Wraparound garden will give you that warm, fuzzy feeling

PANGSIDE was built in the Thirties and sits in School Road right in the heart of Compton.

The current owner moved here from Streatley in 2015 and bought it for reasons far more human than logical spreadsheets.

“I go by feeling,” she says. “This house has a warm and friendly personality and it felt practical too.

“Being detached with a wraparound garden, without being on an estate, made it a very attractive buy for me.”

That combination of charm with common sense is precisely what draws people to this village on the Berkshire Downs.

Compton is known for its backdrop of rolling countryside and unspoiled views — officially within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — and Pangside enjoys the best of that landscape with none of the isolation.

Walk out of the front door and the ancient Ridgeway is a natural extension of daily life. Dog-owners will appreciate the ease of reaching Aldworth, East Ilsley and further afield without ever needing to get in the car.

Buses run straight into Newbury while Didcot, Goring and Newbury stations sit within striking distance of London Paddington, commuting in well under the hour.

Pangside has been steadily improved over the decades. Just ahead of the current owner’s arrival, the roof and electrics were renewed.

Inside, the house offers a generous sitting room with a bay window and wood-burning stove, singled out by the owner as her personal favourite.

“It feels like a cuddle when you walk in,” she says, a sentiment anyone familiar with a good log burner will understand. The wood flooring that runs through the ground floor gives an easy-care finish suited to muddy dogs and visiting friends.

The kitchen and dining area flows out to the terrace through French doors so that summer lunches spill naturally into the garden.

A utility boot-room keeps the practicalities out of sight — ideal for those who collect wellingtons at speed during winter Ridgeway walks.

Three bedrooms upstairs make the layout an excellent fit for families or home-workers, while the third bedroom has served as a study with great success during the covid lockdown years. Views overlook the neighbouring park, the village school and mature screening from trees that prevent any hint of overlooking.

The wraparound garden is one of Pangside’s greatest strengths: level, south-west facing and designed for those who like their outdoor space to be both beautiful and usable.

The drive easily accommodates three cars and there’s a gate opening straight to the park next door without crossing a single road.

And, slightly tucked away in a corner, there is a detached brick workshop once mysteriously linked to the telephone exchange. The story has been lost to time, yet the building itself remains a practical bonus for bikes, tools or future reinvention.

A two-minute stroll brings you to the well-stocked village shop, doctor’s surgery and a pub. Both Compton primary and the highly regarded Downs School — sixth form and all — are within a short walk.

Compton’s status as a longstanding rural community means farming heritage and racehorse links sit comfortably alongside modern life.

After almost a decade here, the owner is downsizing but staying in Compton tops her wishlist, which tells you everything you need to know.

l Pangside has a guide price of £525,000, freehold. For more information and to arrange a viewing, call Warmingham and Co on (01491) 874144.