Troy: A beautifully restored Grade II Regency Manor house

This charming Regency Farmhouse believed to have originated in 1827, possibly occupies the historic grounds of a former monastery, as attested by the presence of an ancient yew tree. Initially named “Troy”, the house underwent a brief interlude as “Gould’s Grove” before returning to its original designation.

Its most renowned occupant, Jerome K. Jerome, celebrated as the author of ‘Three Men in a Boat’, humbly depicted Troy in his autobiography as “an old farmhouse on the hill above Wallingford”. Jerome and his family resided here from 1895 to 1908, and he certainly left his mark by adding two theatres to the property, subsequently repurposed by the current owners for charitable performances.

There are wonderful stories recounted of Edwardian house parties and the presence of literary giants such as H.G. Wells, W.W. Jacobs, and Conan Doyle, who visited the property’s summer houses for their writing endeavours. Although Jerome’s tenure was relatively brief, the area evidently left an indelible impression on him, as demonstrated by his final resting place in Ewelme churchyard—, a testament to his deep affinity for Troy and Ewelme.

Troy is a Grade II Listed Regency Farmhouse of traditionally symmetrical Georgian construction with a handsome facade of blue glazed bricks from a local kiln with red brick reveal. The front of the house shows four Georgian windows with a central Venetian arched window, a domed roof porch and a Venetian entrance door. Around 1926, the house was adjoined to the cottages next door and barns to create a west wing and courtyard.

The house is hidden from the view of the road, where grand iron gates in pyramid-mounted gate posts mark the entrance. A gravel drive, flanked by pretty and mature crab apple and walnut trees, sweeps around to the right, arriving at a gravel forecourt in front of the house.

Accommodation

The recently restored house is a perfect combination of grand entertaining spaces and less formal family accommodation arranged over three floors. The ground floor is divided from the upper ground level in the main house, and there is a lower ground level in the west wing. The house feels light and capacious throughout a tempting maze of rooms and hallways. One is immediately struck by the high ceilings, large windows, elegant panelling and parquet flooring throughout most rooms, evocative of the romantic early twentieth century.

Upper ground floor

The main entrance through the Venetian door porch, with domed skylight and stone floor, leads through a second door into the pale green panelled entrance hall. One is offered a view along the full extension of the parquet floor hall to French windows and beautifully landscaped vistas along lawn avenues. The first room to the left of the entrance is an elegant sitting room with plaster panelling and wood surround, marble inset open fire. Across the hall is a cloakroom with a parquet floor, wood panelling, a wood surround marble vanity unit and a door concealed within the panelling to a water closet.

Continuing along the hall past the wooden staircase, one arrives at a glorious dining room with light wood panelling, parquet floor, marble surround open fireplace and French windows to those stunning views. Full-height double doors lead through to an equally elegant panelled drawing room with fitted bookshelves, a marble inset fireplace with club fender, French windows to the terrace and ornate iron screen doors to the hall. Opposite the dining room is a butler’s station open to the hallway, yet hidden from view of the entrance.

Lower ground floor

Steps lead down from the main house into a second entrance hall in the west extension of the house. Directly ahead is a kitchen with a wonderful conservatory front, creating a bright, informal dining area with views of a beautiful terrace garden. The kitchen comprises a white 4-door oil-fired aga and bespoke painted wood cabinets.

The entrance hall leads to a butler’s pantry with sink and fitted glass cabinets, a cloakroom and steps down to a capacious cellar with quarry tile floor comprising 4 rooms with windows. The front cellar room has a wood-burning stove and parquet floor, possibly used as servants’ accommodation at some time.

A side door from the kitchen continues through the west extension, arriving first at a study with leaded light windows, french windows to the garden and a wood-burning stove in an open fireplace with a bread oven. A Larder with Welsh slate leads from the Study. A further door leads from here to a quarry-tiled back hall and utility room with a sink area, Cloakroom and back door to a courtyard. Continuing through the utility is a further office with French windows to the garden and a door to a third room currently used as a gym.

The continuing ground floor accommodation in the west wing is separate, accessed by a door from the courtyard. This door leads into staff accommodation comprising kitchen, bathroom, back hall and sitting room. Stairs from here lead to a stunning 10-metre wood-panelled playroom with a parquet floor and a large brick-faced fireplace. At one end is the Indoor Theatre on the first floor adjoined to the main house.

First floor

The main wooden staircase with iron balustrades leads to the first-floor landing, continuing the plaster panelling and parquet floors. This floor within the main house comprises a master bedroom with a dressing room through to an ensuite bathroom with a second door to the landing, an ensuite bedroom with a walk-in wardrobe, a further bedroom and a cloakroom. From the landing is a hidden staircase within a walk-in cupboard up to an attic room.

Light-coloured wood panelling leads down secondary stairs to a hallway with leaded windows, a remarkable 30-metre panelled passageway leading to 6 further bedrooms, one of which is en suite, and 2 family bathrooms, one of which has link doors to two of the bedrooms. The last bedroom at the end of the hall is entered through a heavy wood door with ornate iron door furniture and is what was the stage in the indoor theatre, now separated by a partition wall from the rest of the panelled playroom.

Gardens and outbuildings

The wonderfully landscaped gardens provide a journey through formal lawn vistas, pretty courtyard gardens and terraces with an abundance of mature trees, including majestic blue cedar, cherry, horse chestnut and acacia, to name but a few. The gardens beautifully frame the main house and blend elegantly with the surrounding summer houses and outbuildings.

Location

Troy is nestled amidst farmland, south of the picturesque village of Ewelme, within a conservation area Situated in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire. It is home to the beautiful Saint Mary’s Church, where notable figures like Thomas Chaucer, Alice de la Pole, and Jerome K. Jerome are buried. It is also home to the oldest continuously operating primary school, established in 1414.

Henley-on-Thames, located 9 miles away, offers several amenities and leisure activities. Just under 3 miles to the west lies the charming market town of Wallingford, situated along the banks of the River Thames, offering local independent shops, dining options, cafes, and a large supermarket.

Despite Troy’s idyllic rural setting, accessible via picturesque lanes lined with hedgerows, it’s remarkably well-connected. Junction 6 on the M40 is less than 10 miles away, and Didcot Parkway, only 10 miles distant, offers a 45-minute train ride to London Paddington. 13 miles away, Reading provides direct connections to London’s through Crossrail.

Troy is on the market with Savils at offers in excess of £6 million.