A Well Appointed Magnificent Country House Set in the Middle of the Berkshire Downs


Description

Roden Park comes into view when you reached the apex of its beautiful tree lined drive. A perfect location for anyone seeking a private country estate, hidden from view and with no near neighbours. The first sight of the house, designed to suggest an early Georgian gentleman’s manor house, is both pleasing and welcoming.

Designed and built by award winning Sherbourne Developments, who specialise in creating extraordinary country homes reflecting Palladian and Georgian architecture. Roden Park showcases their skill in marrying period design, time-honoured craftsmanship with the requirements of 21st century living.

The driveway sweeps round to the central courtyard with its semi-circular stone portico, magnificently framing the entrance. Constructed in warm red brick with stone quoins under a red clay roof, the house seamlessly wraps around the courtyard, cleverly incorporating some of the older farm buildings on the site. The classically designed interior showcases impressive craftsmanship and materials.

Bespoke, Georgian inspired skirting, architraves and door linings, detailed deep cornicing, twelve pane box sash windows, natural stone and wood flooring, beautifully crafted marble and stone fireplaces feature throughout the house. All bedrooms have luxurious en suite bathrooms or shower rooms, each one individual, using stunning marble wall and floor tiles and high-end fixtures and fittings.

The house surrounds an impressive central hall, with its brushed limestone floor and marble fireplace, all flooded with natural light cascading down through the two galleried landings from the large roof lantern above. All receptions rooms lead off, each through tall elegant French doors with the principal rooms also interconnecting making for a pleasing flow to the ground floor.

The west facing kitchen overlooks the pergola covered terrace, through to the stunning view beyond. The contemporary cabinetry is by Roundhouse and features a striking island unit with antique brass cladding. All sitting beneath marble and stone worktops. Appliances include a full height Gaggenau fridge freezer, Miele oven, steam oven, microwave, induction hob with integral extractor fans and two dishwashers. The island also boasts a champagne sink. A large walk-in larder is situated just off the kitchen.

French doors open to the drawing room and then to the dining room, making for a versatile use of space, allowing the creation of a large space for entertaining. Both rooms have herringbone wood flooring, marble fireplaces and French doors opening to the terrace. Both the library and study are atmospheric rooms with their open fires and full height bookshelves. Also on the ground floor is a cloakroom and large utility/boot room with shaker style cabinetry and a large bespoke dog shower.

From the hall, stairs lead down to the basement floor where a state of the art cinema has been installed. The JVC 8K high definition projector makes for an extraordinary cinematic experience. Large comfy armchairs and sofas, some reclining, provide luxurious seating for ten people, all under a celestial lit ceiling.

Also in the basement is the wine cellar, displayed through floor-to ceiling glazed entrance panels and fitted out with bespoke cabinetry. The large laundry room with shakerstyle cupboards, large island, butler sink and laundry chute from the first floor allows for all housekeeping to done away from the main living area of the house. Also in the basement is a gun room and plant room.

From the hall, the elegant staircase rises to the first of the two galleried landings. The principal bedroom suite, spanning the breadth of the house, is particularly striking. This private suite includes a sitting room, dressing room and stunning bathroom with its bookmatched veined marble throughout the walls, floor, vanity unit and shower.

On this floor are four further spacious bedrooms, each with a private en suite, all individually styled with creative use of different natural stone and marbles. There is also a large walk-in linen cupboard with bespoke shelving and drawers and a laundry chute to the laundry room in the basement.

The second floor offers two further large bedrooms suites, one presently used as a sitting room. The other invoking a wonderful sense of exotic Moroccan style with intricate brass wall lights, hand painted vanity basins, Zellige tiles, all handmade in Morocco, as well as a beautiful freestanding copper bathtub, overlooking the views. The second floor also has three large walk-in storage rooms.

Location

Roden Park is situated in a remarkably rural location tucked away in the Berkshire Downs, at the end of a long private driveway.

The estate has enviable links to Oxford, 20 miles to the north via A34 and Newbury, 12 miles to the south, both offering excellent shopping, facilities and a selection of well-known private schools. M4 motorway, Junction 13, is 9 miles away allowing access to London 50 miles to the east.

Didcot and Reading have regular, fast train/Crossrail services to London Paddington Station. Heathrow airport is approximately one hour and Gatwick airport 90 minutes by car, both offering national and international flights.

The surrounding area is renowned for its excellent pre-schools, public schools and colleges: Abingdon School (23mins), Cheam (25mins), Downe House (14mins), Dragon School (41mins), Horris Hill (20mins), Marlborourgh College (40 mins), Pangbourne (18mins ), Radley College, Oxford (27mins) and St Helens and St Katherines (22mins).

Newbury, Marlborough, Reading and Oxford have an extensive range of shops, restaurants, boutiques and supermarkets, as well as theatres, museums and sports events.

National Hunt Racing at Newbury. Lambourn, the Valley of the Racehorse, is approximately 17 miles to the west.

The undulating Lambourn Downs are the chalk hills that feed the lovely streams of Berkshire. The Rivers Kennet Lambourn, Loddon and Pang are best known for their clear, cold water, which creates the ideal spawning conditions for wild trout and grayling.

Square Footage: 16,043 sq ft


Acreage: 119 Acres

Directions

From the A34 take the exit for East and West Ilsley and Compton. Go through East Ilsley to Compton. In Compton turn left immediately after the Foinavon Pub into Horn Street. After about 250 yards turn right into Wallingford Road and right again after 100 yards under the decommissioned railway bridge. Follow the lane for a further 0.75 miles and turn left onto the drive of Roden Park.

Additional Info

Guest Cottage - A guest cottage has been beautifully created from one of the original farm buildings. The open plan downstairs has hand crafted painted kitchen units, a wood burning stove and a sitting room.

Staff Annexe and Plant Room - Forming one side of the courtyard is the two storey, one bedroom staff accommodation with the plant room for the biomass boiler and water treatment systems at the other end.

Garaging - To the third side of the courtyard are the four garages, two open bays with electric charging points, one secure garage and a second, presently used as a workshop. Above this forms the Pool House.

Outdoor Entertainment Area - The upper terrace houses the beautifully landscaped swimming pool area. Mature olive trees mark the corners of the stone terrace with a jacuzzi situated at one end of the swimming pool. The far end provides a covered pergola fitted with an outside kitchen with Wolf BBQ, oak cupboards under slate worktops. A glazed windbreak provides protected space to enjoy open-air dining. The well appointed pool house with its sitting/games room, sauna, changing room, shower room and cleverly tucked away kitchenette, opens directly to the terrace.

Tennis Court - The tennis court is completely enclosed and is accessed from the pool area.

Gym - The large purpose-built gym sits to one side of the courtyard. Mellow red brick blends with anthracite coloured, west facing, bi-fold doors and windows under a zinc roof. This represent incredible space and has a powerful music system and is also run by the Control4 Smart Home operating system. This area could be used for many different uses, to include separate offices, games room, arts studio, indoor swimming pool, garaging subject to necessary planning consents.

Gardens - The extensive young gardens have been imaginatively separated and divided. Nicholsons the Garden and Landscape designers from North Oxfordshire designed and laid out the gardens; Creative use has been made of hedging, cherry tree avenues, pleached hedging, brick and flint walling and estate fencing creating very different ‘rooms’ within the garden. A beautiful west facing terrace sits beneath a large pergola, flanked by an avenue of mature cherry trees drawing the eye to the valley beyond. Accessed from both the kitchen and drawing room, this makes for an impressive setting to
entertain in. A delightful circular formation of ornamental peach trees symbolise longevity and provide a magical and romantic feature to the garden. Wood from the tree is said to ward off evil, and ancient warriors crafted weapons from it. Mythology suggests that peach blossom petals were historically used by Taoist magicians, used to put men into an intense trance of love.

Land - The present owners have had plans drawn up for a rewilding programme. Previously arable land, the plans include new diverse habitats to include wild flower meadows, rough grassland, scrubby copses, winter bird seed plots, dew ponds and hedgerows, encouraging all manner of wildlife. The thin, chalky soils of these Downs are ideal for the creation of species-rich chalk grassland. On a site visit from BBOWT (Berkshire Buckinghamshire Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust) it was assessed that significant numbers of Corn Buntings, Skylarks and Grey Partridge were already established. All of these are ‘red listed’ farmland birds of the highest conservation concern.

Further details of the specifications can be found in the brochure