Greenham Road, Newbury, RG14

This charming semi-detached cottage, over a hundred years old, sits on the old Greenham Road and is a short walk from the best of all worlds: the hustle and bustle of town and the peace and space of Stroud Green and Greenham Common beyond.

SITUATION

This is an old and well-placed part of the town, full of character properties.

Just up the road are the wide open green spaces of Stroud Green and Newbury Racecourse. Walk a bit further, up Pyle Hill past the local pub, The Plough on the Green, and The Willows School you reach, to the expansive and historic Greenham Common with its open and wooded walks.

Or head in the opposite direction, past the 24-hour gym to the railway station, supermarket and town centre with all the amenities you could want.  

The A339/A4 and A34 are close at hand. Newbury also sits beside the crossroads of the A34 and the M4, giving access to Winchester, the south coast, the Midlands, Wales and London.

PROPERTY

A joyful house from the porch and cheery stained-glass window above the front door to the enclosed courtyard garden to the rear, and every character feature and spacious room in between.

This period cottage has been thoughtfully extended and improved to create a home that’s a pleasure to live in. It’s also excellently located for both the amenities of town and the calm of the countryside, for work and commuting, and for socialising and relaxing.  

Sitting room

This lovely light room has classic Victorian proportions and features, including a high-ceiling, centralised window and torus skirting boards.

The centrepiece is the cast iron fireplace, with solid timber mantlepiece and surround, contrasting green tiled hearth and protective brass fender. The warm, amber-coloured wood floors and mantelpiece add to the room’s ambience. This will be a wonderful, cosy space on a chilly day with a warming fire crackling away.

The heritage-style double glazed window creates the illusion of a period sliding sash, with the benefits of superb soundproofing, draught-proofing and modern security.

With this room being opened up to the hallway, it’s created a greater feeling of space and light, as well as offering plentiful scope for different furniture configurations.

Kitchen/Diner

A really well-sized room running the full width of the house, making it a natural hub and heart of the home. 

The fireplace with solid timber mantle and green tiled hearth gives the room a wonderful character focal point.

The materials used in this kitchen are real and honest. The worktops are solid wood, not laminate, so they can be sanded and refinished as needed to stay looking great for years to come. The solid, heavy Belfast sink can accommodate even the biggest of roasting pans and chopping boards. The wall tiles complement the room perfectly, as do the cream wall and base units.

Having the same high ceiling as the sitting room, there’s additional storage above the wall units, should you want to display favourite items.

Beneath the stairs you have a great storage space for hoovers and ironing boards, and to shelve for a walk-in pantry or larder. 

The lockable double-glazed window looks out onto the east-facing rear courtyard garden.

Vestibule

A lovely latched door, part-glazed with period reeded glass, leads you into the vestibule. This is a good size, with plentiful space for storing coats. The floor is hardwearing period terracotta-coloured tiles, and there’s a secure double-glazed back door with cat flap.

Through an internal ledge and brace door you have the downstairs bathroom.   

Bathroom

This light, bright family bathroom provides a highly useful downstairs loo, with a deep bath with thermostatic mixer shower over, handbasin and double radiator. Fully tiled with contrasting feature borders top and bottom. 

Upstairs

Upstairs are two double bedrooms and an ensuite. 

Bedroom one

The front bedroom is a good-sized double with a beautiful ornate cast iron fireplace. The deep window fills the room with light, and looking west offers lovely sunsets. There’s a built-in double wardrobe and space for a chest of drawers or dressing table.  

Beside the deep chimney breast, the recess has been fitted with shelves of differing depths creating a generous desk space.

The ceilings are higher than average, and the doors are period and solid wood - which if desired could be stripped to reveal the warm wood beneath. The windows are double-glazed, keeping in the warmth while protecting from road noise. There’s also a loft hatch into the boarded attic and a sturdy retractable ladder for access.

Bedroom two

The painted brick chimney breast has an opening for a fireplace, which could be reinstalled, but as it is creates a perfect space to display a choice piece or vase of flowers. 

There’s ample space for a double bed with bedside tables, a chest of drawers and should you wish to replace the shelving, a wardrobe beside the chimney breast. The window looks east over the courtyard garden and catches the morning sun.

Ensuite

This compact space has been put to perfect use. Inside, you have a spacious fully-tiled walk-in shower enclosure with thermostatic shower, a ladder radiator for warm post-shower towels, a back-to-cabinet loo and a handbasin beneath the opaque glass window. Behind cupboard doors is the combi boiler.

OUTSIDE

To the rear, the block-paved courtyard garden is enclosed by a close-boarded fence and half-height brick wall, secured by a five-bar gate. With the gate open, you’ve off-road parking for at least four cars.

Facing east, the garden catches the morning light and could provide a lovely space for a herb or raised cottage garden, with seating to enjoy a leisurely morning coffee. 

To the front, the small garden is enclosed by a dwarf brick wall topped by a close-boarded fence, with a gate providing access to a path that leads into town or towards Stroud Green.

Schooling

According to West Berkshire Council, the schools within the catchment area are:

Primary: The Willows Primary School, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School.

Secondary: Park House School.

In addition, there’s a wide range of private schooling available, which includes: Cheam, Elstree, Downe House, St. Gabriel’s, Brockhurst & Marlston House, Horris Hill, Marlborough College, Bradfield College and Pangbourne College.

Services

Mains gas-fired central heating and hot water.  

Mains water and sewerage.

The EPC rating is D

Connectivity  

Broadband. According to Openreach, Ultrafast Full Fibre at up to 1800Mbps is available.

Mobile. According to Vodafone, their 5G Ultra service is “Good indoors and outdoors”

Council

The local authority is West Berkshire Council.

Council Tax band B 

Tenure

Freehold.

EPC rating: D. Tenure: Freehold,