East Ilsley, Newbury

The living room is an inviting room with a beautiful, large inglenook fireplace. The second reception room is a good size, with an open fireplace and stunning built-in, arched cupboard.

The kitchen is a generous size with space for an island and a view over the rear courtyard. Just off the kitchen there's a mezzanine area (ideal as a dining room), a pantry and a basement utility room.

Upstairs there are 3 double bedrooms, all with their own character. The main bedroom has an en-suite shower room, and the other two bedrooms have vaulted ceilings. Additionally, there's a luxurious family bathroom with a large bath, separate shower and dual basins.

Outside, across the courtyard, there's a private patio garden with ample room for a greenhouse, plant pots and plenty of seating.

Steadman House has a garage with storage room above, both with power and an additional parking space in the courtyard.

SELLER INSIGHT

We were yearning for village life, that's exactly what we found here. Steadman House is delightfully quirky with a wonderful history and every room has its own charm. We stayed overnight in the village before committing to buying and everyone was so friendly and welcoming we knew we'd found the right place.

The house manages to feel both big and small at the same time - there are plenty of rooms for us to have our own space or be together and entertain in, yet it's so cosy.

We spend a lot of our time in the living room and kitchen. The kitchen is big enough to dance around, perfect for a kitchen disco! We love to cook and there's room for creative cooking with friends and family. The living room is warm and inviting, especially in the winter with the fire alight. Our friends love it here; they've always found it welcoming and comfy.

The walk-in pantry is a real treat, who doesn't love a pantry?! The utility room downstairs is also incredibly useful; the boiler is down there, so it's lovely and warm for drying clothes in the winter.
The second reception room is particularly elegant; the recessed cabinet, with its lights on, is a beautiful feature.

Upstairs all the bedrooms feel spacious, and there's plenty of room for storage. Bedroom three is especially bright, the light floods in and it has a pretty view of the green alongside the house. I love the bathroom, it's so luxurious. It has a huge bath-tub and is such a big room there's space for an armchair! It's wonderful for a relaxing, candle-lit bath.

Outside, the garden is a peaceful sanctuary. It's private, quiet and a sun-trap, we use it all year round. We often sit out there with a coffee to read, relax and contemplate life, or we enjoy a glass of wine with friends. It's not joined to the house but that's never bothered us, or our dogs. It's only across the courtyard and we value the privacy of it more than if it were joined to the house but overlooked.

East Ilsley is such a friendly community, people help each other out here - we've made some great friends. There's a real mix of people here, from London commuters to older people who have lived here for years, young families, home workers, people who have retired here....

The village has so much going for it, there's a working farm, racing stables and an active community. The history is incredible. The church is 1000 years old, there's a grave for Frogly Cox, and all sorts of 'wives tales' as to why it's on its own! We're in a conservation area, so looking at old photos everything still looks like it did, and much of what you see can't be built on. Living here is like being part of history.

Both pubs are popular and hold regular events, with village events too you can have fun throughout the year. The 'Sheep Fair' is a nod to the history of the village as a sheep trading location. These days, it's a fair for everyone, with a dog show, stalls, food music and dancing.

There are some beautiful walks around the village, you can take a different one every day, whether it be to take the dog out or for a longer walk to a pub. Anyone with a dog will soon get to know people on their regular walks.

Outside of the village we tend to shop in Newbury or Didcot. We love trying out eateries in the surrounding villages, there's always a new restaurant or pub to try. You can get anywhere in the country from here; Cornwall by train and links to the north are good too. Oxford is easy to reach and great for theatre. From Didcot Reading is just 15 minutes away and there you can pick up the new Elizabeth Line - it's so quick and easy to get across London!

We've been very happy here, we never intended to stay 20 years but we didn't want to leave! It's a really lovely house to live in, it feels warm,
cosy and friendly, both inside the house and within the community. We have a lot of friends in the north though, so we're moving to be nearer to them. We're excited to see who moves here next though, and know they will be welcomed!

LOCATION

Steadman House is in the heart of East Ilsley, a friendly, pretty village in the North Wessex Downs, an area of outstanding natural beauty. The village is surrounded by beautiful countryside with miles of walks leading to surrounding villages.

East Ilsley was mentioned in the Doomsday Book and is historically known for its sheep fairs, stretching back to the 1200s, when sheep traders from the west country would converge on the village. At that time, there was a hotel and 16 pubs! These days, there are still two pubs; The Swan and The Crown And Horns, both within a 1 minute walk of Steadman House.

The village hosts community events throughout the year including the Sheep Fair, Halloween, Christmas and New Years' parties, as well as lots of other events. For various seasonal events the pond is decorated for the enjoyment of local children - Father Christmas' visit is particularly popular.

The neighbouring village of Compton has a village store and doctor's practice serving East Ilsley. A wider range of shops, cinemas and theatres, can be found in Newbury and Didcot, both within a 15 minute drive.

This area is full of lovely villages with gastro pubs, renowned restaurants and farm shops; some within a walk across fields and pathways from Steadman House.

East Ilsley is in the highly sought after 'outstanding' Downs School catchment area, with the school just 2 miles away. The Ilsley's Primary School is a 4 minute walk away, inspectors report says: 'there is a strong sense of family here' and rated it 'good'.

TRANSPORT LINKS

Trains
Didcot Parkway train station is a 15 minute drive away, reaching London Paddington within as little as 39 minutes.

Roads
A34: 0.3 miles
M4: 5 miles