Juniper Hill, Brackley

Your very own "Larkrise". Over 2,500 sq ft of wonderful early 18th century cottage set in c.0.4 acres within the most glorious of tiny hamlets a few miles away from Brackley & Bicester. Four bright bedrooms, three receptions, large kitchen & utility, triple garage & delightful, extensive gardens.

Juniper Hill is rather better known as Larkrise, the name given to it by Flora Thomson in her charming tale of a poor community of labourers in the 1880s. But Larkrise to Candleford is just a tiny part of the intriguing history. Henry VI gave some of the village land to Eton College in 1440. From the late 18th century the College and its noble owners (at nearby Tusmore Park) repeatedly sought the legal right to enclose the remaining common land, eventually granted in 1848. By this time some 30 squatters had built cottages on this land - and they were not willing to tolerate eviction! For the next six years "the Juniper Hill Mob" angrily ejected every official seeking to enforce the order until eventually a compromise was reached whereby the squatters were given a right to remain. Today barely 20 of those cottages still exist, and Rose Cottage combines 2 of them...

The cottages were combined in the late 20th century to create a warm and inviting home that's very roomy and flows particularly well. The feeling of history and warmth radiates from every stone, every timber, with the quirks of its evolution reflecting its interesting origins. Our vendors have enjoyed living here for decades, gently improving and updating it along the way, to the extent that today it's a beautifully comfy family home that's also surprisingly practical and really easy to use. And quite aside from what the house offers, in addition the beautiful gardens and the extensive outbuildings complete the picture of a really splendid place to live, in a wonderful location.

The house sits at the end of a gorgeous plot of over 1/3 acre. A pretty facade offers a choice of entrances. The most frequently used, a stable door, opens to an ample utility/boot room. A broad span of elegant, recently-fitted cabinets offers masses of storage in addition to a stainless steel sink, with slots for a washing machine, drier and the like. This is the postscript to a wonderful, bright kitchen beyond that's the hub of the house. Nearly 20 by 18 feet, it's a fine and inviting room whose dimensions ensure that the generous range of units running along three sides leave acres of space for a large breakfast table in the centre. The classic range cooker and an original beam overhead are the perfect accompaniment to such a lovely room, and the French windows that face the garden are open as often as possible!

Heading past the stairs to the dining room, there are plenty of visual treats to induce a smile. Your eyes dart from the Inglenook fireplace to the window seat, next to which an old doorway now hosts a cupboard and shelves. It's a well proportioned and light dining room that can be kept "for best" if desired as the kitchen does such a good job day to day. But we think a candle-lit meal in here would be rather fabulous...

They say "a place for everything..." and this cottage agrees. To the right, a further reception room is obviously the perfect home working/study room, not least as there's a door out to the rear of the house allowing independent access. And that allows work to be strictly separated from home life, increasingly important in today's flexible working patterns. Next door, where the kitchen dimensions already impressed, the living room competes.

The legacy of the arrangement as two cottages, a second front door and its hallway (with a useful toilet to the side) provide a neat physical separation from the living room. The space is extensive and very inviting. Dead ahead, a modern woodburning stove is a wonderful accompaniment to any winter evening. A total of four windows offer a lovely view of your garden as well as great light. And it's not just the size but also the proportions that make it so very easy to use - any suite will find ample room here and it'll never feel cluttered.

Back to the kitchen and the stairs are discreetly hidden at the rear, behind an original timber door. At the top, the previous layout as two houses has made for a very sensible arrangement today. At the near end, two similarly-sized double bedrooms look out through low-mounted windows across the gardens. Next to them a smaller room is currently used as a mix of dressing room and store room, but with the kitchen situated beneath (hence plumbing) it could easily be converted into another bathroom.

Past the airing cupboard, the landing changes profile to run beneath the eaves, the result being the next double room is somewhat larger. Another low-set window offers that same lovely view, and above your head original truss timbers proudly follow the roof line. This room sits next to the family bathroom which, while not the latest in modern fashion, is immaculately presented with a suite including a bath - and overhead those same timbers enhance the character.

And the final part of the upstairs is also the most impressive. With similar dimensions to the living room below, this is a large and inviting room by any standard! A long run of cupboards with hanging rails and shelving caters for most needs, and in the process frames a room with huge free space. A wing back chair, chaise longue or blanket chest - or perhaps all three - will fit here with ease, making it so much more than just a bedroom. In addition, while the en-suite currently features a bath, a shower and bath would both fit. Few cottages offer such a fine main suite.

Outside is every bit as impressive. From the lane, a five bar gate opens to a broad drive flanked on either side by a profusion of timber planters, a greenhouse, sheds, composters and the like. This is a space for serious gardeners! As you approach the detached garage, there's parking on the left for several cars. Three up and over doors access a garage of significant proportions, with the drive widening in front. The first door opens to a large workshop room that can also house all the garden goods, ride-on mower, etc. Two further garages are open-plan hence there's as much working space for several cars as any serious car enthusiast could need. However, its possible uses are myriad, from home offices to perhaps a separate annex - up to you.

The real charm of this garden is how it manages to feel smart and relaxed at the same time. Various beds are placed in an informal but natural fashion, accenting rather than dictating, with the net result being the garden feels interesting, vibrant, but also extremely open and welcoming. The mix of trees, diversity of colours and types of flowers, shrubs etc is really beautiful. All focuses in on the broad terrace that runs across the front of the house, encouraging outdoor dining as often as possible. And in addition to the main body of the garden, there are various seating areas over towards the left-hand side of the house, and behind it a long roof provides and open-sided shelter containing the heating oil tank, large log store etc.