The Threshing Barn: light and spacious contemporary countryside living

Introduction

The Threshing Barn is one of four barn style properties within an attractive community of just six dwellings created on a former farm, thoughtfully designed to echo the charm and character of the original buildings whilst providing contemporary comfort. The Threshing Barn is light and spacious, with glorious views over the open countryside.

Improvements by the current owners include re-modelling the interior to create a welcoming and comfortable layout ideal for both entertaining and family life. They have created an elegant entrance hall with a traditional panelled staircase and galleried landing along with a fabulous bespoke farmhouse kitchen. As well as adding traditional features, including stone fireplaces, limestone flooring and exposed stonework and beams.

The Threshing Barn is beautifully presented with a calm palette throughout. With its sleek contemporary bathrooms and generous storage, the property offers a practical and tasteful combination of both modern and traditional living. The rural location is idyllic, offering a peaceful atmosphere yet within easy reach of amenities and communications.

Accommodation

The elegant double-height entrance hall has generous fitted wardrobes and access to a stylish cloakroom. It leads to the large dining/family room, which is at the heart of the house and has an attractive fireplace with a wood-burning stove, a broad window with a door leading to the garden, and ample space for sofas and a large dining table.

Double doors to one side open to the well-proportioned sitting room with an impressive fireplace that houses a wood-burning stove and has a custom-built media recess above. Large windows to two aspects flood the room with light, and an inset door opens to the sun terrace and garden.

A decorative stone quoin and oak beam arch leads from the dining area to the stunning kitchen/breakfast room, which has an enormous marble-topped island with a breakfast bar. It is fitted with a handmade bespoke range of handpainted units incorporating generous storage, two larder cupboards, two integrated dishwashers, an electric oven, and a double fridge/freezer.

The focal point is a five oven electric Aga with a high-level mantel over. Bifold doors open to the glazed veranda, which is fitted with both sunshades and a wood-burning stove to cope with the vagaries of the British weather and to ensure comfortable outdoor dining for an extended season, with open views across the garden and fields beyond.

The boot room is situated off the kitchen, with a secondary door to the drive and a utility cupboard with space for laundry appliances.

Stairs rise to a galleried landing and the bedroom accommodation. The large master bedroom is quietly situated to one side and has a part vaulted ceiling and a broad window with a glazed Juliet balcony allowing an uninterrupted view. An arch leads through to a dressing area and shower room beyond. There are two further en suite bedrooms as well as two double bedrooms that share the family bathroom.

Outside

Electronically operated oak gates with a separate pedestrian gate lead from the shared access to an enclosed private gravel driveway with parking for several vehicles. The front garden is laid to lawn with trees and hedging. A timber door leads to the rear garden with various storage sheds to the side of the house.

The rear garden is enclosed by fencing and hedges and features a large lawn with a central avenue of clipped box balls, which lead the eye to the expansive rural view beyond. A wide paved terrace spans the back of the barn and can be accessed from all of the principal ground floor rooms, ideal for summer entertaining.

Location

Signet Hill is a small hamlet located between Burford and the village of Westwell. It is made up of a few period houses and cottages, including the properties on the former farmyard. Burford is a notable small medieval town referred to as ‘The Gateway to the Cotswolds’, surrounded by the Cotswold Hills, with the River Windrush meandering through the valley. It is within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The town offers a wide range of everyday shopping facilities, including a butcher, newsagent, post office, baker, and general store. In addition, there are boutiques, restaurants, famous coaching inns, public houses, antique shops and primary and secondary schools in the town and surrounding villages.

Witney provides more comprehensive amenities with a cinema complex, leisure centre, and several supermarkets, including Waitrose. Other historic larger centres such as Cirencester, Oxford, Cheltenham, and Stratford-upon-Avon are within driving distance and provide more extensive amenities and facilities.

Road communications are good with access to the A40 connecting to the M40 to London and the M5 to the west. Rail stations at Oxford Parkway and Charlbury provide a regular service to London Marylebone and Paddington with journey times from 55 and 70 minutes respectively.

Education in the area is excellent. Both the primary and secondary schools in Burford are rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted. There is also a choice of independent schools nearby include Hatherop Castle, Cokethorpe and St Hugh’s.

The Threshing Barn is on the market with a guide price of £1.5 million.