Renovated cottage is place to escape from wider world

TILED Cottage is the answer for anyone who wants the countryside, the convenience and none of the DIY.

Set in Aldworth Road, Upper Basildon, a village wrapped by the Berkshire Downlands and designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, this detached single-storey home has been comprehensively renovated and extended.

Andy and Victoria Arthur moved in two years ago and are now semi-retired. “Upper Basildon is a lovely community with lots going on,” says Andy. “This house is good for downsizers who want very low running costs.”

The couple were won over by the quality of the work already done — a proper re-plan with a vaulted main living space, four bedrooms and four bathrooms, all on one level, so you step in and start living.

London is straightforward when you want it. Pangbourne station (about two miles) runs fast services to Paddington in well under an hour, with 25-minute hop-ons from Reading.

Set back behind hedging, wide gates open on to a deep gravel drive that runs to a detached double garage. The sales brochure describes the space as “parking for several cars” but Andy, a classic-car enthusiast, currently keeps seven vehicles between the drive and garage and still has room to work on them.

At the front, the outlook is across fields and the house isn’t overlooked and the garden is securely enclosed.

Inside, you step into a generous hall with wood flooring and oak-panelled doors that continue through the house. There’s a separate sitting room at the front with a wood-burner, the snug place for a quiet read, and a utility room off the inner hall, so laundry and boots have somewhere sensible to go.

The kitchen features pale grey cabinetry under quartz worktops and a large central island.

Beyond, the vaulted living/dining room is the social heart, bathed in light from wide bi-folds that open straight to the terrace and garden, so everything from breakfast to birthdays spills outdoors on fine days.

The main bedroom has wall-to-wall wardrobes, French doors to the garden and a smart en suite with bath and overhead shower.

Two further double bedrooms have their own en suites and fitted storage. A fourth double is served by a family shower room.

Four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a plan that works whether you’re hosting grown-up children and grandchildren, running a study from a spare room, or simply want a door you can close when friends come to stay.

The internal space is about 1,894 sq ft, with the garage and outbuildings taking the total to about 2,292 sq ft and the plot is roughly a quarter of an acre but is compact enough to manage without a gardener. There’s a large, part-boarded loft for the things you don’t need every day. There are roof-mounted solar panels that offset day-to-day electricity use and Superfast Gigaclear broadband is connected for those who work from home or stream everything. Outside is made for low-maintenance living and easy entertaining. A broad raised terrace runs from the bi-folds — the obvious spot for a long table — stepping down to a level lawn edged by country hedging that softens the boundaries and screens you from the world.

Alongside the double garage you’ll find a garden shed and a separate bike store, so kit has a home and the hall stays clear.

When you’re not pottering at home, the walking on the doorstep is the reason people settle here: footpaths and lanes thread the downland for dog-walkers, cyclists and riders alike.

Basildon Park, the magnificent National Trust estate at Lower Basildon, is on hand for weekend laps with family and visitors — Goring, Streatley and Lardon Chase are all an easy hop for river walks and a coffee. The village itself has a well-regarded primary school, a thriving new village hall and sports field and a friendly mix of clubs.

The Red Lion pub is just a few minutes’ walk and, according to the owners, currently closed for refurbishment under new owners ahead of reopening.

Connectivity is another quiet strength. Pangbourne’s trains are the headline but Reading (about seven miles) and the M4 at Junction 12 (around six miles) keep the broader Thames Valley within reach, with Henley, Newbury and Oxford all straightforward drives when needed.

l Tiled Cottage has a guide price of £950,000, freehold. For more information and to arrange a viewing, call Warmingham & Co on (01491) 874144.