Reading, Berkshire

CHARITY FARM BARNS

Charity Farm Barns is a impressive country estate with origins dating back to the early 18th Century and set in approx. 5 acres. Boasting 6 bedrooms in the main house, there is also an indoor swimming pool with hot tub, tennis court, extensive garaging and outbuildings, paddocks and gardens.

ACCOMMODATION

Charity Farm Barns is an impressive Grade II listed country estate with origins dating back to the early 18th Century. The property has been carefully extended and modernised over the years to create a family home, with first-class, flexible accommodation, surrounded by its own land with open countryside beyond.

Internally the property retains the expected period features associated with a building of this type and age. There are six reception rooms which are all perfect for family life and entertaining. The family room is superb with its magnificent, vaulted ceiling and yet cosy with its fireplace and log burner. There is also an indoor swimming pool with hot tub. In addition there is a study with log burner, part vaulted drawing room, two studios, two ground floor bedrooms with a family bathroom and a stunning kitchen/breakfast room with a comprehensive range of cabinets, Aga and walk in utility room and larder.

The main bedroom suite is set out over the first floor and accessed via the grand galleried landing, with a dressing room and en-suite bathroom incorporating a roll top bath and walk in shower. There is also a second bedroom suite with an en-suite shower room, two further vaulted bedrooms, library and a further shower room.

There is a separate barn style triple garage with basement workroom/ craft kitchen and storage space over, in addition to a second double garage also with a large storage space over.

SELLER INSIGHT

The barns, as the name would suggest, originally formed part of Charity Farm, which was owned by a charitable foundation set up by Henry Alnutt in 1724 to provide housing for the elderly farming community who could no longer afford their homes because they were too old to work the land,” says the owner. “The charity built the Goring Heath almshouses, which are just across the way, and the farm provided food and milk for the residents. We happened upon the barns back in 1994, and at that time they were a collection of rather dilapidated agricultural buildings, but we could see that they had an absolute wealth of potential, potential that has now very much been realised.”

“Outside we have five acres of the most stunning gardens and grounds, which have also undergone quite the transformation. There’s a beautiful courtyard garden, rolling lawns and a very attractive hazel walkway that leads down to the eight paddocks. We’ve also cultivated an enviable vegetable garden and over the years we’ve kept pigs, lambs and chickens so we’ve always been very self-sufficient. We even created a huge basement underneath the triple garage so that I could do all of the butchery as well as the fruit and veg processing and preparation. That’s the real beauty of this place, we’ve had the space and the land to do exactly what we want, and that in turn has meant that we’ve always enjoyed a really outstanding quality of life.”

“The main living/dining room is magnificent. It has an amazing vaulted ceiling so the hugely impressive roof structure is on show, and the room also features a huge brick fireplace and exposed chimney breast, which towers up to the rafters. It’s a fantastic room for a party, but also a very cosy-feeling room to settle down in with the family.”

“At home we enjoy utter peace and privacy and the most breathtaking views, and we’ve relished the fact that we can step out of the front door and take the dogs on long walks through the surrounding woodland. The location is wonderfully rural and yet we’ve never felt isolated. We’re not far from places such as Reading and Henleyon-Thames, and the transport links are very good so we tend to spend a lot of time in London.”

“This is a property with a tremendous amount of flexibility as it can be adapted and changed depending on how you want to live. It can also be a superb multigenerational home.”

“It’s going to be such a wrench to leave this place, but now that the children have flown the nest it’s simply too big for just the two of us,” says the owner. “There’s so much we’ll miss: the character of the house, the space, our stunning gardens and the abundance of wildlife that comes to visit. It’s a place quite unlike any other and it has been a very happy home.”*

* These comments are the personal views of the current owner and are included as an insight into life at the property. They have not been independently verified, should not be relied on without verification and do not necessarily reflect the views of the agent.

It was an ambitious project of renovation, one that took around four years to complete, but as we were based in the US at the time, we were able to really take our time in order to get it absolutely right. The Grade II listing meant that the exteriors of those original buildings had to be preserved, however we were able to add new windows, reconfigure the structure to make it stronger, the whole house was insulated, a new roof was put on and inside we lowered the floor level so that we could add a second floor. We’ve essentially created a very large and very comfortable house with all the benefits of a modern home – as well as the added luxuries of an indoor swimming pool and jacuzzi – but at the same time it retains an abundance of character. All of the old timbers are exposed, and the main living room not only features the most spectacular vaulted ceiling, but the two cart entrances have been fully glazed so we’re afforded glorious views of both the courtyard garden on one side and the rolling grounds beyond the other.”

OUTSIDE

The gardens and grounds incorporate formal and informal areas with careful planting and landscaping to complement the property. There are also extensive productive gardens, a small vineyard, an orchard, large greenhouse and poly tunnels. In addition there is a workshop with further useful sheds.

The tennis court is privately tucked out of sight from the main house. The adjoining paddocks are extensive and benefit from a grand field barn, which affords tall vehicular access for more industrially sized tractors.

LOCATION

Charity Farm Barns sits in an enviable position within Goring Heath; a pretty rural hamlet in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty between the Berkshire Downs and the Chiltern Hills. The Thameside villages of Goring and Pangbourne are both around 3 miles away and provide a comprehensive range of local facilities and a mainline rail link to central London within the hour. The attractive market town of Wallingford is just 6 miles away and has a range of antique shops, local facilities and a Waitrose. Reading has a wider range of amenities including a train service to central London in about 27 minutes. Oxford is a 25 minute drive away. The local area is served by a first-class range of schooling for all requirements. In particular, The Oratory, Radley College, Bradfield College, Cranford House and Moulsford preparatory schools, as well as having good links to Oxford for further schooling. The area is also extremely well served for sporting facilities including golf, clay pigeon shooting at The Royal Berkshire Shooting School, horse riding, walking, and racing at Newbury and Ascot.

INFORMATION Services

Mains water and electricity. Private drainage. Underfloor central heating and hot water from oil fired boiler. Ultrafast broadband available.

Local Authority South Oxfordshire District Council

Viewing Arrangements

Strictly via the vendors sole agents Fine & Country – Adrian Beatty 07899 875966.

Website

For more information visit www.fineandcountry.com/reading

Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday 8.00am – 10.00pm

Saturday 8.00am – 8.00pm Sunday 8.00am – 8.00pm

Council Tax Band: H

EPC Rating: D

Tenure: Freehold

Registered in England & Wales. LMSY2 Limited. Company No: 13409087.

Registered Office Address: Amelia House, Crescent Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN11 1RL copyright © 2022 Fine & Country Ltd.

Agents notes: All measurements are approximate and for general guidance only and whilst every attempt has been made to ensure accuracy, they must not be relied on. The fixtures, fittings and appliances referred to have not been tested and therefore no guarantee can be given that they are in working order. Internal photographs are reproduced for general information and it must not be inferred that any item shown is included with the property. For a free valuation, contact the numbers listed on the brochure. Printed 07.12.2022

FINE & COUNTRY

Fine & Country is a global network of estate agencies specialising in the marketing, sale and rental of luxury residential property. With offices in over 300 locations, spanning Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia, we combine widespread exposure of the international marketplace with the local expertise and knowledge of carefully selected independent property professionals.

Fine & Country appreciates the most exclusive properties require a more compelling, sophisticated and intelligent presentation –leading to a common, yet uniquely exercised and successful strategy emphasising the lifestyle qualities of the property.

This unique approach to luxury homes marketing delivers high quality, intelligent and creative concepts for property promotion combined with the latest technology and marketing techniques.

We understand moving home is one of the most important decisions you make; your home is both a financial and emotional investment.

With Fine & Country you benefit from the local knowledge, experience, expertise and contacts of a well trained, educated and courteous team of professionals, working to make the sale or purchase of your property as stress free as possible.

ADRIAN BEATTY

DIRECTOR

Fine & Country Reading 01182 074997 | 07899 875 966 adrian.beatty@fineandcountry.com

Adrian has been in the property industry for a number of years having previously worked in finance in the City. He has extensive knowledge of new builds and property developments having completed a number of successful projects himself.

His ethos is to work transparently with his clients on a one-toone basis and put them first, listening to their requirements and getting them the outcome they want with uncompromising integrity and discretion.

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