Southmoor Road, Jericho, Oxford

This handsome four-bedroom Victorian house in the sought-after neighbourhood of Jericho, north Oxford, offers an exciting opportunity to create an ambitious modern home to the designs of Wright & Wright Architects. Planning permission has been granted for an extensive refurbishment and extension of the existing building, a rare opportunity in this conservation area of the city. Set on a quiet residential road in Jericho, the expansive living space will extend to around 2,000 sq ft across four storeys, with a private walled garden at the rear of the house. The location is within easy walking distance of Port Meadow, Aristotle Bridge, and Oxford’s network of scenic canal paths. The independent cafés, shops, and restaurants lining Walton Street are a short walk away, with the city centre reachable on foot in less than 20 minutes.

Full details of the planning permission can be found using the reference number 22/02067/FUL.

The Architect

Founded in 1994 by Clare Wright and Sandy Wright, Wright & Wright Architects is an award-winning practice based in Camden that specialises in sensitive sites and ambitious briefs. With a focus on sustainability, Wright & Wright Architects investigate issues of permanence and craft. The practice has an impressive portfolio of public projects that have made a significant impact on the renovation and extension of some of London’s most major cultural institutions, including the National Gallery, the Royal Opera House and the British Museum. More recent projects include the remodelling the Royal College of Art library, designing The Women’s Library in Aldgate, Lambeth Palace Library, and Museum of the Home. They also work extensively in Oxford, including a recent series of projects at the historic heart of St John’s College.

The Tour

The house lies at the far end of a quiet, tree-lined residential road and is set back behind a low parapet wall finished with original wrought iron fencing. A line of box protrudes off the eastern elevation, with the primary entrance set on the easterly side, flanked by elegant stonework.

Retaining the architectural integrity and historic legacy of the house was key to the new design. The impressive red brick façade, banded with intricate stonemasonry and punctuated with generous bays and sash windows set in sandstone, will be carefully retained. The addition of a rear extension and sunken courtyard garden will bring light, a clearer rationale of space, and a fluid connection with the gardens. The interior will be sensitively reimagined to maximise space and light, following a pared back, contemporary aesthetic; original features such as stone fireplaces will combine with a modern material palette.

Entering from the ground floor, two voluminous living spaces will unfold, with glazed bi-fold doors opening directly onto a paved terrace overlooking the courtyard garden below. The lower-ground level will be transformed into an impressive open plan kitchen and dining space. Neatly arranged to one side behind a central island, the kitchen will occupy the rear extension and will be fully integrated, with marble worktops, Yorkshire stone flooring, and extensive oak cabinetry to provide ample storage.

Crittall-style windows will define the rear elevation, with a door that opens onto the courtyard garden. Internal Critall-style glazing will draw natural light throughout the lower-ground level while connecting visually with the outside space. A large dining room will occupy the front of the plan, where a generous bay window brings an excellent quality of southerly light over the course of the day.

Rising to the first and second floors, four generously proportioned double bedrooms and two family bathrooms will unfold across the two quiet upper storeys of the house, with attractive southerly views down the tree-lined avenue and across the gardens to the rear.

Outdoor Space

The existing courtyard garden is enclosed by original red brick walls and will be levelled to transition seamlessly from the kitchen, alongside the existing access from the ground floor. Characterised by new Yorkshire stone, further landscaping will enhance the outdoor spaces, which are ideal for entertaining and eating outside in summer months.

The Area

Southmoor Road is excellently positioned in Jericho; a lively neighbourhood in the north of the city which has long been one of the most sought-after areas of Oxford. There has been significant growth in Jericho in recent years, with the rise of many new independent cafes, shops, bars and restaurants, many of which line Walton Street, less than a 10-minute walk away. There are many excellent offerings nearby for food and drink, notably Branca,Jericho Cheese Shop, Old Parsonage Hotel, Common Ground,Barefoot Bakery, The Rickety Press and Pierre Victoire. Raoul’s and Freud’s are also local favourites. Little Clarendon Street continues on to the city centre, which is easily reached on foot.

Jericho borders ancient Port Meadow, formed of 440 acres of ancient grazing land for cattle and horses which runs along the banks of the River Thames; a beautiful place for riverside walks. Just to the west is the popular 17th-century tavern The Perch, which offers delicious food and an open fire in winter months. The Trout Inn, a charming historic pub close to Godstow Bridge, is also nearby, with an excellent garden and river views.

Oxford’s cultural offering requires no introduction; it is a city renowned for its historical architecture, particularly the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera and St Catherine’s College, designed by Arne Jacobson, The Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers and Modern Art Oxford. Oxford’s Covered Market and Botanical Gardens are both reachable in 30 minutes on foot.

Schools are a major draw to the area, including The Dragon, Magdalen College School, Oxford High School, St Edwards, St Philip and St James Primary School, Wychwood School for Girls and Cherwell School.

The city has excellent connections to London and Birmingham via the M40, as well as Newbury via the M4 and A34. Oxford train station is around 20 minutes’ walk away, with direct connections from here to London Paddington in approximately 55 minutes. The Airline coaches also provide regular service to Heathrow or Gatwick.