5 bedroom detached house

Ambala is a substantial detached family home, that offers more than 4,000 square feet of light-filled accommodation, including five bedrooms and seven reception rooms. The welcoming reception hall provides access to the ground floor reception rooms, with its parquet flooring, panelled walls and overhead timber beams, which continue throughout several of the reception rooms. The drawing room has an impressive brick-built fireplace with a wood burning stove, as well as sliding glass doors opening onto the garden, while the adjoining orangery provides a light living and entertaining space with ceiling lantern skylights and bi-folds opening onto the patio. There is also a comfortable sitting room, a useful study, an office and a music room or play room, as well as a formal dining room and kitchen/breakfast room that are adjoined in a semi open-plan layout. The kitchen has an impressive vaulted ceiling, bespoke wooden units, a central island, integrated appliances and an Aga. There are five well-presented double bedrooms including the generous principal bedroom with its dressing room and luxury en suite bathroom. Two further bedrooms are en suite, while the first floor also has a family bathroom with a freestanding bathtub and a separate shower unit.

At the front of the property, gates open onto the gravel driveway, which provides plenty of parking space and access to the integrated double garage. The rear garden includes a large area of paved terracing across the back of the house, parts of which are shaded by a wooden pergola. Steps lead to a well-maintained lawn with central and border flowerbeds. There is also a vegetable garden, two summer houses, a garden store and a variety of mature trees and established shrubs and hedgerow.

The village of Cold Ash offers a good range of day-to-day amenities including a village store with Post Office and two public houses and has a thriving community spirit centred around the village green which hosts numerous clubs including cricket and tennis. The village lies close to the Berkshire Downs and is surrounded by wonderful walking, cycling and riding country. More extensive shopping can be found in Thatcham while Newbury offers the largest variety with a cinema, theatres, supermarkets such as Waitrose along with ample cafés and restaurants. Communications in the area are excellent with regular trains from the central main Newbury train station, Newbury Racecourse and Thatcham stations into London Paddington. There is easy access to the M4 and A34 from there to the West Country, London, the Cotswolds and the south coast. The range of schooling in the area is excellent, including the state schools of Cold Ash St. Mark’s CE Primary School in the village; Kennet School and The Downs School in Compton (both rated Outstanding by Ofsted). Notable independent schools include Downe House, Bradfield College, Brockhurst and Marlston House, St. Gabriel’s, Elstree and Cheam, in the local area.