Same but different cottages blend into the countryside

THERE’S a neat symmetry to this corner of Stoke Row — two individually designed, detached, side-by-side homes.

Built by developer Toby Boyes, of Crest Estate Developments, Rosewood and Juniper cottages sit on the edge of the village off Main Street within easy reach of the shop, post office and the two inns.

Goring and Streatley station, to reach London Paddington, is about 15 minutes away by car. The “within the hour” London commute is realistic from there.

The setting is the real deal too. This is the Chilterns National Landscape, the designation formerly known as the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Both cottages are designed for modern country living. You get air-source heat pumps, underfloor heating across the ground floors with radiators upstairs, an EV charging point, a hard-wired alarm and Porcelanosa bathrooms.

They have handmade kitchens with granite worktops and a full Bosch line-up (double ovens, induction hob, integrated fridge-freezer, dishwasher, washer, dryer and a wine cooler).

There’s a proper utility and a fitted boot room (muddy dogs and cricket kits, sorted), oak doors throughout, aluminium bi-folds to the kitchen, landscaped gardens with stone terraces, and a detached oak-framed garage for each plot.

Mr Boyes, the Stoke Row-based building developer behind the pair, runs Crest Estate Developments from Busgrove Lane.

Stoke Row itself sits on high ground with beech woods all around and that famous Victorian curiosity — Maharajah’s Well — at its heart. (Grade II listed, the well was a gift of the Maharajah of Benares to mark a long Anglo-Indian friendship).

There’s the village primary school on School Lane, two pubs (the Crooked Billet and the Cherry Tree), and Sonning Common is close by for everyday shopping. Henley, Reading, the M4 and M40 are all straightforward drives.

The more linear of the two, Juniper Cottage (plot 1) totals about 2,389 sq ft, including the detached garage.

The ground floor features a generous open-plan kitchen that opens to a 24ft 6in by 10ft 10in dining/family room, which is big enough for a large table and separate sofa zone, a separate sitting room, a study and that all-important utility/boot room link from outside. Upstairs, four bedrooms include a principal suite with a fitted dressing room, plus further bedrooms with built-in wardrobes and en suite/family bathroom.

Juniper is the “calmer” façade, with crisp brickwork and cottage-style oak front door. The emphasis is on light, flow and outlook to the garden from the kitchen/family space via the bi-folds. The proportions make entertaining easy without sacrificing a cosier, door-closing sitting room for winter evenings. An air-source heat pump and underfloor heating keep running costs in check, with an EV point on the drive.

Television points pre-run to principal rooms and all bedrooms, it is equipped with low-energy lighting and comes with a 10-year new-home warranty. The driveway is crushed Oxford stone with granite edging, the gardens are turfed and planted, so you can move in and get on with life rather than landscaping.

Rosewood Cottage (plot 2) is the slightly larger sister: 2,529 sq ft in total. Externally, it leans into brick with knapped flint to the front — a very Chilterns look.

Inside, the plan echoes Juniper but with its own emphases. It has a roomier kitchen at 19ft 3in by 10ft 4in and a well-scaled dining/family room at 18ft 7in by 12ft 1in, plus separate sitting room and study/hobby room.

The principal bedroom has a fitted dressing room and the other bedrooms have built-in storage. As with Juniper, finishes are oak doors, porcelain bathrooms — proper joinery where it matters.

Energy, security and tech match its neighbour with air-source heat pump, ground-floor underfloor heating, EV charger, hard-wired alarm, television points to all main rooms and a 10-year warranty.

Outside, there are stone terraces for the barbecue, turfed lawns, hedging and shrubs and that handsome oak-framed garage with log store.

l Rosewood Cottage has a guide price of £1,395,000 while Juniper Cottage is listed at £1,250,000. Both are offered freehold. For more information and to arrange a viewing, call Warmingham on (01491) 874144.