviting and positive space. In addition, the ensuite is so large that the shower and bath look almost insignificant at the far end... This does however mean an easy chair, even a dressing table would easily fit in here. Add the long walk-in wardrobe, fully fitted with hanging rails and shelving, and this suite really has few rivals.

Turning our attention to the outside, the plot is really rather fine. The frontage as mentioned offers plenty of parking (with EV charger) plus potential to remodel to your taste or perhaps add a garage beyond the further gates. Hedges screen the frontage from the road to the right, and to the left the boundary is walled with a gate to offer quick pedestrian access. Just inside it, the timber outbuilding to the left corner is a high quality item with insulation, double glazing, and mains power. It was built as a mix of office, storage and summer house hence ably provides for any of those functions.

Pretty much hidden from view from all sides, the rear garden is beautiful and very inviting. Long and wide, it's perfectly framed by a fine array of mature trees, various hedges and shrubs, and a wide variety of flowers. Extending several hundred feet and facing south with fields behind, the gentle landscaping has included adding a broad terrace around the sunroom, a fine and relaxed spot for summer lunches or just a glass or two with a good book. A broad, flat lawn (croquet lovers, form a queue!) occupies the centre of the garden thereafter, but in addition the areas to the left side and nearer the end are more wild and less managed, hence they're a wonderful haven for wildlife. This sort of garden is reminiscent of Blyton and Barrie, a garden perfect for children's imagination to flower. But whether child or adult, it all adds up to a perfect outdoor space with something for everyone.

Mains electricity, water, gas CH