Sweet chestnuts, acorns, cobnuts, conkers even walnuts, there is something very grounding and reassuring about having a nut tree in your garden or nearest hedgerow. And at this time of the year seeing them still maturing on the trees, falling to the ground or busily harvested by squirrels for their winter larder helps put life into context when out and about in the countryside. With beautiful gardens and in delightful bucolic locations, Butler Sherborn has added several fine period country house properties to the Cotswold market this autumn.

The Thatched Cottage, Idbury, Gloucestershire, OX7 6RU - £1million

If you’re looking for a chocolate box cottage in the Cotswolds, this Grade II Listed home at Idbury, midway between Stow-on-the-Wold and Burford should definitely be on your ‘must see’ list. Dating from the early 17th century and since extended, it now offers well-appointed accommodation and would make a great family home or country bolthole.

As well as the thatched roof, it is packed with character and period features including limestone walls, inglenook fireplaces, casement windows, exposed beams and trusses. The ground floor features a dining hall with stable front door, an inglenook fireplace with bread oven and salt store, a limestone floor, leaded light window with shutters and a window seat; the sitting room is similarly appointed. The kitchen/breakfast room is kept warm and welcoming thanks to an LPG fired Aga, and there are painted wooden units, a butler sink, hob, double oven and space for a dishwasher, fridge freezer and second fridge. There are exposed beams with spot lighting, plus a laundry area, shower room and coat room.

On the first floor are found three bedrooms featuring leaded light windows with shutters, exposed ceiling timbers, an archway leading to a dressing area with built in wardrobes and a bathroom with slipper bath, washbasin and WC.

Outside there is a conservatory, two south facing terraces that are ideal for entertaining and alfresco dining, a lawn complemented by mature shrub and seasonal flower beds, and  Cotswold stone walls and high conifer hedges for privacy and perfect for children. Approached via a gravelled drive through double wooden gates leading to a parking area, there is a Cotswold stone detached garage and wooden shed.

Idbury is an attractive and unspoilt village set amongst glorious Cotswold countryside within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is easy access to Kingham railway station with trains to London Paddington. Daylesford Farm Shop and spa is close by, as are numerous award winning village pubs and restaurants including The Feathered Nest in Nether Westcote within walking distance, The Kings Head in Bledington and The Hare at Milton-under-Wychwood nearby.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/idbury/nid3410

Guide price: £1million

Butler Sherborn – Stow-on-the-Wold - 01451 830731

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Orchard End, Long Newnton, Nr Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8RW - £1.65m

Built some 50 years ago and subsequently extended and updated, Orchard End is an appealing family house offering elegant living over three floors. South facing so light and sunny, it sits in beautifully landscaped gardens that were designed by Chelsea multi-gold medal winner, Julian Dowle.

The ground floor comprises a hall, drawing room with Bath stone fireplace and a deep bay window, sitting room with fitted bookcases, a Portland stone fireplace and a deep bay with a French door to a west-facing paved terrace. The kitchen/breakfast room is fitted with a two oven gas Aga and also includes an electric oven, combination hob with ceramic and gas rings and an integrated dishwasher - an overhead skylight floods the room with light. There is a walk-in larder, cloakroom, utility room and boot room that is ideal for muddy boots and dogs.

On the first floor is a galleried landing, principal bedroom with built-in wardrobes, large en suite bathroom with a separate shower, two further double bedrooms, family bathroom and office. The second floor includes two more double bedrooms with dormer windows and  fitted wardrobes and a bathroom.

Outside, the property is approached through an electronically operated five bar gate leading to a gravel driveway with generous parking. There is a double garage with a studio/office above accessed via tallet steps, a loggia, external store and greenhouse. Fully enclosed by Cotswold stone walls and hedging, the gardens are ideal for pets and children, and are laid to lawn with mature trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders planted for year-round interest. There is also a large raised multi-level pond and water feature, a broad paved terrace that wraps around the house with an electronic sun awning, and a pony paddock with stables running to just over three quarters of an acre in all.

Long Newnton is a small village in the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and just 1.5 miles east of Tetbury, known for its fine architecture and antique shops. It is close to Westonbirt Arboretum and Highgrove, The King’s country home.

Kemble station has direct trains to London Paddington, while the M4 nearby gives easy access to Bristol and Bath.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/near-tetbury/nid3409

Guide price: £1.65million

Butler Sherborn - Cirencester - 01285 883740

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The Great Barn, Sandford St. Martin, Oxfordshire  OX7 7AG - £2.5m

On the market for the first since its conversion, The Great Barn fuses period character and contemporary open plan living with 4,235 sq ft of space. Set among beautiful gardens and within one of the most sought-after and tranquil villages in West Oxfordshire, this makes for a great family home.

Well-presented throughout, family life is centred on the 22 feet long kitchen, complete with a vaulted ceiling, bespoke handmade units and electric Aga. Leading off this is a family room and dining room, a spacious drawing room with a log burning stove, a study, TV room and entrance hall. Upstairs on the first floor is the main bedroom with dressing area and bathroom with a large walk in shower. There are two further bedrooms and a bathroom, and on the second floor, two more double bedrooms and a shower room.

Sitting in three quarters of an acre, the south-facing garden has been designed with numerous patio/seating areas for different times of the day. With a large area of lawn, there is a secluded water garden with herbaceous borders and a natural gazebo offering another tranquil dining area. Set back from the village lane, the house is approached via a sweeping gravel drive leading to the front of the house. There is a detached, triple carport with stone pillars - remodelled from the original cart sheds, and a good-sized workshop.

The property is centrally located in the village, but tucked away in a private and peaceful position. The village balances the quintessential countryside essence while being part of a cosmopolitan community.  Soho Farmhouse is within walking distance, while the highly rated Quince & Clover café, Daylesford Organic and The Cotswold Guy farmshop and delivery service are nearby, while good schools in the area include Great Tew, Tudor Hall, Bloxham, Kitebrook and Winchester House.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/sandford-st-martin/manor-road/nid3390

Guide price: £2.5million

Butler Sherborn – Stow-on-the-Wold - 01451 830731

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Pound Farm, Eastcourt, Nr Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9HN - £2.95m

With five bedrooms, three reception and three bathrooms, this classic Grade II Listed Cotswold stone farmhouse sits in just over 10 acres on the edge of a quiet hamlet and comes with a granary, stables, gardens, small arboretum, a swimming pool and paddock.

Believed to date from the late 17th or early 18th century, it retains many original features including stone mullions, magnificent beams and timbers, paved flooring, fireplaces and window seats, and has been in the same ownership for over 30  years. Providing spacious and comfortable accommodation, there is now the opportunity to upgrade and refurbish the house or, subject to Listed Building and planning permissions, to create ancillary accommodation, a home office or party barn within the outbuildings.

Ground floor accommodation comprises an impressive dining room with a broad inglenook fireplace with wood burning stove and original paved floor, a spacious drawing room with  beams, fireplace and a wood burning stove, a fitted study and conservatory. There is a large farmhouse-style kitchen/breakfast room with window seat, large peninsular unit, twin oven oil-fired Aga, electric oven, propane hob, integrated dishwasher, fridge and freezer.  There is a utility room, cloakroom, and part-tiled lobby so ideal for muddy dogs and wellies.

Upstairs is found a broad galleried landing, principal bedroom with window-seats, ornamental fireplace, fitted wardrobes, walk-in dressing area and en suite bathroom with separate shower. There are two further double bedrooms, one with impressive beams and a family bathroom. On the second floor are two further double bedrooms with part vaulted ceilings and exposed ‘A’ frame beams at either end of the landing.

Outbuildings include a granary, which has been partially converted into garaging for three cars and loft space reached via original stone tallet steps, an animal byre, a part open stone store and an original stable block. There is a heated swimming pool with changing room and shower.

Gardens surround the house on three sides and comprise lawns with herbaceous beds, mature trees and a sheltered paved dining terrace.  There is an area of orchard, an arboretum with a shaded woodland walk, paddock and large duck pond, and a large walled courtyard with extensive parking.

With views over paddock and farmland, the property is well located for commuting by rail to London or by road to Bath, Cheltenham, and Bristol.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/near-malmesbury/nid3393

Guide price: £2.95million

Butler Sherborn - Cirencester - 01285 883740

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Cotswolds Residential Property Market Comment

Sam Butler, senior partner, Butler Sherborn

After 14 consecutive interest rate rises, the Bank of England has made the decision to retain the base rate of 5.25% for the moment. This is an indication that the market is stabilising and we can start hoping for a slow, but sustained economic recovery.

With inflation continuing to fall, slightly more quickly than anticipated, and now at 6.8% it has possibly peaked. These are all positive signs for the economy as a whole and the residential property market should respond with improved confidence.

Falling inflation together with more attractive mortgage rates should encourage more people to move house.  In the Cotswolds, the market is usually quicker to react than less popular areas of the country. Those considering a sale should start preparations well ahead of the anticipated General Election in 2024. There is a strong supply of buyers waiting for the right moment and the right property.

The Cotswolds remain an extremely popular and attractive part of the country in which to live. With excellent communications to London, the West Country and the North of England, by road and rail, the Cotswolds are easily accessible and very beautiful. The area is well served by good schools in both the state and private sector and has active artistic communities from Stratford and Stroud to Oxford. In addition to walking in the Cotswolds, there are many sporting activities available from sailing and golf to rugby and horse racing.