Fox House, Burford

A wonderful family home, on the edge of the picturesque Cotswold village of Holwell

Layout

4 Bedrooms
3 Reception Rooms
4 Bathrooms

Services

Mains water and electricity
Private drainage
Oil fired central heating
LPG Gas for cooker

The AreaHolwell

Holwell is a quintessential, small Cotswold village made up of honey-coloured houses clustered round a green with 19th Century church and surrounded by magnificent countryside. The functioning church acts as a hub and is also used for village meetings.

At only 3 miles to the north, Burford’s famous High Street sweeps downhill towards the River Windrush, its medieval bridge and its impressive church, both sides of the street flanked by an unbroken line of historic houses and shops. Little has changed over the centuries, Burford is popular with visitors, both for its beauty and history but also for its shopping and wide variety of places to eat, with a number of restaurants, pubs and teashops but also has a doctors surgery and library. Located just outside Burford, the up-market Upton Smokery Farm Shop caters for all your culinary needs without having to drive into town. 2 miles south of Burford is The Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens which exhibits over 260 different species of animals. The park is set in 160 acres of landscaped parkland and gardens.

Cirencester, known as the Capital of the Cotswolds, is 15 miles to the west and is a lovely market town with a fascinating history. The Market Place is the heart of the town and is home to a Charter Market (every Monday and Friday) and a Farmers’ Market (every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month).

The wonderful variety of quality independent shops makes shopping in Cirencester a delight. Enjoy exploring the courtyards with their individual style, and the many historic streets radiating from the town centre.

Cirencester is renowned for its very special shops, individual boutiques, fascinating antique emporiums and craft shops as well as national chain stores.

For more comprehensive shopping and recreational needs, Holwell is equidistant between Cheltenham and Oxford, both offering extensive shopping, dining options and facilities.

There are a number of state and private schools in the area, with schools in Burford, Bourton-on-the-Water, Kingham and Cokethorpe, along with the Oxford schools including the Dragon School, Magdalen College School and St. Edwards School. There are a host of others nearby including St Hughes Prep School, Hatherop Castle School along with Cheltenham Ladies’ College, Cheltenham College and Dean Close in Cheltenham.

Road communications are fantastic to the A40 which in turn provides access the M40 to London, and the M5 to the west.

Fox House, BurfordAbout this home

As settings go, it doesn’t get much better than this – located on the edge of picturesque Holwell and surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in the Cotswolds is this wonderful family home.

A former school house, the oldest part of the property was built in the late 1800’s by the owner of the Bradwell Grove estate for the benefit of the estate workers.

The house has a warm and inviting feel, with generously proportioned, elegant rooms that are ideally suited for a family and modern-day living.

The plot equates to a total of 0.5 acres and includes a beautiful garden enclosed by a traditional Cotswold dry stone wall and laurel hedging. Naturalistic planting has been used to create a wildlife friendly area, the grass margins and borders designed to encourage pollinators, and planted with fruit trees, roses and native shrubs. These include apple, pear, quince and mulberry trees, and a mature walnut. Wiring is in place for a robotic lawn mower.

There are a number of key highlights to living at this wonderful property – the main ones are:

A beautifully appointed kitchen/breakfast room, that includes an Aga, is not only superb for those who are keen on cooking but it offers a perfect space to dine and entertain. The adjoining sitting room offers a perfect balance of open plan living yet each room cleverly retains an individual feel. This is very much the heart of the home.

The property was converted by the previous owners and extended more recently, the result being this superb home.

Large windows allow for an abundance of natural light and in turn, wonderful views over the south facing gardens.

Doors open from the second reception room and glazed vestibule onto a terrace, creating a seamless link between the inside and out. The terrace is perfect for those who enjoy outside dining and entertaining.

The five bedroom, four bath/shower rooms, arranged over the and second floor, make for comfortable living.

The accommodation throughout flows well and offers a great deal of versatility, perfectly suited to those who would require multigenerational living, playroom, gym, studio or office.

As well as the large driveway, there is a triple car port that provides further parking and storage.

The towns of Burford, Carterton, Witney and Cirencester are a short drive away and have a variety of shops and facilities which comprise supermarkets (this includes a Waitrose in both Witney and Cirencester), a cinema, mechanics, bike shops, restaurants, pubs and sports clubs.

The surrounding countryside is breath-taking and is perfect for those who enjoy walking, riding and cycling. There are countless walks in the area, of particular are the two established walks which both pass through the village; The Palladian Way and The d’Arcy Dalton Way. The Palladian Way is a long distance trail that starts at The Old Gaol in the centre of Buckingham and culminates at the Pulteney Bridge, Bath. The d’Arcy Dalton Way is 65 miles and runs through unspoilt countryside along the western side of Oxfordshire. Its northern end is at Wormleighton on the canal towpath, dropping down to the Ridgeway, at Waylands Smithy in the south.

The area is well renowned for not only having some of the most idyllic villages and hamlets, the neighbouring Westwell and Signet being just two. They are both lovely and provide a lovely walk from Holwell.