Bell Street II, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire

This four-bedroom, Grade II-listed house in Henley-on-Thames is interlaced with an array of period features. Tudor rafters lie behind its red-brick Georgian façade, while thoughtful contemporary design accents characterise the internal plan that spans some 2,450 sq ft. At the rear of the house is a beautiful rural garden filled with wisteria, grasses and native wildflowers. Bell Street is well-placed for travel into the capital; Henley’s train station is less than 15 minutes away on foot, where services run to London Paddington in 40 minutes.

Setting the Scene

Once a Tudor barn built in the 17th century, the house is now marked by its handsome Georgian face. The five-window layout combines casements, sashes and a large, central bay window on the first floor. Inside, exposed brick walls and an intricate timber frame stand as reminders of the house’s early history.

Henley has always been an attractive market town; in the 18th and 19th centuries, many of its timber buildings were re-fronted in brick for the wealthy brewers and merchants moving there. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

Entry is to a long corridor that bisects the plan, with a sequence of living spaces laid out on either side. Throughout, original timber rafters adorn the walls and ceilings; in the sitting room, they create a cosy environment perfect for hunkering down with a book. An equally lovely snug lies on the opposite side of the plan. Stairs from the corridor descend to the cellar below and there is a second formal dining room to the right of the plan. There is also a utility room, a boot room and a skylight-lit capacious WC to one side.

At the rear, the kitchen and adjoining dining space extend beneath a double-height, vaulted ceiling. Crowned with more spectacular rafters, the room is an impressive yet comfortable space. The kitchen counters and appliances are centred around a blue range cooker for convivial dining, cooking and socialising.

Open-tread paddle steps lead from the sitting space at the rear of the kitchen to one of the house’s four bedrooms. This is a wonderfully private spot with a private shower room, making it brilliant for visiting guests. It also has access to a Juliet balcony level with the canopies of the trees outside.

The first floor, where two further bedrooms are found, is reached via the main staircase. The primary bedroom has access to a roof terrace overlooking a skylight above the kitchen. Illuminated by a bay window, the bedroom has magnificent proportions. Its en suite bathroom is impressively spacious, with a walk-in shower and a striking rolltop copper-lined bath.

Above, an attic floor has a room for a study or bedroom beneath the sloping eaves. Timber boards run underfoot and line the rear triangular wall. The room receives a beautiful quality of light through dormer windows; the sound effect when rain lashes on the roof is particularly atmospheric. A family bathroom on the upper floor has a walk-in shower and bathtub.

The Great Outdoors

A lovely rural garden is overflowing with rushes and elderflower bushes. Mature trees dot the perimeter, and sightlines carry through to the greenery of surrounding gardens. There is lots of potential to lay down lawn and appoint areas for seating and entertaining.

The first-floor roof terrace has a spectacular view and can be easily greened with potted plants and flowers, as the current owners have done.

Out and About

The home is surrounded by the rolling countryside of the Chiltern Hills AONB. Henley-on-Thames is a town of charming medieval streets peppered with Victorian and Edwardian architecture lining one of the most beautiful stretches of the River Thames. It has an excellent range of boutiques and art galleries, a cinema, a theatre and several great cafes and restaurants, notably Berries Coffee, Shellfish Cow and Daisy Love Henley. The town comes alive in the summer for The Henley Royal Regatta and Henley Festival of Music & Arts. Nearby Marlow provides a further range of attractive facilities.

There is an array of gastropubs nearby, including The Hand & Flowers and The Coach in Marlow (both Tom Kerridge), The Five Horseshoes in Maidensgrove and The Dew Drop Inn and Hurley Hotel in Hurley. Orwell’s pub and restaurant on Shiplake Row is a firm local favourite which uses seasonal produce.

There are primary schools in Henley’s town centre as well as a secondary option, Gillotts School. There are more secondary schools only slightly further afield; these include Wycombe Abbey, Reading School and Kendrick School.

Henley Station has frequent trains to Twyford, where direct services run to London Paddington in approximately 40 minutes. The M4 is easily reached for access to Heathrow (around 30 mins by car), London (just over an hour), and the West Country.

Council Tax Band: G