In the Cotswold AONB, Helen Whitfield of Strutt & Parker’s Oxford office quotes a guide price of £4m for 43-acre Manor Farm at Ascott-under-Wychwood in the lovely Evenlode Valley, six miles from Chipping Norton, nearly seven miles from Daylesford Farm Shop and 12½ miles from Soho Farmhouse at Great Tew.
Owned by the same family for the past 40 years, Manor Farm House, listed Grade II*, stands within the bailey of Ascott D’Oilly Castle, a traditional Norman motte and bailey built by Roger d’Oilly between 1129 and 1150, when it comprised a large complex of an inner bailey and a stone keep, surrounded by a motte.
Following a rebellion, the keep was pulled down in about 1174 on the orders of Henry II and was never rebuilt, although various earthworks still survive and the inner bailey became part of the centre of Manor Farm. The castle mound and much of the bailey are still clearly visible, as are the Grade II-listed fragments of the castle wall and an ancient doorway in the garden.
The present house, which dates mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries, incorporates an early-13th-century window surround thought to have been part of a private chapel. The house offers some 5,370sq ft of living space on two floors, including a reception hall, four reception rooms and up to eight bedrooms (two unconverted), plus two bathrooms and a substantial wing with potential to extend, subject to the usual consents.
Approached via a long drive that opens onto a large courtyard, the house comes with a range of period stone barns and a charming brick-built Elizabethan granary. The land is a haven for wildlife with some fine mature trees, a lake and a long stretch of the southern bank of the delightful River Evenlode.
Manor Farm is currently on the market via Strutt & Parker with a guide price of £4 million — see more pictures, or enquire with the agent for further details.
Ascott-under-Wychwood: What you need to know
Location: In the Evenlode Valley, located within the Cotswolds AONB, 4.5 miles from Chipping Norton and Charlbury where trains run to Oxford and London Paddington. Oxford is about 20 miles to the south east.
Atmosphere: The area is well known thanks to its close proximity to the popular Daylesford Farm Shop and Soho Farmhouse. Within the village itself is a popular Pub, The Swan, a church, village shop and primary school.
Things to do: There are a number of walks around the village to fully take in the surrounding countryside. Oxford is nearby with numerous pubs and riverside restaurants to explore, as well as many shops, theatres and historical buildings.
Schools: There are plenty of great state and private schools to choose from, including Windrush Valley School, Kitebrook, Tudor Hall, Bloxham and Cokethorpe. Within Oxford there is Oxford High, Magdalen College School and Headington School.
See more property for sale in the area.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expectThe four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
-
Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
