A gorgeous cottage for sale in the heart of the village where 'Downton Abbey' was filmed
The charming Cotswolds village of Bampton was made famous by the filming of 'Downton Abbey' — and one of its prettiest homes is currently for sale.
'Even when the village was closed and the residents couldn't park their cars, they never complained,' Downton Abbey's executive producer Gareth Neame said a few years ago of the people of the Oxfordshire village of Bampton.
That says a lot of the 2,994 residents of this postcard-perfect Cotswolds village, for ever since the ITV show first came to television screens in 2010, their lives have been somewhat upended. First came a succession of camera crews, actors, catering vans and the like; and then, not too long after, came the coachloads of tourists desperate to visit the place that stood in for the fictional Yorkshire village of Downton.
Look over here and you'll see Downton hospital, and the village pub; over there, the former home of Matthew Crawley. And round the corner, just past the village green, you'll see the church where [spoiler alert] the butler, Mr Carson, married the housekeeper, Mrs Hughes.
Why merely pass through on a coach tour, though, when you could live here full time? An opportunity has arisen to do just that. And even if it weren't in a much-storied village then The Old Forge — for sale at £925,000 via Strutt & Parker — would still be a wonderful country home with a great story to tell.
As the name gives away, this house didn't start life as a family home. Four hundred years ago, The Old Forge would have been frenetic, filled with flame, molten metal and perhaps a horse or two.
The incumbents then would struggle to recognise what it has become: a quiet and elegant Grade II-listed home designed for comfortable living.
While it looks quaint, it's deceptively large at around 2,500 sq ft. Five cosy bedrooms (with the option of a sixth) fill the first and second floors, with two reception rooms on the ground floor made up of a spacious sitting room and a smaller snug perfect for quiet contemplation.
French-grey cabinetry, wood work surfaces and a deep Belfast sink make for an attractive kitchen and there is space for a dining table, too.
The Old Forge even has a fine little garden at the back, away from the streets. It really is a perfect little idyll.
The Old Forge in Bampton is for sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details.
