5 bedroom detached house for sale

Handsome Edwardian house with equestrian facilities, 5.2 acres. Stable yard with four stables, tack, hay & feed rooms, plus heated wash area. A stone barn with home offices & vaulted ceilings. C.1,500 sq ft two storey annex with garaging, various well-drained paddocks & a floodlit manège.

Chesterton is a popular village offering the best of all worlds. Dating back to Roman times (Akeman Street runs through it) the village is quiet and off the beaten track, steeped in history with a predominance of stone cottages, while providing easy access to many amenities including local pubs and restaurants, Bicester village, M40 and A34, plus a mainline London station (to Marylebone in c. 42 mins) just 2 miles distant.

Little Chesterton is a tiny hamlet, tucked away around half a mile from its bigger cousin. A collection of no more than a few dozen houses, it's a pretty and discreet location amidst open fields. Half Mile house offers a sublime and unusual facility for the serious equestrian enthusiast. The main house is delightful on its own - Edwardian, with generous additions by our clients that have created a fine family home. But what sets it apart from other, broadly similar properties is the external amenities. With stables, tack rooms, a manège and even a two story annex that's larger than many family houses, set within 5.2 acres of land, it is one of the most interesting properties we've ever seen.

The house is elegant, with a pretty hipped roof and a central porch. Inside, typically Edwardian, the hallway heads past the cloak room, straight through to the rear of the house. On the right the first of three receptions rooms within the house is currently used as a mix of gym and store, with a range of cupboards fitted and a pretty fireplace. Further down the hall, a similar room offers similar appeal, this time looking out across the terrace behind through wide French doors. Opposite there is a larger living room space, used currently as a relaxing evening sitting room. The fireplace is a charming central feature, and the outlook across the gardens through rear and side windows is delicious.

Back past the stairs, the main hub of the house is a fine and spacious room that mixes kitchen, dining and living area. The initial space is well proportioned with pleasingly traditional timber units topped off by granite work tops, offering a useful mix of generous prep space and storage, in addition to which the pantry under the stairs is deep with plenty of shelving. Next to this the utility room also provides more storage and a sink, plus door to the rear gardens.

The kitchen is open to the "day room" space behind. Windows on all sides flood in natural light throughout the day. French windows open out to the terrace and rear garden, making summer dining a must. And at just under 28 feet in length a large table barely encroaches on the living area beyond.

Upstairs, five bedrooms are elegant and tasteful. The smallest is a very useful single, or possibly study, complete with an original fireplace. Next door another, much larger double also features an ensuite with both bath and separate shower. Two further doubles are spacious and well equipped with wardrobes. And the star of the show is the main suite, which occupies the whole of the extension, hence it is very generous, with ample space for sofas and chairs alongside the largest of beds. It is also equipped with a very pleasant, modern ensuite that also offers both bath and shower. There is also a family bathroom, immaculately equipped.

Outside, the stone building with its single garage door to the front gives little hint of what the inside offers. There is a garage in space at the front. However, behind it, the highest quality fittings include oak doors, and architraves, with a pair of wonderful offices, which both feature vaulted ceilings, making a feature of the pretty timber trusses. Set up as an efficient and purposeful home working space, it features the cloakroom as well as a kitchenette.

The stables and storage were built recently by Scott's of Thrapston, well known in Equestrian circles as one of the very best. The building is equipped with a tack room, hay and feed stores, even a kitchenette. Outside, the deep covered area includes a wash down facility, complete with heating. And beyond this the block paving is both attractive and very practical, extending across to the annex hence doubling up as a sun terrace. For those serious about their horses, there are few facilities quite like this.

Opposite, the Annex is rather more than the name suggests. A large living room with elevated ceiling and galleries landing above is fitted out to offer great extra space for family and friends. And with glazing all across the wall, facing the stables, it is exceptionally light. Through the hallway to the rear, the kitchenette on the right and shower room to the left allow the user of this building to be pretty much self-contained and self-sufficient. Beyond, what we class here as an office has many possible uses.

And from here a couple of steps lead into a garage more pristine than most houses. A tiled floor and translucent glass-equipped doors to the front help to make this the lightest of spaces. It's also wide hence for those working on a classic, there is ample room. To the side a timber stair leads to an eaves room which offers a significant storage area.

Outside, the frontage is a wide gravel "in-out" driveway with space for a number of vehicles, with a wide expanse of lawn to the front and well stocked borders to the sides. Between garage and house the driveway continues through gates right up to the buildings at the rear. A large garden to the left side is mostly lawn, with mature trees dotted here and there and a terrace behind the house. Past the stables and annex, the land is expertly fenced to provide various paddocks, and several loose boxes. The manège is equipped with floodlighting, ensuring it's useable all year round. And beyond, the land continues round to the right offering a number of further paddocks for ideal rotation.

Mains water, electric, oil & solid fuel CH
Cherwell District Council
Council Tax band G
£3,718.16 p.a. 2023/24
Freehold