Marriage of character and comfort

SEVENTEEN Horseshoe Road is an Edwardian “villa” that stands in a quiet residential road just east of the centre of Pangbourne.

It’s a 10-minute walk from the station and a few minutes more to the river, with Reading six miles away.

Trains run fast to Reading (about eight minutes) and Paddington (from around
25 minutes), boosted by the Elizabeth line connection at Reading.

Inside, the house blends its period character with the sort of modern space that makes family life easier. The bay-fronted sitting room keeps its original cast-iron fireplace as a focal point, while timber floors set a warm tone from the hall onwards.

At the rear, a substantial extension has created a generous kitchen/dining/ family room that opens to the terrace through a full width of bi-fold doors, with a central roof lantern pulling in daylight. The kitchen is handcrafted by Griggs and Mackay with bespoke cabinetry and cherry-wood worktops and there’s even a gas fire for winter suppers.

There’s also a utility room, cloakroom and an inner lobby with two fitted cupboards and a separate home office sits quietly beyond. Upstairs, there are three double bedrooms and a single, the principal room bright, well-proportioned and still graced by a period fireplace.

The family bathroom offers both a claw-foot bath and a separate shower, so no compromises on busy mornings or slow Sundays. There’s loft access from the landing and clear potential for conversion, subject to the usual consents.

Step out from the family room and you’re on an expansive paved terrace made for long lunches; beyond, more than a hundred feet of lawn stretches away, edged by mature borders and trees, including a silver birch, and arranged with a dedicated play area and two good outbuildings (a larger workshop-style shed and a second for overflow storage).

At the front, a hedged boundary conceals a private gravel drive for off-street parking. Approximate gross internal area of the property is 191 sq m (2,055 sq ft). Pangbourne village sits on a handsome bend of the Thames where it meets the Pang, linked by the historic toll bridge to Whitchurch under the Chiltern escarpment.

The surrounding Berkshire Downlands and Chiltern Hills are designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the river stretch upstream towards Streatley will forever be associated with Kenneth Grahame and The Wind in the Willows.

Day-to-day life is easy here. There’s a proper mix of shops and services (Co-op, library, health centre, dentist), traditional inns and restaurants — the Elephant is a local landmark— and a strong roster of state and independent schools within reach, from Pangbourne College to Bradfield, Downe House and The Oratory among many others.

l 17 Horseshoe Road has a guide price of £925,000, freehold. For more information and to arrange a viewing, call Warmingham and Co on (01491) 874144.