In the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, Damian Gray of Knight Frank quotes a guide price of £3m for historic, Grade II-listed The Old Rectory in the vibrant market town of Charlbury. This property is nestled in the scenic Evenlode valley, hidden away down winding B-roads and yet with its own railway station that provides regular fast services to London Paddington. Now ‘a global destination for international buyers,’ according to Mr Gray, it may well be that Charlbury’s location, five miles from Estelle Manor, eight miles from Daylesford, 8½ miles from Soho Farmhouse and 17 miles from Oxford’s many excellent schools, will continue to make the town a magnet for some of Oxfordshire’s wealthiest and most demanding purchasers.
Last sold in 1991, The Old Rectory was originally the vicarage house to Charlbury’s Grade I-listed parish church of St Mary, and, according to the Victoria County History of Oxfordshire, ‘was a sizeable house, even in 1635’. It was remodelled in the 18th century, perhaps by William Seward (vicar from 1771–90), ‘who found it necessary to rebuild the vicarage-house before he could live in the parish’.
In 1853, however, the house was declared inadequate, due to ‘the imperfect, fanciful, and inconvenient repairs of the former incumbent, Thomas Silver’, whose additions included a ‘Saxon’ tower, which still survives. It was decided to replace the old vicarage with the present large Gothic Revival house designed by the Oxford-born architect Samuel Seckham. In the end, the new house was built alongside the old and given the name The Old Rectory, which was later sold, and a new vicarage house built in the garden.
Today’s former rectory combines the enduring charm of a historic house with the modern amenities required for family living in the country. It offers more than 4,700 sq ft of well-presented accommodation on three floors.
On the ground floor you'll find a reception hall, three fine main reception rooms, a study, and a large kitchen/breakfast room with a vast wine cellar below.
Above, on the first floor, are five bedrooms — one in each corner of the house, plus a huge principal bedroom with the bay window — and three bathrooms.
The house stands in almost two acres of beautifully landscaped gardens and grounds, with many established specimen trees, shrubs, impressive topiary, raised beds and glorious views over the Evenlode valley.
And did we mention the pool? There's a pool.
The owners have also created superb equestrian facilities, which include a stable yard with four loose boxes, a paddock and a full-size all-weather manège.
They also have an annual grazing licence from the neighbouring Cornbury estate on a further five acres, which may also be available to the new owner.
The Old Rectory in Charlbury is for sale at £3 million — see more pictures and details.
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