Respectable for dons: 22 Davenant Road is a North Oxford classic

As well as its leafy side roads and beautiful period houses, North Oxford is famous for its proximity to some of the city’s best schools and for one family, that was what attracted them to the area when they bought their house in Davenant Road. Although it seems like yesterday, that was 19 years ago and now, their children having grown up and moved on, the Lindgrens are downsizing.

There’s every chance that the new owners could be another family with children in a nearby school, which would be apt especially as No 22 has always had strong links to Oxford’s education community. It was built by Trinity College in the 1930’s as two apartments to accommodate married dons. “Bizarrely, Davenant Road was seen in those days as the last street north of the city that was considered respectable for dons,” says Carole Lindgren. “It seems hard to imagine, given that North Oxford is now one of the most desirable places in the city!”

By the time the Lindgrens bought the house in the 1990s, it had long been sold by Trinity then transformed to a family home, although the internal layout remained fairly untouched. “The upstairs layout mirrors downstairs, which is unusual,” says Carole, “but it gives it a sense of symmetry you don’t always find in houses of this period.”

The house has five bedrooms, including a large sitting/dining room and a huge family room. An elegant period conservatory enhances the south side; there is off street parking and a large, secluded garden. “It’s a great house for socialising, for children’s parties and so on. While they were growing up, there were always people coming and yet there was enough space,” she adds.

“Because we are so close to the schools and the city, the children could get anywhere they needed to as they got older. We didn’t have to be an ‘on tap’ taxi service for them!”

The Lindgrens have preserved the period character, creating a comfortable family home, and Carole has a strong vision of how it could be transformed further. “There is a growing trend for contemporary living, and this house offers great potential. You could change the internal layout and expand into the loft to create a really spacious contemporary home,” she says.

Whether or not the house undergoes another transformation, one thing the new owners can be assured of is that north of Davenant Road is definitely very respectable these days.

To Let: The North Oxford house that has everything, even a lake view

Number 257 Woodstock Road has been transformed from what was already a large, between-the-wars detached house into a spectacular contemporary home. Now available to let with Carter Jonas, it makes the perfect backdrop for modern family life in one of Oxford’s most desirable spots.

Beautifully extended and finished with high quality materials and cutting edge technology, it is possible that this really is the house with everything. Architect Wayne McLennan of Oxford firm McLennan Architects describes their brief: “Our client wanted to create a luxury family home that respected its architectural origins. We saw an opportunity to bring much more natural light and generous space into the house with the use of steel and glass, while keeping as much of the existing house as was valuable.

“As a result, we managed to double the original floor space and have created a feeling of quality throughout with meticulous attention to detail.” The architects worked with Oxford builder Peter Geekie of LamburnGeekie Ltd and the project was completed on budget and ahead of schedule.

The ground floor includes a large, open plan, double height space which is lined with glass concertina doors to the garden and overhead skylights. Limestone flooring and light walls enhance the daylight; the contemporary kitchen is fitted with Leicht appliances and a double aspect gas fire provides heat to this open living space and the adjacent main reception room.

The house is packed with cutting edge technology to support a modern family lifestyle. There is underfloor heating throughout and MVHR (mechanically ventilated heat recovery), an energy-conserving way of refreshing the air inside without having to open the windows. There is CAT5 wiring in almost every room, an internal phone system and an integrated Hot Bird Satellite system.

There are six bedrooms including a large master suite and the bathrooms are fitted with Villeroy and Boch suites, complete with heated towel rails. Outside high quality hardwood decking provides an excellent vantage point to enjoy the garden and the lake view beyond.

Woodstock Road in Central North Oxford is lined with large family houses ranging in period from late Georgian to modern day. Location-wise it is one of Oxford’s most desirable streets, being close to many independent schools and the city centre with excellent transport connections.

257 Woodstock Road is available to let immediately, price on application. To arrange a viewing of this and other properties from Carter Jonas, or if you’re a landlord with a property to let, contact Chris Way on 01865 511444 or visit www.carterjonas.co.uk.

The Quadrant offers smaller firms space to grow

Abingdon Science Park has its first tenant for Building 28, a series of furnished office suites that are designed for smaller businesses. VisionXS, the UK arm of this international experience specialist firm which provides services to major visitor attractions, has relocated from its base in Culham to take a 613 sq ft unit.

The Quadrant is prominently situated at the entrance to the Science Park and contains units ranging in size from 82 sq ft. “This is an excellent location in which to grow a business,” says Nick Wilkinson of agent Carter Jonas. “Well connected with the major road and rail links, there is ample parking in a spacious, modern environment. The offices are well put together, wired for services and part furnished, so you can move right in with the minimum of fuss.”

Abingdon Science Park is owned and managed by Universal Consolidated Opportunities, which specialises in providing quality working environments for its tenants and their businesses. The Science Park is largely occupied by larger businesses and Building 28, The Quadrant is the first to be geared at smaller firms. Features include suspended ceilings with recessed lighting, network cabling in situ, kitchen facilities and full carpeting.

For further information contact Nick Wilkinson at Carter Jonas on 01865 517000, visit www.quadrant-sciencepark.co.uk or www.carterjonas.co.uk/commercial. Find VisionXS at www.visionxs.co.uk.

A house ‘in touch with its garden’ offers great potential

Juniper House is a secluded farmhouse near Toot Baldon, a tiny hamlet close to Marsh Baldon, one of Oxfordshire’s most desirable villages. This rare find is surrounded by open fields and part of this thriving rural community, famous for its good primary school, cricket pitch and the popular Mole Inn.

The house was constructed around 40 years ago by Queens College as the farmhouse to its adjacent farm. The College separated the two some years ago and kept the farm, preserving its secluded, natural environment. “It really is very peaceful here and there are many lovely walks, right from outside the gate,” says Professor Avis, who owns the house with his wife. Both are retired academics and are now moving to downsize.

When built, Juniper House was a contemporary house ahead of its time. The ground floor has large open living spaces with lots of light and there are four bedrooms, three of them doubles. The Avis’ have added a south-facing conservatory and larger, double-glazed windows, enhancing its style and spaciousness, and making the most of the country views. The ground floor also contains an annexe, which is currently separate accommodation but could easily become an office or a studio, and there is also a double garage. “The house is very flexible,” he adds, “both my wife and I have worked from home in the past, and it a very pleasant working environment. We are also just fifteen minutes from Oxford by car.”

Being centrally positioned in two thirds of an acre plot gives Juniper House significant potential for expansion or redevelopment. The gardens are laid out very naturally, with lawns adorned with mature trees such as silver birch, willow, apple and plum, and the property is surrounded by open fields on three sides. “It is a house that’s very much in touch with its garden and its surroundings,” says Professor Avis.

Juniper House is on the market with offers in excess of £625,000 invited. To arrange a viewing contact Mark Charter on 01865 511444 or visit www.carterjonas.co.uk.

BRYANT OFFERS HELP TO BUYERS AT KINGS WALK

Bryant Homes Oxfordshire is offering buyers of the remaining two apartments at Kings Walk in Wantage the choice of either a Shared Equity scheme or a deposit match for up to 15%. Kings Walk is a modern apartment scheme in the heart of the town comprising 24 spacious homes that are all finished to a high standard.

The two remaining properties are first-floor, two-bedroom apartments, one with an impressive corner balcony and large, 16 ft living area. All of the homes at Kings Walk are finished with stylish kitchens with quality appliances, white and chrome bathroom suites and complete flooring. They are ready for occupation now.

Homes at Kings Walk are on the market from £149,995. To arrange a viewing contact Gillian Yau at Carter Jonas on 01865 511444 or visit www.carterjonas.co.uk.

MAKE YOUR POOCH PEACHY FOR LESS

March 2010: This spring you can get your dog peachy clean for a little bit less thanks to a promotion from Ancol’s Ergo range of grooming products. Buy any grooming product within the Ergo range and you’ll receive £5 off a session with the Dialadogwash mobile grooming service. What’s more, when the grooming session is done, you’ll receive a free copy of ‘Grooming Tips’, the Ergo guide to grooming your dog between washes and packed with good advice on keeping your pooch in tip top condition. ‘Grooming Tips’ also contains personal record of your dog’s grooming record, coat type, collar size and other features.

Ergo quality grooming brushes and tools give you everything you need to keep your dog’s coat in great condition and are available nationwide from the vast range of independent pet stores across the UK. Search the product range and where to buy at www.ancol.co.uk. Dialadogwash is the UK’s leading mobile grooming service - find your nearest at www.dialadogwash.co.uk. The £5 discount is available from 1 March 2010.

ENDS

Oxfordshire pupils go wild with Dr George McGavin

Photos by Karen David

World famous scientist, explorer and TV presenter Dr George McGavin joined more than 100 pupils from county schools at a Café des Sciences on Biodiversity hosted by St Edward’ School. Dr McGavin took the students on a whirlwind journey of the world’s species, sparking discussion and debate on the critical role of biodiversity in science and the environment.

Dr George McGavin comments: “This is the International Year of Biodiversity and all over the world we are doing more to raise awareness, especially among the younger generations, about how important it is to learn about and conserve all types of species. Ideas such as the Café des Sciences, where students get outside the classroom and are given a choice of topics they can discover and debate for themselves, are a great way to excite their enthusiasm.”

On the menu for discussion were ‘Why the need for biodiversity and the benefits it brings,’ and ‘How we can stem or prevent the loss.’ After the talk pupils discussed their ideas with Dr McGavin. Schools brought poster displays they had created on biodiversity issues which were judged by Dr McGavin at the end of the evening. Cherwell School won for Most Creative, and Didcot Girls’ School won for Most Scientific Content. Matthieu Marshall of Cherwell School and Eleanor Suter of Didcot Girls School accepted their schools’ awards from Dr McGavin.

Students attending were all Years 8-11 (13-16 years) and were from Cherwell School, Didcot Girls’ School, Headington School and St Edward’s School.

Café des Sciences is supported by St Edward’s School, Oxford and Oxford International Biomedical Centre, a registered charity which promotes healthcare, research and education, with an emphasis on giving state school pupils some of the advantages in science education that their peers in the independent sector receive – www.oibc.org.uk.

Dr George McGavin with Kendall Williams of St Edward's School