Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire

A simply stunning and flexible period family home with beautiful gardens and grounds, outbuildings and stables, situated in the heart of a desirable village. In all about 5.31 acres.
Situation
Whitchurch is a pretty village situated within the Buckinghamshire countryside. The village has excellent facilities, including a primary school, local butchers, vets, post office and well-regarded public house.

Connection onto the motorway network is found at junction 13 (Milton Keynes, 18 miles) for the M1, and junction 9 (Bicester, 19 miles) for the M40.Trains to London Euston may be reached in under 30 minutes from Leighton Buzzard or from Aylesbury Vale Parkway into Marylebone in less than 1 hour.

There is a wide selection of schools in the area including Whitchurch Combined School, Swanbourne Preparatory School, Ashfold Preparatory School, Waddesdon Church of England School, Aylesbury Grammar School for boys, Aylesbury High School for girls, Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School (mixed), Berkhamsted Independent School (Preparatory and Senior School with school bus form outside the House), Stowe Independent Boarding and Day School.

History of the house
The house is Grade II Listed and believed to have dated from the early 17th century and was extended to the rear in the 18th century and early 20th century to give the impressive property that we see today.

Whitchurch House has been home to famous occupiers including the Anstruther family in the early 20th century The author Jan Struther (under the pen name of Joyce Anstruther) was brought up at the house. Her father, Henry Torrens Anstruther was a justice of the peace for Buckinghamshire. Jan was known for the novel Mrs. Miniver, and a number of well-known hymns.

Description
The handsome Whitchurch House was built of local Oving stone, and rendered elevations and overlooks its beautifully landscaped private formal gardens.

Extensively renovated by the current owners in 2010, the property was fully refurbished including, replumbing, insulating, rewiring, and repairing and replacing the main frontage. Today the property offers expansive well-proportioned living accommodation arranged over two floors with many beautiful original period features, including beamed ceilings, panelled walls, and open working fireplaces.

On entering from the rear paved courtyard, through the charming porch entrance, the house opens up onto the central hall, the oldest part of the house featuring an original red brick and iron fireplace, which is centrally positioned between the four reception rooms, and staircase with fine turned balusters, and moulded handrail leading to the first-floor accommodation.

From the hallway you enter the comfortable drawing room features a historic inglenook fireplace with log burner. From the drawing room you enter a wonderful, well-proportioned dual aspect panelled dining room.

The kitchen/breakfast room is located at the rear of the property giving easy access to the gardens and benefits from a bespoke kitchen, with plenty of workspace, Aga cooker and integrated appliances, including a Bosch coffee machine and microwave. This leads to a good size utility room and pantry.

Completing the ground floor is a further large reception room currently fitted with a home bar, a playroom and home gym or separate sitting room, cloakrooms, a second utility room, and staircases down to two dry cellars.
The main staircase leads to the first floor accommodation with a dual height feature window giving optimum light.

The principle bedroom is of generous size, flooded with lots of natural light with beautiful original exposed beams, with adjoining double dressing room.

Within the older part of the house the remaining space comprises of 3 further bedrooms and two bathrooms one of which enjoys the views over the formal gardens of Whitchurch House. There is also access from the landing to the extensive unconverted attic space.

The rear part of the house makes a wonderful guest area, comprising 3 bedrooms all of which are of generous size and a further family bathroom. This has the potential to be used as separate/ancillary accommodation.

Gardens and Grounds
The gardens, grounds and paddocks are a real feature of the property providing an exceptional amount of privacy. From the top of the gardens you are led towards the house through established hedging and gardens which gives a wonderful sense of arrival and privacy.

To the rear of the property is a large entertaining terrace and the formal walled gardens with well-established borders and planting and includes a delightful secret garden which could form a wonderful vegetable garden or similar, and for those summer months, there is a wonderful private outdoor (air source heat pump) heated swimming pool.

Accessed from the rear, through electric gates, there is a 3 bay car port with an electric charging point, giving access to enclosed mature grazing paddocks together with a range of dilapidated field shelters. Separately accessed through gates, there is a delightful coach house with off road parking and separate post code (HP22 4JE) comprising tack room, four stables with planning permission for conversion for a home office (now lapsed).

In all the property extends to circa 5.31 acres.

The current owners have spent a great deal of time and thought in creating a wonderful country property in peaceful surroundings.