Victoria Knight of Savills in Henley-on-Thames and Warmingham in Goring-on-Thames have re-launched handsome Prospect House in the Thames-side village of North Stoke — 2½ miles from Wallingford, four miles from Goring-on-Thames and 12 miles from Henley. They quote a guide price of £1.5m for the charming four/five bedroom house that was once the home of Dame Clara Butt, the world famous, 6ft 2in-tall English contralto singer who travelled the globe from the 1890s to the 1920s and died at North Stoke in 1936.
Unlisted, Prospect House is unmistakeably Georgian in style, although its origins are thought to be much older. It stands on the edge of this peaceful village, the main street of which is a no-through road lined with 16th- or 17th-century houses, with the ancient Ridgeway Path running through it as it follows the bank of the Thames from Goring and up into the Chilterns. On the north end of the village you will find a golf course bordering the river, part of the The Springs Golf Resort, which features a restaurant open to the public as well as golfers.
Acquired in 1999 by its current owner, who is looking to downsize, Prospect House was launched on the market last summer and, by August, had found an enthusiastic buyer who, for whatever reason, pulled the plug on the deal in November—a not infrequent occurrence in last year’s topsy-turvy market.
The house needs some gentle updating and offers 2,755sq ft of well-proportioned living space on two main floors, including a large sitting room, dining room, snug, kitchen and integral garage on the ground floor.
Upstairs is a master suite, two further bedrooms and a fourth bedroom /studio on the first floor; plus a fifth bedroom on the second floor.
It stands in a quarter of an acre of private garden, mostly laid to lawn with planted beds and borders and a variety of interesting trees. A terrace at the rear is ideal for alfresco dining. Located to the south are two separate period buildings, one a studio/home office with an integral wine store, the other a garden store with separate storage above.
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