Middle Street, Islip, OX5

An important & historic G2 listed village house dating back some 400 years, offering ample & interesting accommodation that includes a wonderful vaulted kitchen extension, beautiful timbers & open fires as well as the rare advantage of a double garage & off road parking. NO CHAIN

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.

Greystones is a proud, attractive and large historic house set in the very centre of one of the most popular villages in this area. In every corner and nook there is evidence of its great age, varying from hugely thick stone walls to beams so old they're iron hard. Children especially will love the eccentricities and character, while their parents will relish the fact that the living spaces, garden and parking arrangements are all exceptionally practical for modern tastes. The house is also presented well, with recent work that includes a fabulous timber-framed kitchen extension plus a new roof, and a new heating system in the last year. And yet there is still scope to mould the decor around your own taste. We don't find many properties that do character and practicality this well. When we do they sell quickly.

The usual entry into the house is from the rear into the kitchen, as this is also where the parking is located, so we will start there. Opening the thick timber and glass doors, the first instinct is to look upwards! The extension has made use of extensive floor space but further increased the feeling of space it provides by adding a vaulted ceiling. The a-frame timber trusses are also left exposed, a lovely feature that adds to the character. It's an extremely well fitted room, a central peninsula providing masses of prep space as well as a breakfast bar top. Parallel to it, a further suite of units includes a range cooker, and at the rear of the kitchen the utility is open plan to it, with more storage plus plumbing for a washing machine and drier. It's a clever design as the kitchen appears very uncluttered, and it provides a wonderful area for all aspects of family living in a room that also integrates perfectly with the garden.

Moving through the kitchen into the hall, stairs rise ahead of you and to the left the cloak room is modern and of good quality. Past the fitted bookshelves a further door enters the first of two ample and history-filled living rooms. The pair are separated only by the large chimney as the dividing walls to either side have been removed. This clever touch integrates both rooms as well as encouraging great natural light, a benefit often not present in this style of property. Lovely ceiling beams run through a dining room is well proportioned and includes a gas fire in the fireplace, into the living room that is a similar size and just as characterful, with a deep open fireplace. Here there is also a door into the road outside.

Upstairs, the main bathroom is the first port of call, fully tiled for the practicalities of family life and well specified with a very modern suite that includes a shower bath, over which is a thermostatic shower. Outside, a double fronted cupboard provides great storage, and beyond it a vast landing complete with masses of further store cupboards currently doubles as a very handy area for home working with a desk and a number of shelves. There is also a window seat to the right that runs the whole length of the wall, a great place to stretch out and watch the world go by. Beyond, the master suite opens up to a generous space that is bright and characterful with more beams overhead. The wardrobe to the left provides yet more storage, and beyond it is an en-suite stylishly fitted to include a very generous walk-in shower.

Also reached from the landing is another bedroom, well placed for great privacy, Step up and over the wall beam, a fun feature typical of this era of house, into a room that is double aspect and ample as a smaller double room or generous single. The stairs rise again to an extraordinary space. Glorious original wall and ceiling timbers abound, really reinforcing how special a property this is as it is so rare they survive. A large bathroom is modern and well fitted, and within it a glass panel gives you a view into the original lathe and plasterwork of the wattle and daub wall, preserved complete with its horsehair and hand cut strips of timber. To one end step over another original timber truss and into an eaves bedroom that is surprisingly large and light. At the other end, the last of the four bedrooms is even more interesting, a generous double bedroom with a vaulted ceiling rising high overhead.

Outside, to the front the house enjoys a pleasant view towards the churchyard and other similarly characterful houses. Slender beds around the walls hold various plants and this includes a well established wisteria creeper. The parking area is reached from Middle Street, with space for several cars on a cobbled hard standing behind which is a double garage. Decking to the right connects the kitchen double doors to the garden, providing a quiet area perfect for dining in good weather. Beyond, the garden is a good size. Mainly lawn, there is also a good array of shrubs and trees around the edge, which is walled and feels extremely private. It's a delightful garden, perfect for families wanting a quiet, safe and relaxing space.