"A large stone cottage with four bedrooms and two receptions, set in a village just a few minutes' drive from M40, A34 and Bicester North. Excellent value. Available ASAP, Unfurnished. EPC Rating G.

This is a cozy, calm and relaxing house absolutely ideal for a family requiring space and charm combined with value for money. Middleton Stoney is a small village set between Bicester to the East and Lower Heyford to the West, on the edge of the Middleton Park estate, former home of the Earl of Jersey. It has history dating back to at least the 13th century, a fact confirmed by the age of the Jersey Arms hotel/ restaurant. The access to both towns and arterial routes is excellent, with Bicester a short drive away (from where London Marylebone is as little as a 42 minute journey by rail) and Oxford a straight run to the South. Surrounding the village is wonderful open countryside and farmland with some delightful established walks including at least one tree lined avenue that was once a Roman road. Bicester town centre has been the subject of much regeneration, with a flagship Sainsburys opened recently and a multiplex cinema. Number one dates back several hundred years, evidence of which is everywhere throughout the house. For those who love stone and timber, this is as good as it gets with exposed beams, timber units, ledge and brace doors, the lot! The house has been continually cared for by our landlord for many years and it shows, with the fixtures striking a nice balance between modern useability and the relaxed lifestyle and feeling one associates with a cottage. The front door opens into a lovely hallway that sets the tone for the whole house. Stone and timber is everywhere, with gorgeous flagstone floor. On the right the first of the receptions is a classic cottage room, with a herringbone parquet floor that is unusual in having a natural burgundy hue, and overhead are ship timbers. The bay window to the side brings in a good amount of natural light, too. Down the hall, the kitchen continues the theme, with natural materials everywhere ranging from the cork floor to the timber units throughout. This is an ample space for a breakfast table if desired, and the cooker placed in the fireplace aperture is a particularly pleasing feature. To the side, the sink is placed atop a large unit containing a number of cupboards and drawers, and a wide window looks out behind it. To the rear, the corridor provides access to the glasshouse/ sun room

(not a heated space, so more likely Summer use/ plant store) at the rear, past a cloak room that is charming in itself with a timber-topped cistern and stone walling. At the back of the main hall is the larger reception room. This is a wonderful space, surprisingly large and oozing character with a wide flag floor and even a stone sill to the middle of the three windows. It's a good size, with a brick fireplace that also contains a wood burner. An unusual feature is the stone arch on entering, next door to which is an ancient window. Upstairs, the landing leads to four bedrooms. Unusually, all are genuine doubles. The two larger both have wardrobe/ cupboard spaces, with the master featuring an unusual walk-in space in the eaves of the roof as well as evidence of the original a-frame roof truss in the rear wall. Bedroom three exhibits one feature almost unique today - a wide-plank floor. These features were traditional in the 18th century and before, as the trees felled for such uses were older and larger than what we generally use today. They rarely survive, this one has! Even the smallest room is a well proportioned space. Serving the four is a surprisingly large and pleasant bathroom. A delightfully traditional suite includes both a bath and a separate shower cubicle. However, a real treat is the trick the fireplace offers. Pull the left hand side and you'll find it is hinged! Behind it is the hot water tank, in an eaves space that is the perfect linen cupboard. Outside, to the front is an open, covered porch perfect for rainy entrance to the house. At the rear, the garden is mainly lawned with various shrubs and a few trees to the borders. Behind it, beyond the fence, is a covered car parking space accessed from Heyford Road - an unusual asset for a village cottage. Note, the bus service to Bicester is frequent with a bus stop within a few seconds' walk. Directions A34 & M40 3 miles
Rail to London 4 miles
Oxford 8 miles
Bicester 4 miles
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