“After the strong property market of 2021 and throughout ‘22 until the shenanigans of the Truss/Kwarteng ‘economic adventure’, the prospects for the year ahead look settled,” says Sam Butler, senior partner of Butler Sherborn, the Cotswolds property specialist.

“Notwithstanding the cost of living issues and current industrial action, confidence and stability are key ingredients of a successful property market, and while we cannot foresee any curved balls, inflation is predicted to come down during the year and 2023 is looking politically stable.

“For a range of lifestyle reasons people will always want to move home, downsize or upsize, and demand for Cotswold country and village properties remains steady, both from those moving within the area and from elsewhere.  To meet this demand, we have an encouraging pipeline of properties coming to the market over the next few months and into the Spring, both on and off market.

“Within this current and balanced market of supply and demand, we would expect prices to remain much as they are, albeit with vendors and purchasers needing to be sensible over the making and acceptance of offers.  This calmer, less frenetic market will see a more ordered flow of conveyancing work through solicitors, which should also make the purchasing process easier, quicker and less stressful for all concerned.”

The Old Post House, Black Bourton, Bampton, Oxfordshire, OX18 2PF - £950,000

This delightful three bedroom cottage is packed with period character while also enjoying the necessary features for warm contemporary living.  Originally two properties dating from the 16th century, it includes an enclosed south facing garden with a summerhouse/studio.

The ground floor comprises a good sized farmhouse kitchen/breakfast room complete with Aga and flagstone flooring, a generous range of shaker style units with an integrated fridge/freezer, dishwasher and granite worktops.  There is also an electric oven and two ring electric hob with extractor fan.  The sitting room features exposed ceiling beams, original timbers and large fireplace with a wood burning stove.  The conservatory/family room is a tasteful extension to the main cottage, offering a warm and sunny entertaining space complete with underfloor heating.  There is also a cloakroom and separate fitted utility room.

Upstairs is the master bedroom with views over the garden, two further double bedrooms, the family bathroom with a bath/shower and landing storage cupboards.

Outside the south facing garden includes a range of beautiful mature trees, hedging and shrubs and the ‘Beach Hut’, a two storey studio that is perfect as a home office or summer house.  Climbing roses and wisteria clad the front of the cottage, and there is a rear courtyard area with a garage/outbuilding with planning in place to provide additional accommodation.

Located in a pretty location within the ancient hamlet of Black Bourton with its fine medieval church, The Vines pub, a public tennis court and vibrant village community.  Nearby Bampton offers a supermarket, an award winning butcher and delicatessen, cafés, Post Office, several pubs and a medical centre.  Faringdon and Witney offer larger town facilities, while Oxford, Cheltenham and Cirencester are within easy driving distance, and there are highly regarded schools nearby.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/bampton/burford-road/nid3178

Guide price: £950,000

Butler Sherborn - Burford - 01993 822325

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Parsonage Barn, Quenington, Gloucestershire, GL7 5DH - £475,000

With fewer unconverted barns now remaining in the Cotswolds, Parsonage Barn is an increasingly rare opportunity to create your own home in an idyllic rural setting.

Parsonage Barn is an attractive period Cotswold stone barn situated a few miles east of Cirencester and about a mile from the village of Quenington.  Dating from the late 18th century, it is set away from the road by a long, private driveway in a delightfully rural location surrounded by farmland.

Planning permission has already been granted for a sympathetic conversion of the barn to create an attractive home that retains many of the building’s original features.  It has been designed with extensive glazing to maximise the natural light, including a fully glazed threshing porch overlooking the garden and glass between the retained Tuscan columns on the southern elevation.

This is a superb opportunity to create a great home by converting this raw agricultural barn into a two/three bedroom home.  The proposed accommodation comprises an entrance hall, vaulted kitchen/dining/living space with unusual scissor truss beams, two ground floor double bedrooms, a shower room, cloakroom and first floor galleried bedroom/home office within approximately 1,500 sq ft /140m2 of living space.  Sitting in a plot of just over an acre, the plan also allows for a detached carport, garage/store, driveway, parking area and garden.

Quenington is an attractive village, with a strong local community and located on the edge of the Coln Valley.  It has a good pub - The Keepers Arms, a village hall and parish church, while nearby Fairford and Lechlade provide for everyday needs.

There are main line railway stations at Kemble and Swindon with trains to London Paddington in around an hour, while the M4 and M5 motorways are within an easy drive.

A copy of the planning consent, conditions, and plans can be seen at the Cirencester office of Butler Sherborn or viewed online at www.cotswold.gov.uk

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/nr-quenington/nid3188

Guide price: £475,000

Butler Sherborn - Cirencester - 01285 883740

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Court Farm, Arlescote, Warwickshire, OX17 1DQ - £1.85million

Court Farm is an attractive four/five bedroom barn conversion with permission to extend.  Positioned in a wonderful setting on the north eastern edge of the Cotswolds - an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it sits in 8.3 acres of land that comprises paddocks, woodland and far reaching views.

In an edge-of-hamlet setting, it is built from Hornton stone with many character details including exposed stone and feature window apertures while also having recently been updated to provide stylish and tastefully contemporary accommodation.

Ideal for entertaining and family life, the ground floor includes generous sized reception areas that include a hall, large drawing room with character window apertures, and impressive open fireplace with raised hearth.

At the heart of the property is a stunning vaulted kitchen/dining room with exposed beams and timbers, a large fireplace with wood burning stove, and bespoke kitchen that includes fitted units with quartz worktops, an island, Lacanche range oven with LPG gas hob, extractor, integrated dishwasher and filter tap.  Sliding barn doors lead to the utility/boot room with a stable door to the courtyard.  Further sliding barn doors lead to a family room with rustic wood panelling, a breakfast area, a deep storeroom, an office space and cloakroom.

Upstairs there is a master bedroom with en-suite shower room and dormer window, a guest bedroom with fitted wardrobes and an en-suite shower room, two further bedrooms and a well-appointed family bathroom.

The property is set around a sheltered south facing courtyard to the rear and the versatile layout would allow for the creation of a ground floor bedroom suite, or a self-contained annex.

Approached via a long private driveway which adjoins paddocks, a natural pond and orchard with a variety of fruit trees, it leads to a gravelled parking area, broad area of lawn, a paved terrace and herbaceous beds at the front of the barn.  The delightful south facing courtyard garden is enclosed by stone walling and can be accessed from many rooms within the house, making it a wonderful space for dining and entertaining.  It is predominantly paved or gravelled, with various trees and herbaceous beds.  There is a garage/storeroom, and there is planning permission to add a garage with additional master bedroom space above.

Arlescote is a highly sought-after hamlet about 7 miles north west of Banbury on the Oxfordshire/Warwickshire border.  The Kitchen at Primrose Hill Farm does great food and excellent Sunday lunches, and the Carpenters Farm Shop is 2.5 miles away.  The towns of Banbury, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick are close by, and there is a good range of schools in the area.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/arlescote/nid3098

Guide price: £1.85million

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

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Bickerstaffs Farmhouse, Idlicote, Shipston-on-Stour, Warwickshire, CV36 5DT - £1.65million

Bickerstaffs is an attractive south facing, five bedroom period farmhouse with just under 2 acres, stables, paddock and stunning, far reaching views and part of an idyllic rural hamlet.  An attractive stone and brick built family home it has been in the same ownership for some 35 years and offers the potential of converting the stables or extending the house, subject to planning permission.

In the centre of the house are the well-proportioned drawing room and dining room, both with exposed beams and a large fireplace, and a beautifully fitted library with bespoke bookcases and a deep bay window overlooking the garden.  This has a separate entrance and a secondary staircase to a bedroom suite above that could provide a self-contained annex.

There is a separate sitting room with fireplace, leading to the kitchen/breakfast room which is fitted with a range of storage units and appliances and includes a two oven Aga and a separate, double oven and hob.  French doors lead to the large garden room, ideal for summer entertaining, and there is a small lobby, utility room and pantry.

Upstairs is a galleried landing with the part vaulted master bedroom with exposed beams, fitted wardrobes and an en-suite bathroom.  There are four double bedrooms, one with an en-suite bathroom, the other two being served by a further spacious family bathroom.

Accessed via a five bar gate leading to a substantial gravel driveway with a turning circle and extensive parking, a double carport is positioned to one side.  The detached stable block is adjacent to the entrance gate and provides four stables with power.  There are lovely gardens to the south and east of the house which are mostly of lawn, mature trees and shrubs.  There is a vegetable garden and fruit trees that include apple and fig.  The paddock is to the east of the garden.

Idlicote is an idyllic, much sought after rural hamlet on the northern edge of the Cotswolds in some of Warwickshire’s prettiest countryside and features a Norman church.  Nearby Halford has a good local shop, garage, inn and restaurant.  Shipston-on-Stour is 4 miles away, the Michelin starred Royal Oak pub at Whatcote is close by, and Stratford-upon-Avon is the main cultural and shopping centre, while there are some excellent schools in the area.

https://www.butlersherborn.co.uk/shipston-stour/nid3173

Guide price: £1.65million

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