House For Sale £650,000
Exceptionally pretty 17th century cottage with bags of character, set in a pleasant plot in the heart of a village just 8 miles from Oxford. 4 beds, 3 receptions, many recent improvements, plus further potential for some exciting layout changes if desired (ask for details). No chain.
Tackley dates back to Saxon times. The village has a great sense of community, demonstrated by the community run village shop which shares premises with the village hall, just next to the playing fields that it also shares with the school. For those who like a proper village pub, the Gardiner Arms is a popular freehouse in the centre, home of an annual beer and music festival as well as hosting regular music nights. The village has a main line railway station, with regular trains to and from Banbury, Oxford and London, and is about 1 mile from the Oxford Canal with its lovely walks. The location may be distinctly rural and tucked away among fields, but it's also just 8 miles from Oxford and barely 3 miles from Woodstock, which offers many great amenities including Blenheim Palace which is a unesco World Heritage site that also hosts a wealth of concerts and other events throughout the year. Tackley really does have it all.
Spindleberry Cottage dates to at least the seventeenth century but possibly earlier. The pretty facade hides an interior that exhibits those lovely character features so redolent of old houses, with beams and stone aplenty, but also more recent modern additions that have made it much more practical. Fireplaces for cozy winters rub shoulders with a modern kitchen and bathrooms, upgraded electrics, plus an enormous glazed and timber-framed porch. And the plot is ample for family life, with space for an external office if desired, all sat within a minute's walk of the playing fields, community shop and the allotments. In addition to what's on offer now, we've sought the advice of our favourite architect and his opinion is that with a little tweaking the house could become substantially more useable/exciting - if you would like details on this please do ask.
Heading in from the right hand side, the porch has a living sedum roof and was built using green oak by an Oxfordshire craftsman who specialises in timber framing and historic properties. It offers masses of handy storage for coats, boots etc away from the main accommodation. The side door comes into a bright hallway off which there is first a modern cloak room then a study - the latter offering a peaceful view of the garden while you work. The hall heads left at the end into the first of the receptions. History of 300 years surrounds you, with lovely old timber joists overhead in which the tack marks from the old horsehair ceilings are still evident. A proud Inglenook fireplace to the left contains a thick timber lintel, blackened from centuries of use, and it's flanked by deep alcoves perfect for bookshelves. This is a lovely room, looking out to the front garden, and ample to house a large dining table with ease. The first of two staircases rises here to the floor above, and walking past it takes you into another reception, a little larger, complete with a further fireplace this time containing a recently-fitted wood burning stove that's very efficient. Windows to two sides make this room exceptionally light, and the character theme continues with lots of stone and beams, complete with a window seat to the rear looking out to the garden.
Take the door at the rear and this leads you to the bottom of the second staircase, opposite which is a stable door to the garden, and thereafter the space opens into a large and bright kitchen. A lengthy timber work top covers multiple spaces for washing machine, drier, wine fridge etc, complete with power and plumbing for all. On the left the door leads into the wide internal garage, and past it the kitchen broadens into a lovely light space. Cleverly, the high quality timber units are all free-standing. Hence both they and the Smeg stainless steel oven could easily be moved/reorientated if you would prefer a different layout. Glazed double doors towards the rear also access the garden behind, hence this would be a delightful place to eat in the summer.
From the kitchen, take the back stairs to the first floor. The bright landing at the top is lit by an unusual triangular side window. On the right a pretty double bedroom is characterful, nestling in the roof eaves with windows to the rear and right sides providing a lovely view across the garden. And to the side an en-suite shower room is fitted with a modern suite that includes a circular sink as well as power shower. Back across the landing, past the airing cupboard, the family bathroom is fitted in a similar style, this time with a bath. This serves three further bedrooms. The first of these is next door, with charming original truss timbers across the ceiling that are a nod to when the house would have originally been thatched. A wardrobe in the corner offers handy storage, and the window looks out toward the front garden.
Another door leads through to another bedroom. However, as there are two staircases this could be permanently removed/closed if desired. The bedroom it accesses is similar to next door, also equipped with a wardrobe, but this time double aspect with windows to front and rear. The chimney breast from below rises to the side, creating an alcove on the side providing natural space for shelves. Continue onwards and you reach the landing for the second staircase, the other side of which the last of four bedrooms is an ample double, with a vaulted ceiling in similar fashion to the en-suite room at the opposite end. A pair of wardrobes provide great storage, and the windows to front and rear ensure it's light and bright.
Outside, the plot is very attractive and sizeable. A hedge across the front gives the house a high degree of privacy. Behind it the front garden is wide and mainly lawned, with a border across the front wall which is well stocked with flowers and also creepers that climb the front of the house. The gravelled driveways to left (in front of the garage) and right offer ample parking, and to the right the path running past the porch leads through a gate to the rear garden. A gravel path continues across the back of the house, with a pretty area between the two extensions that's ideal for outside dining and very private, and this continues to another seating area outside the kitchen.
Across the right hand side of the garden, a shed, greenhouse, plus a larger shed/ workshop with an adjacent covered store occupy the right hand side, providing huge amounts of storage. This would also be a natural area for a wonderful outside office if desired, without intruding on the garden at all. The centre of the garden is lawned, with large planters to the left side, as well as a pleasant array of shrubs, trees and flowers both in a planted bed to the rear and also doted around the boundaries. A timber fence securely encloses the whole space so it's very safe for children and animals alike. And the gate at the rear leads out to the allotments, just a few yards away, as well as the village hall/community shop and the playing fields/ school. It is a perfect family garden - secluded, safe, sunny and very pretty.
Tackley dates back to Saxon times. The village has a great sense of community, demonstrated by the community run village shop which shares premises with the village hall, just next to the playing fields that it also shares with the school. For those who like a proper village pub, the Gardiner Arms is a popular freehouse in the centre, home of an annual beer and music festival as well as hosting regular music nights. The village has a main line railway station, with regular trains to and from Banbury, Oxford and London, and is about 1 mile from the Oxford Canal with its lovely walks. The location may be distinctly rural and tucked away among fields, but it's also just 8 miles from Oxford and barely 3 miles from Woodstock, which offers many great amenities including Blenheim Palace which is a unesco World Heritage site that also hosts a wealth of concerts and other events throughout the year. Tackley really does have it all.
Spindleberry Cottage dates to at least the seventeenth century but possibly earlier. The pretty facade hides an interior that exhibits those lovely character features so redolent of old houses, with beams and stone aplenty, but also more recent modern additions that have made it much more practical. Fireplaces for cozy winters rub shoulders with a modern kitchen and bathrooms, upgraded electrics, plus an enormous glazed and timber-framed porch. And the plot is ample for family life, with space for an external office if desired, all sat within a minute's walk of the playing fields, community shop and the allotments. In addition to what's on offer now, we've sought the advice of our favourite architect and his opinion is that with a little tweaking the house could become substantially more useable/exciting - if you would like details on this please do ask.
Heading in from the right hand side, the porch has a living sedum roof and was built using green oak by an Oxfordshire craftsman who specialises in timber framing and historic properties. It offers masses of handy storage for coats, boots etc away from the main accommodation. The side door comes into a bright hallway off which there is first a modern cloak room then a study - the latter offering a peaceful view of the garden while you work. The hall heads left at the end into the first of the receptions. History of 300 years surrounds you, with lovely old timber joists overhead in which the tack marks from the old horsehair ceilings are still evident. A proud Inglenook fireplace to the left contains a thick timber lintel, blackened from centuries of use, and it's flanked by deep alcoves perfect for bookshelves. This is a lovely room, looking out to the front garden, and ample to house a large dining table with ease. The first of two staircases rises here to the floor above, and walking past it takes you into another reception, a little larger, complete with a further fireplace this time containing a recently-fitted wood burning stove that's very efficient. Windows to two sides make this room exceptionally light, and the character theme continues with lots of stone and beams, complete with a window seat to the rear looking out to the garden.
Take the door at the rear and this leads you to the bottom of the second staircase, opposite which is a stable door to the garden, and thereafter the space opens into a large and bright kitchen. A lengthy timber work top covers multiple spaces for washing machine, drier, wine fridge etc, complete with power and plumbing for all. On the left the door leads into the wide internal garage, and past it the kitchen broadens into a lovely light space. Cleverly, the high quality timber units are all free-standing. Hence both they and the Smeg stainless steel oven could easily be moved/reorientated if you would prefer a different layout. Glazed double doors towards the rear also access the garden behind, hence this would be a delightful place to eat in the summer.
From the kitchen, take the back stairs to the first floor. The bright landing at the top is lit by an unusual triangular side window. On the right a pretty double bedroom is characterful, nestling in the roof eaves with windows to the rear and right sides providing a lovely view across the garden. And to the side an en-suite shower room is fitted with a modern suite that includes a circular sink as well as power shower. Back across the landing, past the airing cupboard, the family bathroom is fitted in a similar style, this time with a bath. This serves three further bedrooms. The first of these is next door, with charming original truss timbers across the ceiling that are a nod to when the house would have originally been thatched. A wardrobe in the corner offers handy storage, and the window looks out toward the front garden.
Another door leads through to another bedroom. However, as there are two staircases this could be permanently removed/closed if desired. The bedroom it accesses is similar to next door, also equipped with a wardrobe, but this time double aspect with windows to front and rear. The chimney breast from below rises to the side, creating an alcove on the side providing natural space for shelves. Continue onwards and you reach the landing for the second staircase, the other side of which the last of four bedrooms is an ample double, with a vaulted ceiling in similar fashion to the en-suite room at the opposite end. A pair of wardrobes provide great storage, and the windows to front and rear ensure it's light and bright.
Outside, the plot is very attractive and sizeable. A hedge across the front gives the house a high degree of privacy. Behind it the front garden is wide and mainly lawned, with a border across the front wall which is well stocked with flowers and also creepers that climb the front of the house. The gravelled driveways to left (in front of the garage) and right offer ample parking, and to the right the path running past the porch leads through a gate to the rear garden. A gravel path continues across the back of the house, with a pretty area between the two extensions that's ideal for outside dining and very private, and this continues to another seating area outside the kitchen.
Across the right hand side of the garden, a shed, greenhouse, plus a larger shed/ workshop with an adjacent covered store occupy the right hand side, providing huge amounts of storage. This would also be a natural area for a wonderful outside office if desired, without intruding on the garden at all. The centre of the garden is lawned, with large planters to the left side, as well as a pleasant array of shrubs, trees and flowers both in a planted bed to the rear and also doted around the boundaries. A timber fence securely encloses the whole space so it's very safe for children and animals alike. And the gate at the rear leads out to the allotments, just a few yards away, as well as the village hall/community shop and the playing fields/ school. It is a perfect family garden - secluded, safe, sunny and very pretty.
