Picturesque retreat with views of historic Maharajah’s Well

FOR the first time in 47 years The Grove in Stoke Row has come on the market.

The three- to four-bedroom detached property dates back to the early 1900s with strong ties to the historic Maharajah’s Well.

Clive Robins was just eight years old when he moved with his parents into The Grove, which overlooks the well.

He said: “This is my late mother Joan Robins’s house and she was heavily involved in looking after the well, organising restoration funds between 1979 and 1981, along with the singer Joe Brown, his daughter Sam and the late actors Dennis Waterman and George Cole, all from the local area.

“My family then carried out the restorations as they were builders.”

The strikingly attractive well, with its ornate iron canopy and elephant weather vane, was endowed to Stoke Row in 1863 by His Highness Ishree, Maharajah of Benares (now Varanasi) as a token of his friendship to Edward Reade, of Ipsden House, and his love of England.

The well was 368ft deep and provided much needed water to this little Oxfordshire village, as mains water wouldn’t be introduced to the area until 1906, and then didn’t function efficiently until 1927.

But the well never failed, according to the grateful residents of Stoke Row, and could be put to use again should the need arise.

In 1964, the late Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, piloted his own helicopter from Windsor to join in the centenary celebrations of the installation of the well.

The significance of the Maharajah’s Well has attracted interest far and wide since it was officially opened on Queen Victoria’s birthday in May 1864 and the Robins family have played their part in maintaining its history in the village for almost 50 years.

Clive touchingly describes his mother as a “lovely, happy character” who ran a charity shop in Sonning Common until she died.

He said: “She would keep the playroom filled with dressing up outfits which she collected from the shop and hand them out at parties. We once had a Caribbean party and we all dressed up and put bags of sand everywhere in the garden and limbo danced.

“She had about 150 wigs, 100 hats and around 300 outfits. She loved a party.” The property itself sits in a generous plot offering a great deal of potential to extend and develop, subject to the usual planning consents.

It comes with a 1,036 sq ft detached outbuilding which would be ideal as a separate bungalow for elderly relatives as it has its own drive and gated entrance. It could also make an excellent gym, home office or indoor pool room.

The main house has almost 2,000 sq ft of accommodation and offers flexibility in its layout.

On the ground floor, there is an L-shaped sitting room with a fireplace and sliding doors to the patio and garden. There is a family room, which also has sliding doors to the garden.

The kitchen overlooks the rear garden and provides access to the dining room. There is a walk-in pantry and separate utility room with a door to the garden.

A large conservatory with a vaulted ceiling overlooks the front area of the house. A cloakroom and a cellar complete the ground floor accommodation.

On the first floor, there is a very large principal bedroom with an en suite bathroom, which could be returned to two bedrooms, if required. There are two further double bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Outside, the house sits back from the road behind a hedge, offering security, but with the precious Maharajah’s Well clearly in view. The landscaped rear garden is south facing and wraps around the side of the house.

The property can park up to 10 cars off-road and has two five-bar gated entrances.

Stoke Row is a picturesque village surrounded by woodland and farmland and is home to two highly-rated restaurants, the Cherry Tree pub and the Crooked Billet.

• The Grove has a guide price of £1,200,000, with no onward chain. For more information and to arrange a viewing, call Savills on (01491) 843000.