The need for an open fire or wood burner is one of the ‘must haves’ for those looking for a property in the Cotswolds, and as the leading property specialist in the region, one that Butler Sherborn is frequently tasked to find. Butler Sherborn has a number of properties currently on the market with welcoming fireplaces, including these four homes ranging from £895,000 - £3.75million.

Beauchamp House, Bloxham, Oxfordshire, OX15 4NB - £2.5million

A Grade II Listed house built in the late 17th century, Beauchamp House is in the local vernacular of yellow Horton stone with classic leaded light windows.  Well positioned within this popular North Cotswold village, accommodation is on three floors with a light, southerly aspect.  The reception rooms are well-proportioned with the drawing room and inner hall making a great entertaining space, while the hall could be used as a dining room.  The kitchen is positioned in the centre of the house with an impressive flagstone floor, warming AGA, larder, and south facing bay window overlooking the garden.  There is also a sitting room with open fireplace, a cellar, a spacious laundry/utility room and two WCs.  Upstairs the large main bedroom with dressing room and bathroom occupies one end of the first floor, with a further six bedrooms sharing three bathrooms on the two upper floors.

Outside there is a substantial studio barn with kitchen/workroom and loo which could be used as an office with studio above.  There is a run of outbuildings comprising a gardener’s office and three former stables, a chapel with a dovecote attached which could be converted into a party room or additional accommodation, and a double garage/workshop plus plenty of parking.

Extending to 1.78 acres, the garden is tiered and terraced with flowerbeds and hedges leading to a large lawn with several impressive mature trees and a stream.  There is an enclosed kitchen garden with orchard and wildflowers, a swimming pool in a sunny position with a paved area for entertaining and a changing room in the Dovecote.

Situated in the heart of the village Conservation Area within walking distance of local shops including a Post Office, fish & chip shop and three pubs, it is midway between Banbury and Chipping Norton.  Bicester Village, Europe’s largest designer outlet centre, Daylesford Organic Farm Shop & Spa and Soho Farmhouse are all in the area.  Trains to London go from Banbury Station 3 miles away and access to the M40 is also nearby.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/bloxham-banbury/chapel-street/nid3431

Guide price: £2.5million

Butler Sherborn - Stow-on-the-Wold - 01451 830731

___________________________________________

12 Nether Swell Manor, Nether Swell, Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1JZ - £1.795million

For those who want to enjoy life in the countryside with the trappings of a contemporary lifestyle, 12 Nether Swell Manor offers the perfect blend.  Beautifully presented and easy to maintain, this four bedroom family house with gardens is located within a stunning gated development with access to delightful communal gardens and grounds.  Whether as a permanent residence or a weekend bolt hole, it is the perfect Cotswold retreat in a beautiful location, and just a short drive or walk from the market town of Stow-on-the-Wold.

Classic in style but actually built in 2001, it was improved and upgraded in 2010 by renown Yiangou Architects.  Designed for open plan living with the kitchen and dining room at the heart of the house, there is 3,006 sq ft of spacious accommodation while also homely with Chesneys Fireplaces and two Clearview wood burners providing a cosy environment on winter days and evenings.

There is a study making it ideal for working from home, a garden room, sitting room with double doors to the estate gardens and a snug, all finished in a neutral palette to a high standard.

Throughout the property there has been attention to detail with high quality fittings, complemented by high ceilings and good lighting.  There is beautiful limestone and engineered oak flooring with underfloor heating throughout the ground floor and in the bath/shower rooms.  The Martin Moore designed kitchen is well-appointed with a Wolf dual fuel range and warming drawer, central island, granite worktop and breakfast bar, Sub-Zero fridge freezer and larder.  There is also a laundry room with two Miele washing machines and two Miele tumble driers.

An impressive oak staircase with a vaulted ceiling and skylight leads to the first floor where the main bedroom features a bay window, fireplace and an engineered oak floor, dressing area and tiled bath/shower room.  There is also the guest bedroom and en-suite shower room with large walk-in shower and two further double bedrooms and a family shower room.

Outside there is a pretty, well-stocked walled garden with clematis clad walls and a hornbeam hedge, box borders and roses, plus two paved terraces, a brick archway leading to a lawned area with mature and ornamental trees, with the communal gardens and surrounding countryside beyond.

Nether Swell Manor comprises 12 homes all of which participate in a shared maintenance scheme to cover the upkeep of the gardens, grounds, driveway and amenities.

Approached down a long driveway behind distinctive electronic iron gates at the entrance, the property offers privacy and security.  It is situated in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with Daylesford Organic Farm Shop nearby, Soho Farmhouse 30 minutes away and Cheltenham, Stratford upon Avon and Oxford all within 40 minutes’ drive.  There are many excellent pubs and restaurants in and around Stow-on-the-Wold, while Kingham Station provides a direct rail service to London Paddington and good road connections to London and north via the A40 and M40 at Oxford.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/stow-wold/netherswell/nid3435

Guide price: £1.795million

Butler Sherborn - Stow-on-the-Wold - 01451 830731

____________________________________________

Spring Farm, Middle Lypiatt, Gloucestershire, GL6 7LP - £3.75million

An idyllic forever family home, Spring Farm with its own 19 acres is surrounded by beautiful countryside.  Immaculately presented, this six bedroom, four reception, four bathroom country house is set within its own land with stunning views across the valley.

Spring Farm is quietly set in a magical location on the side of a beautiful and peaceful valley.  Originally a 17th century period cottage, the house has evolved over the years and been sympathetically and imaginatively extended to create a great home that is light and airy and ideally suited to contemporary family life, while retaining the charm of the original building.  Character details include stone mullions, exposed beams and panelling, as well as a stone porch and circular stone log store.

Taking full advantage of the view, the house is comfortable, warm and welcoming.  The large kitchen/dining room/family space provides a tremendous area for everyone of all ages to gather, while the elegant drawing room with its roaring open fire is there to welcome family and friends.

Upstairs there are spacious bedrooms, tastefully appointed bathrooms, broad hallways and landings affording an open atmosphere and creating an overall sense of well-being.

The property is perfect for those with equestrian interests and includes a large, level paddock, stables with block paved parking, modern agricultural barn with three roller doors, a stable block with four loose boxes, a tack room, workshop, feed/rug store, garden shed and studio plus two field shelters. 

The large storage loft and part of the agricultural barn could also be converted to self-contained ancillary accommodation, subject to planning permission.  There is a spring-fed pond, lawned gardens and orchard, elevated summerhouse with power and a paved dining terrace adjacent to the house.

Middle Lypiatt is a beautiful rural hamlet within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the parish of Bisley, a traditional Cotswold village between the Chalford and Painswick valleys.  Bisley offers two pubs, a village store/Post Office, primary school, village hall & parish church.  The Woolpack at Slad and The Lamb Inn in Eastcombe are close by, as is the farmers market in Stroud or Jolly Nice farm shop at Frampton Mansell.  Railway connections to London Paddington are from Stroud, 3 miles away.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/middle-lypiatt/nid3318

Guide price: £3.75million

Butler Sherborn - Cirencester - 01285 883740

______________________________________

Ramblers Cottage, 2 The Walk, Alvescot, Oxfordshire, OX18 2PU - £895,000

This idyllic four bedroom period cottage is many people’s idea of the perfect cosy country bolt hole.  Full of character and heavily timbered, it is the middle one of three cottages, set well back from the road and approached via a private lane within the heart of this thriving village.  It also has extensive gardens and a detached double garage complete with a one bedroom annex.

Complete with two warming fireplaces with woodburning stoves, it has been tastefully renovated and extended throughout.  Beautifully presented and deceptively spacious, there is a curved reception hall with landing above that retains immense character and period charm, and there are many exposed timber beams, flagstone floors and original window seats.

Ground floor accommodation comprises a spacious sitting room, a light and airy kitchen with an electric Aga, additional oven, induction hob and integrated dishwasher, a sunny dining/family room, a wet room and hall with utility area.  On the first floor are three charming cottage bedrooms, all with exposed timbers, a stylish family bathroom with period style fittings including a separate shower and a roll top bath.  A cosy attic bedroom is accessed by an oak staircase and has several exposed ‘A’ frame beams.

Outside is the recently built detached double garage with a large en-suite room above, which could equally serve as a home office or games room.  There is also a delightful south facing terraced garden and large woodland garden giving the feel of a rural retreat, yet within a short walk of the heart of the village.

Alvescot is a thriving and friendly community with features such as St Peter’s church, an active village hall with recreation ground and tennis court, and popular local pub, The Plough Inn.  Bampton, Burford and Carterton nearby meet everyday requirements, while more comprehensive facilities will be found in Faringdon and Witney, with Oxford beyond.  There are good schools nearby, too: the village Church of England Primary School is rated ‘good’ by Ofsted, and there is the highly regarded secondary school at Burford, and private schools in the area including St Hugh’s, Hatherop Castle and Cokethorpe.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/alvescot/main-road/nid3422

Guide price: £895,000

Butler Sherborn - Burford - 01993 822325