Frenchay Road, Oxford, OX2

Still in the hands of only its second owners, a thoroughly charming Victorian family house on the edge of Walton Manor with a lovely outlook over St John's College sports ground. High ceilings, large sash windows, plus a great garden. Dated but beautifully preserved, this is a rare find. NO CHAIN.

Jericho and Walton Manor... What is there to say? The most cosmopolitan part of Oxford? Excellent and diverse amenities ranging from ethnic boutique shops to brasseries to great independent schools. This subdistrict of Oxford has almost every possible advantage including access to Port Meadow, 400 acres of common land flanking the Cherwell River, and entirely open to the public. Many consider this to be one of the best areas to live in the South of England let alone Oxford.

These original houses in Frenchay Road were designed by leading North Oxford architect Harry Wilkinson Moore, a typically Victorian designer well known for his proud and appealing designs. They are clever in so many ways, from the positioning of windows for maximum light, to the proportions of the rooms, to the smaller touches such as cornicing, door handles, even the sculpted limestone lintels that give the facade texture and style.

What worked for the up and coming Victorian family is still exceptionally relevant today, with tall ceilings and large windows giving a real feeling of positivity, space and light. And the road outside has a quietly suburban calm about it that's very inviting, with the houses set well back behind ample front gardens. This house in particular overlooks the College sports ground to the rear and towards Chalfont Road at the front, so it has a real feeling of openness around it.

Little wonder then that our clients have owned it since 1968, and they are only the second owners in over 120 years! It is one of the very few that remains unspoiled by any modern additions. So while the fixtures and decor are decidedly dated, it's the perfect opportunity to enjoy Victorian design at its best mixed with whatever fittings and decor you decide to install.

The first impression is appealing and friendly. Several steps lead into a charming internal porch, framed by the limestone lintel above which three windows help to light the entrance. A sturdy timber door opens into the spacious main entrance hall. Stairs with elegant wooden balustrades and slender spindles rise gently away from you, the hallway running past them and onwards to the kitchen. Natural light pervades throughout as there are strong light sources, and the tall ceilings accentuate this further.

Turning left through either door (pause to smile at the original brass handles), what was originally two receptions has been combined. To the front, the living room instantly impresses. It is both large and well proportioned, with a proud and stylish iron fireplace so redolent of its era. And the view through tall sash windows over its front garden to the other houses, which seem quite distant, is open and very pleasant. At the rear the dining room is similar in size and personality, with great light coming in through a pair of French doors, beyond which steps drop down to the garden.

Back towards the stairs, the door behind them takes you down timber steps to the roomy cellar. This is a large and really useful space split into two rooms, with a central hall at the end of which is a window. The boiler is sited down here, as is the hot water cylinder, and there's also plumbing for washing machine, drier etc. A terracotta tiled floor is laid throughout, and the whole cellar feels warm and very dry hence it's a viable space for many potential uses.

Head back up to the hall, and beyond the stairs you reach the kitchen. Ultra-modern in the 1970's, it is a little dated today! But the space and the light are certainly not. The dimensions are perfect for daily family life, with the room naturally lending itself to a large breakfast table at one end and kitchen units at the other. Washing up will never be the same again with a diverting view to the rear across your own lovely garden and the playing fields beyond... Note there is also a small rear lobby with a door to the garden, next to which is the downstairs cloak room. We suspect this lobby could be opened up further to yield even more useable space.

Up to the first floor and halfway up the landing splits, a hall leading rearwards to where there are both a shower room and a separate wc to the left, and a run of integrated store cupboards on the right. While a separate wc and bathroom can be seen as a quite old-fashioned arrangement, anyone who has ever queued behind teenagers to use the facilities may wish to keep the layout! But if required we suspect this whole area could be opened into one room, creating a really large bathroom.

Back to the main landing, the first two bedrooms are a delight. At the rear, a light and airy double is well proportioned and features a fine view across the gardens and beyond over the St John's sports fields. Another original fireplace is still in situ, and either side of it deep alcoves offer very efficient spaces in which to build large storage cupboards (one is already so equipped).

At the front of the house the main bedroom is charming. Three large sash windows flood this room with light, making it delightfully bright and positive. Another original fireplace is flanked with more handy alcoves, with the original servant's bell pull also still present. And the floor area is such that you really can house a sofa, chests of drawers, dressing table and the like well away from even the largest of beds.

Take the stairs towards the top floor and another half landing. Here, a further bathroom offers dimensions that are ample for refitting with either a bath or a large shower, and the window to the side casts ample light throughout. A few steps more bring you to three further bedrooms. Rear-facing, what is currently used as the study is a very useful double room with wonderful character. The eaves of the roof gently frame the dormer window through which is that same captivating view across the gardens and sports ground behind. Next door a similarly generous double bedroom overlooks the houses opposite, with a pretty view across the roofs of Walton Manor and Jericho. And enjoying the same outlook, the smallest of the bedrooms is a characterful and roomy single.

Turning to the outside, at the front the garden is enclosed by smart red brick walls, separating the house very effectively away from the road and path outside, with a diverse and interesting array of shrubs, trees and flowers that are very pleasant. The low wall to the front is bisected by a gravel path that leads to the front door, meandering across the frontage and round to the left of the house. It then leads down the side to the rear garden to a paved terrace behind the dining room and kitchen doors.

From there onwards, the garden is primarily lawned, with softly landscaped borders either side, enclosed by a red brick wall. It's the perfect compromise between enjoyable outdoor space and manageable maintenance. In addition, the advantage of this setting is there is little if any noise from any nearby source, making it unusually peaceful. And with the expanse of St John's College Sports Ground behind, the feeling of space is similarly splendid.