Children can roam free in your ‘own little piece of countryside’

WHEN James and Hollie Appleton first stepped into
8 Strachey Close, Tidmarsh, they could immediately picture their family here.

“It reminded me of the cul-de-sac I grew up in as a child in Marlow,” says James. “That feeling of safety with children playing outside and people knowing each other. It’s rare to find these days.”

The couple moved to the village in mid-2020, having left south-west London in search of space, greenery and a friendlier rhythm of life. They rented in Streatley while house-hunting and, as soon as they discovered this quiet pocket, with its collection of just 17 brick-and-flint homes built in 1995, they knew they’d found their spot.

The house stands at the top of the cul-de-sac, its front garden screened by hedging and its back opening on to an idyllic horse pasture.

“The horses come right up to the fence and eat apples from the children,” laughs James. “It’s like having our own little piece of the countryside.”

From the front, views stretch towards tree-covered hills and there’s a sense of being wrapped in nature while still just a few minutes from Pangbourne and Reading.

Inside, the Appletons have transformed the property with the help of Hollie’s father, a builder and carpenter.

James explains: “We extended and modernised everything from installing a new boiler, changing the plumbing and knocking through the kitchen and dining room to make one big space.”

The result is a bright, open-plan layout. The kitchen features grey Shaker-style units, a corner larder and a central island with breakfast bar, while bi-fold doors open on to the terrace and south-facing garden beyond.

The house is 2,800 sq ft. There are three reception rooms — a family room, study and sitting room — all light-filled. The study connects to the double garage, which James has converted into a home gym, complete with an EV charging point just outside.

Upstairs, a galleried landing leads to four double bedrooms, each with built-in wardrobes. The main suite enjoys views across open fields, a walk-in wardrobe and a large en suite bathroom with both bath and separate shower. The second bedroom has its own shower room, while the two remaining bedrooms share a family bathroom.

The garden has about 54ft of level lawn enclosed by fencing and mature planting and faces due south to soak up the sunshine all day. It’s completely dog-proof and includes a wooden hot tub, paved terrace and plenty of space for children’s play or extra planting.

There’s parking for four cars on the drive and the property’s west-facing aspect means warm evening light floods the back of the house.

Tidmarsh is one of those Berkshire villages that still feels genuinely rural but isn’t cut off. The Greyhound Inn is a thatched Fullers pub dating from 1625 and is just a few minutes’ walk away, as is the Millennium Green and a level riverside walk along the Pang into Pangbourne itself.

The village lies within the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, so footpaths and country lanes are right on the doorstep. Pangbourne offers a selection of independent shops and transport links are excellent with Pangbourne and Theale stations provide direct trains to London Paddington in under an hour, and the M4 (Junction 12) is around 10 minutes away.

“It’s such a friendly, safe community,” says James. “We’ve got families with young children, a few early retirees, all professional people who look out for each other. If we didn’t need to relocate for Hollie’s work as a headteacher, we would stay. It’s been the perfect place to bring up our children.”

l 8 Strachey Close has a guide price of £1,250,000, freehold. For more information and to arrange a viewing, call Warmingham & Co on (01491) 874144.