Situated in the pretty market town of Watlington, this spacious five-bedroom house spans over 3,000 sq ft internally. With a façade of handsome red brick punctuated by wide bay windows, the house retains a great deal of its original Edwardian sensibility. Externally, a bucolic country garden is awash with well-established beds and a rolling, manicured lawn, while an oak timber barn houses a double garage and log store. Ingham Lane is situated on the southern edge of the town, with Didcot Parkway just a 30 minutes’ drive away; the station runs regular direct services to London Paddington in under 40 minutes.

Setting the Scene

Built in the early 1900s, the house is a charming example of Edwardian architecture; less ornate than its high-Victorian predecessor, the house is more pared back in design, featuring vernacular red brick arranged in Flemish bond pattern with a punched tooth-crest terracotta ridge tiles and fleur de lis roof finials. Ingham Lane features a mixture of semi-arched, timber-framed glazing and wide, floor-to-ceiling bay windows in the grander entertaining rooms. In the early 1920s, the house was built as a residence for a local doctor, together with a stable block for his horse and carriage and a groom's quarters adjacent. The current owners have resided here since 1985 and have carried out an extensive renovation with great sensitivity, respecting the original architecture and layout. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

The approach to the home is via a private gravelled driveway. Paths border the outskirts of the house, leading to an entrance-hall-come-sitting room overlooking the garden. Entering through a glazed timber door, the sitting room is the picture of Edwardian elegance: original timber panelling clads the walls, and the doors are inset with Gothic-inspired tracery. A vast original fireplace is inset with Minton tiles and a functioning wood-burning stove.

The entrance hall leads to a formal drawing room, which features views over the garden. Flooded with natural light from floor-to-ceiling bay windows, the room has dual-aspect views over the side and rear of the plot. Finished in a neutral white, the space has direct access to the lawns through its original timber-glazed doors. A cosy family room with an original fireplace sits adjacent, and glazed bay windows overlook the side of the house.

At the other end of the plan is the handsome dining room; as the layout of the house is predominantly orientated towards the garden, the space overlooks established flowerbeds of roses, clematis and hollyhocks through an expansive glazed bay. Here an additional door opens onto the garden with a window overlooking the side return of the house. The dining room is adjoined to the kitchen, which overlooks the front driveway and has its own entrance from the main approach to the house. With stripped pine floorboards underfoot and solid timber cabinetry lining the walls, the space is finished in shades of creamy white. Adjoining the kitchen is a large utility room with fitted cabinetry and space for white goods.

Running along the front of the house is a corridor which connects the main reception spaces, a WC with vanity, and a handsome staircase leading to the first floor.

The first floor of the house is home to five large bedrooms and three bathrooms. The primary bedroom overlooks the tranquil garden and occupies the far left-hand side of the plan. With a bank of fitted wardrobes, the room has one wall clad in a striking wallpaper by Cole and Son and is lit by a bay window overlooking the gardens. There are two large bedrooms at this end of the plan, overlooking the garden or side return respectively.

There are also two bathrooms and one shower room on this floor. Each bathroom contains a freestanding bath, WC and vanity, and one possesses an additional shower. At the far right of the plan are two additional bedrooms, one of which is used as a light-filled art studio, occupying a dual-aspect view over the gardens. There is access to a sizable, boarded loft from this floor, which has been fitted with Velux skylights.

The Great Outdoors 

The house is approached via a private gravelled driveway which borders the front and side return of the house, while established privet hedging encloses the home from the village road to the front. To the rear, a flagged patio unfolds from the main reception spaces of the house. The perfect spot for summer dining, the patio is framed by well-established flower beds with diverse varieties of both standard and climbing roses, fragrant lavender and a loganberry climber. The lawn stretches beyond, edged with well stocked flower beds on all sides, and further bounded by pretty walnut, fig, lilac and hornbeam trees. One side is lined with espaliered fruit trees against recently constructed brick and timber boundary fencing.

The barn is clad in hardy oak and houses a log store, potting shed and double garage.

Out and About 

Ingham Lane is situated on the southern edge of the market town of Watlington. Despite its compact size, Watlington offers a fantastic range of services: the high street is lined with a broad range of shops, cafés and pubs, as well as a butcher, delicatessen and even a small library. The excellent Britwell Salome Farm Shop is just over a mile down the road and is well-stocked with local produce. More shops and supermarkets, as well as the renowned Corn Exchange theatre, can be found in Wallingford, a 20-minute drive away. Close proximity to the incredible Garsington Opera, designed by Snell Associates, ensures a summer full of world-class music and gourmet picnics in an idyllic setting.

Access to nature is immediate; Watlington Hill and Woods is at the top of an escarpment where red kites, rabbits, and ravens soar and play above views of the Oxfordshire Plain. The hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to its expanses of rare chalk grassland, rich in downland flora including rock rose, yellow wort, eyebright, and twayblade. There is a 1.5-mile trail through this magnificent landscape managed by the National Trust, offering impressive views over the Vale of Oxford and Chiltern Hills beyond. A pleasant walk through the Chiltern Hills Area of Natural Beauty, with a pub stop of course, can take you through the intimate landscape of ancient woodlands, farms and picturesque villages that make up much of the area. The countryside is honeycombed with footpaths, and renowned routes pass by Watlington, including the Icknield Way, an ancient route of prehistoric tracks and green lanes stretching along the chalk spine of England from Norfolk to Dorset, recently accompanied by a popular off-road cycle route. For the sport-inclined, Watlington also has several popular football, tennis and cricket clubs. 

Fantastic local education can be found at the Ofsted outstanding Watlington Primary School and the neighbouring Icknield Community College. While there is no sixth-form provision, the college partners with Henley College, Lord Williams’s School and Wallingford School.

Despite no train station within the town, Didcot Parkway is a 30 minutes’ drive away, with connections to London Paddington in around 40 minutes and Bristol in one hour, whilst a 30-minute train will take you from nearby High Wycombe to London Marylebone in 35 minutes. Direct bus to Oxford will take you one hour, whilst driving will take 35 minutes. Watlington has fantastic proximity to the M40, connecting to London in one hour and 15 minutes or Heathrow Airport in 45 minutes.  

There is a coach and bus stop at Junction 6 on the M40 less than two miles from the centre of Watlington, where coaches to Heathrow stop regularly. During the day the Oxford Tube coach service provides transport to Victoria station via Notting Hill and Marble Arch every 10 minutes.

Council Tax Band: G