Summerside, Buckland, Faringdon, Oxfordshire, SN7

The Old Chapel in Buckland is steeped in history and along with the adjoiing cottage it originally formed part of the manor house for St John’s Manor. The Order of St John held the lease of St John’s Manor from Abingdon Abbey from the Thirteenth century and is thought to be one of the oldest houses in the village of Buckland.

In 1784 the local Baptists were provided with funds to buy a lease for the left-hand side of the building, which was in a ruinous state, and to convert it into a Baptist Chapel. The two remaining features in The Old Chapel from that time are the massive Bessemer beam across the fireplace and the wooden Tudor door frame.

In 1978 a local builder bought it from the Baptists and converted it back from chapel to a dwelling house. The inviting hallway with stained glass window leads to the double height sitting room with magnificent fireplace and then on to the dining room and kitchen with a pantry. There is also a laundry room and W.C. The first floor galleried landing leads to three of the bedrooms, one with en-suite plus a family bathroom. There is a further set of stairs leading to the second floor with a principal bedroom and en-suite shower room.

The gardens for The Old Chapel are unique in the way they wrap around the rear of the adjoijing property. There is a lovely, private garden directly off the rear of the cottage which then follows the fencline of the adjoining paddock where raised flower/veggie beds can be found. This gives direct access to the large double garage and driveway (an adjoining cottage has shared access and parking on the driveway).

Buckland is a small and picturesque village in Oxfordshire, located about 4 miles (6 km) northeast of the market town of Faringdon and roughly 8 miles (13 km) west of Wantage. It sits in the Vale of White Horse, surrounded by countryside and farmland. The village has a strong community feel with a historic church, a lively village hall, local events, a popular pub, and good local amenities. It benefits from good road links via the A420, with access to Oxford, Swindon, and beyond.