Church Close, Islip, OX5

A classically Georgian detached house presented in lovely order throughout, with 4 generous double bedrooms, 24 ft kitchen, original fireplaces, pretty gardens, plus outbuildings incl a home office & TWO garages! Islip is a fab village with a great school, community shop & even its own station!

Islip dates from Saxon times, with mentions in the Domesday book at which time there was already a water mill on the river Ray, which runs through the village. It is also the birthplace of Edward the Confessor, and during the Civil War Cromwell defeated the Queens Regiment on the bridge below The Old Rectory. Today Islip is immensely popular for many reasons These include an exceptional school, Dr South's, which is over 300 years old; several popular pubs, a community shop and a village hall; a rail station with easy access to London and Oxford; barely a five mile drive into Oxford; plus many lovely local walks amidst open countryside.

Town End House sits in a an enviable position on its own peninsula plot, with a pretty and generous garden to the rear. Dating back at least several hundred years, the current owners have managed to gently preserve all that is good about a house of the era, but add in the niceties & practicalities needed for a family to enjoy it with ease. It's obvious when house renovations cut corners, this is not one of those properties. Thought has been applied to every detail, and the net result is a house that makes us smile from front door to back as it's charming. If the owners could pick it up and move it, they would...

We will bring you into the house through the garden entrance, as that's the most frequently used. A part glazed door opens into a rather charming hall, fitted with a high quality tiled floor that continues into a modern shower room on the left. Straight ahead, the hall carries on down to the front door, and it's pleasingly light as there are windows all over the house including one above the landing. To the right, the kitchen is utterly charming. At 24 ft long this is a splendid space for any family. To the front, the living space is quite extraordinary, as amply demonstrated by the fact it currently houses a dining table alongside several easy chairs - placed in front of the rather lovely brick fireplace and wood burner, all naturally lit through a large bay window.

Walk to the rear past the large central island and the classic kitchen suite includes a range of units flanking both a range cooker and a Belfast sink - the latter placed perfectly to enjoy a view of the bird life in the garden through the rear window. Providing a great deal of extra storage, the utility feeds off to the rear, with a large stainless steel sink next to a long work top underneath which is plumbing for washing machines etc. To the other side of the hall, the living room offers the same large area, with the same bay to front and further window to the rear. Alcove shelves either side of the rear chimney breast provide loads of book storage, and if you look closely you'll see the original cotswold stone of the walls is evident behind. The room widens to the front, hence there is more than ample room for a large suite here all focused on another fireplace with woodburner.

Back to the hall, the classic Georgian porch contains windows to either side and a window above the door, providing more light. Stairs rise away from you, with elegant spindles flanking perfectly painted treads. At the top, turn back and the study space is perfectly placed in front of the landing window! Straight ahead, the bathroom is a pleasant surprise. Large, beautifully fitted, the central feature is a lovely roll top bath, next to which a Victorian style sink has been fitted above a chrome frame. The style is both modern and heritage, a pleasing mix that's quite difficult to pull off but works beautifully here. Come out of the bathroom and turn left, where the first of the four bedrooms is found. Large, well proportioned and light, it also retains a lovely iron fireplace.

Next door, a similar double bedroom also includes a fireplace, but in addition there is a stylish en-suite subtly hidden behind double doors, next to which is a further identical pair of doors hiding a wardrobe. It's beautifully fitted, with a large shower pan and high quality tiling, all contrasted cleverly with a stone floor and white suite. Across the landing, two further bedrooms are both really good doubles. The room to the front is generous and contains another fireplace, whereas the room to the rear while a double is slightly more compact.

Outside, describing the house from its frontage, a pedestrian gate brings you in from the side road and leads behind a front wall to the front door. On the right, the plot width is quite generous, here a path leads down past lawn (currently hosting a trampoline) and shrubs behind stone wall to the rear terrace. This is wide and deep, perfect for summer barbecues, with planted areas on the right and various tree running down the boundary wall. Past a rockery, the lawn broadens out, with paths leading to the pedestrian gate back to the road on the right as well as the summerhouse and garage. The summerhouse is wooden with glazing, perfectly placed to enjoy the southern sunshine. Behind it, the garage is large and brick-built with a pitched roof, accessed from the Bletchingdon Road. It should be possible also to bring in parking next to it if desired, although you may wish to keep the garden space as it is lovely! There are two further sheds in the garden; the first is small and forms the back part of the utility room, the second timber built and originally intended to be an outside office but not yet finished.