It’s not our most common saying, but in the 12th century, the words ‘in Europe, the best wool is English, and in England, the best wool is Cotswold’ were oft uttered.
Grade II*-listed Bliss Mill, in the rural outskirts of Chipping Norton, is a remnant of this fine tradition.
Built of Cotswold stone and Victorian brick in 1872 by Lancashire-based mill architect George Woodhouse, commissioned by cloth manufacturer William Bliss, the former tweed mill used local wool and, during the First World War, supplied fabric for uniforms and horse blankets.
Enjoying a view over the rolling AONB that the mill workers probably never had time to notice, a three-bedroom apartment on the top floor is available. Original features include cast-iron columns, brick vaults, arched windows and exposed brick walls, with modern additions such as an engineered-oak parquet floor and Farrow & Ball-painted bespoke cabinetry, plus a separate garage.
Mill residents all have access to an indoor pool, sauna, jacuzzi, tennis court, squash court and gym, and the six landscaped acres incorporate the old mill race. Historic England calls it ‘A remarkable opulent design in a park-like setting’.
Chipping Norton is a well-loved Cotswold market town within the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Home to a wide range of fantastic independent shops – think dreamy interiors from Osborn Studio, delicious goods from Daylesford farm shop, art galleries, book shops, cosy country pubs, a cinema, theatre and plenty of restaurants — the town is synonymous with quintessential Cotswold living.
With great access to scenic walks, Soho Farmhouse just a short distance away, Burford Garden Centre and a number of National Trust Properties open to the public, there is plenty on offer in the area.
Local schooling is also excellent with The Ace Centre Nursery School, St Mary’s Church of England Primary School Chipping Norton, Chipping Norton School, Kitebrook, Tudor Hall and Bloxham.
The University town of Oxford (just over 20 miles to the southeast) is also home to The Dragon School and St Edwards, as well as many others.
The Penthouse at Bliss Mill is currently on the market via Inigo for £685,000 – see more pictures or enquire with the agent for further details.
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
-
Omoda 9: Not a Range Rover, but it might be the next best thingOmoda, one of the host of Chinese-made cars now on offer in the UK, presents its flagship SUV. We found a car of no frills, and plenty of luxury, at an extremely reasonable price point.
-
Yorkshire’s bravest and most charming gentleman — the Airedale terrierBred on Yorkshire’s riverbanks to face otters, snakes and even enemy fire, the Airedale has gone from the trenches of war to the hearts and homes of presidents and movie stars.
-
18 grand country homes, from £600k to £6 million, as seen in Country LifeOur regular look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week include a house in a charming seaside village and a 17th century farmhouse.
-
Caveat renovator: The TV star, the writer and the salvation of a crumbling farmhouseThe actor, writer and comedian Robert Webb and his comedy writer wife Abigail Burdess embarked on a renovation project in 2019 which became far more than they imagined — and just as the job is at last complete, they've decided that it's the right time to put house on the market.
-
An Alpine hideaway on a Swiss mountaintop that's like something from the pages of a Gothic novelA wonderful Baroque castle set amid gardens and woodland is for sale in one of Switzerland's most beautiful areas.
-
The beautiful part of Britain where £1 million still buys a grand period house and a swathe of unspoilt landThe Scottish Borders might just be the best value spot in Britain today, as Arabella Youens reports.
-
A beautiful old farmhouse in 15 acres of breathtaking Scottish scenery, for sale at just £825,000A wonderful country home with almost 15 acres of land has come up for sale at a price which will make urban dwellers question their life choices.
-
A country house that was the set for one of the best-loved sitcoms of the 1980s is for sale, with 40,000sq ft of space, 39 bedrooms and almost endless potentialLynford Hall, a vast neo-Jacobean house that's been everything from a country hotel to an agricultural college, has come to the market. Toby Keel tells its story.
-
A sprawling castle set amid ancient woodland has come to the market for the first time in 150 yearsGyrn Castle, set amidst woodland on the outskirts of an ancient village, is now seeking new owners. Penny Churchill reports.
-
A Tudor Revival home built by a Victorian adventurer, with beauty, grandeur and its own putting greenFulford Hall is an idyllic country home, yet is situated less than a dozen miles from Birmingham. Penny Churchill tells more.
