Collins End, Goring Heath, Reading

An exceptionally pretty 17th-century Grade II Listed cottage, set in almost half an acre of cottage gardens, in an idyllic rural location, private but not isolated, surrounded by the Hardwick Estate yet within easy reach of Reading with its facilities and train station. Open-plan country kitchen with dining room, separate utility room, large sitting room with French doors to terrace, ground-floor shower room. 3 bedrooms and a 1st-floor bathroom. Parking for 2+cars.

Accommodation - Set in the secluded hamlet of Collins End, within the Hardwick Estate, and with views across organic farmland, this beautiful period cottage is set back from a country lane and well-hidden from view, accessed by its own private lane, part pebbles, part grass. It is for sale for the first time in more than 30 years after having been bought by the current owners from the Hardwick Estate in 1992.

The house comprises a timber-framed, thatched 17th century portion, with later tiled roof extensions. The property was completely renovated in the 1990s including a two storey extension and was nominated for a South Oxfordshire conservation award. The extension is under a clay tiled roof with white weatherboarded and rendered walls. These renovations ensure that the cottage benefits from good sized reception rooms and good ceiling heights, both of which can be unusual for a cottage of this type and age.

The property sits centrally in a generous cottage garden, with stone paths leading to both the kitchen door and front door.

The wooden front door leads into the reception hall with reclaimed York flagstone floor, a downstairs bathroom featuring a shower, w.c. and a wash hand basin in a handbuilt cabinet, and adjoining shelving.

The sitting room is a bright and spacious triple aspect room with reclaimed York flagstone floor, exposed beams, fitted shelves, and an efficient Jetmaster open fire set into a stone hearth. French partially glazed double doors lead out to the shingle terrace and lawned garden, with uncluttered views across farmland.

Back through the reception hall into the open-plan dining/kitchen space, with exposed timbers and quarry tiled floors throughout. The dining room has a vaulted ceiling with an original wattle and daub panel. The kitchen has a range of rustic fitted units by John Lewis of Hungerford and a double bowl ceramic sink under a window overlooking the front garden. There is a fitted Hisense pyrolytic oven, an AEG ceramic hob, space for a freestanding fridge/freezer, and space for a dishwasher. The room features the original inglenook fireplace, complete with bread oven, hosting a multi-fuel stove that runs a small central heating system and provides hot water. (Hot water is also available via immersion heater.)

A separate utility room, also quarry-tiled, has fitted wall and base units with space for a washing machine and has 2 under-counter integrated freezers, with a small window to the side which looks onto the vegetable garden.

The kitchen has a door out to a useful glazed porch, which leads out to the garden and the front of the house.

From the dining area, wooden stairs lead up to the first-floor accommodation.

The principal bedroom is above the kitchen, in the oldest part of the house, and is a comfortable double with exposed beams, vaulted ceilings, exposed original floor boards and windows on two aspects, overlooking the front flowerbed and the vegetable garden.

Next to the principal bedroom, still in the older part of the house, is Bedroom 3, a charming single bedroom with exposed beams, exposed floor boards and a small window under the thatch, looking onto the vegetable garden.

The most recent extension provides a family bathroom and another double bedroom.

Bedroom 2 is a double with vaulted ceilings, stained pine flooring, wall-to-wall hand-built fitted cupboards and hanging rail, and is dual aspect with lovely distant views.

The family bathroom has stained pine flooring and features a panel-enclosed bath with a shower wand, a w.c., a wash hand basin and a window to the side.

In the hallway, as well as a useful hand-built storage cupboard with hanging rail, there is an airing cupboard housing the hot water tank, fitted with an immersion heater for when the multi fuel stove is not in use. A loft hatch gives access to water tanks and also provides limited headroom storage space, as well as housing a TV aerial.

Outside

A grassy lane provides car parking. There is potential to create a drive and build a garage within the plot.

This peaceful and picturesque setting creates the perfect backdrop to this lovely cottage. Set centrally in the plot, the house is surrounded by approximately 0.4 acres of mature cottage garden, with lawn, vegetable and fruit beds, well-stocked flowerbeds, several fruit trees and mature trees including a large topiaried yew tree.

The terrace from the sitting room faces south and there are other seating areas throughout the garden which capitalise on the views and the sun at different times of day.

A wooden greenhouse from Woodpecker Joinery (December 2022) acts as both potting shed and summerhouse, with space for seating and for gardening.

There is also a large garden shed.

Agent's Note:
Despite being in the heart of a plethora of public footpaths and bridleways, no footpaths cross the property or impinge on the property’s privacy.
The thatched roof was renewed in 2017.

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Services
Mains electricity and water
Private drainage
Multi fuel boiler for hot water and 4 central heating radiators.
Electric heating: night storage heaters, panel heaters and immersion heater
Superfast broadband
South Oxfordshire District Council
Council Tax Band: currently band D

Location - Location
Living in Collins End
Collins End is a peaceful Hamlet in South Oxfordshire, in the parish of Goring Heath, and located roughly 6 miles NW of Reading. It is characterised by a series of charming homes in a rural setting as part of the Hardwick Estate.

An outstanding feature of this property is its location in the Hardwick Estate. There are very few freeholds within the Hardwick Estate boundaries and these come on the market infrequently. The Hardwick Estate has been organically managed since 1975. It is owned by the Rose family who have a strong forward thinking ethos, and there is a thriving community on the estate. The Roses are in the process of creating a charity to run the estate, to preserve the land and the community for future generations.

There is ample walking directly from the property, through the rural surroundings, and with bridlepaths for mountain biking and equestrian pursuits. The River Thames in Pangbourne is only a few miles away. The Highwayman Inn in nearby Exlade Street is a fantastic pub restaurant with a garden, only 2.5 miles away. The Sun at Whitchurch Hill is 1.5 miles away and the Greyhound in Whitchurch-on-Thames is 1.8 miles away.

Reading rail station is only 6 miles away, with excellent fast connections to London, including the Elizabeth line with its direct links to the West End, City and Canary Wharf.

Nearby Goring Heath benefits from a village hall and the historic 18th century Allnut Almshouses. The village of Woodcote offers a good selection of day-to-day amenities including a supermarket, independent shops, a health centre, two Pubs and a garden centre. The town of Pangbourne provides more comprehensive facilities including a High Street, two ATM machines, Post Office, a variety of restaurants and historic public houses.

Slightly further afield, Reading, Henley and Wallingford all offer the range of facilities that one would expect.

The nearby M4 provides efficient access to the motorway network, London and its airports as well as access to the A34 for Oxford or the South.

Reading Station - 6.0 miles
Goring and Streatley railway station - 4.3 miles
Pangbourne station - 3.6 miles
Shopping in Pangbourne - 3.2 miles
Goring - 4.6 miles
Woodcote - 2.3 miles
Henley-on-Thames - 8.9 miles
Wallingford - 9.0 miles
London Heathrow Airport - 33 miles
M4 motorway - approx 10 miles (junctions 10, 11, 12)

The area offers a good range of state primary and secondary schooling together with a good selection of independent schools including The Oratory, Pangbourne College, Moulsford Prep, Cranford House, St. Andrew’s and Abingdon Boys.

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