‘Chocolate Box’ cottage lives up to its name

A historic Oxfordshire cottage so pretty it was twice pictured on boxes of Fry’s chocolates, and appeared as a 1,500 piece jigsaw, has come onto the market through Savills.

Wharf Barn, in Sutton Courtenay, was built around 1470 when King Richard III owned the settlement, and served a landing stage and wharf on the River Thames. Between the 16th and late 17th century the house was owned by ship breakers and it remained virtually unchanged until 1912, when it was bought, along with the nearby Queens Arms public house, by H H Asquith. The soon-to-be prime minister had Wharf Barn converted to living accommodation for his wife Margot and her son Anthony (later a famous film director) by the architect Walter Cave, who also demolished the pub and built a new house, The Wharf, for the Asquiths. Both houses were the subject of a Country Life article on 25 October 1913.

The current owners, Ian and Pamela Hanson, spent two years looking for their ideal property before lighting on Wharf Barn fourteen years ago. Mr Hanson, a sculptor, says: “We particularly wanted somewhere near either a river or the sea and it had to have room for a studio, as well as plenty of character. We have updated where we needed to but essentially the house is very little changed. We think of ourselves as caretakers of a historic building and hope whoever buys it will look after it and love it as we have.”

The unique Grade II listed property has numerous period features such as exposed timbers, leaded lights and a stone fireplace in the drawing/dining room. French doors opening onto the garden have replaced the old barn doors and the property was extended in the 1970s to create a third bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/breakfast room. The master bedroom is particularly attractive, with fitted oak wardrobes and views over the river.

In the garden is the former dry boathouse, which has been converted into Mr Hanson’s studio and a photographic dark room, and a wet boathouse opening onto the Thames. An archway with wrought iron gates leads from the road down a driveway to the detached garage next to the studio.

Wharf Barn is on the market at a guide price of £795,000 with Savills Oxford.

For more information, visit Savills.com.