Blenheim, Croughton, NN13

This recently extended, fully refurbished home offers a beautiful blend of country cottage and neutral newbuild, on a plot both backing onto and facing fields, in a village location just 10 minutes from the centre of Brackley.

The Home

Tollgate Cottage has seen full transformation over the last couple of years. Purchased as a project in 2023, the property has been extended as well as totally refurbished and is now an amazing place for new residents to call home.

Updates undertaken are sympathetic to a stone-built cottage, while the overhaul has given the house a new lease of life and the feel of a newbuild. Character touches include exposed beams and brickwork, and the fresh interiors include oak panelled doors, wall panelling, wood-effect flooring downstairs and soft carpeting upstairs. The style is a combination of contemporary and classic, neutral enough to make your own mark.

By enlarging the footprint and reconfiguring rooms, the layout now works far better for a family. The main living space is large and open, with the option to zone into a sitting area with comfy sofas, a dining area to entertain friends, even a play area for little ones. The front section has a fireplace for cosiness, and the south-facing rear aspect draws in lots of natural light. Bi-fold doors bring the outdoors in and make stepping outside seamless.

The kitchen is connected to the main living space via glazed double doors. The on-trend yet timeless design features navy cabinetry, white quartz worktops and brushed brass hardware. There’s ample storage and surfacing, a range of integrated appliances, plus bar seating and space for a breakfast table. The oversized sink is set under the window, for washing up while appreciating the leafy outlooks of the garden and looking out for the horses in the field behind.

Adjacent to the kitchen is a useful utility room, with a secondary sink, more storage, and gaps for further appliances. This room is plenty big enough to dry laundry and keep dog beds, and has a side door for coming in with muddy boots and paws after a walk.

Upstairs, Tollgate Cottage has four bedrooms, consisting of three doubles and a single. If not all are needed for sleeping, one could be a snug that offers separation from the open-plan living space, and the single would make a great office or nursery. The bedrooms are airy from part-vaulted ceilings and afford views over the surrounding scenery.

The primary bedroom benefits from an en suite shower room, with the remaining three bedrooms sharing the family bathroom. The bathroom, en suite and cloakroom are each in a white suite with chrome fittings. A small skylight above the bath acts as an aperture to stargaze through during a soak.

The Garden

The garden at Tollgate Cottage is another example of uniting old with new. Laid out in upper and lower tiers, the upper has a neat lawn and a good-sized patio. The patio is well hidden from neighbouring properties, presenting a private setting. The lower tier is mature, more wild, and with a variety of vibrant and abundant planting, from heather and hellebores to honeysuckle and hazel. To the corner is an enclosed area ideal for a greenhouse, where you can plant seeds and store equipment.

As the garden faces south, there’s optimum sunshine, especially to the upper tier. Tall trees supply shade on the lower tier, with dappled sunlight creeping through the canopy. The rear boundary is a low post-and-rail fence, so as not to hinder the views into the horse field behind.

Also in the garden is the detached timber garage. This has power for use as a workshop, and the back has been partitioned into a studio/office, granting flexibility and seclusion for hobbies or working from home. There’s carpeting for comfort, and a window lets in natural light. To the front and side of the plot is a gravel driveway providing off-road parking.

The Location

Tollgate Cottage is located along Blenheim, the road between Croughton and Aynho. Croughton has a primary school and a pre-school, playing fields, a Co-op, a village hall and pretty tea rooms, all within easy walking distance of the address. Aynho has a stately residence now with a coffee shop and juicery and an outdoor restaurant.

The centre of Brackley is only a 10-minute drive from Blenheim, where you’ll find an array of amenities. Bicester, Buckingham and Banbury are c.20 minutes away, Milton Keynes and Oxford are c.40 minutes from the front door, and you can be in the Cotswolds in an hour. For commuting into the capital, Bicester station is best, with rail services reaching London in as little as 48 minutes.

This area is renowned for motorsport, with Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team based in Brackley and Silverstone up the road. For other interests, there’s golfing, skydiving and flying, as well as lots of choice for wanders around formal gardens and through countryside.