Arabella started off on Thursday looking at York – you can read that article here. Today, she looks at Oxford - a bustling and stimulating city which offers all manner of attractions. Some, such as the university and theatres, are obvious. Others are a little more offbeat: would you believe that some people choose this place in order to make sure that they can get a decent game of Bridge.
‘Of course, bridge doesn’t top the wish list of every downsizing client that we advise,’ says Adam Buxton of Middleton Advisors, which we’d imagine will be a contender for understatement of the year come the end of 2019. But apparently it does happen.
‘We have had occasions when we’ve been instructed to find a property near a competitive club,’ adds Adam. And true enough, type ‘bridge clubs Oxford’ into Google and any doubts about being able to join a regular four will be swiftly assuaged. Country Life’s bridge contributor Andrew Robson has an outpost of his popular school there.
Apart from the cultural opportunities afforded by living within one of the world’s great seats of academia, Oxford also offers what William Kirkland of Knight Frank describes as ‘a gentle transition to city life for those arriving from the countryside’.
The down side? Prices. ‘Oxford’s high property prices are well known throughout the country,’ says Giles Lawton of Strutt & Parker. A budget of £600,000 will buy a two-bedroom flat or small house in north Oxford such as this one for sale via Wallers.
Anything even a little larger or fancier can cost substantially more. Case in point is this three-bedroom apartment on the top floor of a new-build in north Oxford with off-street parking and communal gardens that comes in at £995,000 via Knight Frank.
For those with the income to support something a little larger — and don't mind taking on a bit of a project — this £1.6 million property in the suburb of Headington could be quite incredible, with five bedrooms, an enormous garden and a swimming pool.
And here's that pool:
How Oxford University's buildings evolved, and how its 'chiefest wonder' came into being
'Where is the University?' is the most common tourist's question in Oxford. The answer is rather complicated.
Credit: Will Pryce/©Country Life Picture Library
The Chapel of Trinity College, Oxford: A return to splendour
One of Oxford’s most admired interiors has been revived, as John Goodall reports.
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Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expectThe four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
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Sign of the times: In the age of the selfie, what’s happening to the humble autograph?When Ringo Starr announced that he was no longer going to sign anything, he kickstarted a celebrity movement that coincided with the advent of the camera phone and selfie. Rob Crossan asks whether, in today’s world, the selfie holds more clout than an autograph?
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Graham Norton's elegant East London home hits the market, and it's just as wonderful as you would expect
The four-bedroom home in Wapping should be studied for how well it uses two separate spaces to create a home of immense character and utility.
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About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
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A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
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A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
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Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
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380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
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A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
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A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
