The Stables, Adderbury, Oxfordshire

This characterful three-bedroom house occupies a peaceful spot along the canal in Adderbury, halfway between the villages of Aynho and Adderbury in north Oxfordshire. Formerly a farm building, the house has been sensitively updated with a series of welcoming living spaces, including a light-filled dining room with French doors onto the garden. The house sits on approximately 1.3 acres of land, with a summerhouse, an outdoor dining area, and a large, insulated garden outhouse. The current owners also hold a private mooring on the Oxford Canal for any length of boat.

Setting the Scene

The house sits between Adderbury and Aynho in the beautiful north Oxfordshire landscape. Adderbury is a peaceful village with an agricultural history heavily influenced by the wool trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. Later on, the surrounding area was mined for iron ore, an industry aided by the use of the nearby canal. Aynho sits on the Oxfordshire/Northamptonshire border and is home to a wealth of period architecture, including a 14th-century English Gothic tower and the Grade I-listed Aynhoe Park.

Once a farm building, this house is peppered with period details, including original timber beams. There is also an ornate carved stone fireplace.

The Grand Tour

A bright entrance porch opens onto a welcoming sitting room with original timber beams overhead. A multi-fuel wood-burning stove sits inside a fireplace with a carved stone surround, while cabinetry provides handy storage space. A large window looks onto the front garden beyond.

A large dining room sits adjacent. Walls of glazing on three sides fill the space with light, and French doors open onto the garden. In the kitchen, neat white cabinetry is topped with stainless-steel work surfaces, and appliances include a Stoves range cooker. A pretty window seat with built-in storage looks towards the front of the house.

The first floor is home to three well-appointed bedrooms. The principal is washed in a deep plum hue and has an attached dressing room with full-height storage. Original timber beams run overhead, and the space is illuminated by two windows. A second double bedroom is a serene space, while a third double bedroom is currently used as a snug. A bathroom has dual washbasins, a freestanding bathtub and a separate shower.

A large wooden insulated garden outhouse upgraded for use as an art studio (although suitable for use as a studio) has a kitchenette, a woodburner, and electric wiring.

The Great Outdoors

A large garden extends at the rear of the house, its carefully tended lawns bordered by a variety of mature trees and shrubbery. A long path next to the largest garden area leads to a decked dining area at the water’s edge and a timber-framed summer house.

The garden is also home to an established fruit orchard, a pond, a raised-bed kitchen garden and a large greenhouse.

Out and About

Adderbury is a tranquil village in the north Oxfordshire landscape, close to the pretty Cherwell Valley. The village has four pubs, a village shop and a library. Aynho and Kings Sutton are also close by; all three towns have tennis clubs.

The magnificent Grade I-listed Aynhoe Park estate is a short drive or cycle from the house and houses two highly regarded restaurants, The Orangery and The Loggia.

Further dining opportunities are found in the nearby town of Banbury, approximately five miles away. Featured in the Michelin Guide, The Duck on the Pond serves locally sourced fare, while The Yurt is another excellent option in nearby North Aston. For shopping, Bicester Village is a short drive away, and there is a Waitrose in Banbury for daily provisions.

Nearby Aynho Wharf provides wonderful canal-side walks, and there are a number of circular routes in the area that offer excellent opportunities for exploring the local surroundings. The impressive Thenford Arboretum is an 18-minute drive from the house and is home to more than 3,500 different trees and shrubs, plus a water garden, a rose garden and a sculpture garden. The medieval manor house of Broughton Castle is also close by.

The dramatic spires of Oxford can be reached in just under 40 minutes by car. The Chilterns and the Cotswolds National Landscapes, with their near-endless walking routes, are both nearby.

There are a number of schools in the area, both private and state-run. Newbottle and Charlton and Croughton All Saints primary schools are all less than a 10-minute drive away, and secondary schools Chenderit and Blessed George Napier are also close by.

Despite its sense of remoteness, the house is close to great transport links. A nearby rail station in King’s Sutton provides services to Marylebone in as little as 64 minutes, while Bicester North offers more frequent services to the city in just under an hour. The M40 is also easily reached.

Council Tax Band: E