James Fisher takes a look at a cottage in Long Compton that ticks every box.
Within the oft-forgotten appendage of the Cotswolds AONB is the magnificent School Cottage in the Warwickshire village of Long Compton. It’s for sale via Knight Frank at £1.65 million.
Situated on a private no-through road, the Cotswold-stone property offers a wealth of character, including original flagstone flooring, fireplaces and exposed timbers, as well as a modern kitchen and some five reception rooms.
There are five double bedrooms on the first floor, plus a family bathroom and a separate shower room; there’s also a separate en-suite bedroom downstairs, though in these times of home working that could just as well be used as a home office space.
The outside space is a real draw. There’s a substantial garden, mostly laid to lawn with a range of beds, mature shrubs and trees, is ideal for entertaining and enjoying the summer nights and surrounding countryside. Admittedly, those feel a long way away right now, but… well, the nights are now getting shorter, and before you know it there will be blossom on the trees.
Long Compton itself is a lovely, classic Cotswold village: there’s a pub a shop, a primary school and a church; the larger town of Chipping Norton is four miles away, and Shipston-on-Stour is six miles. And you don’t need to worry about the quality of the other amenities that are nearby (hint, it rhymes with ‘baylesford’) [For the uninitiated, James is talking about Daylesford Farm Shop — Ed].
[School Cottage is for sale via Knight Frank at £1.65 million — see more details and pictures.]
Of course, if you have £1.65 million to spend you have some lovely other options, even in this sought-after neck of the Cotswolds. So what else did we see nearby?
If you’re happy to compromise on a central village location, but want more space and seclusion, then Strutt & Parker are selling Cherington Mill at £1.695 million, complete with stables and almost eight acres.
And if you don’t have £1.65 million? This classic chocolate box cottage elsewhere in the village is far smaller, just as cute, and £475,000. It’s also for sale via Knight Frank.
Best country houses for sale this week
A house that's straight out of Cider With Rosie, and a picture-perfect cottage that's commutable to London make it into
Seven golden rules for selling a country house
With coronavirus now seemingly past its peak in Britain, we're tentatively beginning to look ahead to how life will get
