Islip Road, Bletchingdon, OX5

Formerly part of the Red Lion coaching inn, a Grade 2 listed large (c.2,400 sq ft) village house with great charm and much character. Updating required, but will be stunning with cosmetic upgrades!

Bletchingdon is an attractive North Oxfordshire village, set on a plateau overlooking Oxford and Kidlington to the South. Its roots date back to Norman times, evidence of which can most easily be seen in St Giles parish church. Many residents are drawn to the village by its First school. There is a new village hall, which also contains a community run shop, and a new school, in addition to an active social club. Commuting access is excellent with Oxford and Bicester within easy driving distance, Islip and Bicester stations are close by and there are frequent buses running to and from Oxford.

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By the mid-18th century, England was crisscrossed with coach routes, and hundreds of inns were spread out at 7 to 10 mile stages across the land. The coach stopped at the end of each stage to change horses and allow passengers to refresh themselves. London House dates from approx. 1750 at which point it was part of the Red Lion coaching inn set on the then main London road to the Cotswolds. As such it is rather a special place, and it exhibits character with many intriguing oddities and charming features. Not least are the vaulted fifth bedroom reached by external stone steps, and next to it a suspended eaves room! London House is a one-off, a piece of history.

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Downstairs the three receptions are all good sizes, especially the living room which is double aspect with a large stone fireplace with stone flagged hearth and exposed ceiling beam. The dining room links through to both the hall and kitchen, the latter being in a post-war extension which overlooks the garden. Unusually there is also a rather large utility room with exposed ceiling beam, only accessible from an external door adjacent to the kitchen, our clients had always thought to one day create a larger kitchen in this space, not least as there is a further store room attached which could have become another utility room. There is also a cloak room by the back door, but perhaps the most interesting spaces are those reached by the stone external steps... To the side of the cobbled drive stone stairs lead up to two rooms. The first is a large room currently used as a study, with a vaulted, exposed timber ceiling and a roof window facing the rear. We suspect it would be possible, subject to consents, to connect this room into the main house as a fifth bedroom. The second is unique in our experience as it is an entirely timber room suspended in the eaves over the driveway! Humorously titled the book nook this space, with exposed timber everywhere and no windows but wired for light hence a brilliant and characterful if unorthodox space, has been the most delightful of reading spaces/ retreats for children over the years.

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Upstairs is similarly quirky. Two conventional bedrooms are large and airy, one of which connects through to an en-suite bathroom. The largest however is full-height vaulted with cross and wall timbers, double aspect with a sealed glass door leading out to nowhere! However this room is so large that within it is another bedroom, boxed in and a good double with a window overlooking the front. We believe this could be reconfigured, subject to consents, to provide two entirely separate rooms without affecting the character. Serving all four is a further bathroom.

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Outside to the front the entrance to the drive is via two timber gates underneath the roof which forms the aforementioned book nook . The drive is cobbled with space for several vehicles and as it is wide it has plenty of under cover storage space to either side. The stone steps to the study lead up to the left, and behind all this is a large stone building we believe was originally a coach house. It is a significant size, more than enough room for several vehicles and there are windows as well as power. To the side the garden is delightful, mature and landscaped in a soft and natural fashion, with several paved terrace areas plus various shrub borders ranged around a lawn to the centre. This is secluded, quiet and exceptionally calm.