Wyfold Lane, Wyfold, Reading

A rare opportunity to acquire a much loved family home, which has not been on the market for over 40 years. A grand mid-Victorian 6-bedroom country house with generous proportions, original decorative features, and offering a large footprint with multiple reception rooms. Set in about 10 acres of private garden and paddocks, with views across open countryside. In need of extensive modernisation, thus enabling a buyer to put their own stamp on this impressive property.

Accommodation - Located on a quiet country lane in the rural hamlet of Wyfold, just 15 minutes from Henley-on-Thames. Through a private gate and along a winding gravel driveway through mature trees and shrubs, driving up to the attractive front entrance to the house. Decorative brickwork adorns the original elevations of the house, with ornate brick chimney stacks, mullion windows, and a mature wisteria plant climbing along the facade.

A step leads up into the enclosed glazed entrance porch and wooden front door, which opens into the spacious reception hall with high ceilings, original cornicing and ceiling roses. A door opens to a large storage room which also leads in to the triple garage. 

The reception rooms are all of a good proportion, with high ceilings and attractive original features, overlooking the beautiful views to the south. A door opens from the reception hall to the generous dining room which features windows on dual aspects and an ‘Adam style’ fireplace with marble slips and hearth.

An archway leads to the inner hall with a sweeping staircase to the first floor

Along the inner hall to the spacious formal drawing room, with an ornate ‘Adam style’ fireplace with marble slips and hearth, and a wide pair of ‘French’ doors. A wooden six-panel door leads through to the family room, a bright reception space with a fireplace, a dual aspect and a door leading to the conservatory, which has a tiled floor and double doors to outside.

The large country kitchen - with westerly windows overlooking the walled garden, and a glazed door to the garden. Through the kitchen into the large utility room, with ample space for laundry facilities, and extra storage. Additional rooms include a boot room, a walk-in larder, and a plant room are all located from the utility room, along with a useful 'back door' which opens onto the rear parking. 

Along the inner hall there are a number of storage rooms, the secondary staircase. The cloakroom has a w.c. and wash hand basin. 

The main staircase features the original bannister and rises beneath a large high-level window. 

The principal bedroom suite features large dual aspect windows with views across the easterly and southern views over open countryside, a fireplace, and a door to a private dressing room and further door to the en suite bathroom.

Bedroom 2 is a double with fitted wardrobes, a dressing area and an en suite bathroom with bath and w.c., and windows to the west. 

Bedroom 3 is a large double, with a double-height ceiling, dual aspect windows, a wash hand basin and a fireplace. 

Bedroom 4 is a double with a wash-hand-basin vanity, a westerly-aspect window and a fireplace. 

Bedroom 5 with a double-height ceiling, a wash-hand-basin vanity, a south-aspect window and a fireplace.

Bedroom 6 is a smaller double with fitted wardrobes, a wash hand basin vanity, and a window to the south. 

Off the landing is a small shower room with a w.c. and a shower unit. In addition the large family bathroom has a bath, a w.c. and a wash hand basin. A large linen airing cupboard has wooden shelving. 

Outside
Stable Cottage - Detached annexe
Stable Cottage can be accessed via a separate entrance from Wyfold Lane, and is approx 100 m from the main house. It is a detached brick-and-flint bungalow, set in spacious grounds. With 2 double bedrooms, a bathroom, a galley kitchen and a reception room with windows on 2 aspects. It also has a useful boot-room / utility area as you walk in the back door. 

The grounds
The house sits centrally in approx 10 acres of gardens and paddock, with beautiful sweeping views to the south. The property can be accessed via private gated driveways both to the front and to the rear.

The gardens for the house comprise mature trees, woodland and shrubs, lawns, a walled garden, a mature orchard, a picturesque pond and a far border that blends effortlessly into the open countryside beyond. A disused tennis court could be reinstated. Across Wyfold Lane sits the two sections of enclosed fenced paddocks totalling about 5 acres. 

The driveway provides parking for several cars, and through an arched hedge, to more parking behind the rear of the property and access to 2 single garages and outbuildings. 

A more modern triple garage is attached to the rear of the property, with further car parking where the house can be accessed via a door into the utility room. 

Outbuildings
A disused stable block housing 3 stables and a tack room could be modernised, or converted into a home office. And a wooden shed sits beside it.

Location - Living in Wyfold
Set on a sunny position on the edge of the Chiltern Hills, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There are many activities including walks, riding and cycling in the area’s famous beech woods, which are said to have inspired writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, and are particularly pretty in the spring.

There is an established lawn tennis club in nearby Peppard, as well as a pay and play golf club and an active cricket club on Peppard Common. Food and drink can be found at The Unicorn, just up the road and the popular Greyhound pub also within walking distance.

Schools
Convenient for access to good schools:
Primary schools include - Peppard, Stoke Row and Kidmore End Primary.
Secondary schools include - Chiltern Edge; Langtree school. and Gillotts
Private schools: Reading School; Reading Blue Coat; Shiplake College; Bradfield College; Pangbourne College; Moulsford Prep; The Oratory Woodcote. For the girls: Queen Anne’s; Cranford House; St Joseph’s College, Kendrick and The Abbey School. Buses to the Abingdon schools also stop on Peppard Common.

London is approx. 27 mins by rail from Reading mainline station to London Paddington (Elizabeth Line) with fast trains currently every 8 minutes. Heathrow International Airport is approx. 40 mins by road via the M4 motorway. A regular bus service to Reading station departs from The Unicorn pub.

Henley – 7 miles;
Reading – 7 miles;
Oxford – 24 miles;
Stokenchurch M40 Junction 5 – 13 miles;
London Heathrow – 27 miles;
London West End – 46 miles

Tenure – Freehold;
Local Authority - South Oxfordshire District Council;
Council Tax Band – H .
Services - Mains electricity, Oil fired central heating, mains water. Private drainage