Elm Tree Cottage, Chastleton, Oxfordshire

Sitting pretty with its butter-yellow Cotswold stone façade, this 17th-century cottage is set in the quiet, leafy village of Chastleton, Oxfordshire. Grade II-listed, the house is built in the local vernacular of coursed limestone and marlstone rubble topped with a freshly rethatched high-pitched roof. Leaded casement windows peep out from thick thatch dormers to take in views over the blowsy English gardens.

Setting the Scene

Chastleton has always been a bucolic collection of houses set in the convergence of the counties of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. Almost midway between Moreton-in-Marsh and Chipping Norton, the house is a less than 10-minute drive to ever popular Daylesford Organic. Stations at Moreton and Kingham are around a 10-minute drive away, with hourly direct services to London Paddington. For more information, please see the History section.

The Grand Tour

Approaching the house along a path through the well-planted garden, the chocolate-box façade emerges through topiary buxus, mounds of peonies, and hardy geranium. Though there is a second more formal front door, most guests enter through the beguiling open-plan country kitchen.

There is room for an sizable farmhouse table here, and careful bespoke joinery conceals modern Miele appliances. A large cream Aga warms during the cooler months. A wonderful addition first hidden from sight is the concealed wine cellar below, reached via a trap door. With huge capacity and a naturally stable temperature, the cellar offers ample space for the wine lover.

From here is a charming drawing room painted in madder distemper. The room is centred around an immense fireplace complete with an original mantle beam. Stone mullion windows with leaded panes punctuate the ground-floor rooms, accented by moulded and chamfered beams of considerable size. The dining room lies beyond, with a second fireplace of substantial proportions. A library snug is at the end of the plan; painted in an mock Elizabethan style, a playfully decorative tromp l'oeil treatment has been applied to the wall. Built-in shelves and storage are centred around a limestone fireplace.

Stairs wind up to the first floor, where three bedrooms, an office and a family bathroom are arranged along a long central hall with stairwells on both sides. The charming original stairwells have been painted with topiary motifs that continue along the hall upstairs. The principal bedroom is equipped with built-in storage, with all bedrooms taking in peaceful views of the surrounding pastures and countryside. A further room used as an office by the current owners would also make a wonderful playroom or even a small bedroom.

Ascending to the second floor, a small bedroom/office is tucked into the eaves. Accessed via a separate staircase, the second floor is also home to a large bathroom.

There is off-road parking along the west side of the plot and a small period stone forge annexe over the lane provides further off-road parking. Planning permission for conversion of the annexe to ancillary domestic use was previously granted, but has now lapsed.

The Great Outdoors

The gardens around Elm Tree Cottage are an integral part of the experience of the house. Secluded and private, the green spaces are bordered by high hedges. Lawns stretch out, and mature borders are well stocked for year-round colour and interest. Herbaceous perennials such as persicaria, peony and architectural cardoon anchor the beds, while creeping hardy geranium, cornflower and yellow poppy burst into life each summer. Buxus are pruned into meticulous cloud shape designs. Substantial honeysuckle clads the west side of the house, with wisteria and rose climbing other sides of the façade.

Out and About

The house is almost equidistant between Moreton-in Marsh and Chipping Norton. The first offers a famed Tuesday market, one of the largest street markets in the Cotswolds, selling everything from food and drink, and clothing, to books and homeware. The Bell Inn pub and other town locations are said to have inspired JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings' representation of the fictional Shire.

The ever-popular organic Daylesford Farm Shop is minutes from the house, as is Soho Farmhouse and Burford Garden Centre. Visitor attractions include many National Trust properties, most notably Chastleton House, Upton House, Broughton Castle and Warwick Castle, in addition to countless scenic walks. There are also some excellent pubs within a 15-minute drive from Elm Cottage, including The Fox in Oddington, The Chequers in Churchill and The Wild Rabbit in Kingham.

Oxford, with its university and excellent schools, including The Dragon School and St Edwards, is around 20 miles from Elm Tree Cottage. Locally, there is a wide range of highly-regarded independent and state schools such as Chipping Norton School, Kitebrook, Tudor Hall, Bloxham, and Sibford Ferris.

Stations at Moreton and Kingham are around a 10-minute drive away with hourly direct services to London Paddington.


Council Tax Band: F