Large Victorian Villa in Temple Cowley, Oxford. Great for both universities

Description

Holyrood is a uniquely spacious three storey Victorian townhouse on the edge of the Old Temple Cowley Conservation area, a leafy suburb of Oxford. We've been lovingly renovating it over the past seven years, bringing it back into use as a family home, following a period of delapidation. It has all modern conveniences, but retains plenty of period charm with original features preserved wherever possible. Some work is still to be completed (including a legacy water stain in the family room) but the house makes a wonderfully comfortable home for our family of four. The house is ideally located for both universities sitting close to busy bus and cycle routes to the city centre and Headington, and benefits from its low traffic neighbourhood status, with the street blocked to through traffic. It's set back from the street and benefits form a gated private driveaway, and offers a rare level of comfort and privacy in in busy city. It sits at the top of Crescent Road hill and benefits from some of the best views in the city, with the street scape perfectly framing the dreaming spires of the city centre - one of the city's ten protected 'view cones'. Layout and rooms Built in 1880, a historical study of the house suggests it may have been designed by famed Oxford Architect William Wilkinson (Randolph Hotel) in parallel with Salesian House which sits directly opposite. Downstairs contains a large south facing sitting room with woodburning stove, a family room with hammock, home cinema and french doors opening on to the back garden, and a large kitchen/dining room with bespoke upcycled cabinetry. We’ve added a small utility room and downstairs toilet to the original building giving it everything needed for a comfortable family life. All rooms are airy and light, with high ceilings, and double-glazed sash windows. The first floor has two large bedrooms each with three large sash windows. A toilet and bathroom containing bath and shower completes this floor. The second floor includes two more spacious bedrooms, both benefiting from the views offered by the elevation. The mature cottage-style garden has a paved seating area, fruit trees, a vine covered dining area, and small wildlife pond. Temple Cowley benefits from low traffic neighbourhood status and offers plenty of opportunities to get close to nature. Local walking opportunities include nearby Shotover Hill Country Park, Cowley Marsh park, the Lye Valley nature reserve, Florence Park, and the Thames footpath. The immediate neighbourhood has two pubs and a number of convenience stores. Templar Sqaure shopping centre is a short walk away.