4 bed detached house for sale

Cross Way, Middle Barton, Chipping Norton OX7

Highly energy efficient (b-rated EPC) detached house offering over 1,800 sq feet of light, welcoming accommodation centring on a wonderful 29 ft kitchen/day space with full-width bifold doors. 4 double beds, 2 baths, 3 receptions, solar panels, outside office, at the end of a quiet village culdesac.

Middle Barton is one of three linked villages approximately 7 miles from Woodstock, dating back to pre-Norman times. Between them they offer a delightful and vibrant community nestling in rolling countryside, with facilities including an award-winning restaurant, a garage and a village shop/post office. The highly regarded primary school is within easy walking distance, plus other state and private schools aplenty are within easy reach.

While rural and very much tucked away, the village is perfectly placed mid-way between Oxford and Banbury, offering immediate access to the Cotswold countryside and amenities including the marvellous Soho Farmhouse private member's club. Commutability is swift and straightforward with road and rail links nearby to Oxford (25 mins by road), London and Birmingham. And for those wishing to work from home there is both fibre to cabinet broadband and Gigaclear ultrafast broadband available.

Your first impression of this house is much time and care has gone into creating what you see today. The immaculate, block paved driveway offers plenty of off-road parking for several vehicles, flanked by a pretty, lawned area to the left with a few shrubs and other plants. Look up, and on the main roof is a comprehensive array of solar panels which contribute heavily to the exceptionally low running costs.

As you enter the front porch, stylish modern tiling runs underfoot right through to the very back of the kitchen, And it's at this moment you see your first glimpse of the pretty garden beyond. This porch is cleverly designed, with ample room to the right for boots and coats, with an inset mat under foot. The hallway is broad, and hence it easily houses a key table, a seat for while you're taking your boots off, etc.

First on the left is a very smart cloakroom, re-fitted in recent years with a dash of panache - witness the rather funky stone sink behind the door! And that does rather set the tone of this house. It provides unconventional solutions to the requirements of a modern family, the outcome being rather better than the conventional and adding a bit of fun and a lot of positivity in the process. It's very refreshing.

Heading past the stairs to the right, the living room sits opposite. The room is perfectly proportioned for a really generous suite, and the window to the front is so broad it floods in great light. It's also notable how you are not overlooked by anything opposite, hence the outlook is really appealing and natural light excellent. A pair of timber-frame glazed doors to the rear open into the dining area, allowing the whole area to be open or enclosed, as you wish. Ample for the most joyous and busy of meals, it's a great space that can accommodate a big table as well as a chest, dresser etc. Behind it the original rear wall has now gone, hence it is open-plan to the kitchen.

And what a kitchen this is! From the living room through those doors to the dining room, there's a view of the garden that's uninterrupted, framed by glazed doors that cover the whole width and fold back so the garden is fully integrated. And as if the light from these wasn't enough, there are three roof light windows above which flood the space with light even on the very dullest of days.

The left-hand end of this nearly 30 ft room is set up as a relaxed seating area, ideal for chef and guests to interact. On the right a vast island has been created with an unusual and interesting patterned stone that offsets the kitchen unit colouring perfectly. The island contains a sink, a hob, dishwasher, even a wine fridge, alongside masses of store cupboards and drawers, such is its scale. And the right-hand wall is fitted with a run of further units in which two ovens, a microwave and a fridge/freezer are all neatly fitted.

You might have thought this enough storage but, no.... The broad area between hallway and kitchen is so large it has another full wall of cupboards, and just opposite there's a utility room! Next to this the original garage has been converted to provide the most private of rooms that, being away from the main accommodation but next to the utility, could become an annex room. Currently it is the home gym, but the possibilities are endless.

Upstairs, the house continues its departure from the norm in just as pleasing a fashion. From the half landing take a right. The first of four really ample bedrooms is a pleasant surprise. The layout is such that the first half of the room lends itself perfectly to housing a wardrobe, desk, easy chair, chest of drawers, as you wish. Then the further end, being part of the extension, is really characterful with a pair of long roof light windows amply lighting an area that is perfect for a large double bed.

Back across that half landing finds three further bedrooms, in addition to which the rather splendid family bathroom with its raised bath and separate walk-in shower is more Marrakech than Middle Barton!

Heading left, the first of these bedrooms offers a similarly unusual but useful layout. The almost square main space, complete with built-in wardrobe in the corner, is ample for a desk, chest, easy chair etc. Two steps take you down into a double bedroom with another roof light window above the bed.

Next door, this is the only bedroom you might describe as conventional! Almost perfectly square, it's a great double room (or aspiring dj's studio...), complete with more built-in wardrobes and shelves.

And next door, the last of the four bedrooms is the most impressive. This time, the bedroom area is the first part, with ample space for a double bed opposite a deep, fitted wardrobe. To the rear, more large roof light windows sit above a rather sumptuous dressing area. With spaces for shelves, a chest, dressing table etc, it is so much more than just a place to change your clothes. And open on the right is a very smart, fully tiled shower room, complete with another walk-in shower.

Turning to the exterior, behind the house, the garden has been designed very deliberately for entertaining and relaxing in equal measure. A very smart terrace runs the full width behind the kitchen, and this ensures the garden always feels part of the house. The terrace deepens on the right, demonstrating this is usually where dining takes place on sunny days. Opposite, a hardstanding is the perfect spot for a hot tub (this one is not included!)

Thereafter, the main space is lawn, flanked by various borders that are neat and organised, including a mix of topiary hedging and roses. At the end of the garden, a raised deck plays host to the outside office. Insulated, with mains power plus a new roof, and glazed doors looking back over the garden, it allows working from home or hobbies to take place completely separate from the rest of the accommodation. That said, we might just be tempted to keep it as a spot for a quiet drink undercover to escape from summer rain...