Bledlow Ridge, High Wycombe

An impeccably renovated period family home tucked away in its own private corner of the Chiltern Hills with over 5 ½ acres of gardens and grounds, and open unimpeded valley views

Why We Love Walnut Cottage - An impeccably renovated period family home tucked away in its own private corner of the Chiltern Hills with over 5 ½ acres of gardens and grounds, and open unimpeded valley views.

Originally built in the 19th century as a wood keeper’s house, Walnut Cottage sits in a remarkably private and peaceful spot in its own section of a valley close to the village of Bledlow Ridge. Accessed via a private road and long driveway lined with mature trees, the position is markedly quiet and secluded, save for the pleasant chorus of local birdsong. It also enjoys far-reaching views over its own land and down the valley, as well as lovely views over nearby ancient woodland. Despite enjoying pretty period detailing the house also has the added benefit of not being listed.

The current owners acquired Walnut Cottage in 2014 and have since undertaken a meticulous two-year programme of renovation and enhancement, significantly elevating both the comfort and style of the property. Improvements included extending the house to create a large open plan kitchen/breakfast/living room and a separate boot/utility room on the ground floor, as well as a new bathroom and dressing room on the first floor. The newly built (2015/6) garage block incorporates a stylish self-contained guest annexe above, offering flexible additional accommodation. The services have also been upgraded, including the installation of a ground-source heat pump and bore hole, and switching of windows and doors to double glazing, maximising energy efficiency and environmental performance. Both working chimneys are lined and the fireplaces are fitted with recent wood burning stoves.

Main House Accommodation

The whole house is bright and airy, with the vast majority of rooms being dual or triple aspect, taking in spectacular views. The front door opens into a hall with herringbone pattern wood floor. The well-proportioned drawing room is triple aspect with focal stone chimneypiece and log burner and French doors leading out onto the south facing garden. The dining room next door, also with log burner and stone chimneypiece, seats 12 very comfortably for formal entertaining. A separate study off the hall provides quiet space for working from home. The wonderfully generous kitchen/dining/living room forms a fantastic family hub and entertaining space with room for a large breakfast table, two large French doors onto a south-facing terrace, and a sociable sitting room area at one end. Devol fitted cabinetry with generous deep units and marble tops, a double butler sink, and a Lacanche range cooker give a timeless appeal to the space. An adjoining utility/boot room with tiled floor and Devol cabinetry provide plenty of storage, including space for a large fridge/freezer and access to the garden via the back door.

Upstairs benefits from high vaulted ceilings which further emphasize the bright and airy feel throughout the house. The generous principal bedroom suite is dual aspect with an adjoining dressing room with bespoke cabinetry, and an ensuite bathroom with sound system, panelled walls, cast iron bath, and a separate shower. A dual aspect guest bedroom with ensuite shower room sits down the hall along with two further bedrooms, a family bathroom and a large airing cupboard off the hallway provides further storage.

Separate Annexe, Garaging and Stables

Situated above the garage and accessed via a set of wooden stairs, the smartly appointed annexe is separate from the main house and forms perfect additional accommodation for family and guests. It comprises a large triple aspect open plan room with a kitchenette/tea station and sitting area at one end, and a bedroom area with Juliette balcony cleverly partitioned off with inbuilt bookcases at the far end of the room. A separate ensuite bathroom with rolltop bath completes the space.

The garage below is made up of a secure garage and storage space with poured concrete floor, a plant room, and a double carport.

A separate stable block is currently used for further garaging and storage, but could be used for horses, or converted to further accommodation subject to planning permission. The space is currently configured with two garages, a tack room, and two loose boxes, with water and electricity supply.

Glorious Gardens And Grounds - Walnut cottage comes with just over 5 ½ acres of gardens and grounds.

The house itself is adorned with pretty white wisteria, climbing clematis, roses, honeysuckle, and clipped bay. A large outdoor dining terrace sits on the south side of the house overlooking the main garden and making the most of the best views down the valley. This area is a great suntrap, ideal for entertaining in the summer, and is flanked with flowerbeds filled with Mediterranean style planting including salvias, herbs and lavender as well as alliums, euphorbia and hydrangea. The terrace gives way to a large gently sloping lawn which leads on to an extensive paddock beyond.

Living In The Chilterns - Positioned in a rural setting close to the village of Bledlow Ridge, Walnut Cottage sits in a picturesque and peaceful valley within the rolling countryside of the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

As well as its stunning and unspoilt surrounding countryside, the area is also prized for its accessibility to amenities and high-speed trains into London, and its first-class choice of schooling. Bledlow Ridge benefits from a well-regarded Church of England first school, village shop and public house. Stokenchurch also offers a post office, public house, garage, supermarket, bank, restaurant, and a number of local shops. The towns of Princes Risborough and High Wycombe provide a much wider variety of shopping and public facilities, as do nearby historic centres of Henley-on-Thames, Marlow, and Oxford with wide cultural offerings. Daily needs can be met in the local village of Chinnor.

There are some great family-run local farm shops championing local produce within a short drive of Walnut Cottage. This includes award-winning Lacey’s Farm Shop and Butchers, and smart Peterley Manor Farm Shop, which runs a series of popular events throughout the year. The well-known restaurant, the Sir Charles Napier, is around 3.5 miles away, while Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons at Great Milton is about a 14-mile drive away.

The area is wonderful for walking, riding, and cycling both through beautiful woodland and through rolling hills with open views. A network of footpaths is accessible within a few minute’s walk of the house, including across Chinnor Hill Nature reserve and along the Ridgeway path which leads all the way to Swindon. The Chiltern Cycle Way provides a 170-mile circular route taking in the best of the Chilterns scenery.

Local recreational and sports facilities include golf at Whiteleaf, Ellesborough, Saunderton and Thame, tennis at Princes Risborough and Bledlow Ridge, cricket clubs at Bledlow Ridge, Bledlow village and Horsenden, and polo at West Wycombe.

Transport

Rural feel, yet with exceptional connections with train journeys into London from approximately 25 minutes

The M40 motorway gives access to London to the east and Oxford to the west as well as the A404 Marlow bypass, with its direct link to the M4 at J8/9. The Chiltern railway line runs from Princes Risborough (4.7 miles) and High Wycombe (7.6 miles); the shortest travel time being from High Wycombe taking from approximately 25 minutes to London Marylebone.

Fantastic Schools

Buckinghamshire is renowned for its high standard of education, the area being served by a wide choice of state schools, including grammar schools, and independent schools, catering for girls and boys of all ages. The area benefits from well-regarded schooling at Lord Williams, Thame, with two primary schools in Chinnor, as well as Bledlow Ridge.

Independent schools include the Dragon (Oxford), Chandlings Manor (Oxford), and Ashfold (Dorton), Magdalen College School (Oxford), Oxford High School, Headington, Abingdon School, St Helen and St Catherine (Abingdon) and Wycombe Abbey, all accessible from the house.