5 bedroom detached house for sale

Overlooking delightful open farmland, a highly energy efficient house of c.3,000 sq ft with huge & social kitchen, 4 receptions, 5 bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms (!), & the most wonderful gardens, set back behind a lengthy driveway. Popular village with school & pubs, easy access to London/Oxford.

Kirtlington needs little introduction locally. It is, simply, one of the most popular villages in North Oxfordshire. There are many reasons. The great local primary school also feeds through to an excellent C of E secondary in Woodstock (with private schools also within easy driving distance). Two high quality pub/restaurants provide great food and drink. Close road and rail links (40 mins to Marylebone from Bicester North - 6 miles away) provide immensely easy commuting. The old stone quarry by the canal, plus the Capability Brown gardens of Kirtlington Park, offer lovely walks etc. But for many, it's the community with its all-inclusive ethos, sense of vibrancy and spirit that makes it the sort of place people rarely want to leave.

When our clients bought Windover some years ago (and the name is onomatopoeic as prior to landscaping and adding trees, the elevated position was breezy), it was a simple but effective post-war house. During their tenure of several decades, the needs of family and work life have seen them make a myriad of changes ranging from remodelling & extending to upgrading utilities, insulation, and landscaping the garden. Our headline text really does tell you the ethos of what the house has become in their care. It's immensely practical on so many levels, but more than that it's a hub for the joy of family life - noisy, enthusiastic, sociable times with friends and family in a safe and loving environment. The number of bathrooms and receptions really sets it apart from most houses as this layout allows everyone the breathing space and personal space they need, centred around a fantastic kitchen that can host any Christmas, birthday, or just a regular family meal, without blinking. As you can tell, we love it, and we are sure those who "click" with it won't want to live anywhere else.

A tarmac drive comes in off the main road, rising a number of feet above the roadway before splitting off to a turning area, behind which are separate driveways for just four houses. At the front of this house, a five bar gate encloses a long gravelled drive with space for easily half a dozen cars, in addition to which the garage is so large that two cars could sit side by side within - although for most this will be all the storage you could ever need.

Heading through the front door, the hallway is bright and welcoming, with a charming oak parquet floor that's original to the house. The hallway broadens, with a toilet to the left beyond which the stairs rise, then turn and head up past a large window that brings in exceptional natural light. The house is such a good size it meanders off in all directions. We simply love that there are so many, informal separate spaces.

To the right, three receptions include one which was two, now linked by a wide arch which could, of course be closed off again, if desired. The large study to the rear features a wide window overlooking the garden and the fields behind. Next to it another is long and bright, currently serving as a teenagers' mix of TV and study room. The utility room sits over in the far right rear corner, with a traditional Belfast sink, flanked by thick wooden worktops underneath which is the plumbing for washing machine, tumble dryer etc. It's such an ample space there's room for drying racks, boots, wet dogs - whatever you fancy.

And to the left of the hall, the last of the four receptions is very generously proportioned, occupying the whole depth of the house, front to rear. An open fireplace provides a cosy focal point at the front, while to the rear French windows flanked by further glazing, offer a panoramic view of the garden as well as easy access to it, with a terrace adjacent.

The opening to the left accesses the kitchen. By almost any standard, this is massive! In remodelling and extending the house, the vendors added significantly to the rear. They wanted to ensure it was as light and welcoming as the rest of the house, hence there are light sources everywhere. Velux windows in the roof, French windows opening onto the terrace, and - more evidence of their sense of fun - a large porthole! The space is such that a table to the right can seat 10, 12 people or more without remotely impinging on the broad central island, complete with its breakfast bar. A generous bank of cupboards and work surfaces runs round most of the left-hand side, culminating in a modern, double stainless sink placed in front of a window with a view of the garden behind. The ergonomics are ideal, with a space for everything. As a place equally perfect for family life and entertaining, it has few peers.

Note, we have already mentioned the garage, which is internally accessed from the kitchen. The old kitchen units have been refitted in the garage, providing masses of storage. At around 24 feet wide, the possibilities of use for this are endless. And you'll note the corridor to the rear, which culminates in another door out to the garden.

Heading upstairs, the bright landing splits and runs left and right. To the right, a long corridor is fitted with bookshelves, floor to ceiling, a fantastic storage solution. Next to it the first of five bedrooms is well proportioned and bright, with a large window overlooking the front garden then farmland further afield. Next door a larger bedroom is, this time, equipped with several large wardrobes, between which a door leads into an ensuite so generous that it features both bath and separate shower.

Back to the top of the stairs, two bathrooms are adjacent to one another, one of which is also equipped with both separate bath and shower, as well as an airing cupboard. The other is a more compact shower room; and cleverly has two entrance doors, hence it can double as a "Jack and Jill" ensuite for another double bedroom next door, which this time overlooks the fields behind.

The corridor to the left first comes to another double, even more generous than those already seen, with a wide window offering a delicious view out over the frontage. It, too. is equipped with an ensuite including both bath and separate shower, with another "Jack and Jill" door opening onto yet another, very generous double! The whole layout of the upstairs is very clever; providing for every possible variable in the ever-changing needs of a growing family. But in addition, it does it with a sense of lightness and fun.

We have briefly touched upon the driveway already. But to expand, as well as providing parking, it's also a lovely front garden with a wide array and diversity of trees, shrubs, flowers, and a seating area from which to enjoy them. There is access down the side of the house to the rear, whereupon the vendors' focus on entertaining and relaxation is instantly obvious. The main body of the garden is lawn, mature and flat. Gently meandering borders contain a number of bird baths, bird tables, alongside a quite dizzying multitude of flowers and hedges and roses. Seats in various areas amply demonstrate how sunny this garden is.

In amongst this, a large terraced area has been created that the vendors use as much of the year as possible for outside dining and enjoying the sun. And to the rear you'll notice a bench in front of a simple chicken-wire fence. This is our vendors' favourite spot to sit of a summer evening watching the sun go down, as it looks out over the farmland behind, which plays host throughout the year to various animals from sheep to horses to cows. It's a truly wonderful outside space by any measure.

Mains water, electricity, gas CH
Cherwell District Council
Council tax band G
£3,660 p.a. 2023/24
Freehold