Little Manor in the village of Tackley, three miles from Woodstock and 12 from Oxford city centre, projects the grace and sophistication of life at the cutting edge of academia.
Reflecting its innate superiority, the exquisite, Grade II-listed William-and-Mary house, originally built as a rectory in 1696, is on the market with Knight Frank.
It stands on high ground overlooking the village and its church of St Nicholas, with far-reaching views across the Cherwell valley, yet is itself invisible from the outside world.
Approached through Cotswold-stone entrance gates and along a tree-lined gravel drive, the house stands in nine acres of immaculate formal gardens, grounds and paddocks, where sporting prowess can be displayed on the Astroturf tennis court, in the all-weather cricket nets, in the squash court, on the manicured turf of the paddocks or in the heated outdoor swimming pool.
During their tenure, the current owners have carried out an intensive programme of renovation and refurbishment of Little Manor’s elegantly proportioned rooms, which are a pleasing mix of early- and late-Georgian styles, with a mid- to late-19th-century former chapel in the Gothic Revival style — a nod to its ecclesiastical origins.
The house boasts 6,461sq ft of well-designed living space on three floors, notably the drawing room, in which two smaller rooms have been combined to form one gracious reception room, and the family-friendly kitchen/breakfast room.
As fine a wine cellar as you could hope for, meanwhile, is down below.
On the ground floor are located four main reception rooms, the chapel room/study, the kitchen/breakfast room and the flower room, with the master suite and two guest bedrooms on the first floor and a further four bedrooms on the second floor.
Little Manor is an architectural gem deftly arranged to appeal both to the most demanding of international buyers and the most successful of Britain’s high-achievers, neither of whom is likely to balk at the ‘excess of £10m’ guide price quoted by Rupert Sweeting of selling agents Knight Frank.
Little Manor is for sale via Knight Frank — see more pictures and details.
The cream of the Cotswolds: Eight beautiful townhouses
Our property editor Annunciata Elwes rounds up seven beautiful Cotswolds town houses, that will make you the talk of the
Credit: Lygon Arms
Lygon Arms, Broadway: A Cotswolds inn with history notched in its ancient wooden beams and hand-hewn stonework
In the heart of picture-perfect Broadway, gateway to the Cotswolds, the Lygon Arms has been a favourite getaway for centuries.
Credit: Mark Williamson
Down to a tea: The finest teashops in the Cotswolds
When partaking of a piping-hot cup of tea and a crumblingly delicious slice of cake, where better to indulge than
-
The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agentsSavills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
-
Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hillary’s joint adventure to the Arctic that you've never heard about and what its re-creation can tell us about the state of EarthIn 1985, Neil Armstrong and Sir Edmund Hillary adventured to the North Pole; 40 years later, their children re-created the expedition.
-
The 15 best-value commuter towns for people working in London, according to new research from one of Britain's top estate agents
Savills have released their list of the best-value commuter towns in Britain. But do the sums add up? Toby Keel takes a look.
-
What everyone is talking about this week: Where are the new Cotswolds?The appearance of American Vice President J. D. Vance in the Cotswolds is a sure sign that they're saturated, but where else can you escape to that has the same charm?
-
19 outstanding country homes, from £450,000 to £20 million, as seen in Country LifeA spectacular country house in Yorkshire and an enormously impressive Channel Islands retreat are among the stand-out homes on the market this week.
-
Three homes down by the Thames, perfect for those who love messing about on boatsThis summer’s scorching temperatures will no doubt have endorsed the perennial appeal of Thames-side houses with frontage and private access to the river. Penny Churchill and Toby Keel pick out some prime examples.
-
A pavilion, pool and pleasure gardens at this Devon country house 'with not another building in sight'Ebberly House is a majestic country house in Devon built by one of John Soane's pupils — and as it comes to the market, it's a place Penny Churchill knows well.
-
Take over the world or throw a great big party on this private fort for sale in PembrokeThorne Island, dubbed the British Alcatraz, has been a £2 million labour of love. Now it could be yours.
-
The perfect summer house? A country home, beach house and rural escape rolled into one in a prime spot in SussexIf there's a finer house than Grangewood House in which to enjoy the summer, we'd love to see it. Penny Churchill takes a look.
-
A six-bedroom modern masterpiece mere minutes from Europe's best golf courseVilla Stern catches the eye with its distinctive design, and is imbued with luxury inside and out.
