Kiddington Road, Middle Barton, Chipping Norton

A sublime & historic cottage, exquisitely renovated throughout, backing onto fields on the edge of the village. Huge character with beams & stone, a c.30 ft living room, c.20 ft kitchen, two ensuite double bedrooms, and extensive outside space including two gardens & gated parking! NO CHAIN

Middle Barton is one of three linked Barton villages set in glorious rolling countryside and dating back to pre-Norman times. Between them they offer a range of facilities from a shop/post office, to a garage, even a sports field and clubhouse, and a well-respected primary school. The world-renowned private members' club, Soho Farmhouse, is just a few miles distant. And very shortly the local pub (The Fox - a five minute walk!) will reopen following a stunning, complete rebuild, offering fine dining and drinks, a lovely beer garden, and a new separate deli/cafe with fresh bread, bakery, coffee etc!

While rural and very much tucked away, the village is well placed amongst other charming North Oxfordshire Cotswold locations such as Great Tew and Duns Tew. Commutability is easy. Lower Heyford station is a short distance away with connections to Oxford, London, Banbury and Birmingham. Oxford Parkway Station, in nearby Kidlington, has fast trains to London Marylebone via Bicester.

Explaining a cottage as exciting as this one is a challenge to do without effusion. Grade 2 listed, it is considered to be an important part of the history of this area. Perhaps the best barometer of its quality is appreciating that it isn’t just the big ticket items that impress (although a nearly-new thatched roof and the stunning external condition will be appreciated by all); it's the tiniest details as they have been so expertly thought through. The colour matches, especially paying attention to the flow of both natural and artificial light, are unusually well applied. The quality of everything from sanitary ware to the choice of light fittings is also exceptional. It is obvious our client completely appreciates the importance of preserving it for future generations as well as making it a wonderful place to live. We cannot think of a rival.

Coming to the house from the sleepy Kiddington Road the most used entrance is accessed via the driveway. A pair of five bar gates enclose a generous space for several cars with ease. On the right hand side, the hedge fronting the road hides a very generous timber outbuilding with double doors, a building that could offer a wide range of uses from home office to workshop, gym or just storage. And at this point you have your first glorious view across the open farmland the cottage backs onto.

Head past various planted borders, and a picket gate brings you into a deliciously secluded and very relaxed seating area. Willow fencing on two sides ensure it is perfectly private, while that same gorgeous view is evident from all points. Head down just a handful of broad, paved steps, and you come to the living room.

Glazing across the whole wall, with a pair of huge roof lights overhead, ensures this room has natural light few cottages could dream of. Around thirty feet in length, the room is so large it offers all the living space most could ever need. At the near end it's a broad and bright room deliberately designed as a place to relax and unwind, easily housing the largest of suites with ample room besides for chests, dressers etc without ever feeling cramped. Where the room narrows heading towards the stairs, the brick fireplace is a very pretty feature, complete with an electric wood burner perfect for cozy winter evenings. And above it, another example of the thought applied is the way the TV is flush mounted on a hinged wall behind which all the electrical gubbins is hidden.

Rather wonderful oak stairs elegantly meander upwards in the far corner, and next to them is an area that lends itself perfectly to dining, with ample room for a table benefitting from the great natural light floor to ceiling windows provide. Head past the stairs with a deep cupboard beneath, and the door leads to what we have nominally termed the dining room. As the kitchen is immediately next door, that would be its natural use. But with a lving room offering ample dining space, it releases this room for use as a work space, snug, whatever you desire. However you use it, the beautiful Inglenook fireplace completed with a thermostatic Gazco electric wood burner, plus more of those lovely honey coloured beams overhead, will make it a very pleasant place to spend your time.

Heading into the kitchen, a very smart toilet/cloakroom nestles behind a ledge and brace door. I would rarely describe a cloak room as charming; here the term is justified. The kitchen beyond is a fine lesson in design that combines practicality and style with equal verve. The near end is cleverly fitted as a utility area, complete with second sink plus the plumbing for washing machine and dryer. Thereafter the space evolves to kitchen, with a long run of cupboards along three sides plus such niceties as a modern range cooker, dishwasher, large fridge etc. As elsewhere, the colour balance is perfect with cream units and walls that contrast with the dark slate of the floor and the warm honey tones of the beams and work tops to perfection. Few kitchens raise a smile this broad.

Heading upstairs, a roof light window above deftly ensures great light across the landing. The gentle slant of the eaves and the corner cut of the doors to the rooms add that little extra shape and character. Take a right, and above the sitting room is an exquisite and surprisingly large bedroom, so much so that chests of drawers, wardrobes, the largest of beds and even an easy chair fit without issue. The ensuite is delightful. As you might expect, the detailing is beautiful; elegant, light tiling with pristine white sanitary ware give an aura more of a high-end holiday home than what you might normally find in a cottage.

Back across the landing, the experience is just as pleasurable. Another large double bedroom provides acres of welcoming space in a room that is light-painted and packed with character. It, too, offers an ensuite. However, this time the suite includes a bath. As with its neighbour, the white suite and immaculate presentation are more akin to a high-end holiday experience than the usual cottage fittings. The pair could be very reasonably described as sumptuous...

We have already mentioned the driveway and the spaces to the right of the house. Set back well behind its own boundary, across the front of the house is a wide gravelled path that passes the original front and kitchen doors, leading to a further garden to the left. A further picket gate opens to a gravelled area that is kept perfectly private with another willow fence. Thereafter, gravel is replaced by lawn , narrowing between low fencing to either side and running some length to a further gravelled seating area flanked by timber-edged planters. It's the perfect spot for an evening glass (or perhaps two), facing back towards the cottage to its South.