Church Road, Bishopstoke, SO50

Properties like this one on Church Road in Bishopstoke don't come along very often. Tucked away at the end of a long private gravel track, flanked by an original brick wall and overarching trees, the cottage reveals itself gradually as you approach, and the moment it does, it's clear this is somewhere genuinely special. Originally part of a larger estate it carries centuries of history in its bones.

Inside, the character is immediate and unhurried. The main sitting and dining room is a generous, light-filled space with parquet flooring, a marble fireplace housing a wood burning stove, ornate ceiling detail, and French doors that open directly onto a brick terrace and the garden beyond. On a warm evening, with the doors open and the garden stretching out in front of you, it's hard to imagine a more peaceful spot. The room comfortably accommodates both sitting and dining areas, and has a calm, settled atmosphere that only comes with age.

Move into the older part of the cottage, and the origins become impossible to miss. Two further reception rooms reveal original oak ceiling beams and a wonderful dual-sided wood burning stove, set within a shared chimney breast and serving both rooms simultaneously. The walls and timbers here speak to the building's remarkable age. One room works well as a dining room, the other as a second sitting room, and the warmth of that wood burner on a winter evening, glowing through into both spaces, is something rather special. The two sides of the cottage are connected internally via a hallway and a normal internal door, making the whole property function as one home, while also offering real flexibility for those who might want a self-contained space for family or guests.

The main bedroom is on the ground floor, a good sized double with lovely leaded windows that look out over the gardens surrounding the property, and an open-plan en-suite shower room. Upstairs, there are two further double bedrooms. The larger is a really generous room with two leaded windows and excellent space. The second is a double with an intimate, authentic cottage character, with an original timber frame running through the room and its own pretty original fireplace. A four-piece family bathroom serves the upper floor.

The grounds are where this property truly comes into its own. Extensive across two separate titles, the gardens wrap around the cottage and include a well-established front garden with a gravel driveway, a garage, mature fruit trees, and flowering hydrangeas. To the side and rear, a greenhouse and a timber summerhouse sit within the garden, and beyond lies a wilder area of mature woodland which gives the whole setting a remarkable sense of seclusion. Despite feeling a world away from the everyday, the village of Bishopstoke is right on your doorstep, with Stoke Park Woods and the River Itchen just a short walk away, and Eastleigh's shops, schools and railway station only minutes by car. Winchester and Southampton are also easily accessible.

This is a home for someone who values peace, privacy and the pleasure of living somewhere with real history and character.

Owners comment

Copse House and the surrounding woodland has been loved and nurtured by four generations of our family. Many hours have been spent watching the local deer, foxes and rabbits bringing their young to the safety of our beautiful garden.