An interesting comparison between the price of a classic Cotswold former rectory in the late 1980s and its value today is presented by The Old Rectory at Shipton Oliffe, 7½ miles east of Cheltenham, currently on the market with the Cheltenham office of Savills.
According to a report in Country Life (July 9, 1987), Hamptons were due to offer The Old Rectory at auction in June 1987, when a private buyer stepped in to buy ‘the six-bedroom, Grade II-listed house standing in four acres of gardens and grounds, for more than £350,000 before the auction’.
Now, The Old Rectory, set in three acres of gardens and grounds with the River Coln running through, is on the market at a guide price of £3.5m. It’s a price at which it seems to have found its market: selling agent Christian Swaab hosted more than 20 viewings in the first week of marketing alone.
It's not hard to see the appeal, as the agents' details make clear: 'The Old Rectory benefits from large windows and light-filled, capacious accommodation which is thoughtfully arranged over three floors with a cellar providing a good balance of formality and relaxed modern living.'
That's ticking an awful lot of boxes, and when you start reading about the Aga in the kitchen, the huge drawing room ideal for entertaining and the tennis court, it's not hard to imagine the lifestyle you'd enjoy in a place like this.
The imposing former rectory was rebuilt on the site of a smaller house by rector John Anby Carr in 1863, to designs by the almost-forgotten Gloucestershire architect Thomas Fulljames.
It stands on former glebe land to the south of the village overlooking rolling Cotswold countryside and offers 6,632sq ft of accommodation on three floors.
There are four reception rooms, a kitchen/breakfast room, a family room, six bedrooms and five bathrooms, while the gardens are secluded and idyllic.
The entire place has been beautifully restored and impeccably maintained by its current owner over the past 20 years.
The Old Rectory is for sale with Savills at £3.5m — see more pictures and details.
Where to live in the Cotswolds: A guide to choosing the perfect spot
Where in the Cotswolds should you move to? The answer will depend on what is more important to you and
Credit: The Fish Hotel
The Treehouses at The Fish Hotel: Spending a weekend as the Cotswolds Family Robinson
The Fish is a lovely Cotswolds hotel where you can can stay in normal rooms, shepherds' huts or treehouses. And
A hopelessly romantic cottage for two in one of the finest villages in the Cotswolds
A no-compromise forever home has come up for sale in the Cotswolds
Buying a house is always a compromise, or so goes the received wisdom. Sometimes, though, you come across a place
-
Five Cotswold dream homes on the market from £3m to £18m, as seen in Country LifeThis week we have a Cotswolds-themed rundown of some of the finest homes to come to the market in this beautiful part of England.
-
A modern masterpiece for sale in Cornwall that's just one mile from the beachHay House combines location, elegance and modern family living to create a special home for the 21st century.
-
A rollercoaster, Bauhaus department store and Brutalist football stand top the latest Buildings at Risk ListThe latest Buildings at Risk List from the Twentieth Century Society has been announced. Sunwin House department store and Blackpool’s Grand National Rollercoaster both feature.
-
Lutyens's last masterpiece comes up for sale in Oxfordshire, with 27 bedrooms and a cricket pitchMiddleton Park in Middleton Stoney is a vast country home that must surely be among the nation's best
-
A 10-bedroom manor house in the heart of the Cotswolds with all the trimmingsWaterton House sits on the edge of Ampney Crucis, and is as elegant as can be.
-
A seven bedroom Buckinghamshire rectory that might be a little hauntedGrade II-listed the Old Rectory is a home of astounding charm and beauty, and comes with a friendly visitor.
-
Over the Hills and Far Away: Robert Plant's Welsh hideaway is up for saleOther notable residents of The Argoed in the Wye Valley include George Bernard Shaw and Beatrice Webb.
-
Period charm and contemporary tastes collide in an eight-bedroom listed home in DurhamMorton House is a rare example of a home where you can have the best of both worlds.
