The close relationship between house and garden nods to the Arts and Crafts Movement, which celebrated the revelatory richness of the natural world
The close relationship between house and garden nods to the Arts and Crafts Movement, which celebrated the revelatory richness of the natural world
Tucked away off a tree-lined street guiding to a sweeping village green, this handsome Arts and Crafts-style house is ensconced in rolling countryside. Yet, perched on the peripheries of Abingdon, Oxfordshire, its location belies its proximity to central London from nearby Didcot Parkway Station. Inside, a carefully renovated home of 2,700 sq ft unfolds, with six bedrooms and several light-filled living spaces. Luscious gardens surround the home and encompass vegetable beds and fruit cages, a dedicated badminton court and verdant swathes of lawn. Overlooking the exquisite medieval Culham House, there is a whimsical, bygone feel to the home, which has been wonderfully updated to serve the needs of modern living.
Setting the Scene
Culham stands a little outside of Abingdon and has substantial roots in the late Saxon era, where it was recorded in a 940 survey under King Edmund; its name likely stems from the Old English ‘Cula’s Hamm’. Despite these early origins, much of the area was rebuilt in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, with help from the stone of the Benedictine monastery at Abingdon dissolved in 1538.
The current house was originally the site of a 17th-century coaching inn, The Sow and Pigs. Partial demolition in 1913 revealed a large stone within the walls. Closer inspection revealed this to be a substantial portion of a statue of Mary and the Christ child which may have originally stood in the ancient Abingdon Priory, originally known as St Mary’s. Clad in terracotta tiles, with a hipped gabled roofline, the house was built in 1932 in a Tudorbethan style that sensitively echoes Culham’s early history.
The Grand Tour
The house sits in the heart of pretty Culham Village, set back from the street behind a generous stone driveway with space for several cars and an EV charging point. Its façade is a picture of Arts and Crafts-inspired brilliance: intricate brickwork patterns are paired with geometric round tiles to create a collage-like effect. Its multifaceted, angular profile is punctuated with several windows, hinting at the generous, bright plan within.
There are several entrances to the home; the most prominent is from the front and leads into a generous hallway, while the second is through a subtly spectacular pitched porch with chequerboard tiles underfoot to the side. The latter opens into the spacious dining room, which has been fitted with a log-burning fire. Light pours in through a large bay window set behind an elegant exposed beam.
The kitchen sits beyond, with sleek, greyish-blue Griggs & MacKay cabinetry offset by a delightfully cheery orange Everhot. Dual-aspect windows and white-painted walls conspire to create an airy, light feel. Storage space has been well considered and makes the most of the room’s proportions. A pantry lies adjacent, with shelves for storing favourite crockery, spices and the like. Bifolding doors open onto the terrace, creating an indoor/outdoor space in fine weather.
From here is a playroom, a fair spot to while away an afternoon doing crosswords. There is a brilliant circularity to the plan, with its interconnected rooms creating a feeling of total cohesion. The playroom extends into the oak-framed orangery, currently used as a gym. A copious amount of light enters through windows, a skylight and a glazed door to a terrace. The same tiles run from the inside to the patio, a seamless touch that dissolves any delineation between in and out. A boot room and a well-sized utility room with a side entrance from the parking area complete this corner of the ground floor.
On the other side of the plan is a sitting room; grey-painted walls foster a tranquil, reposeful feeling. An en suite guest bedroom or study lies adjacent, with direct access to the garden.
The hallway at the centre of the ground floor is the central node of the house; lined with bookcases, it is a space worthy of a pause and a peruse. A staircase winds to the upper level, with plenty of room below to place an armchair for sitting and reading. The first floor is connected by a long landing flanked by exposed studs. From here are five bedrooms, all delicately appointed and with oiled hardwood doors.
The main bedroom is an especially graceful space, with the same distinctive bay window as the dining room below. It has a cast-iron fireplace with a mantel ripe for placing favourite trinkets or photographs. An en suite bathroom with a walk-in shower lies adjacent.
The bedroom on the other side of the plan also has a large window and a cast-iron fireplace, here flanked by tall alcove storage. Above is a well-lit, boarded attic, wonderful for longer-term, fuss-free storage. The family bathroom sits next door and has a sculptural bath and stone-coloured tiles that allow another wall of exposed studs centre stage.
Outside is a timber-clad building currently used as a home office. Skylights, glazed doors and a wall of windows illuminate the space.
The Great Outdoors
Established gardens encircle the house and are filled with mature trees, including oak, apple, acer and yew. At first glance, the thoughtful approach to planting is apparent; the symbiotic relationship between house and garden is one befitting of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which cherished and celebrated the richness of the natural world.
At the rear, vegetable beds and fruit cages teem with soft fruit, herbs and vegetables Seating areas have been brilliantly considered; bespoke benches sit along the side of the house, while a generous paved patio on another is a peaceful spot to eat or for an after-dinner drink while swallows mill overhead. There is even a dedicated badminton court for those inclined to a mid-afternoon rally.
The rest of the garden has been left to lawn, with plenty of space to prop up a deckchair or two come summertime. Hedges surround the plot, adding to the secluded, pastoral air of the home.
Out and About
Built into a bend of the River Thames, Culham Village is just outside Abingdon in Oxfordshire. Peaceful and rural, the village has a church, a nursery, pre-school and a bilingual primary and secondary education at Europa School, less than a mile away at the edge of the village.
A variety of landscapes are within easy reach; to the north, the University of Oxford’s Harcourt Arboretum has over 130 acres of rare and exotic trees, and to the south, Wittenham Clumps is a local landmark with far-reaching views of the expansive countryside. The adjacent Chiltern Hills are home to the wonderful Garsington Opera and many fantastic walking routes.
Abingdon is less than 2 miles away at an 8-minute drive, a historic market down with the area’s characteristic butter-coloured stone and all the day-to-day amenities of a larger town.
Oxford is a 36-minute drive away and has a plethora of cultural experiences including the famous Covered Market, which hosts everything from artisan grocers to independent cafés and boutiques. Entertainment is abundant at the Ashmolean Museum, the Sheldonian Theatre, Modern Art Oxford, Holywell Music Room, Bodleian Libraries and the History of Science Museum.
Didcot Parkway is a 15-minute drive away, with direct trains running to London Paddington in 40 minutes.
Council Tax Band: G
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