Location

Situated in South Oxfordshire at the confluence of the River Thame and River Thames, Dorchester-on-Thames is steeped in history. Well known for its historic Abbey built for Augustinian monks in 1140, which later became the Parish church at the dissolution of the monasteries, the monastic guest house beside the Abbey is now a museum and tea room and two of the former coaching inns are now pubs.

Historic Dorchester-on-Thames is a thriving and active village. There are fishing and sailing clubs on the lakes, football and cricket clubs, three pubs, village hall, shop, the Abbey and Catholic church and a primary school. Also in the village is Bishop Court Farm with its Snug Café which hosts regular jazz sessions as well as myriad other activities. The nearby market towns of Abingdon, Wallingford and Oxford amply provide for everyday shopping and leisure requirements. Footpaths and bridleways abound, both along the Thames and towards Wittenham Clumps.

The area is well served for a wide selection of state and independent schools. Independent schools include Moulsford Preparatory School, Cranford House, The Oratory Prep, Abingdon Prep, Radley College, Abingdon School and of course the highly regarded Oxford schools. State Schools include the nearby Europa international school, a multilingual 4-18 school offering the chance to develop language skills at a young age and study the IB, St Birinus C of E Primary in the village and the secondary in Wallingford.

Road links are excellent via the A34, A329 and the Oxford ring road, providing access to the M4 and M40. There is a choice for the London commute by train; From Didcot Parkway into Paddington (approx. journey time of around 36 minutes) or from Reading (25 minutes), or alternatively into Marylebone from Haddenham & Thame (from 37 minutes) or Oxford Parkway. There are two excellent coach services into London, Oxford Tube and X90, which run at regular intervals 24 hours per day from Oxford. Airline coaches also provide a regular service to Heathrow or Gatwick from Oxford or Lewknor.

Description

Sunnyridges provides an exciting opportunity to further develop an enviable plot on the edge of a highly desirable village with its own c.40m of river frontage to the Thames with mooring and riparian rights. The present house, originally built around 1950, has been extensively re-modelled over the years, now providing comfortable accommodation exceeding 4100 sq ft, including the garage and outbuildings.

On the ground floor is a well-appointed kitchen with breakfast bar and utility room off, dining room, sitting room and conservatory, study, cloakroom, two bedrooms and a shower room. On the first floor are two bedrooms, one facing towards the front overlooking the lake, the other towards the rear, and a family bathroom. There is a double garage with stairs to a first floor.

Planning permission has been granted to significantly extend and remodel the existing house (P24/S0210/HH) to create an impressive Riverside home and outbuildings buildings in excess of 6,600 sq ft. As well as planning permission to extend the house, the Environment Agency have given permission to significantly enhance the riverside setting by adding 38 meters of piling and widening the inlet.

The planning permission granted in 2024 was a renewal of the planning granted in 2018 that had expired (P18/S2728/HH). These plans were produced by a local architect to extensively extend the existing house to create a seven bedroom two storey house of over 6,600 sq ft (including existing garage and outbuildings) with a 17 x 3m indoor pool. This approval followed permission granted in 2015 under the Neighbourhood Consultation Scheme (P15/S1054/PDH) for an extension of 846 cubic metres using permitted development rights. These permissions indicate some of the potential possibilities this plot affords. Details can be viewed online on the South Oxfordshire District Council website: http://southoxon.gov.uk (Planning references as above). The proposed house included a generous entrance hall, large kitchen/dining/living room, sitting room, conservatory, study, utility/boot room, cloakroom and wine room. A spa complex included a 17 metre pool, sauna, changing room with shower, gym and cloakroom. A second staircase from the pool afforded direct access to the principal bedroom suite. On the first floor, the principal bedroom had a dressing room and en suite bathroom with lake views. There were six further bedrooms (three with en suite facilities) and a family bathroom.

Outside
The present house is set well back off the road and enjoys views over the lake to the front, and the large garden and to the river and beyond. The extensive gardens are a particularly impressive feature of this property and are a rare find, particularly with a riverside setting. A recent addition to the grounds is an En Tout-Cas multi-use tennis court. At the end of the garden is an idyllically situated summerhouse with views down the river to Wittenham Clumps.

There are also three further outbuildings adjacent to the summerhouse, the middle one has a separate electric supply. Steps allow access down the bank to the river. A large flat grassed area spans the c.40m of riverbank with an inlet to one end used by the current owner to access the river for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding, and a wooden mooring jetty. In the last year, the Environment Agency have approved the installation of an oak piling system extending around the inlet and along the full extent of the bank to enhance the site, and allow for the potential creation of a boathouse (subject to planning). There is a close community around the river, consisting of weekend boaters, anglers, runners and dog walkers, all keen admirers of the river’s sleepy passage through some of Oxfordshire’s most beautiful uninterrupted countryside. It is possible to boat along the river to the centre of Oxford, taking in the villages of Clifton Hampden, Culham and Abingdon en route.

Directions

From Oxford take the A4074 to Henley. Pass through Nuneham Courteney. At the second roundabout, turn right to Abingdon and Dorchester. Take first left for Dorchester. Sunnyridges is found after about 500 meters on the right, opposite the Sailing Club.