Centuries of history sit lightly on the broad shoulders of Grade II*-listed The Old Rectory at Westwell, Oxfordshire – a quintessential Cotswold-stone village, 2½ miles south-west of Burford, which, as its name suggests, once boasted the most westerly well in the county.
The imposing former rectory, built on the site of an earlier parsonage in about 1700, with 19th- and 20th-century additions, sits in an idyllic position at the top of the village, overlooking an enchanting valley and its own four acres of tree-ringed gardens and grounds.
Currently for sale through Knight Frank at a guide price of £5.85 million, The Old Rectory was built during its ownership by Christ Church, Oxford, which, in 1546, bought Westwell Manor and the living of the ancient village church of St Mary, following the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry VIII.
The college established a thriving village on the site, but failed to properly maintain its Westwell holdings and, by 1912, both the manor and the rectory had been sadly neglected. Thankfully, those days are long gone.
The manor house was sold to Sir Alfred Sothern Holland, created 1st Baronet Holland of Westwell in 1917 in recognition of his services as Trade Commissioner to South Africa and as Director-General of Inspection of Munitions in 1916. He had the dilapidated manor house restored, using a merry band of skilled local craftsmen.
The rectory was bought and renovated for Capt the Hon Bertram Freeman-Mitford, later 3rd Lord Redesdale, who, in 1958, inherited the title from his brother – the famously mercurial father of the six Mitford sisters, who lived at nearby Swinbrook – only to die, himself, four years later.
Many a memorable weekend has been enjoyed by the friends and family of the current owners of The Old Rectory, who have refurbished, remodelled and reconfigured the house, grounds and ancillary buildings with serious entertaining in mind.
Room to manoeuvre is clearly not an issue, with 5,246sq ft of living space in the main house, including four main reception rooms, a large kitchen/breakfast room, eight bedrooms and six bathrooms, plus a 1,022sq ft annexe.
It comes with a self-contained, one-bedroom cottage, a storage barn with potential for conversion to a second cottage and, the property’s pièce de résistance, a massive, 3,318sq ft entertaining barn.
It's a huge space which can be configured to seat up to 36 guests around the main table – and it also houses a library and a games room.
Of course, there’s much more to this beautifully maintained house than style, statistics and big-name designers.
The outdoor brigade can enjoy quiet moments in the delightful formal, informal or walled gardens or in the less structured woodland gardens, where the owners have retained the original Cotswold-stone walls and dreamy enclaves that give this area its unique charm.
On the other hand, weekenders with energy to burn can work it off on the tennis court, in the swimming pool or by swinging a bat or a croquet mallet on the manicured ball-playing lawn.
The grounds also include a number of discreet dining areas, including a paved sunken patio to the rear of the house and a covered dining area alongside the barn.
The Old Rectory is for sale via Knight Frank – see more details and pictures.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
Credit: Alamy
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
Credit: Ben Nicholson
An elegant Cotswold town house with a pretty cottage at the end of the garden
Long Wivets boasts a substantial cottage, extensive parking and private gardens in the heart of Burford.
-
Why British designers dream up the most desirable hotelsWhen it comes to hotel design, the Brits do it best, says Giles Kime.
-
The five minute guide to 'The Great Gatsby', a century on from its publication'The Great Gatsby' sold poorly the year it was published, but, in the following century, it went on to become a cornerstone of world literature.
-
Five beautiful homes, from a barn conversion to an island treasure, as seen in Country LifeOur pick of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in recent days include a wonderful thatched home in Devon and a charming red-brick house with gardens that run down to the water's edge.
-
The finest interiors in Edinburgh? A seven-bedroom townhouse furnished by Robert Kime comes to marketSituated on one of the New Town's grandest terraces, this four-storey property is a collector's dream.
-
A Grade II*-listed country manor with one of the most beautiful drawing rooms in EnglandIf Old Manor Farm in Somerset is good enough for Pevsner, it's good enough for you.
-
An eight-bedroom home in Surrey where an army of robots will look after your lawnsDo not fear the bladed guardians of Monksfield House. They are here to help.
-
A French castle for sale on the banks of the Dordogne? With a swimming pool? Where do we sign?This chateau in Lalinde is nothing short of a historical delight in the south of France. And it comes fully furnished.
-
Sip your morning tea where Churchill once paced, as his former Pimlico home comes up for saleThe five-bedroom flat in Eccleston Square offers ‘historical gravitas and modern comfort’ in a leafy pocket of London.
-
Live a life of Tudor fancy in this five-bedroom London home with links to Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIIIFans of Wolf Hall rejoice, as a rare chance to own a Tudor home inside the M25 comes to market.
-
Murder, intrigue and 'the magic of a bygone era' at this eight-bedroom home set in 25 acres of Devon countrysideUpcott Barton is a family home steeped in history and comes with more than 5,000sq ft of living space.
