The Ridings, Oxford, Headington, OX3

A superb six-bedroom detached house, with swimming pool, stables and private wooded area, surrounded by approx. 7.5 acres of private land, located only moments from Headington.

The house is approached via a long gravel drive and sits centrally within extensively landscaped formal gardens and mature trees. Arranged over three floors, the accommodation is both elegant and practical, with principal rooms enjoying the proportions synonymous with the period. The reception hall leads to two cloakrooms, a drawing room, dining room and study, together with a family kitchen/breakfast room, laundry and larder. There is also a conservatory and a large entertaining room, now providing a games room, wine cellar and annexe that backs out into the gardens. Upstairs, the principal bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, as does a guest bedroom, with three further bedrooms served by two additional bathrooms. The layout, ideal for both family life and entertaining, can be seen in detail on the floor plans. Attached to the main house is a heated indoor swimming pool, while outside, a courtyard of traditional outbuildings includes five or six stables, two or three garages, woodshed and greenhouse. The grounds also feature a productive kitchen garden, pond, tennis court (requiring resurfacing), and a variety of mature landscaped areas largely created by the current owner. This impressive house also benefits from having planning permission in place to extend the kitchen/dining area even further into the garden. This would allow any prospective buyer the ability to tailor the house even further to their specific needs and wishes.

Watch Hill is a wonderfully private and much-loved family home, built in 1937 by Professor G.M.B. Dobson, the Oxford academic whose pioneering work on atmospheric ozone gave rise to the “Dobson unit” still used today. His original laboratory, which remains in an elevated position within the grounds, once housed the equipment now displayed in the London Science Museum, giving the property a unique scientific heritage.

This house enjoys a glorious, elevated setting on the edge of Oxford, overlooking the ancient Brasenose Woods and within easy reach of Shotover Park, a 290-acre protected nature reserve designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The area is ideal for walking, riding and outdoor pursuits, offering a true sense of countryside living only 3.5 miles from Oxford city centre.

Despite its tranquil position, the property is extremely well connected. The A40 and junction 8 of the M40 provide excellent road links to London, Heathrow and the north, while Oxford and Oxford Parkway stations offer regular fast train services to Paddington and Marylebone. Everyday shopping facilities can be found in nearby Headington, which is also home to Oxford’s hospitals, and the city centre provides a wide array of cultural, shopping and dining options.

The property is also superbly located for many of Oxford’s renowned schools. Headington Rye School is particularly close, with Magdalen College School in the city centre and, in north Oxford, The Dragon, Summer Fields, St Edward’s, Lynams and D’Overbroeks all within easy reach.

N.B CGI has been used to add furnishings to some of these photos.