House For Sale £1,125,000
For a family it’s an outstanding home - the stunning 40x23ft vaulted and beamed drawing room with mezzanine can’t fail to provoke that enviable ‘WOW!’ and offers unrivalled super-chic living and entertaining space. Filled with natural light, the current owners describe this sunny sanctuary as ‘magical’ and, with ultra-fast broadband, it’s ideal for those who work from home. They also praise the energy-efficiency, revealing that with gas central heating – it’s underfloor throughout the ground floor and all the bathrooms – plus an electric car charging point, their energy bills are kept to a minimum.
Grange Barn has potential in other ways too. The two ground level en-suite bedrooms offer future-proofed living which, combined with a nicely manageable garden, make it an accessible option for those looking to downsize. Equally, it’s a great lock-up-and-leave home - the perfect weekend and holiday escape from the city hustle-bustle.
The project of a renowned local developer 20 years ago, the house forms part of an exclusive enclave of barn and farm building conversions, and it’s beautifully presented throughout. As well as the magnificent vaulted drawing room and staircase to the spellbinding 17x13ft mezzanine, there are two double en-suite bedrooms on the ground floor, a spacious kitchen/breakfast room and a utility room. Upstairs are two further en-suite bedrooms.
With a compact, walled garden that faces sunnily south, a double garage and additional parking for three cars, Grange Barn is a really stunning home – and it’s in a great location too, just three miles from the buzzing Thameside town of Abingdon with its brilliant range of leisure and shopping options, including a Waitrose supermarket, plus some of the best private schools in the country.
We think you will love Grange Barn, so here are all the details . . .
The perfect place in the country
If, like the current owners, you love to host parties and barbecues, then the flow of Grange Barn is pretty much perfect. There are two ways in - the first via a door into the entrance hall of the kitchen ‘wing’ and another through the set of double French doors into the drawing room – fling them all open for a summertime party and guests can drift convivially between indoors and the garden.
The double-height drawing room is an enormous space that’s ideal for ‘broken plan’ living – ie: casually delineated areas, the obvious being squashy sofas and a rug in front of the fireplace, with woodburner-style gas fire and feature chimney rising up to the chunky timber beamed ceiling. The central area is a fantastic entertaining space that can easily accommodate a big dining table seating as many people as you like. The area under the mezzanine is defined by the upright timber beams and could be zoned for watching TV, or perhaps as a study area with desk.
Above, the mezzanine has smart white balustrades and is another generous space to be used as wished - library/snug, office, gym, movie room or teenage den.
The two en-suite downstairs bedrooms, both doubles, are at either end of the drawing room – one with built-in wardrobes. Each room is light and bright and, just like the rest of the house, they’re decorated in neutral tones that present a blank canvas for the new owner.
Opening off the entrance hall there’s a big storeroom and cloakroom with WC too.
The kitchen/breakfast room is another lovely generous 21x11ft space with curvaceous vaulted beams and fitted with farmhouse-style pale grey units with wood laminate worktops, electric range cooker with three ovens and a 5-ring gas hob, and an integrated dishwasher. There’s plenty of space for a kitchen table and chairs, perfect for family meals, and there’s a door to the garden. Identical kitchen units line the utility room which has integrated washing machine and dryer and a sink, plus space for a large free-standing fridge-freezer.
The two upstairs bedrooms with modern en-suite bathrooms are relaxing havens with beamed high ceilings located at either end of the drawing room – each with its own staircase. The principal bedroom, 15x13ft, has fitted wardrobes and Velux windows. The fourth bedroom is also a good size, 14x10ft.
Into the garden
Children can play safely in the garden of Grange Barn, which is attractively enclosed by Cotswold stone walls and entered via a set of double arched wooden gates.
This compact garden is easy maintenance with an expanse of lawn, flower borders and a bricked patio outside the double doors of the drawing room – ideal for summertime al fresco drinks and barbecues. The south-facing position is another plus.
Beyond the gates are three parking spaces and a double garage.
Round and about
Frilford Heath is the perfect rural idyll, boosted by its proximity to Frilford Heath Golf Club, one of Oxfordshire’s finest with a trio of 18-hole courses to play. It welcomes new members – good news if the new owner of Grange Barn is partial to a round or two.
It’s also within easy striking distance of some of the best independent schools in the country, many in the Abingdon area and a 15-minute drive away in Oxford.
The nearest state primary school, Ofsted rated ‘good’, is Marcham CE (1.5 miles) while Longworth primary school (three miles) is ‘outstanding’.
And it’s a five-minute walk to pick up the everyday essentials such as fresh bread, milk, newspapers and wine at the Budgens store within Frilford service station.
Over the road from Grange Barn, Millets Farm is a great place to visit – pick-your-own, farm shop, garden centre, restaurant and café, soft-play barn, falconry, farm animals for the kids to meet, it’s all here. Last year Millets celebrated 70 years in business, and there’s always loads to see and do.
There’s endless scenic countryside walks around Frilford Heath, and several end at the local pub, The Dog House. Whether you fancy brunch, lunch or dinner, this informal hostelry is the place to go. It serves Sunday lunches and there’s a supper club too. Or try the equally friendly Merry Miller at Cothill.
For a special meal, including superb set lunches, the AA two-rosette White Hart at Fyfield is a short drive away. It offers everything from wood-fired pizzas on the outside terrace to outstanding modern British cuisine in the restaurant.
The nearest village, Marcham, has the Marcham Centre, opened a couple of years ago, at its heart. Run by volunteers, it’s a busy hub with a packed programme of activities and classes in the village hall plus a licensed bar on Wednesdays, Fridays and at weekends.
Commuters favour this area of Oxfordshire for its connectivity. Didcot Parkway station is only 15 minutes by car with frequent trains to London Paddington in just 45 minutes and there’s easy access to the A34, M40 and M4.
EPC Rating: C
