Orchard Place, Upper Heyford, OX25

A lovely modern cottage constructed of traditional materials, situated in a pretty close on the edge of the village next to open fields. Living room with fireplace, farmhouse-style kitchen/dining room with oak units, utility room, three bright bedrooms & en-suite, & a rear garden with shed. NO CHAIN

Upper Heyford is a quiet and secluded village away from the beaten track but within easy reach of amenities and road/ rail links. The community is vibrant and varied with a well-used village hall and green plus a good local pub, plus there is a highly-regarded new free-school less than a mile distant and many new amenities including a hotel and a bar/restaurant; many villagers also enjoy a walk of around a mile down the Oxford Canal to Lower Heyford where a shop and cafe can be found at the canal wharf as well as a further good pub. Rail access is excellent with Lower Heyford having a station feeding to Oxford and London Paddington, Bicester North is 7 miles East with fast and frequent trains into London Marylebone. Road links are also straightforward with both the M40 and A34 a short drive away.

Orchard Place is a lovely mix of classically designed traditional stone cottages, built in the last days of the twentieth century. Consequently they offer all the niceties and visual appeal of an older house but with modern fittings and efficiencies. Willow Cottage is well presented throughout. A spacious reception with fireplace, generously proportioned kitchen with real timber units and a utility room, plus three bedrooms one of which is en-suite, offer accommodation most at this price level cannot. The close contains just a handful of similar houses, most looking inwards onto the wide expanse of grass with various trees, and its location is delightful, on the edge of a rather idyllic village on the gentle upslope of the valley with a huge sense of space around it.

Entering the house, a pretty, enclosed porch features a slate-tiled floor plus a very effective inset rush mat. And the side window makes sure it's light. The traditional ledge and brace door to the rear opens into a relaxed, inviting and cozy living room that looks back out over the peaceful front gardens and cottages opposite. This room has character, with a stone fireplace the central feature, and there's ample space for a very good-sized suite. To the rear, the hallway accesses the stairs which rise off to the left, and underneath them is an opening often enclosed to provide handy storage. However, to the left is a deep walk-in cupboard - which was once a a cloak room - so large that is had been converted and fitted with a desk and storage, creating a clever office/study.

Head past the stairs and you reach the kitchen, placed to look over the garden behind, with two windows plus a glazed door next to the dining area. The kitchen is fitted with the archetypal traditional wood units, a comprehensive range running along two sides and fitted with a Neff double oven, modern hob, even a Belfast-style sink. These frame an area ample for a large table and chairs, with room to spare for an easy chair or perhaps a large Welsh dresser. It's a great room for entertaining and family time alike. And just off to the side there is a utility room, fitted with more units and also featuring the plumbing for a washing machine.

Upstairs the broad landing includes cupboards across the whole of one wall. Inside, the gas central heating boiler and water tank are housed at one end, but in addition there's masses of further space for all manner of storage including creating a generous airing cupboard. Bedroom one is light and roomy, and overlooks the close to the front with valley views beyond. A pair of cupboards provide excellent built-in storage, and the en-suite next door is simply and elegantly fitted with a shower.

Across the landing, bedrooms two and three both overlook the rear garden. The larger is equipped with another wardrobe, and offers plenty of room for a double bed. The third is more compact, still able to accommodate a double and it, too, includes a fitted wardrobe. Serving all three, the bathroom is similar in style to the en-suite, this time fitted with a bath above which is a shower. NB above the landing is a large loft, equipped with a fitted ladder and also lighting hence it's very practical.

Outside, the feeling is overwhelmingly positive and friendly. The close is so well laid out, with a large open central space that has just a handful of properties down each side. Various trees and a generous expanse of communal lawn give it more of a village green feeling. The path to Willow Cottage is flanked by a broad lawn area to one side that extends right across the frontage to the hedge, and on the left is a gravelled area for low maintenance. Parking is provided to the front for two vehicles.

At the rear, the garden is mainly planted with various shrubs, flowers etc, with a pergola on the left and long, shallow steps to the right which culminate in a sun terrace that runs the width of the back of the garden which ends at a stone wall. A gate on the right leads into the access past the neighbour to the communal lawn at the side. This access has been enclosed, with a polycarbonate roof, creating a really useful and lengthy shed for pots, bins, bicycles or whatever you need.