Hook Norton Road, Swerford, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7

Enchanting home in a secluded setting.

Description

Griffin House is a distinguished Grade II Listed William and Mary house of considerable presence, set in a mature and established position that combines privacy with a strong sense of arrival. This lovely country house is originally believed to date from the 15th century and was re-built in 1691 (date stone). The house has been thoughtfully arranged to suit modern family life while retaining the scale and proportions expected of a property of this calibre.

More importantly, it offers a wealth of period features including open fireplaces, exposed timbers with stop chamfer rafters, oak mullion windows with leaded lights, salt niches, spice cupboard, deep window boards, window seats, silhouettes between the sitting and dining rooms, flagstone floors, blue quarry tiling, oak panelling, oak and elm internal doors.

In the early 2000’s the house was salvaged from ruin and underwent a painstaking and sympathetic restoration programme which included an imaginative extension, re-wiring, throughout, re-roofing and the reclaiming of its original William and Mary features.

The current owners has since further enhanced the property with the addition of the porch, boot room, new internal stairs and re-organisation of the living areas, particularly creating a generous kitchen/breakfast/living room with doors out on to a paved entertaining terrace. They created the rear driveway and added the triple garage with studio flat over, making it ideal for guests or staff.

At the heart of the house lies a series of well balanced reception rooms, each enjoying natural light and pleasing outlook over the gardens. The principal rooms lend themselves equally well to everyday living or more formal entertaining, with a natural flow that works exceptionally well for family and guests alike.

The kitchen forms a focal point of the home; practical, well designed and sociable, with ample space for informal dining. From here, the house opens naturally into the gardens, reinforcing the strong relationship between the house and its setting.

Bedroom accommodation is both generous and flexible, arranged over the upper floors and providing options for family living, guests or home working as required. The principal bedroom enjoys a particularly attractive outlook and a sense of calm separation from the main living accommodation

To top off they added a stunning outdoor natural pool with pontoon. The pool is naturally filtered, approximately 1.5m deep to a flat bottom. The perfect summer entertaining area although swimmable (for the hardy) all year around.

To the front the property is approached through an impressive timber entrance gate on stone pillars with carved stone finials opening to a shingle covered parking area. Back towards the village, a similar entrance gate opens to a relatively new shingle driveway that leads to the rear of the house, triple garage and further parking area, making it ideal for a large family, guests and the car enthusiast. For day to day living, one now accesses the house from the rear and sensibly to the boot room for muddy boots and dogs.

Outside, the gardens and grounds are an important feature of Griffin House. Laid out predominantly to lawn and interspersed with mature planting, they provide an attractive backdrop to the house and a wonderful sense of seclusion. The grounds are well suited to both children and entertaining, with scope for further landscaping or enhancement, subject to the necessary consents.

There is a charming traditional stone outbuilding currently used as cinema room and games room, perfect for teenagers and offering scope for alteration to home office or annexe, subject to the relevant consents. From the front of the house one gets to soak up the views along the Swere valley, towards the Motte and Bailey.

Overall, Griffin House represents a fine example of a comfortable and substantial family house, offering space, privacy and balance in a highly attractive setting.

In all about 1.2 acres.

Location

Griffin House is situated in an enviable private position on the edge of Church End in Swerford. An unspoilt village, Swerford lies at the edge of the Cotswolds in North Oxfordshire. Made up predominantly of pretty period stone houses and cottages, amenities include the parish church, the Boxing Hare public house and a village hall. Conveniently located village stores in Hook Norton, 2.5 miles away.

The nearby market town of Chipping Norton provides local amenities including supermarkets (M&S, Sainsbury’s and Coop), schools, shops and medical centre. Banbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cheltenham and Oxford provide for more extensive leisure, retail and cultural facilities.

Mainline train services to London/Marylebone from Banbury (from 56 minutes) and London/Paddington from Charlbury (from 70 minutes). Motorway connections with the M40 both at Banbury (J11) about 10 miles and Oxford (J8) about 21 miles, giving access to London to the South.

The area is well served for schools including the village primary schools in neighbouring Great Tew and Hook Norton, with secondary in Chipping Norton. Preparatory schools include St John’s Priory (Banbury), Kitebrook, (Moreton-in-Marsh), Sibford and The Dragon and Summerfields (both Oxford). Senior independent schools include Tudor Hall (Bloxham), Kingham Hill and St Edwards, Magdalen College, Headington and Oxford High (Oxford), Bloxham, Radley and Stowe.

Leisure and sporting activities include golf at Tadmarton Heath and Chipping Norton; horseracing at Cheltenham; theatre at Stratford upon Avon, Chipping Norton and Oxford; Soho private members club at Great Tew; Restoration Hardware at Aynho Park; Daylesford Organic Farm shop; Estelle Manor hotel and private members club at Eynsham.

All distances and times are approximate.

Square Footage: 3,541 sq ft



Additional Info

Mains water, electricity & drainage. Oil-fired central heating. Groundwater management system for utility space. BT subject to transfer regs.

Agents Notes: A public footpath runs diagonally across the front drive from a stile to the main gate. There is a permissive path that exists behind the outbuildings.
There is a covenant on the property. Please contact Savills for more information.

Details prepared May 2026. Photography taken: June, September and October 2025.