Church Street, Upton, DIDCOT

A true one of a kind, self-built family home which boasts over 2561sqft of living space and unique features throughout. An exceptional five double bedroom home with four reception rooms, three bathrooms, double garage, workshop, and large driveway.

Stunning self-built family home set opposite the ancient village church of St Mary in approximately a quarter of an acre, radically remodelled into a modernist inspired two storey home in 2010 by local architect Kris Skalka, boasts over 2561sqft of living space and exceptional features throughout. A real must-see home to appreciate the bespoke elements & thoughtful design throughout.

Start with the beautiful entrance as you sweep up the driveway from Church Street through the pretty frontage with native hedging offering privacy to the front of the property, large driveway which can comfortably sit up to 5 cars and a particularly large double garage/workshop.

Upon arrival at the property you have the practical lobby, then enter what can only be described as the 'WOW' factor at the heart of this family home. With bespoke windows and double height ceilings, this room offers a welcoming entrance with an abundance of natural light . To the ground floor you will find, the open plan kitchen/dining room, bathroom, two large double bedrooms & an ensuite wet room. Upstairs consists of three further double bedrooms, an open-plan study, balconied landing & family bathroom.

Outside boasts a private garden,with beautiful wooden pergola which sits above the patio & is draped in grape vine & wisteria, excellent size lawn with perennials beds, pond with resident golden tench and frogs, garden shed, workshop with power & light, a greenhouse with veg patch & fruit trees.

Lobby
6' 3" x 7' 2" ( 1.91m x 2.18m )
Ideal space for all your coats/shoes/dog walking materials and shedding wet clothes after a brisk walk in the surrounding countryside. Karndean tile floor, infra-red radiator.

Great Hall
23' 11" x 11' 9" ( 7.29m x 3.58m )
Delightful and welcoming room with solid oak floors, 3.6m high bespoke windows and double height ceilings, offering a wealth of natural light and warmth. Functional fireplace with stone surround and hearth. This room can be viewed from the beautiful oak first floor balcony installed and built like the staircase by local carpenter. This room serves many purposes, a family room, library, entertaining, or simply a grand and inviting central space.

Lounge
11' 5" x 17' ( 3.48m x 5.18m )
Front lounge with oak veneer panelling and solid wood floors, step down to main part with 9ft (2.7m) ceiling, and excellent acoustics. Used by previous owners for musical performances complete with harpsichord, this room again could be used for many purposes to suit your lifestyle, whether it be a snug, play room, entertaining or office! Overlooks the pretty woodland garden to the front of the property. Bifold doors to front limestone patio.

Dining Area
12' 5" x 12' 9" ( 3.78m x 3.89m )
Open plan to the kitchen ideal for family/guests dining and large enough for a family dining suite.

Kitchen
10' 9" x 8' 10" ( 3.28m x 2.69m )
Magnet kitchen, wood veneer, which offers excellent storage with useful drawers, pull-out pantries, space for tall fridge-freezer, space for 900mm range oven and extractor fan above, integrated dishwasher and custom made worktop using recycled glass and resin. The flooring is Karndean vinyl tiles ideal for cleaning and family usage.

Bedroom One En Suite
15' 1" x 13' 1" ( 4.60m x 3.99m )
Situated downstairs and offering a large flexible space which could comfortably fit a superking bed and wardrobes.

Bedroom Two
11' 5" x 16' 4" ( 3.48m x 4.98m )
Situated downstairs and offering a large flexible space which could comfortably fit a superking bed and wardrobes. Previously used as a twin guest room, fantastic 'Kids Games Room', teenagers' snug and Hobby Room.

Bathroom One
9' 2" x 7' 7" ( 2.79m x 2.31m )
Situated downstairs, fully tiled, white suite with extra-large bath, electric shower over bath, storage cupboard, alcove with plumbing for washing machine, but which could be converted to 800mm shower.

Bedroom Three
9' 10" x 14' 1" ( 3.00m x 4.29m )
Double Bedroom. View over garden.

Bedroom Four
9' 10" x 13' 9" ( 3.00m x 4.19m )
Double Bedroom, access to eaves storage. View over back garden

Bedroom Five
10' 9" x 17' 8" ( 3.28m x 5.38m )
Double Bedroom, access to eaves storage. Velux window and oriel window to front with view to eleventh century church.

Bathroom Two
5' 10" x 9' 6" ( 1.78m x 2.90m )
Fully tiled, white bath suite, separate corner shower with shower tower.

Study
9' 2" x 17' ( 2.79m x 5.18m )
Open plan space connected to landing balcony, use as study and offering ample space for more than one person working from home, could also make an excellent bedroom, with large Velux window offering extra natural light. Dual aspect corner window overlooks front garden and church. Access to eaves storage and part boarded loft space including the solar batteries.

Landing/Balcony
9' 8" x 14' 6" ( 2.95m x 4.42m )
Excellent bonus area, ideal for those who perhaps enjoy a quiet coffee while sat in the reading nook below the eaves of the first floor hallway, overlooking the grand hall and enjoying the natural light offered by those wonderful windows!

Extra Benefits Include
Air Source Heat Pump
4kW of Solar Panels with 4kWh of battery storage to maximise self-use
Renewable Heat Incentive - approx £400/quarter for another four years
Multiple large storage cupboards; upstairs walk-in linen room and floor to ceiling cupboards along the back hall
Industrial grade cladding, anti-graffiti and does not require any maintenance
Monocouche render never needs painting and can simply be washed down


Rear Garden
The pretty garden is wildlife friendly and offers many uses and benefits. A few to mention; Greenhouse, Vegetable Patch, Garden Shed, Large Workshop with Power & Light, Black Limestone Paving.
Mature Apple, Pear, Plum and Bay Leaf Trees
Wood Pergola trained with Grape Vine & Wisteria
Pond with resident golden tench and frogs
A large lawn, plenty of room for a family and children to play and kick a football around!


Front Garden
Shady private retreat in a hot summer with native hedges, shrubs surrounding lawn, mature walnut tree - gather them for Christmas - and colourful bulbs from January to June.

Stpp - Annexe
STPP - There is a possibility that the two bedrooms and en-suite downstairs could comfortably be converted into a self-contained annexe, due to the positioning of the large hallway and space away from the main house. Ideal for those who have extended family/elderly relatives living with them.

Upton Village
Upton village is a small friendly Downland village on the A417 between Blewbury and Harwell, with a great playground, active village wine club, the annual Uptonogood mountain bike festival, and of course the traditional village fete. It is served by 94 bus route, and the Sustrans cycle route 544 along the old railway into Didcot. From Didcot Parkway station it is 15 minutes to Oxford or Reading, and 45 minutes to Paddington. Upton is in Didcot Girls school catchment area, and school minibuses run to the Downs School, Compton. A selection of independent schools are nearby in Abingdon and Wallingford, and prestigious Oxford schools like Headington Girls and Magdalen College are within easy reach

Vendor's Comments
We moved to Upton 22 years ago for the garden. We stayed for the amazing community that is Upton village, and are only moving now for work. Twelve years ago, with three pre-teen kids, we decided to substantially extend the house and create an architecturally interesting house that would give us more room, and include accessible space for extended visits from grandparents. We took inspiration from architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, and worked with our architect to translate our vision into a practical family home. For example, the upstairs bedroom were designed with equal dimensions to avoid sibling squabbles over who got which room! The structure is traditional block & brick, so no insurance complications, but the cuboid double height central room, inserted into the traditional pitched roof main volume, is a homage to the cantilevered geometric structures that inspired us, and the fireproof fibre cement Marley Eternit Natura cladding references the clean facades of public buildings, whilst honouring the warm colours of local brick & flint houses.