About Swanwood Estate
The proposed design offers a spacious open-plan modern living home and is meticulously positioned to take advantage of the views beyond Swanwood. The land predominately consists of formal gardens and woodland set within 42.35 acres.
Proposed accommodation
The proposed main house will provide 21,000 sq ft of accommodation. The new design scheme has been created to sit within the historic and typology planning guidance. A property and landscape strategy has been prepared by chartered architects, The Anderson Orr Partnership, to respect the nature of the site.
Energy My Way has composed a report to assess how to advance the energy efficiency of the proposed house. The intention is to replace the current house on the existing site and rotate the dwelling by 30 degrees. The new house has been carefully planned so that it is positioned to take advantage of the three vistas in the woodland.
The architects propose Swanwood to comprise an open planned living on the ground floor with a large kitchen/ breakfast and family room. There will be four further rooms on this floor, including two large reception rooms to the south and west providing the entertainment spaces – a garden room to the south and a billiard room to the north.
On the first floor, four bedroom suites will be accessed off the landing – all benefiting from separate dressing rooms and en suite bathrooms. In addition, there will be a reading room adjacent to the large landing. On the second floor will be three further bedroom suites with far-reaching views. The basement will contain ancillary spaces, including a games room and cinema room.
The proposed ancillary buildings (garage and swimming pool) are designed as standalone structures and will not be connected to the accommodation within the main dwelling. The tennis court and pavilion have also been redesigned on their current site – with a grand pavilion and all necessary services.
The basement and indoor swimming pool are designed to utilise the sloping topography of the site.
Current house and grounds
The enchanting setting is responsible for making Swanwood such an exceptional site. Hidden away down an extensive yet refreshingly low-key driveway, it is one of Oxfordshire’s best-kept secrets. Benefiting from an entirely rural location, with all the conveniences of a superbly accessible position.
The current house was built in the 1930s with striking white brick elevations. The sizeable, wooded garden and grounds surrounding the proposed site are a large part of its appeal, featuring some carefully planted veteran specimens. The woodland has undergone compliant management, including clearing to reveal the glorious vistas that were once concealed.
Majestic trees of note include several beeches and copper beech, oak and chestnut. There is a disused tennis court and pavilion at the foot of the main garden with proposed plans to redevelop. There is also a small crater within the grounds that marks the spot where a bomber crash-landed during the Second World War. There are various outbuildings to Swanwood; a spur to the right of the main house leads to a timber garage.
