Honington, Shipston-on-stour, CV36

Combining high energy efficiency with traditional design, a charming & unique timber house with exposed cruck timbers, vaulted ceilings plus bright & airy living spaces, set in c.4 acres of land with views. Two storey garages with annex room above, various other outbuildings, just outside Shipston.

The location is idyllic and practical, sitting among rolling countryside just a mile or so from Honington and two miles from Shipston-on-Stour. A historic market town just 20 minutes drive from Stratford-upon-Avon, Shipston offers an excellent range of pubs, restaurants, independent grocers, retailers and a medical centre. Cotswold Distillery (10 mins by car), Daylesford Organic (20 mins) and Soho Farmhouse (30 mins) are also within easy reach. Primary, Secondary and further education is amply catered for across the private and state school sector including grammar schools. Access to other places for work or leisure is straightforward, with the M40 J12 road accessing Birmingham, Oxford and London; plus rail to London from Banbury, Warwick and Moreton-in-Marsh. Offering a mix of rural and cosmopolitan, Willow Farm has few rivals.

The property is immortalised on Google Street View as a functional but unappealing post-war house sitting in a sublime plot of land. What our clients have replaced it with meets the demands of modern living with an appreciation of rural setting. It is rare to see such a beautiful and sensitively designed house, far less one that also exhibits cruck frame construction. The generous dimensions are flattered by the natural light through many large windows and the vaulted ceilings in many rooms, giving it a feeling of airiness and peace. From every window there's a different view of something appealing. And mixed in with beautiful design, practicality is applied with equal verve. The flow is excellent, the proportions just so ; clever outbuildings provide for every possible use - and its energy efficiency is extraordinary, even running to solar water heating and a vast solid fuel boiler accompanying the conventional system. The first word that came to my mind was serene , very quickly followed by two more: How clever ...

A proud-standing, open, timber porch laid on pad stones, welcomes you to the front door. Once inside, the soft hue of the terracotta floor permeates throughout the downstairs, giving an immediate sense of warmth that complements the timber all around. The house stretches out past a timber staircase that almost appears to float, to the rear of the building almost entirely glazed across both storeys and offering a captivating view through the house and gardens to the expansive countryside beyond.

Head left, and the main living room is a joy. Even allowing for all the glazing to walls and ceiling, the light in here is fantastic. But it isn t the light that first catches your attention; it s the traditional cruck timbers running up from floor to ceiling. It is wonderful to see the entire timber structure of the house exposed replicating the construction techniques of medieval times and also perhaps a stylistic nod to traditional architecture of nearby Stratford. This reception room is large and well proportioned, with various intelligently designed storage units for books, CDs, audio equipment etc. It s also worth noting there are speaker wires, discreetly running to all four corners for surround sound.

On the opposite side of the hall is the study. Though currently serving as a study, this room could easily become another bedroom, if so desired. The end wall has been fitted out floor to ceiling with a range of attractive and interesting shelving, in the same style as that found in the living room. Back to the hall and you ll see there are chairs and a low table currently placed underneath the stairs to take advantage of that wonderful view through the glazing at the rear. Even here, the design work is really something, with the oak structure framing the windows behind, even including dowelled spreaders. On your left is a wide, glazed aluminium door to the open veranda behind the living room: a wonderful outdoor spot for a morning coffee.

The whole house is focused on the kitchen as the most important room in modern living. Where the living room is open to the ceiling, the kitchen features a conventional ceiling height. However, those same beautiful timbers criss-cross and frame the whole room, disappearing into the ceiling and continuing the oak frame theme. The dining area houses the largest of tables with ease, making it equally perfect for family breakfasts or the grandest of Christmases. And the room is so generous that currently a pair of sofas, large Welsh dresser, bookshelves, etc all easily find their own space.

To the rear, a deep peninsula separates kitchen and dining space. The stone worktop carries on around three sides, interrupted only by a stainless-steel range and a sink, providing ample working space for any chef. Underneath, handmade units, including a generous wine rack, offer similarly generous storage. And the utility room to the rear follows the style of the kitchen and includes more discreet floor-to-ceiling storage units in white, so that they blend into the walls. Completing the downstairs, the cloakroom off the utility room features a neat ceramic sink topping a simple elegant timber vanity.

Climbing the stairs, the view is arresting, with rolling hills in the distance beyond your own lengthy garden/paddock. At the top, the landing mirrors the design of the living room, with timbers criss-crossing the vaulted ceiling. In this case the space has been deliberately designed to form a deep and sumptuous further living space that could easily be enclosed to create another bedroom. In addition, there are three existing bedrooms on this floor, and all showcase the timbers. Generously sized and proportioned, even the smallest is an ample double. Bedroom two is double aspect, with great natural light and delightful views. To the rear, the largest bedroom is the most beautiful and spacious; it also has the finest outlook. Wide sliding doors lead onto a deep balcony offering the most wonderful breakfast vista we know.

The eagle-eyed will notice there are two bathrooms back-to-back. Beautifully finished in the same style neutral and very roomy, one is equipped with a bath whereas the other contains a walk-in shower. The positioning of these two is clever and deliberate. Our clients don t particularly like ensuites, but are aware others do. Hence the shower room is positioned next to the main bedroom and could be connected as an ensuite by simply moving the door.

Turning to the outside, the house sits in a wide, oblong plot, beginning with an entrance through steel, automated gates beyond which is a broad lawn to the left flanking the drive. The driveway is gravelled, leading across the front of the house and onwards to the garage on the right, and continuing round to the yard and Dutch barn. A large circular seating area to the left amongst the trees is purpose-built with a proper pizza oven and BBQ area, making it a hugely popular party venue. Behind the house, various covered seating areas are easily accessed from inside, making warm summer rain something to appreciate with a glass of something while remaining dry! The garden behind is simple and beautiful. A proportion is lawned behind the house and this is kept neat and simple. Beyond it the greater proportion is left to meadow, encouraging the most wonderful diversity of butterflies, bird life, even deer and barn owls are frequent visitors.

As touched upon, the property includes various outbuildings. Built in exactly the same style as the main house, the garage is two storey, timber-framed and clad, with a vast room above that could just as easily be an extra bedroom, annex, or a playroom, whatever you fancy. And below it, two garages are very generously proportioned - the perfect workshops for a serious car enthusiast, while the third contains the heating plant. This includes an oil boiler, all the associated pumps and vacuum chambers, with an extra feature that s pretty much unique in our experience. The solid fuel boiler is designed to burn all and any waste. Our clients have always had good sources of lumber available and this has allowed them to drastically reduce the cost of their heating and hot water, while also reducing their impact on the environment.

Hidden away across the drive, the vendors have created a large yard area. What appears to be a regular Dutch barn in fact shelters a collection of shipping containers! Two of the containers have been combined into one large, insulated space, complete with power. This has proved to be a very cost effective and efficient way to create a large workshop. Next to it, fronted shelters provide a mix of storage (including timber for the solid fuel burner) and open garaging. And, no, the splendid vintage tractor is sadly not for sale (we did ask...).

Mains water, electric, oil & solid fuel CHStratford Upon Avon DCCouncil Tax band G?3,678-61 p.a. 2023/24Freehold