Mercia House will strike you as an interesting medieval property, with exposed timbers and the classic overhang, or jettying, of homes of the mid-16th century. You could be forgiven, however, for thinking it might not be big enough or luxurious enough to sleep eight guests comfortably. But, as the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover… Mercia House is much, much more than it looks from the roadside.
The original part of Mercia House (which includes today's sitting room, snug, bedrooms 3 and 4 and the side that you see from Hailes Road), dates back to the mid-16th century, while the rear of the house, including the open-plan kitchen-living-dining area, study/playroom, family shower room, bedrooms 1 and 2 and terrace/patio, are an uber-stylish, contemporary addition made by the current owners in 2018.
At the back of the house is a delightful outdoor space, including an elevated terrace directly outside the open-plan dining-living area, with fabulous views of the Isbourne Valley and Sudeley Hill, a large patio with outdoor furniture and a charcoal BBQ for al fresco dining, and a long sloping lawn with mature trees and planted borders that leads down to a garden gate and the steps to the private parking area. Two well-behaved dogs are welcome.
Ground Floor
Sitting Room:
This historic room features an inglenook fireplace, with a wood burner, beautiful parquet flooring, and exposed original oak beams. It is furnished with a two-seater sofa and two beautiful leather “bucket” chairs, while a resplendent chess table is laid up ready for a game and a long case clock watches silently over the scene. This room was originally the servants' quarters, where they would have cooked food and roasted food in the large fireplace, which would have also heated their masters in the master bedroom above.
Snug:
Across the hallway from the Sitting Room is the Snug, which again features a stone hearth and wood burner, beautiful parquet flooring, and exposed original beams. With its large antique desk, seating, and bookcases full of a wide choice of reading matter, this is a great room to hide away to read, relax or work.
Down three steps and into the magnificent and contemporary ground floor extension.
Utility Room:
The handy Utility Room is where the washer and dryer are located, as well as a sink and cupboards housing an iron and all the various appliances' operating and maintenance manuals. (A locked door leads to the basement; this is for housekeeper/owner access only.)
Continue through to the rear of the house, along the spectacular hallway with its vaulted ceiling and bridge.
Kitchen-Dining Area-Living Area:
This open plan, contemporary centrepiece of the house has fantastic views of the garden and uninterrupted countryside, sweeping up the Isbourne valley towards woodland and Sudeley Hill. Three sets of double doors open out to the terrace, which leads to the patio and garden.
The Kitchen:
At the centre of the spacious and very well-equipped kitchen is a large island with a breakfast bar with three seats and a 5-ring gas bob. Chefs will enjoy the fabulous view out to the terrace and beyond while they cook. The back half of the kitchen is fully equipped with immaculate white units, a large wooden preparation surface, a dishwasher, a double ceramic sink, and a double AEG fan oven.
Dining Area:
In front of the kitchen and beside the French doors to the terrace is a long, rectangular wooden table comfortably seating eight guests. Diners can enjoy the fabulous view or chat with the chefs in the kitchen!
Living Area:
Set to one side of the open plan area, the living area has two inviting sink-in, three-seater sofas, a statement glass coffee table, a large Samsung smart TV, and a fabulous view, So, guests can choose to relax, watch TV, read, play a game or simply unwind.
Head back along the hallway and up three oak steps.
Family Shower Room:
The ground-floor shower room features a walk-in shower, with overhead and hand-held shower heads, a washbasin, and a WC.
Study/Playroom:
The windows of this bright and light room overlook the Kitchen to one side and the Living Area to the other. (Note: a double cupboard houses the property's heating controls.)
First Floor
Head up the beautiful oak staircase to the first floor where you will find access to two new bedrooms (1 and 2) and the original 'Master's Room', now bedroom 3 (above the sitting room). The three rooms are connected via a bridge that was built by the current owners to allow access to the back bedrooms and attic bedroom without the need to go through the master bedroom, as would have been the case in olden times.
Bedroom One:
This bright and light modern bedroom features a standard double bed with bedside tables and reading lights and a hanging rail for clothes. A rear window provides a lovely view over the garden and out to the surrounding Cotswold countryside, while an internal window allows guests to look down to the open-plan kitchen and dining area below.
Family Shower Room:
Original oak floorboards have been used to create the shower room floor, giving it a nod to the medieval past, alongside a sleek contemporary walk-in shower (with overhead and hand-held showerheads), a washbasin, with mirror and shaver point, a heated towel rail, and WC.
Bedroom Two:
The entrance to this beautiful, contemporary bedroom has a long double wardrobe to one side and a fabulous en-suite shower room to the other. This bedroom features a king-size double bed, with bedside tables and reading lamps and another fabulous view of the garden and the Isbourne Valley beyond.
En-suite Bedroom Two:
The en-suite is a real show-stopper shower room – just look up to see why! The high ceiling showcases a mass of original beams, onto which the sunlight shines through a Velux window. The shower room has a large walk-in shower (with overhead and hand-held shower heads), a wash basin in a bespoke wooden vanity unit, with mirror and shaver point, a heated towel rail and WC.
Bedroom Three:
Originally, the master room was not only a bedroom but also a living room and a place where the master of the house would have received guests. Today, this spacious en-suite room is a stunning medieval masterpiece, with exposed original oak beams and plenty of 16th-century character, including a small sample of some original wattle and daub that the owners have left exposed next to the door to the en-suite bathroom. Furnished with a super king-size bed on an antique sleigh-style frame, bedside tables and reading lamps, an antique chest of drawers with a solid marble top and a hanging rail. This bedroom has plenty of space for a travel cot - or to simply hide away and relax for a while. Windows to the front look out over Hailes Street, while an internal window, which originally would have looked out to the garden or sheep pasture, now has a view down through the glass and oak staircase to the hallway and bedroom 1.
Latched door to en-suite.
En-suite To Bedroom Three: this is the kind of bathroom most people dream of relaxing in, with its freestanding roll-top bath with central taps, placed just so you can lie in the tub while looking out at the stars! Or if you prefer, there's a super spacious, walk-in shower (with overhead and hand-held showerheads), plus a full-length mirror, washbasin, with mirror and shaver point, and a heated towel rail.
Bedroom Four:
The stairs leading up to bedroom 4 open to a dressing area with a bath, with hand-held over-bath shower and central taps, set into the eaves under the original timbers – a truly unique bathing experience! Beside the bath, through a door, is a WC and washbasin. It's not just the bathing that's unique up here in the eaves, the bedroom is too: head up one step and duck down under a low beam into this twin bedroom. The bedroom is furnished with two single beds on Victorian-style metal bed frames, a central bedside table with a reading lamp, two storage chests, a luggage rack, and an adjustable hanging rail. The view from the top floor windows out across the rooftop and valley and countryside beyond are inspiring, to say the least!
Outside
Mercia House has a fabulous outside space, particularly considering it is in the centre of Winchcombe. Step out of the open-plan dining-living area, through one of three double French windows, onto the elevated terrace running the width of the house. From the terrace enjoy the great view across the Isbourne Valley and up Sudeley Hill, then head down the steps to the patio where there is a dining table and seating for all eight guests, a parasol for sunny days, and a Weber charcoal BBQ. A further set of wooden steps take you down to the attractive, sloping garden with a pretty lawn, tall, mature trees, and beds full of shrubs and flowers. A path along the side of the garden leads to the back gate and steps down to the parking area where there is room for 2-3 cars to park.
