A beguiling country house in Oxfordshire that combines fascinating period architecture with pretty gardens
'Wonderfully eclectic and individual', Blenheim House fuses Georgian and Victorian architecture to form a unique and totally charming family home. Annunciata Elwes takes a look.
Grade II-listed Blenheim House, in the village of Warborough, not far from market town Wallingford, has long been a much cherished family home.
A mixture of two 18th-century cottages, combined with a Victorian hexagonal tower in 1910 and another hexagonal wing added in 1912, the result is an airy six-bedroom property, with a lovely drawing room and dining room, both of which open into the garden, a west-facing conservatory and a lantern roof flooding the upper floor with natural light.
The property is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price if £2.75 million.
A two-bedroom cottage at the end of the drive is attached to two enclosed stables, one of which provides further accommodation.
The nearly 1½ acres also include a swimming pool, semi-circular pleached hornbeam hedge echoing the shape of a stone fountain and a paddock currently frothing with cow parsley, through which mown paths meander.
Blenheim House is currently on the market via Savills with a guide price of £2.75 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Warborough: What you need to know
Location: South Oxfordshire, 9 miles south of Oxford and 2.5 miles from Wallingford.
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Atmosphere: The pretty village is home to a popular pub — The Six Bells, a post office, village shop, primary school, village hall and a cricket and rugby pitch.
Things to do: There are a number of walking trails along the banks of the River Thames that can be accessed from the village, and neighbouring Wallingford is home to independent shops and a 000market. Oxford is also within easy reach, with a large selection of restaurants, pubs, the Botanic Gardens and Medieval architecture.
Schools: Plenty of excellent options to choose from in the area, with St Laurence Church of England (A) School, Cranford House, Radley College, Abingdon School and Headington School.
See more property for sale in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
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Annunciata is director of contemporary art gallery TIN MAN ART and an award-winning journalist specialising in art, culture and property. Previously, she was Country Life’s News & Property Editor. Before that, she worked at The Sunday Times Travel Magazine, researched for a historical biographer and co-founded a literary, art and music festival in Oxfordshire. Lancashire-born, she lives in Hampshire with a husband, two daughters and a mischievous pug.
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