4 bedroom country house to rent

A beautiful early 17th Century stone house of over 4,000 sq feet and c.1 acre of land including canal frontage. 4/5 bedrooms, 4 receptions, beams, exposed stone, plus a Breeze house and a detached double garage - Available 29th November, unfurnished.

Lower Heyford is a delightful village. Nestling in a valley with the River Cherwell parallel to the Oxford canal the local scenery is wonderful, with farmland surrounding the village. There is a good local school, a lovely old pub, local store, and access to all points of the compass is exceptional with the M40 and A34 close by and the Cherwell Valley railway line Heyford station within the village. For those looking for a rural existence combined with nearby access to all amenities there are few better Villages in North Oxfordshire.

The Old Post Office... The house has organically grown over centuries and this shows in every nook. Exposed stone walls in some areas and beams in others, cupboards untouched since the eighteenth century, flagstones, a vast Inglenook fireplace. All these individual items add up to the sort of feeling of warmth, history and positivity that is difficult to quantify and extremely rare to find. That character is just one asset. The significant upgrades recently completed have also made it a wonderful house to use in a modern context. Add in a wide and mature garden looking out across its own canal frontage to woodland and fields beyond and this really is a one-off.

Entering from the lane the long drive leads up to the rear of the house. Walking up a paved path a glazed door leads into a utility room with a flagstone floor, recently modernised to include a new suite with a Belfast sink plus plumbing for a washing machine. This room is airy and a good size, with windows looking down the garden. The main hall continues the flagstone floor and adds exposed stone walls, and from here one stair rises to the bedrooms while another drops to the cellar, in which there are flagstones and original beams. Adjacent is another reception, this time equipped with an Inglenook fireplace to one side and on the other there are wall timbers evident that really spell out the age of the house.

To the rear of the hall, the kitchen has been beautifully refurbished, with two rooms amalgamated to provide a fantastic, large area with a comprehensive range of high quality units round three sides, including an island; and at the other end the remaining space is more than ample for a large table and chairs, dresser etc. Next door is the old Post Office room and the sun room. Two sets of glazed double doors link the two, and when they're open the two rooms interact beautifully. The old Post Office room features a surprisingly tall ceiling and it's also a very generous size, and two windows overlook the lane. However the main focus is out to the oak-framed sun room, a wonderful space from which the garden can be viewed, and the double doors flung open to invite it in.

Upstairs on the first floor four bedrooms provide ample space. To one end of the corridor a large double looks out over the garden, and is equipped with wardrobes plus alcove shelves. Across the landing a recently-fitted bathroom features both bath and shower, with a high quality suite. From here a hidden staircase leads up to a further room with dormer windows looking out across the quiet lane, and adjacent to them there is significant attic space nearly half as large again. Three further bedrooms on the first floor are all light and roomy, with storage in each. However the master suite is particularly fine; double aspect hence extremely light, and vaulted with a ceiling right into the eaves, it is also linked to a dressing area with various wardrobes and cupboards to the side, adjacent to which a very stylish bathroom which also features a separate shower.

Outside, the plot is unique. Just over an acre of wonderful, mature garden wanders gently down to the canal side with circa 35 metres (110 feet) of direct canal frontage beyond which is farmland. Towards the house there are a wide range of trees from a Gingko and Norwegian Spruce to Victoria plum while nearer the canal is also a small apple orchard. It is a wide plot with various outbuildings ranging from a large log store to a Breeze house, with two further stone storage outbuildings connected to the house. In recent years a timber garage has been fitted and this is also equipped with power. The driveway comes in from the lane and crosses to just outside the garage, with almost limitless space for parking if required. It's a garden the like of which we rarely see with properties for sale; in a rental property is is almost unique, and all the better for it. A wonderful, quiet, roomy space for any family to enjoy.

Mains water, electricity, oil heating
Cherwell District Council
Council tax band G
£3,663 p.a. 2023/24