Kytes Place, Kirtlington, Kidlington, OX5

Adorable early 18th century Grade 2 listed period cottage, presented in fantastic order throughout and packed with character, set in the centre of this lovely village overlooking the green and village pond. 2 ample double bedrooms, 2 receptions, stone office, and NO CHAIN

Kirtlington needs little introduction locally. It is, simply, one of the most popular villages in North Oxfordshire. There are many reasons. The great local primary school also feeds through to an excellent C of E secondary in Woodstock (with private schools also within easy driving distance). Two high quality pub/restaurants provide great food and drink. Close road and rail links (40 mins to Marylebone from Bicester North - 6 miles away) provide immensely easy commuting. The old stone quarry by the canal plus the Capability Brown gardens of Kirtlington Park offer lovely walks etc. But for many, it's the community with its all-inclusive ethos, sense of vibrancy and spirit that makes it the sort of place people rarely want to leave.

Kyte's Place is a small row of thoroughly lovely stone cottages dating, we think, back to the early 18th century - but they could be rather older. Number 3 is a particularly fine and very roomy example, and it has been beautifully and sympathetically upgraded in recent years. Hence today it offers the ideal blend of everything a lover of character houses could wish for, with the period features such as a large fireplace, exposed stone walls, and thick original beams combining perfectly with stylish fittings for easy modern living.

The approach through a sturdy brace front door with its wrought iron fittings really sets the tone of this cottage. Overhead the original rafters are exposed, with the tack marks from the original lathe and plaster ceiling still evident, criss-crossing the ceiling. In the substantial Inglenook fireplace a modern wood burning stove is fitted, perfect for cold winter nights, and pleasingly the old bread oven is still present to the right hand side. Unlike many cottages, this room is both light and generously proportioned, with windows at both ends to bring in good light. Head left and the dining room offers more of the same. The window seat to the front is a rather charming spot from which to watch the world go by. Overhead more rafters frame the ceiling, and a chimney breast contains a smaller (currently unused) fireplace, either side of which are deep alcoves one of which currently houses useful shelving.

Head to the rear and you pass a pretty staircase with simple, elegant timber handrails framing the treads, and the door to the side hides a deep and useful under stairs cupboard. At the rear you'll notice the stone step worn down over hundreds of years, beyond which what was once the Dairy is now a kitchen cleverly fitted with a designer suite from Smallbone of Devizes. Real oak units are painted in soft pastel shades, with contrasting granite work tops. It's a clever and thoughtful design, and a joy to use. And the stable door at the rear is the perfect finish to the overall feeling of warmth and character.

Up the stairs, the landing is a surprisingly large space that currently houses a chest and a chair, and both a roof light plus window to the rear generously highlight the exposed stone and timber, The first of two bedrooms is charming. The dividing wall with its lathe and plaster plus original timbers give it a lovely warmth and texture, and to the front the wide window under gently sloping eves provides a lovely view across the green and pond. It's a practical room, too, with generous living space as well as a wide, fitted wardrobe. Next door is similar, another ample double room, this time with a cupboard nestling in the alcove next to the chimney breast. And serving the pair is a bathroom that has been elegantly designed with modern tiling and a suite that integrates well with the character, including a bath with a shower screen to the side and a soaker head inset into the ceiling.

Outside, the house sits well back from the roadway, behind a pair of pretty box hedges and iron railing fences that enclose the garden either side of the path to the front door. At the rear of the house, brick paving provides both a seating space and a path that leads down to the outside office, with a gravelled area to the side of the kitchen that is a secluded and sunny (facing South). The outbuilding behind is stone, whitewashed internally with exposed timbers and a window to the left side. This is an ideal outside office, quiet and roomy with power already in place. And NB Gigaclear fibre optic broadband is connected outside the front of the property, so it would be easy to bring a connection to the outbuilding for anyone working from home.