West Challow, Oxfordshire

The principal house of the Manor, this stunning Grade II* Listed Queen Anne style, detached farmhouse, land and buildings are offered for sale for the first time since 1968. Once a working farm with more recent diversification in to the hospitality industry, the property is offered for sale with many barns, outbuildings and stables, paddock and extensive, attractive gardens. Further acreage can be made available by separate negotiation. With oodles of potential, much period charm and a rarity such a melange creates, we strongly recommend a site visit to fully understand this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Accommodation

Stunning entrance hall with attractive staircase to first floor and access to principal rooms. Wonderful drawing room with open fireplace and beautiful sash windows overlooking the fine front gardens. Gorgeous dining room featuring further fireplace and beautiful sash windows again overlooking the fine front gardens. Excellent snug with exposed brick inglenook fireplace and wonderful flooring. Cellar. Cloakroom. Stunning kitchen/breakfast/family room with range cooker, ample wall and base mounted units, island, fantastic beamed ceiling juxtaposed to the modern tri-fold doors overlooking the rear garden. Two offices, ground floor bedrooms and bathroom to suit. The principal bedrooms on the first floor all feature their own ensuite bath or shower rooms, mostly with wonderful high ceilings, fabulous features and sash windows. The top floor provides a blank canvass for further accommodation, studio, work from home offices etc, but it is worth the climb for the views alone.

Formal Gardens

Well tended gardens to the front, side and rear are stocked with various shrubs and trees, formal lawns and a rather splendid wildlife area. The sylvan setting opens towards the paddock, over the stream which babbles along the north western boundary. The fabulous south western facing sun trap patio links the beautiful gardens in to the fantastic kitchen/breakfast/family room via the tri-fold doors.

Stables, Barns and Outbuildings

Yard with two large milking sheds featuring ancillary facilities and storage, two stable blocks with further outbuildings. Three large barns (nb Barn 1 may be removed by the current owner - see floor plans) with workshop/stable block attached to Barn 3. NB the current owner has secured planning permission for development of some outbuildings the details of which can be found here http://www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P19/V1821/N4A. Useful ancillary accommodation, separate dwellings or the precedent for a future owner to tweak suiting their own requirements (subject to permission)

Grade II Listed Entry

GV II* Farmhouse. Graffito 1725 on brick to right of door; probably C17 core to right. Flemish bond flared brick with red brick quoins and dressings; old tile roof; flared and red brick stacks. L-plan. Two storeys and attic; five window range. Centre bay brought forward and has own parapet. Fine doorway has fluted pilasters and carved brackets to flat hood with moulded cornice and panelled soffit; six-panelled door with overlight. Gauged-brick cambered arches with triple keystones over sashes with half-H aprons. Red brick storey bands; parapet panelled in red brick and is ramped to centre bay. Gabled roof dormers. Gabled roof; end stacks. To rear right is two storey, one bay block of Flemish bond brick with gabled old tile roof, dentilled eaves, two storey canted bay window and C17 timber-framed rear gable wall; similar early/mid C18 two storey, three window range block to rear. Left side wall of front range has early C18 brick wall hiding narrow two storey early C18 rear block parallel to front range of similar materials with gable end stack and two-light leaded casements. INTERIOR: panelled doors and shutters. Two-unit front range has panelled hall with quarter-turn stairs; turned balusters on open string, carved brackets, wreathed handrail, panelled dado with fluted pilasters. Early C17 panelling in room to right, with early C18 alcoves flanking fireplace which has initials "RP 1604" in decorative frieze overmantle. First floor room to left has early C18 panelling to left with mid C19 fireplace and grate, and room to right has ribbed doors flanking mid C19 fireplace and grate; bolection-moulded door in rear right wing. C19 back stairs to cheese room in rear left wing. C18 winder stairs from first floor to attic, which has early C18 plank door and bolection-moulded door. Four-bay collar-truss roof; common-rafter roof to rear left. Listing NGR: SU3682488578

Location

Situated approx. 2 miles to the west of Wantage, just off the A417, West Challow is conveniently located for access to the beautiful surrounding Oxfordshire countryside. A small village with its own church and village hall is within easy reach of Wantage town. Wantage is superbly situated in the Vale of the White Horse for all the main travel links, with the A338 providing easy access to the A34, M40, M4, plus the rail links in Oxford, Didcot and Swindon. A market town, with historic ties as far back as Alfred the Great, Wantage has many high street and independent retailers with a plethora of bars, restaurants and cafes in a thriving community. With easy access to the beautiful surrounding countryside including the ancient Ridgeway and White Horse Hill, Wantage fuses the semi-urban and rural in one sublime package. Easy access to both private and state schools for all ages, with excellent reputations help make this wonderful part of the world a haven away from, but accessible to the hubbub of modern day life.

Directions

Leave Wantage Market Place via Newbury Street and at the traffic lights turn right on to Portway. Continue past King Alfred's Centre Site and out of Wantage on the B4507. After the turnings to East Challow and Letcombe Regis take the next right signposted West Challow. Continue down the hill in to the village, over the bridge and around the right hand bend on to Silver Lane, where Manor Farm will be found on the left. JAG35