5 Bedroom Detached House, Church Road, Brackley, NN13

Hillcrest is a handsome 1940s detached, on a generous plot on one of Brackley’s

oldest and most desirable roads. The three-storey home has been fully

renovated and is now the perfect property for a family.

The Home

Hillcrest has had only a handful of residents since it was built in the late 1940s.

When it came up for sale after half a century in 2009, the current owners knew it was

a chance not to be missed. Over the last 15 years, they’ve slowly but surely

renovated, making this an even more exciting opportunity for new owners.

The house has been extended and opened up, rewired and replumbed, and fitted

with new windows, doors and flooring, as well as extra insulation for improved

energy efficiency. Character remains in the original front door, internal ‘sunshine’

doors, and the herringbone parquet in the hall.

The downstairs accommodation makes sense for modern life. There’s a balance of

main living areas, combined with a flexible reception room. This would work well as

an office, a playroom, or a downstairs bedroom if needed. Once three separate

rooms, the lounge is now a bright and spacious place for a family to spend time in. The Reception room offers 205 sqm, could also be used as thee dining room.

There’s a fireplace with a brick hearth, and the bow window to the front faces south

for lots of natural light. There are double doors at the back too.

The kitchen and utility are connected to the lounge for easy flow. The utility has a

side door for coming in after a dog walk or a visit to the supermarket, and the kitchen has double doors onto the

garden for getting straight outside in summer. There’s a farmhouse feel in the

kitchen, with stone tiled flooring, cream Shaker cabinetry, and solid wood worktops.

The island offers bar seating and extra storage. Integrated appliances include a hob,

dual ovens and a dishwasher, and there’s a gap for a fridge/freezer. The utility room

matches the kitchen, and provides further storage, another sink, plus gaps for a

washing machine and a tumble dryer. Corner spot lights provide subtle lighting options in all main living areas both reception and bedrooms.

To the first floor, there are four double bedrooms, those at the rear with outlooks

over Brackley. The biggest bedroom benefits from an en suite shower room, while

the remaining three share the four-piece family bathroom. The bathrooms and the

cloakroom are all new, fitted in a neutral white and grey aesthetic.

By converting the loft, the owners have introduced additional accommodation, with

versatility as a private primary or guest suite, as a hobby space, or as somewhere for

children to have their independence. The rooms are light from Velux windows, and

there’s ample eaves storage for suitcases and seasonal stuff.

The Garden

The garden at Hillcrest is a great size. The lawn is large at over 200sqm, and the

gravelled seating area spans the full width of the house. The ivy-carpeted back

corner is the ideal spot for a bench. Mature planting is plentiful, from fatsia and ferns,

to raspberries and red currants. The timber-bound beds include established

irises—the owners’ favourite flower.

The walled frontage is also generous, with parking for multiple cars, and more

mature planting. Beyond the boundary is Brackley’s conservation area (Hillcrest sits

outside of this).

The owners have added an outbuilding at the side, which has potential to be adapted

into a car port (stp). This grants useful storage for bikes, outdoor items, and garden

furniture during winter. It could also be a workshop for those wanting to tinker.

The Location

Church Road is just off the High Street, in a convenient location for access to an

array of amenities such as shops and services, doctors and dentists, plus places to

eat and drink.

For families, Brackley has Ofsted-rated ‘Good’ pre-, primary and secondary schools,

as well as the independent Winchester House School. There are multiple parks for

after-school energy-burning, one mere metres from Hillcrest, and options for

weekend plans are varied.

The historic market town is surrounded by countryside, offering fresh air and nature.

There’s five-acre St James Lake, alongside formal gardens at Stowe, Thenford and

Evenley Wood.

For the active, Brackley has numerous sports teams, and a leisure centre with a

swimming pool. Golfers have Silverstone Golf Club, those into motorsport will

appreciate that the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team is based in Brackley and that

Silverstone is only 10 minutes up the road, flying enthusiasts have Turweston Flight

Centre and RAF Croughton, and daredevils have Hinton Skydiving Centre and the

Tanks-Alot tank-driving experience. For quiet relaxation, Whittlebury Park has a spa.

Being just a short drive to Banbury, Bicester and Buckingham and about half an hour

to Milton Keynes, there’s even wider choice, whether for retail, entertainment or the

great outdoors. By rail, you can be in the capital in as little as 48 minutes from

Bicester station, and by road from Brackley, you’re within easy reach of Oxford and

Northampton.