Rooms

The Story
Dating back to 1785, Englefield is renowned among those who celebrate and appreciate the work of British artist Sir Stanley Spencer as the subject of some of his paintings. The current owner of the impressive Georgian house at Cookham, Berkshire, who has lived there for seven years, explains he has occasionally opened the property’s beautiful grounds to the Stanley Spencer Society. “They have visited to wander around the garden,” he explains. “Sir Stanley was born and lived in the village and would visit this house. Most famously, it was the subject of a painting entitled Cookham from Englefield (dated 1948), which was stolen from the Stanley Spencer Gallery on High Street in 2012, and later recovered.”

PERFECT BALANCE
Returning from a stint in Hong Kong, and with a three-month-old baby, the current owners of the property were drawn to Englefield by the unique balance of country living and convenience it offered. “We had lived in central London for 15 years before that and were keen to live away from the city, yet within easy commuting distance,” he recalls. “We wanted to be within walking distance of a train station, shops and pubs, while also feeling like we were in the countryside. This place ticked all those boxes for us and was also very beautiful.” He adds: “When we walk down the garden we often feel as if we are in the middle of nowhere and we feel very lucky to be just a short walk from the River Thames.”

GENEROUS CELLAR
Set on a private, no-through road, behind secure wooden gate, Grade II Listed Englefield offers substantial accommodation across three storeys. “It is a very light, airy house, with high ceilings and spacious rooms,” he explains. “There is a cellar, which has a beautiful, original brick floor and is divided into three rooms: we use these as a wine cellar, a workshop and a storage area, but they could have all sorts of uses.” Most of the accommodation at the house is at ground-floor level, where the reception hall leads into the study and family room to one side, with family room in turn opening into a sunroom, which is currently used as a gym.

SPECIAL TOUCHES
To the other side of the hall are the dining room, cloakroom, utility room and then expansive kitchen breakfast room, which in turn opens into a large conservatory, with French windows on to the garden. “We updated the kitchen, with oak work surfaces and plenty of storage space,” he says. “We had a terrace built outside there: this is now a lovely place to sit out in the afternoon.” At the back of the house is the expansive drawing room, which features two sets of French windows on to the garden. This generous room, which has a stripped wooden floor, is perfect for parties all year round. “We lifted many of the carpets in the house and had the floors refurbished. We also improved the wood burner and fireplaces; replaced the central heating system and redecorated the house in Farrow & Ball shades.”

BEAUTIFUL BEDROOMS
Upstairs at Englefield, there are four good-sized double bedrooms. Two of these share the family bathroom and the guest room has an en suite shower room. The master suite is a sumptuous space, which features a dressing area as well as a large en suite bathroom. “The guest bedroom has been ideal when people come to stay as it is at one end of the house so feels quite private,” he continues. “One of the other bedrooms has been used by my wife and daughter as a study and home schooling area during lockdown, which has worked very well.”

PERFECT PLACE
Not only has the setting of the house ben ideal for reaching local amenities but it is well-placed for Henley, Windsor and Bray, with its celebrated restaurants. “As well as being able to walk to the train station here to travel into London, we are just 15 minutes’ drive from the station at Reading. We are also well placed for the M4 and M40.” When not walking by the river, they have enjoyed being able to visit the many parks and gardens in the area, including the National Trust’s Cliveden, just a mile and a half away. “We will miss being here – Cookham is such a nice place to live,” he admits. “For someone looking to move out of London to a place with everything they need, good connections and that sense of being in the country, there could not be anywhere better. Then, when you think how beautiful this house itself is, you realise it does have a lot to offer.”

Disclaimer
Chewton Rose Estate Agents is the seller's agent for this property. Your conveyancer is legally responsible for ensuring any purchase agreement fully protects your position. We make detailed enquiries of the seller to ensure the information provided is as accurate as possible. Please inform us if you become aware of any information being inaccurate.