Wotton Underwood, Aylesbury, HP18 0RZ

Why We Love The Bunch

A charming collection of 18th century cottages united into a single-family house, The Bunch boasts an idyllically peaceful and private location which is remarkably only 50 miles from central London.

This captivating house has been the home of the current owners for the past 50 years and although now ripe for a refurbishment, it stands out for its lovely feel and bags of period charm as well as its convenient location.

Named The Bunch to distinguish it from another set of cottages nearby called The Row which were built in the same period, The Bunch is formed from a cluster of five timber framed (unlisted) brick cottages which were constructed in 1700 by the Grenville family of Wotton House. The original 18th century timbers have been preserved with an abundance of exposed beams throughout.

The house is situated behind a hedge on a quiet no-through road on the outskirts of the village of Wotton Underwood. A set of double wooden gates open onto the drive which leads along an avenue of trees and up to a gravelled forecourt with plenty of parking at the front of the house which is set well back in its plot surrounded by gardens and grounds. 

The front door opens onto a large entrance hall flanked by a boot room with smart inbuilt storage cupboards, and a separate gents cloakroom. The splendid dual aspect light-filled formal drawing room beyond includes French windows onto the garden, double height ceiling, original beams and original open chimneypiece with open fire and log store. A separate sitting room with open fireplace sits next door. The formal dining room is across the hall next to the family kitchen/breakfast room and conservatory. There is also a separate utility room and bathroom next to the back door and back stairs.

The first floor is made up of the principal bedroom which has an adjoining dressing room and bathroom, as well as three further double bedrooms, a family bathroom, a laundry room, and a linen cupboard.

Ancillary Accommodation/Annexe

One of the original 5 cottages which make up The Bunch has been configured as a separate ancillary annexe. This part of the house has its own front door so that it can function independently as flexible guest or ancillary accommodation. 

The space comprises a hallway, a sitting room, a bathroom and a kitchenette on the ground floor with two bedrooms located on the first floor.

Gardens and Grounds

Set in just over 3 acres, the house enjoys a superb peaceful setting surrounded by gardens and grounds. The main South-facing formal garden sits at the back of the house where there is an outdoor terrace overlooking expansive lawns bordered by a variety of mature shrubs and trees. An avenue of clipped trees draws the eye to a paddock beyond containing an orchard and tennis court.

Beside the drive sits a neat cutting garden surrounded by clipped box hedges. An aviary, greenhouses and a large kitchen garden filled with vegetables and dahlias is located at the side of the house where there is a further terrace overlooking a rose garden outside the kitchen and conservatory. 

A double garage and woodshed provide useful additional storage.

Living in The Chilterns

Brill 2.4 miles | Thame 7.5 miles

Haddenham and Thame Parkway 8.7 miles

Bicester 9.7 miles | Aylesbury 13 miles | Oxford 18 miles

(All distances and times approximate)

Wotton Underwood is a pretty village located in outstanding rolling countryside within the Aylesbury Vale on the northern edge of the Chiltern Hills

The village itself is a small but active community with a lovely medieval church. The picturesque village of Brill 2.4 miles away covers all immediate amenities with a village shop, Post Office, dispensing surgery and two excellent pubs, The Pointer and The Pheasant within a 5-minute drive of The Bunch. 

The market town of Thame has a selection of shops and supermarkets, including a Waitrose, with further independent shops, restaurants and cultural amenities abundant in Oxford and Bicester.

The surrounding Chiltern Hills are well-known for being wonderful walking and riding country. The Grade I listed gardens at Wotton House and nearby Stowe are some of the best examples of landscape design in the country and there are a number of stunning local National Trust properties including Waddesdon Manor which holds a programme of regular exhibitions.

At only 50 miles from central London, The Bunch is exceptionally well-connected for commuters with easy access to the M40 via Junction 6. Haddenham and Thame Parkway is an 18-minute drive away with direct trains to London Marylebone taking from 43 minutes.

Fantastic Schools

There is a fantastic choice of schools, both state and private, in this area. Local independents include Ashfold Preparatory, Barwell School and Bruern Abbey. There is further wide selection of schools a short drive away including Stowe and St Edwards in Oxford. Buckinghamshire is one of the few counties which has maintained a traditional grammar school system, including nearby Aylesbury Grammar.

Chapters Past

The village of Wotton Underwood is perhaps best known for its long association with the illustrious Grenville family who owned the manor at Wotton since the 12th century

The current Wotton House was largely redesigned by John Soane following a fire in the 1820s. It stands on the site of an earlier house built in 1704-1714 for Richard Grenville (1646-1719) who married Hester Temple, sister of the soldier and brilliant Whig politician Richard Temple 1st Viscount Cobham. Cobham died without an heir of his own and left his estate at nearby Stowe to Hester and her eldest son Richard Grenville.

The Grenville’s principal family seat subsequently shifted to Stowe, where the family constructed a new house and enhanced and extended Cobham’s carefully constructed Arcadian landscaped garden which served as an overtly public display of Lord Cobham and his successor’s political affiliations.  

Wotton’s lovely medieval church of All Saints continued to serve as the Grenville family burial place and the house remained in active use. The estate was left to Richard Grenville and Hester Temple’s second son George Grenville, later Prime Minister, who employed George London and Henry Wise to plant out extensive formal gardens, no doubt influenced by those at Stowe. Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown was later employed to work on the garden and William Pitt the Elder (George Grenville’s brother-in-law) is believed to have also played a part in contributing to its design. Wotton’s magnificent Grade I listed 18th century gardens stand largely unaltered today and are open to the public.