Northampton Road, Weston-On-The-Green

Uniquely wonderful in so many ways, this historically important house manages to provide everything a character lover could ever wish for, with further buildings that could house multiple generations, a home business, serious hobbies (classic car enthusiasts line up...) - the potential is endless.

Weston on the Green is a small and pretty village just to the North of Oxford. A drive past gives little hint to its ancient origins which include the local church dating in part to the 12th century. Today it is well known by locals for some lovely architecture, two excellent pub/ restaurants, The Milk Shed (highly acclaimed cafe/ restaurant), a great local shop/PO and the Weston Manor Hotel. The access to all points of the compass is exceptional via both road and rail, with Oxford, London, Birmingham and Milton Keynes all easily accessible. Schooling is also amply catered for with several primary and secondary schools locally which enjoy high Ofsted ratings. Fibre broadband is also available.

Few properties can offer the modern village-loving family all their "wish list" in one place. Hazel Cottage can...

Over nearly half a century, our architect owners expanded and moulded this wonderful house to give them separate spaces for work and home life, hobbies and relaxation. From the starting point of one of the oldest properties in the village, they have managed to retain all that gorgeous character while adding spaces as diverse as a delightful sun room, a separate multi-garage building with studio/annex above (and a gated driveway), and a further double storey building that served as their architect's practice and drawing rooms. There is so much on offer that initially it's quite hard to take in! But once you come to understand the flow of the buildings and how flexible their uses can be, it really is a property that can be enjoyed by multiple generations, home workers, teenagers, even Air BnB guests, with everyone harmoniously housed!!

Coming from the front drive (there are two...), the main front door of the cottage opens into an internal porch that is the link between original cottage and extension. Your eyes are first drawn to beams crossing the ceiling above, and to the rear you have the first glimpse of the splendid gardens. Taking a left leads you into the oldest part of the house. First port of call is a lovely dining room complete with a pair of French doors to the gardens set deep into a stone wall several feet thick. On the right the kitchen is intelligently planned, with a long peninsula splitting the room between dining area at one end and kitchen at the other - note the stairs to the side, of which more later!

Back across the dining room, the hall leads past a useful utility room, and through a delicious ledge and brace door beyond which the living room broadens to a thoroughly wonderful living space. More ancient timbers cross the ceiling overhead, with a deep Inglenook fireplace in front of you. There are little nooks and crannies all over the place that speak volumes of the evolution of this house over nearly 500 years, and it's all the better for it. But unlike many cottages, this room is bright as there are windows on three sides. Another ledge and brace door in the corner hides beautifully patinated stairs that curve upwards beyond. From here, old is replaced by modern in a sensitive fashion. The owners added a large, single apex sunroom next to the living room. It's an exceptionally generous space, the perfect venue for a relaxed view of the garden beyond.

Back to that entrance and the modern extension beyond may be very different in age but it is similar in ethos. Timber overhead and tiled floor underfoot frame a hall with a large boot room to the left and shower room to the right. Beyond, the modern living room is vast. Natural light pulls in from all different directions. There's acres of space for the largest of suites next to a wood burner in one part, and beyond it one wall is covered floor to ceiling with bookshelves opposite which the wall is fully glazed with a door to the outside. It's interesting and unusual, not least as there is a minstrels gallery overhead! The stairs that lead up to it also access a bedroom with a vaulted ceiling, the most perfect and private of guest rooms.

Back to the main sitting room, where we mentioned a turret stairs hidden behind a door. Head upwards and this reaches a large double bedroom. The wattle and daub rough-hewn finish of the walls, plus the lathe and plaster ceilings combine with wide plank floors to give you a glimpse of life in the 16th century. Very few spaces of that era survive quite so intact, any occupant will enjoy the feeling of special history that it offers. Another bedroom next door continues the theme, adding delicious original wall timbers. Serving the pair, the bathroom next door is bright and welcoming, with pastel shades contrasting perfectly with the white suite. Unusually another door at a far end heads through to a bedroom, hence this bathroom is what would often be termed a "Jack and Jill". The bedroom beyond is an ample double, and fitted with a huge bank of store cupboards, making the space particularly efficient. The upstairs layout suddenly makes sense when you head through the next door as this leads you to another landing (with stairs dropping back down to kitchen), beyond which a further pretty double bedroom is served by yet another bathroom!

So, as a house, Hazel cottage makes an exceptionally good case for itself. What of work and hobbies?

As busy and successful architects, our clients built their own perfect working space on the other end of the cottage, majoring on excellent natural light. Fully glazed to the front, the bright porch opens into the finest of two storey work spaces. To the right, the cloakroom is placed perfectly for visitors. Beyond, the atrium makes quite a statement. A large office to the left is neatly proportioned and bright, with a view out to the gardens. The atrium itself opens up overhead into a double height, vaulted ceiling. Glazing across the rear gives a view of a deck seating area, the most sumptuous of places for a working lunch! Stairs rise to the first floor, and under them is a huge kitchenette space, alongside which there is another office room.

At the top of the stairs, this clever space was clearly built for positivity and freedom of mind. Roof light windows appear to be dotted everywhere, with a further box bay at one end. There is a seating area adjacent to it, and at the other end the space could serve any number of purposes. As a place to work, there are a few better. But equally, why not Airbnb? Or an annex for one generation or another? The possibilities are endless.

Now we turn our attention to the garaging. We previously mentioned that there were two driveways. Access via Blacksmith's Close behind, the further building offers something completely unique. A pair of thick timber gates swing open to reveal a generous parking area beyond, ample for quite a few vehicles. The first garage with its roller door is double width. Next door, a second garage with another roller door is even wider! Open to its side there is a store room, and a rear lobby accesses the stairs to the top floor. For someone needing serious space to spread their wings, whether that be art, car restoration, your very own snooker hall or table tennis venue, there really is nothing to touch this!

But it doesn't end there. Continuing the theme of the architects building, the space above is a vast, bright, vaulted and welcoming studio. With a cloakroom to one end next to the kitchen, this floor is set up for full-time use as a workspace or living space, your choice. And at 34 feet in length, culminating with a fabulous balcony that looks back at the house and garden, we suspect most teenagers would fight to the death to be the users of this!

As if all the buildings weren't enough, there is also the gardens. Almost completely hidden from the roadway is around it, the house sits back behind its own block paved front driveway and a myriad of mature trees and shrubs, almost completely hiding it from you. Various garden areas spread around three sides of the plot. The main lawn is delightful and extensive, surrounded by beautiful trees and hedges, with many pretty planted areas that are a riot of different colours and textures at all times of year. Broad areas of paved terraces offer opportunity for relaxing and dining at all times of day. There's even an elevated treehouse...

With so much to offer, it is incredibly difficult to do justice to this house from an online description. If you are looking for the most flexible of houses with the ability to cover almost any need you can imagine, in a location offering both excellent amenities and easy local access, the only way to understand it is by booking a viewing.