Freehold Street, Lower Heyford, OX25

A very pretty cottage with three bedrooms, large sitting room with fireplace, separate dining room, farmhouse kitchen and a pleasant rear garden. Great village with popular amenities incl a pub and canal-yard cafe, plus rail station accessing Oxford & London, and Bicester is just 7 miles away.

Lower Heyford is a delightful village. Nestling in a valley with the River Cherwell parallel to the Oxford canal, farmland surrounds the village and the local scenery is wonderful. There is a good nearby school, a lovely old pub, canal-side cafe, and access to all points of the compass is exceptional with the M40 and A34 close by and the Cherwell Valley railway line Heyford station within the village. For those looking for a rural existence combined with nearby access to all amenities, there are few better villages in North Oxfordshire.

103 Freehold Street is one of the pretty, traditional cottages buyers most crave in this area. The facade is traditional and elegant, with a lovely open porch. It's a well proportioned and surprisingly light house, suffering few of the disadvantages often associated with cottages, hence it offers the practicalities of a modern property but all the character of an older cottage.

Under a very pretty open porch the traditional ledge and brace main door opens into an internal hallway. The stairs rise away from you, and to the right is the first of the receptions. Full of charm, this is a generous dining room with plenty of character. A pretty fireplace with its stone hearth is a wonderful focal point, and either side are alcoves, the left of which is filled with a generous run of shelving. The front window overlooks the village lane and other pretty cottages opposite. At the rear, by the kitchen doorway, the slope of the stairs rising to the first floor leaves a handy, deep recess underneath, next to which is a sizeable store cupboard.

Where the house has been extended the original rear window and door apertures have been kept, complete with beautiful timber lintels above. Hence the light in the dining room is particularly good, and it feels integrated with the kitchen behind. In the kitchen, a range of classic units runs round three sides, topped off with timber work surfaces. Stainless steel sink, oven, and cooker hood contrast beautiful with the cream of the walls and the units. There's plenty of storage space here, in addition to which the dishwasher is integrated plus there's space for a washing machine.

The stable door on the left leads into the conservatory. This is a wonderful place to enjoy the garden at any time of the year, not least as there is a compact woodburning stove fitted to one side! There's ample room in here for summer dining, or perhaps relaxing in some easy chairs; or some may prefer to use it as a home gym - the choice is yours. The conservatory connects to the final downstairs room, a delightful and really spacious living room. Equipped with another fireplace, this time housing a modern wood burner, it's a very bright and welcoming room that is also well proportioned for a large suite.

Turning to the upstairs, the landing window floods the stairs with useful natural light, and the view across neighbouring gardens to the rear also offers a lovely glimpse of the valley beyond. Head left, and the first of three bedrooms is a pleasant double with more than ample room for a king-size bed and room to spare for a chest, side table etc. Next door this bedroom looks out across the lane. Larger than its neighbour, it's a very good size and the proportions make it easy to house the largest of wardrobes, chests etc. Alternatively, the alcove next to the chimney breast would lend itself very well to fitting wardrobes instead, if desired.

On the opposite end of the landing, the last of the three bedrooms already has fitted wardrobes built-in, leaving ample room for the largest of beds and other furnishings. Next door, the bathroom features a white suite and a white-painted timber floor, helping to bounce great natural light around the room. Around the bath are tiled splashbacks, and above the bath there is a shower.

Outside, the house sits just off the lane, with slender borders either side of the front door that could easily be cultivated, currently containing a mixture of plant pots and a few flowers. Behind the house, the garden is a useful size, quite wide and mainly laid to lawn. Several sheds are in place, and the mix of trees, hedges and flowers give it a soft and mature feel. There is so much potential for cultivation and landscaping - or just give it a regular cut and enjoy with a glass of wine!