Located in Paxford, Barn End is a beautifully converted barn that looks perfectly at home in its chocolate-box Cotswold village surroundings. Idyllically rural without being remote, it is within easy reach of both Chipping Campden and Moreton-in-Marsh and their many attractions, making it the perfect place to gather for a relaxing holiday escape with family or friends and enjoy the best of both worlds.
As pleasing to the eye as it is practical for a group, Barn End has style and substance in equal measure, its architectural design striking a carefully considered balance between character and 21st-century mod cons. Using the space to maximum advantage, Barn End's Tardis-like living accommodation extends from a welcoming, light-filled entrance hall with a handy understairs cloakroom. In the cosy living room, two comfortable sofas and an armchair are arranged around a stone fireplace with wood burning stove, while a useful office space beyond can be used or curtained off as necessary.
Patio doors in the living room give a view of the rear courtyard garden, which can also be enjoyed from the country cottage-style kitchen/dining room next door, where meals can be prepared in the fully equipped kitchen and enjoyed at the six-seater dining table while the Sonos speaker plays in the background. A glass door leads to a conservatory with a table and four chairs, and from there you step out to the courtyard garden at the rear.
Carpeted stairs lead up from the entrance hall to a landing which has a master bedroom with a king-size bed, ensuite bathroom and a dressing room at one end, and a twin-aspect double bedroom at the other end. In between are a smaller double bedroom and the family shower room. Barn End delivers on outside space too, with a well-established lawned garden at the front where you can pause and take a deep breath of fresh country air. Meanwhile, an enclosed courtyard garden to the rear is a lovely sun trap with a patio and a gravelled area with a table and seating for up to eight people, where you can enjoy morning coffees or evening drinks followed by dinner cooked on the barbecue.
Ground Floor
Entrance Hall:
Step through the front door into a light and airy entrance hall, which is decorated in neutral tones and has a practical wooden floor. There is also a coat and umbrella stand in a corner by the window, above which an exposed wooden beam gives an early indication of how the barn's original features have been preserved and highlighted throughout the rest of the property. A chandelier hangs from another beam overhead. There are two doors beneath the stairs, one to a cloakroom and one to a storage cupboard.
Cloakroom:
A handy downstairs cloakroom with a handbasin and WC is located underneath the stairs.
Living Room:
Two stone steps lead up from the entrance hall to the doorway to the living room on the left. A stone fireplace with wood burning stove creates a focal point on the wall facing you as you enter, with a large Smart TV positioned in the corner to the right. Two comfortable sofas and a separate armchair provide ample seating and are arranged in an L shape around the fireplace and TV, with a coffee table in the middle. A large rug covers the warm wooden floor and there is a lovely view of the rear courtyard garden through the large patio doors. A selection of books and games can be found on shelves and in a cupboard behind the door to the room. In addition to ceiling spotlights there are two table lamps, one next to each sofa.
Office:
Beyond the living room is a small office which is curtained off and accessed by a step down to the left of the fireplace. Hopefully you won't need to work on your holiday but if you do, this room has an office desk and chair. There is also a small storage room at the opposite end where items such as the ironing board and highchair are kept.
Dining Room / Kitchen:
The dining room/kitchen is next to the living room and is accessed via the two stone steps up from the entrance hall. Wooden flooring continues in this room, which has a light and airy feel thanks to a glass wall that separates the kitchen from the conservatory. There is also a patio door to the garden. Exposed brickwork adds character to the dining end of the room, where there is a wooden table with six chairs. Within easy reach of the dining table, a breakfast bar connects the kitchen area with the rest of the room and provides handy extra space for overflow dishes and bottles from the table. Meanwhile the stools underneath the bar provide additional seating and a place to perch with a coffee or glass of wine while someone works their culinary magic in the kitchen, all to the soundtrack of your holiday playlist playing on the Sonos speaker. The country cottage-style cupboards are comprehensively equipped with cookware and utensils, and there is a built-in electric oven with ceramic hob. Other appliances include a large fridge-freezer, microwave, dishwasher and washing machine.
Conservatory:
A glass door leads from the kitchen to a conservatory with a flagstone floor, exposed stone walls and a dining table with four chairs. The conservatory looks out onto the courtyard garden to the rear of the property.
First Floor
A carpeted staircase with a wooden handrail leads up from the entrance hall to the three bedrooms and family shower room.
Bedroom One:
Exposed wooden ceiling beams make an eye-catching feature in the master bedroom, a spacious, light-filled room with two large Velux windows fitted with blackout blinds above a king-size bed. Bedside tables with lamps stand on each side of the bed, opposite which there is a large TV on a drawer unit – perfectly placed if you fancy watching a film before going to sleep or want to make the most of a leisurely lie in watching television with a morning coffee. There's a comfortable armchair in one corner where you could curl up with a book, and a large chest of drawers provides plenty of storage space for your clothes and belongings, whether you choose to unpack as soon as you arrive or explore your home-away-from-home first.
Ensuite:
From the bedroom, a door and two steps with a handrail lead down to the ensuite bathroom, where there is a large bath with hand-held shower attachment along the left wall. To the right is the handbasin and in front of you is the WC. The wall around the bath and the floor are both tiled, and exposed wooden beams have once again been incorporated into the design.
Dressing Room:
Beyond the ensuite bathroom is a carpeted dressing room where you could hide your unpacked suitcases out of the way and out of sight. This room could also be used for a travel cot if you're staying with an infant.
Bedroom Two:
At the top of the stairs to the right, bedroom two is a twin aspect room with a view of both the front and rear gardens through the quirky low windows. A double bed is positioned next to the rear windows and has a bedside cabinet with lamp to either side. A wall light above the headboard also provides additional light in the room. After hanging your clothes in the wardrobe, take a seat on the decorative small chair by the front windows and enjoy the view of the lovely garden beyond. There is also a small mirror on the wall to the right of the door.
Family Shower Room:
Off the landing between bedrooms two and three is a family shower room. The walk-in shower has a rainfall shower head plus a separate hand-held attachment, and the WC is opposite the handbasin and vanity unit with drawers for storing toiletries. A heated towel rail keeps the room warm and cosy, and light pours in though the Velux window although this can be blocked out with a blind.
Bedroom Three:
The third bedroom is a standard double (not shown) and is positioned between the master bedroom and the family shower room. While this is the smallest of the three bedrooms it has plenty of built-in storage in the form of two mid-height cupboards and a large wardrobe on the wall behind the door, and there is a bedside table with a lamp.
Outside
The northwest-facing garden to the front of Barn End is laid to lawn and is planted with mature trees and shrubs. A lovely sunny spot for a picnic on the grass on your own doorstep, the garden also has seating to suit all situations, whether it's enjoying a morning coffee at the small table for two on the patio to the left of the front door, or an al fresco lunch at the larger table for four which is tucked away on a patio to the right in front of the kitchen window. Between the front garden and the walled courtyard garden to the rear, which is southeast-facing, you'll have private outside space in which to make the most of the sunshine all day long. The rear garden has a table with seating for up to eight people, where you could sit down to an al fresco dinner that has made the short journey from the kitchen or serve whatever you've cooked up on the barbecue. There is parking for a maximum of two cars on the driveway at the front of the property.
Batsford Arboretum7 min en voiture - 6.6 km