Sandalwood Brightwalton

a magical character family home in an idyllic location

Tucked away in the idyllic hamlet of Brightwalton, near Newbury, Sandalwood is a warm and welcoming family home that’s simply bursting with character and charm. It’s the sort of special place you just can’t wait to come home to at the end of a long day, with a unique charm that will captivate your heart.

With a great layout that allows the whole family their own space, welcoming rooms for everyone to come together and a detached annexe for home working, guest accommodation or income-producing potential, could this be your forever home?

We can’t wait to show you around!

welcome home

Pull up onto the gravel driveway after passing through the five-bar gate.

Sandalwood is waiting to welcome you home. Built around 1860, the current owners have lovingly renovated and extended this part-thatched country cottage, creating a stylish family home with over 3000 square feet of living space. You’ll notice the sublime peace and quiet of Sandalwood’s location – it’s hard to believe you’re only five minutes from the A34 which will whisk you to Newbury in around fifteen minutes, or north to Oxford in under forty-five. Inside, you’ll notice the careful attention to detail, tasteful décor and finishing touches of the highest standard.

Invite your guests to enter through the oak front door into a spacious and welcoming hallway,

flooded with light and warm underfoot thanks to the underfloor heating. Beyond the entrance hallway you’ll discover an effortless flow to the rooms, with luxurious finishing touches that effortlessly blend the traditional and the contemporary.

Family, children and dogs can enter through the boot room door where muddy boots can be taken off and stored out of the way. Take off your coat and head into the kitchen where we’ll put the kettle on!

dream kitchenA grand Butler sink sits under the picture window with views out across the garden. Sit up around the large central island for a speedy weekday breakfast before school, or gather round the oak table in the dining hall for convivial kitchen suppers. Speaking of schools, there’s a highly regarded primary school just down the road in Brightwalton, and the bus for the ‘Outstanding’ Downs School leaves from The Green, just a few yards away.

The kitchen leads through into a sizable utility room and cloakroom, with ample space for all your laundry and household essentials. There’s space for a washing machine and tumble dryer and a large cupboard where you can hide away your ironing board and cleaning equipment.

From the kitchen, your eye is naturally drawn back to the dining area. For more intimate entertaining, you may choose to eat here rather than the formal dining room, as it’s the perfect place to cook dinner in your sublime kitchen without missing out on the conversation. In warmer months, you can throw open the French door onto the sheltered patio dining area, complete with built-in brick barbeque. This south-facing suntrap ensures you’ll be able to while away long summer hours with friends or enjoy the peace and quiet in this serene retreat.

You’ll naturally congregate in Sandalwood’s gorgeous, bespoke Thomas & Thomas kitchen. Decorated in muted shades of Farrow & Ball green and cream, and with sparkling black granite worksurfaces, this is a dream kitchen. The focal point is the large Lacanche range cooker with six-ring gas hob, where you can whip up all sorts of culinary delights. For modern convenience there’s a large integrated Miele fridge and separate freezer, an additional Miele oven and an Miele microwave built into the island.

Sandalwood enjoys no fewer than three beautifully appointed reception rooms, so the whole family can enjoy their own space under one roof. The funky family room with its cosy wood-burner is a great place for teenagers to ‘crash’ and watch movies with their friends on the huge L-shaped sofa. Younger children will enjoy using this space as a playroom where they can enjoy having all their toys out. There’s even a study nook for homework or quiet reading.

East-facing, this room is at its best in the mornings when gentle sunlight floods in. With enough space for a grand piano, it’s currently used as a music room, but would equally make a stunning ‘morning room’ – a place to enjoy coffee and the papers on a Sunday morning. A natural reading room, throw open the French doors in the summer to allow in the cool breeze and enjoy the sounds of gentle birdsong.

For a bit of grown up peace and quiet, behind a traditional latched door, you’ll find the snug a great place to curl up under the exposed timber beams on a winter’s evening in front of the fire.

Our favourite room at Sandalwood leads just off the snug. If you are entertaining, your guests can enjoy a pre-dinner drink in here before heading through into the elegant formal dining room where you can enjoy supper by candlelight warmed by the French wood-burner.

The dining room opens out into a simply gorgeous third reception room. High ceilings and windows along two sides with double French doors give this room a wonderful feel of light and space.

relaxed elegance

and relax…

This quirky and characterful house has two staircases leading up to the first floor bedrooms. At the top of the first staircase you’ll find the elegant master suite, which enjoys breath-taking views over rolling fields. There are hand-crafted wardrobes and a dressing area perfectly placed under the picture window so you can be inspired by those views as you get ready for your day. The master en-suite features a spacious walk-in shower and a luxurious roll-top bath for a long leisurely evening soaks with a book and perhaps a glass of something cold! His and hers sinks means there’ll be no squabbling over space at bed-time!

At the top of the second staircase, three further bedrooms lead off a wide, open landing. The smallest single room with its ensuite bathroom would make a perfect nursery or dream bedroom for little girls. Two further double bedrooms share a ‘Jack and Jill’ bathroom with modern walk-in shower cleverly built into the vaulted space and making a feature out of the exposed timber beams. Natural wood flooring throughout creates an effortless flow and children will enjoy coming together on the landing to play. You could even put a homework desk here under the window.

more space to explore

How will you use Sandalwood’s detached annexe?

With its own private entrance, it could be the perfect space for business owners or those who want to work from home. The upstairs with its spacious bedroom and en-suite would make excellent guest accommodation or a ‘granny annexe.’

Downstairs, there’s a fitted kitchen and lots of useable space. Perhaps this could be a games room, home gym or teenage ‘den’?

The gardens at Sandalwood wrap around the house and annexe, creating gorgeous vistas, a safe place for children and dogs to run free and the perfect place to catch the sun at any time of the day.

You’ll find a mixture of entertaining spaces and sheltered patio, with expansive green lawned areas that are easy to maintain and bursting with mature trees and shrubs.

gorgeous gardens

out and about

Pull on your boots, grab the dogs and set off on an adventure by foot. There’s miles of idyllic English countryside to explore! Perhaps you’ll set off first thing and finish with a coffee or lunch at Saddleback Farm Shop, or maybe you’ll enjoy a leisurely walk back from the Ibex Inn at Chaddleworth after a hearty Sunday lunch?

With all this peace and privacy you could easily forget that you’re just six miles away from Newbury! Sandalwood offers the best of both worlds: peaceful country living yet just a short distance away from shops, restaurants, supermarkets and entertainment.

The village of Brightwalton has a nursery and primary school within walking distance, rated “Good” by Ofsted. Sandalwood is in the catchment area of the sought-after “Outstanding” Downs School and there is a bus to and from the school from the nearby Brightwalton Green. There’s an excellent choice of independent schools in the area including St Gabriels, Cheam, Thorngrove, Elstree, Brockhurst & Marlston House, Horris Hill and Downe House as well as easy access

to Marlborough, Bradfield & Radley colleges.

If dining is your thing, you’ll find award-winning restaurants The Woodspeen and The Vineyard a short distance away. At the David Lloyd club in Newbury, you can enjoy a game of tennis, a swim or a massage in the spa whilst the children enjoy the Kids Club.

In recent years, nearby Newbury has undergone something of a renaissance and now boasts a wealth of high-end shops and independent boutiques, restaurants, a cinema, two theatres and trendy canal-side wine bars. There’s a large Waitrose and Sainsbury’s superstore in town, plus an M&S Food and other major stores in the retail park just outside the town. There are numerous parks and playgrounds, and pretty canal-side walks to be found.

If you’re commuting to London by train, Newbury offers a regular, fast service to Paddington (approximately 45 minutes). The A34 and M4 are nearby providing fast access to Reading, London or the West Country.

the finer details

MAIN HOUSE:

4 Bedrooms

3 Bathrooms

4 Reception Rooms

Kitchen/Diner

Utility Room/Cloakroom

Boot Room

ANNEXE:

1 Bedroom

1 Bathroom

Kitchenette

Bonus Room

Wonderful Views

Gardens of 1/3 Acre

Downs School Catchment

Gross Internal Area: 265.9 sq m / 2862 sq ft Annexe: 83.9 sq m / 903 sq ft Total: 349.8 sq m / 3765 sq ft

This floor plan including furniture, fixture measurements and dimensions are approximate and for illustration purposes only. Boxbrownie.com gives no guarantee, warranty or representation as to the accuracy and layout. All enquiries must be directed to the agent, vendor or party representing this floor plan. Produced for Stowhill Estates.

First Floor Ground Floor

Outbuilding Ground Floor

Outbuilding First Floor

To view Sandalwood call the Stowhill Estates Team on: 01235 751 888 | hello@stowhillestates.com

a magical character family home in an idyllic location

Sandalwood Brightwalton