House for sale in Oxfordshire

Mileage

Bampton 2 miles, Faringdon 7 miles, Oxford 11 miles, Burford 11 miles, Didcot 14 miles (trains from Didcot Parkway to London Paddington from 42 minutes), London 71 miles

Description

HISTORICAL NOTE
Records show that the earliest part of the house is the east wing which is characteristic of houses built between 1500 and 1600. Sir Thomas Horde rebuilt two thirds of the house between 1630 and 1662 in the Elizabethan hollow E Form. Sir Thomas's heir, also Thomas, modified the house between 1663 and 1715 altering the west wing quite extensively. Since that time the house has been altered but only on a small scale.

COTE HOUSE
Listed Grade II*, Cote House is constructed of coursed limestone rubble, partly rendered with a Cotswold slate roof with stone mullioned windows. The current and former owners have undertaken an extensive programme of restoration and renovation over the past 25 years whilst retaining many of the period features including large stone fireplaces, moulded cornices, and mixture of wood and stone floors as well as fine doors.

Cote House, which is listed in Marcus Binney's book 'In Search of the Perfect House - 500 of the best buildings in Britain and Ireland' (published 2007), is a wonderful family home, being ideal also for entertaining with the impressive great hall, sitting room and drawing room. There is a more family orientated kitchen/breakfast room in the eastern side of the house which is easily accessible for the dining room and great hall. The house is well laid out with a good ratio of bedrooms to bathrooms, most of which enjoy lovely views over the gardens. The second floor attic also offers further potential to create more bedroom accommodation or a large children's playroom. In addition to the main house there is an attached 2 bedroom cottage ideal for staff or relatives which could also be incorporated into the main house accommodation, subject to obtaining necessary consents.

The gardens provide a spectacular setting for the house providing privacy and protection. Divided into a number of different areas, the combination of both formal and informal gardens is quite outstanding. In previous years the gardens have been part of the National Garden Scheme.

Accommodation

GROUND FLOOR
Constructed of stone and part rendered under a Cotswold slate roof, the house is entered by a pair of double doors into the great hall, with an open fireplace with stone surround and a wood floor. The drawing room has an open fireplace with stone surround, paneled walls and a door to the fine oak Jacobean staircase, with an under stairs store and door to the garden. The sitting room has an open fireplace with stone surround, fitted bookshelves with cupboards beneath and moulded cornice. From the reception hall, steps lead to an inner hall with wood and York stone floor and arch through to the garden lobby with a door to the cloakroom with W.C, wash basin, fitted cupboard and hatch in floor to the foundations. The main staircase is located in the stair-turret rising from the garden lobby to the first and second floors. The dining room has a York stone floor. The spacious kitchen/breakfast room, with its oak panelled walls has a fully fitted kitchen to one end designed around a u-shaped marble work surface. Appliances include a Miele dishwasher, 2 1/2 bowl stainless steel sink unit, fitted Gagganeau 4 ring electric hob, 2 ring gas hob and griddle. Adjacent to this is a Miele fridge/freezer, 2 electric ovens, one of which is also a microwave, and a plate-warmer. At the other end is the breakfast area with fireplace containing a wood burning stove and a fitted bench in a bay window. The rear hall has a door to an air conditioned wine store with extensive set of wine bins plus a larder with granite shelving. The cloakroom is fully tiled with W.C, wash basin and heated towel rail, opening to the utility area, with fitted cupboards, Belfast sink, Miele washing machine and Siemens tumble drier. Doors open to the courtyard parking area and garden.

FIRST FLOOR
A spiral staircase in the stair turret leads to a landing off which is the master suite, comprising a bedroom with moulded cornicing and doors to the Jacobean staircase landing and bathroom 1 has a bath, wash basin, heated towel rail, W.C and bidet. The dressing room has 2 walls of wardrobe cupboards and a door to a large walk-in dressing cupboard with a wall of cupboards. A door leads to bathroom 2 with a fitted wardrobe cupboard, wash basin in marble surround, heated towel rail, large walk-in shower and W.C.

Bedroom 2 has lovely views to the south, moulded cornice and a door to bedroom 3 / dressing room. Bathroom 3 has a panelled bath in a smoked mirrored surround, heated towel rail, W.C, bidet and wash basin.

From the landing steps lead to a mezzanine floor with doors to bedroom 4, with a door to a dressing room with wardrobe cupboard. bedroom 5 and bathroom 4 has a pair of wash basins, a panelled bath, bidet and W.C.

Stairs lead up to a further mezzanine floor to bathroom 5 with tiled shower cubicle, WC and wash basin, bedroom 6, walk through bedroom 7 and steps down to bedroom 8.

SECOND FLOOR
A staircase leads up to the second floor attic with good head height and a moulded stone fireplace. This area provides ample space for further accommodation, subject to the necessary consents.

THE COTTAGE
Attached at the eastern end of the house is the cottage entered by a studded front door to the
sitting room, with bookshelves and a door into the kitchen. The fully fitted kitchen has a 1 1/2 bowl sink, Neff dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, oven with four ring hob and an under-counter fridge. Bedroom 1 has fitted wardrobe cupboards, bathroom is fully tiled with a wash basin, W.C, panelled bath, bidet and heated towel rail. Bedroom 2 has double doors to a terraced garden.

GARDENS AND GROUNDS
The gardens and grounds are outstanding features of Cote House and are divided into formal and less formal areas with extensive lawns interspersed with a large variety of mature trees, a water garden and a particularly magnificent kitchen garden.

The property is approached from a country lane through automated gates along a gravel drive terminating in a courtyard to the east of the house, providing parking. Next to this hidden from the house by a stone wall are a spacious workshop / garage and lean-to log store. This area could be converted into further ancillary accommodation, subject to the necessary consents.

The house and gardens are approached through a pair of stone pillars with ornate gates into an attractive formal garden with lawns crossed by gravel paths and clipped Irish Yews. From the formal garden and through a second pair of pillars and ornate gates is the water garden, with a particularly fine long pond, with stone steps leading down to a gravelled terrace with views over the gardens. To the north of the water garden is a knot garden enclosed by a mature yew hedge and attractive clipped box. Situated behind a stone wall is an enclosed heated outdoor swimming pool with large paved terrace, barbeque area, boiler and pump room.

A yew arch leads through to a gravelled walk, with espaliered fruit trees culminating at a wonderful herb garden with each herb enclosed by a clipped box hedge. Beyond is a productive vegetable garden, greenhouses, fruitcage and garden stores.

A pear walk leads through to the end of the water garden and adjacent shrub rose border with a grass path through a small coppice wood to the Summer House. This has been thoughtfully designed to enjoy an attractive southerly aspect with glazed doors leading to the garden. In front is a terrace with a small pond and stocked borders including an array of agapanthas and phlox enclosed by a mature beech hedge.

The woodland gardens have a variety of mature trees including willow, maple, beech and walnut. Under the canopies of the trees is a carpet of wild flowers with mown grass walkways through to a formal rose garden. Sweeping lawns lead beyond the woodland garden and onward to the house. A large terrace adjoins the western elevation of the house with views over the grounds.

Situation

Cote is a small hamlet which lies some 2 miles to the east of Bampton and 4 miles from Witney. Both provide a cross section of shopping facilities with a Waitrose, Sainsburys and large shopping centre with cinema in Witney. The University City of Oxford is only 11 miles away providing a comprehensive selection of schools, hospitals, shopping and leisure opportunities.

Communications are excellent with a regular rail service from Didcot Parkway taking about 45 minutes, while the A40 provides fast access to the M40 and also to the M4 via the A34.

The house is well located for sporting opportunities including hunting with the VWH or Old Berks; golf at Frilford Heath and Burford; water sports on the River Thames as well as sailing at Hardwick and Farmoor reservoirs.

SCHOOLING
There is an excellent selection of schools in the area including St Hugh's at Faringdon, Cothill, Cokethorpe and those in or on the edge of Oxford including The Dragon, Summer Fields, Magdalen College, Headington School, Oxford High, Chandlings Manor and Radley. In and around Abingdon there is St Helens, The Manor and Abingdon School.

Directions

OX18 2EG - From Oxford take the A40 towards Witney. At Witney take the A415 signed Abingdon. Take the second turning to the right signed Aston. After about 1 mile turn left at a cross roads signed Yelford and then turn right signed Cote. Follow this road to the village of Cote and go straight over the B4449. The entrance will be found after about 1/2 mile on the right.