DELIGHTFUL VICTORIAN TERRACE ON HISTORIC HIGH STREET OF BEAUTIFUL BUCKINGHAMSHIRE MARKET TOWN

With more space than you might have imagined, this wonderful, unlisted, 2-bedroom, Victorian cottage extends through bifold doors from its super kitchen to private outdoor space that’s a joy to relax in – and stands on the tree-lined, main street of the quintessential, English market town of Olney, with every amenity you could wish for on your doorstep.

Wander along the particularly wide, picturesque High Street, with its varying roof lines of gorgeous properties large and small, standing side-by-side, and immerse yourself in Olney’s rich history. Pancake Cottage, named after the race that’s been held on Shrove Tuesday in the town for nigh on 600 years, is one of the red brick cottages built to replace Georgian stone homes destroyed in the Great Fire of 1854.

Homes mingle harmoniously with coaching inns, the Old Lace Factory, restaurants, ironmongers and other traditional stores, surgery, dentist, hairdresser and delicatessen. Alleyways dive off to hidden courts and a treasure trove of independent shops selling everything from clothes to antiques, coffee to artisan bread.

The Cowper and Newton Museum on the Market Place, where a monthly farmers’ market is held, celebrates the lives of Olney’s famous residents, the great poet who inspired Martin Luther King, and the curate who wrote ‘Amazing Grace’ 250 years ago this year. Further on, are the site of the Civil War Battle of Olney Bridge, the magnificent 14th century Church of St Peter & St Paul, and glorious riverside walks.

Olney is 11 miles equidistant of Milton Keynes shopping centre and Bedford’s world-renowned private schools, not to mention their railway stations from where you can reach London in under 40 minutes. Within the town itself are good schools for all ages, and every sporting facility, not least highly thought-of rugby, tennis and cricket clubs which pride themselves on children’s development and which you can reach by slipping through your back gate. It’s little wonder that Olney was named in the 2022 Sunday Times ‘Best Places to Live Guide’:

"Everybody wants to live on the high street because it’s where the prettiest houses are and within a pleasant stroll of the shops, cafés and pubs".

ABOUT THE PROPERTY

Take a moment to appreciate the wonderful street scene and how Pancake Cottage, with its lovely red brick and slate, and striking, square bay, sits happily within it.

Throw off your coat in the enclosed porch and step onto the oak floor of the sitting room. With a tantalising glimpse of what lies beyond, you realise that this is not just any cosy cottage. Yes, you can look forward to coming home from a winter walk along the river to logs ablaze in the super woodburner, but there’s much more than that, with plenty of light and space, only enhanced by picture rails and tall ceilings.

Relax on the sofa at one end of the sitting room in front of the latest film, tickle the ivories at the other – or, if you wish, create a separate dining area. Step through into the kitchen, the lovely, white stone beneath your feet heated in winter; bifold doors sliding open at warmer times to extend the kitchen to the outside. Tuck into bacon and eggs beneath a roof lantern which floods the table with natural light, leaf through the newspaper over coffee on the decking.

Contemporary kitchen furniture hides a full complement of appliances, some of which, like the new boiler and consumer unit, are still under warranty, and highly efficient. A refusal to compromise on efficiency and quality is a theme of Pancake Cottage. Not only are the sliding sash, wooden windows beautifully made locally, for instance, but they ensure that the street hustle and bustle remain firmly outside.

The mirrored doors of the bedroom wardrobes slide smoothly to reveal acres of hanging and shelving space. A ladder effortlessly folds down from the landing ceiling to reveal a room in the roof that rather suggests an ambition to be more than just storage space. The wainscotted bathroom, with its lovely, traditional suite demands that you wallow your cares away in the roll-top, claw-footed, slipper bath.

And, if cares remain, they’ll disappear once you relax in the garden watched over by the beautiful silver birch, holly and blossoming cherry, with pretty roses and clematis vying for attention, and the central lily pond fountain playing its calming tune. Delightful!