Portcullis Drive, Oxfordshire, OX10

If you’re looking for a home that gives a growing family room to live beautifully without compromising on style, location or the spaces you want to enjoy together, this impressive five-bedroom home on Portcullis Drive could be exactly what you’ve been waiting for.

Built as part of this attractive modern development in 2019 and offering more than 3,300 sq ft of accommodation, this is a house that manages to be both impressive and wonderfully practical. There is space to entertain, space to work, space for children and teenagers to disappear into and importantly, some fantastic spaces that bring everybody back together again.

From the moment you arrive, the house has presence. Its handsome, symmetrical frontage and beautifully kept approach make a strong first impression, while the wide entrance hall immediately gives you a taste of the proportions and natural light found throughout.

But the real heart of this home is undoubtedly the spectacular kitchen, dining and family room.

At almost 30ft wide, this is the sort of room around which family life revolves. Mornings gathered around the island before school, children doing homework while dinner is being made, long Sunday lunches, or a kitchen full of friends with the bi-fold doors thrown open to the garden on a summer evening; it has been designed to handle all of it.

Large expanses of glazing and rooflights flood the room with natural light, while the doors onto the terrace make the garden feel like a wonderful extension of the living space. The contemporary kitchen and substantial central island give it the polished finish you would expect from a house of this calibre but importantly, it still feels like somewhere you can really live day to day.

And that is something this house does particularly well.

Away from the main family space, there is a separate snug/TV room for quieter evenings and a substantial additional sitting/playroom. It is invaluable while children are young, and possibly even more so once they become teenagers and everyone occasionally wants their own corner of the house.

There is also a dedicated study, allowing working from home to remain separate, while a utility room and cloakroom deal with the less glamorous but very necessary realities of a busy household.

Upstairs, five double bedrooms mean nobody draws the short straw.

The principal suite feels suitably grown-up and private, with its own dressing room and luxurious en suite creating a lovely retreat at the end of the day. Four further double bedrooms, together with beautifully finished bath and shower rooms, provide plenty of room for children and guests, with the flexibility to adapt as life changes over the years.

Outside, the landscaped rear garden has been designed to be enjoyed rather than simply admired. There is plenty of lawn for children to use, alongside generous terraces for barbecues, summer dinners and evenings outside with friends. A detached double garage and extensive driveway parking complete what is an unusually practical family home for its size and style.

And the lifestyle beyond the front door?

One of the great advantages of Portcullis Drive is that, despite the space and contemporary feel of the development, you aren't removed from the life of Wallingford. Around a ten-minute walk takes you into the heart of this historic market town, so coffee, dinner or drinks don't automatically mean getting in the car.

For a family who loves food, that is a particularly nice prospect. Wallingford has a great independent food scene, with restaurants including Five Little Pigs, Les Clos and Shellfish and Cow amongst others.

It feels especially appropriate for this house: you have a kitchen made for people who love to cook and entertain, but some very good reasons to leave the cooking for another evening.

The Thames is another enormous part of life here. The river gives Wallingford a character that few commuter towns can replicate; whether your weekends involve long walks along the Thames Path, getting out onto the water, wandering through the riverside meadows or simply enjoying having this beautiful stretch of countryside woven into everyday life.

For families, schooling is equally well catered for. St John’s Primary is around half a mile away and easily reached on foot, with further primary options at Fir Tree and St Nicholas and Wallingford School providing secondary education locally.

Families considering independent education also have an impressive choice within reach, including Cranford, Moulsford and The Oratory, alongside school transport links towards Abingdon for Abingdon School and St Helen & St Katharine.

And while life here can feel pleasantly removed from the pace of the city, you remain extremely well connected. Oxford and Reading are both readily accessible, while Cholsey and Didcot Parkway provide fast rail connections into London Paddington – making Wallingford a very realistic choice for families who want considerably more space and a different quality of everyday life without disconnecting themselves from London.

Ultimately, that balance is what makes this home so compelling.

More than 3,300 sq ft in which a family can grow, work, entertain and find their own space. A garden designed for proper summer living. Excellent schooling. Great food. The Thames. A thriving market town within walking distance. And Oxford, Reading and London all within reach.

It is beautiful enough to impress, practical enough to properly live in, and designed for a family who wants their home to be about far more than the number of bedrooms.