Fenway, Steeple Aston

Over 3,000 sq ft of house & annex set in a discreet and enchanting plot of circa 1 acre, in one of the area's most favoured villages. Up to 6 beds (3 ensuite) & 3 receptions, annex, garage, gated driveway, AND untapped space under the house for conversion. Utterly peaceful & secluded, & NO CHAIN.

Nearly fifty years ago our clients purchased the land and a collection of buildings intending to create a family home and riding stables. Over the years the buildings changed, and the stable area became a very popular motel with ensuite bedrooms, a bar and lounge, 2 flats, a large cottage and 3 small self-contained cottages! In 2006, the motel was demolished, flats converted into a house, the cottage was extended and upgraded. Eventually the family home was sold, and the 3 small cottages built out, built up, and extended to become what you see today.

Conversions and reinventions of old buildings can be awkward. Not so here! Glazing across the whole of the entrance floods light into the dining space. It's a large room, with more than enough space for a large table flanked by part glazed double doors to the left that open to a very pleasant kitchen. The plethora of wooden, farmhouse style cabinets wrap around you on all sides, along with a long run of granite work tops, all centring on a classic range cooker. There's also a large utility room, with a sink plus further store cupboards in the same style. These two spaces offer far more storage than most houses will offer.

The easy, natural flow continues through more part glazed double doors to a delightful living room. There seem to be windows everywhere! This includes three sets of glazed doors opening onto an enormous balcony terrace, from which elevated position the view across the garden and paddocks is an absolute delight. The room is laid out in such a way as to allow a large suite of seating, with more room around the corner for storage, a table, perhaps a desk.

Opposite, across the hall, is the first of several bedrooms. On first glance it might seem unusual to have a bedroom next door to what is used as a dining room. But the house was deliberately designed to allow a very easy and relaxed style of living. As a result, thick timber doors open into a really large and characterful bedroom, with a deep wardrobe off to one side and plenty of room for all manner of furnishings. And the en-suite is a very spacious wet room.

At the rear of the dining hall, another large bedroom this time offers an atrium to the rear with more space for a wardrobe, and another ensuite this time equipped with a bath. At the base of the stairs, the space beneath is used as a study area, currently hosting a desk, shelves, filing cabinets - a clever use of this nook! And beyond it, yet another washing facility is provided, this time a cloakroom.

Turning to the upstairs, the first floor suite is quite extraordinary. With enough room for a sofa and another easy chair, the bedroom is large by most yardsticks! The ensuite next door is as pristine as the others, and here it's so expansive that there is both a bath and a separate shower (with the roof light over the cubicle). But in addition, there's one of the very best home cinema rooms you are likely to find. Our client being a rugby enthusiast created an AV room, with the wall at the end housing a TV and Blu-ray player plus three speakers ahead built into the wall, and two more midway down the room on left and right walls. We are told it can get quite loud in here (and that's just the audience)! Aside all that, either side of the AV wall are to vast cupboards in the roof void.

That's the main house. Now let's turn to the annex. It was always intended that this could be the perfect halfway house for adult children, a separate space for grandparents or perhaps the ideal source of letting income. The separate entrance leads into a self-contained two bedroomed house. Two double bedrooms and a well specified bathroom sit either side of a bright kitchen/day room. Kitchen units run along the rear wall, with ample space remaining for seating as well as a dining table. It is a brilliant and flexible extra dimension which few properties can offer.

Outside needs a little explanation. Hidden at the end of this small mews, double gates enter a large, block paved driveway. There is a single garage off to the right, with the vaulted space overhead offering opportunity for a lot of storage, and the block paved driveway can easily house a good number of vehicles.

To the left, the bank gently slopes away, elegantly landscaped with planter beds to either side of which are purpose-built steps, with the balcony running around the house. At the bottom is the most serene and peaceful of gardens. Several sheds and a chicken run are almost lost in an expanse of lawn that is broad, edged with simple post and rail fencing, outside which is a lovely array of mature trees and hedges on the neighbouring land.

The balcony itself forms a wonderful shelter from the summer sun, a perfect spot for relaxing in better weather. However, it's important to note that there are two as yet unused spaces hidden behind the wall underneath. We are assured by the vendor these were built with an eye to opening up in the future, but this potential has never been realised. Please ask for more details if you wish.

Head to the right and a five bar gate opens to another larger piece of land, dotted with many mature trees. The land extends for quite some distance, ending with another gate to a neighbouring paddock, across which this land has a right of access, it could potentially be a pony paddock among a variety of other uses. However, we rather love the gentle peace of its current status as woodland. The colours of the leaves, the bird and animal life, and the unfiltered natural light, combine to create an ever-changing view through the seasons that is a rare and special privilege.