Birch Close, Charlton Kings, Gloucestershire

This detached mid-century house has been radically transformed by the current owners under the stewardship of architects Edge Design Workshop. It takes inspiration from the Eames House, employing boldly coloured panels and expansive Crittall-style windows that flood the interior with natural light and capture beautiful views of the garden and surrounding hills. The house's location in Charlton Kings, on the eastern fringes of the Regency town of Cheltenham, provides easy access to the extensive pathways and open countryside of the Cotswolds.



The Tour



A bold blue door opens to a spacious porch with a microcement floor and integrated storage. From here, an open hallway leads to the rest of the ground floor, where warm-toned engineered oak flooring begins and extends throughout the house. On arrival, the high quality of finishes and fittings, and the discerning approach to detail, become apparent.



A 'broken plan' configuration has been adopted downstairs, creating distinct zones within a broader open layout. Central to the ground floor are the kitchen and dining room, where a double-height window section at the front and extensive glazing at the rear create a bright, spacious ambience.



At one end is a minimalist bulthaup b1 kitchen with integrated Gaggenau, Miele and Liebherr appliances. A large island offers generous preparation space and doubles as a breakfast bar, providing a casual alternative to the more formal dining area.



Off the kitchen, an extension glazed on three sides connects the interior of the house with the beautifully designed garden beyond. Adjacent is a detached garage, usefully converted into a utility room and store.



At the far end of the hallway is a separate living room. A cast-iron stove (burning only authorised fuels) sits sharply framed in the wall. It supplements the ground floor underfloor heating, making the room feel especially snug and cosy on winter evenings.



By the entrance, a WC with Vola fittings, an acrylic solid surface sink and fitted cupboards completes the ground-floor plan.



Bespoke steel and oak open-tread stairs ascend to a galleried landing with views of the neighbouring hills. An open-plan study, with an integrated desk and shelving, occupies the far end of the space.



Three bedrooms sit side-by-side along the rear aspect. A full-height window on one wall in the principal suite looks onto the garden; along another, oak-fronted built-in wardrobes provide abundant storage. An understated en suite shower room has a vaulted ceiling, walk-in shower, Vola fittings and electric underfloor heating.



The two additional bedrooms are also of a generous size and have integrated storage and wall-mounted desks/dressing tables.



These rooms are served by a shared bathroom that continues the house’s simple, clean styling, with a vaulted ceiling, exposed beams, Vola and Dornbracht fittings, and electric underfloor heating.



Outdoor Space



At the front and rear of the house lie mature gardens, designed to be wildlife-friendly by Harriet Parsons Landscape Design (a multiple Gold Award winner at the Chelsea Flower Show); as a result, both spaces attract a variety of birds and pollinators.



The densely stocked front garden was also designed to be drought-tolerant. It has wild roses, lilacs, magnolias, a trio of cherry trees, a plum tree, a crab apple tree, and a large bay tree that provides privacy and shade.



The rear garden is more traditional in style, with a grass lawn enclosed by ornamental pear trees, cherry trees, lilacs, a heritage apple tree, a silver birch and hydrangeas; there are also climbing and shrub roses.



There are two paved seating areas: one a suntrap, the other a shady refuge from the summer heat. A garden shed and storage area are discreetly concealed behind a yew hedge.



The Area



Charlton Kings is a thriving village contiguous with the former spa town of Cheltenham and the Cotswolds National Landscape AONB. There is a wide array of local amenities including supermarkets, pubs, pharmacies, a library, a post office, a renowned artisanal bakery, a florist and coffee shops.



20 minutes’ walk (or 10 minutes’ drive) from Birch Close is Dunkertons Park. This popular destination has a cidery, taproom, farm shop and an eclectic cluster of places to eat. It also hosts live music performances and family events.



From Birch Close, there are views of Timbercombe and Leckhampton Hills to the south, and Cleeve Hill to the north. Timbercombe - a couple of minutes’ walk away - is accessed via a public footpath. It is topped by a wood, which in springtime is carpeted with wild garlic. Timbercombe’s grassy slopes provide a habitat for deer, owls and other wildlife, and offer views over Cheltenham towards the Malvern Hills. Beyond Timbercombe, the public footpath ascends the escarpment towards Ravensgate Common (a Local Wildlife Site), Lineover Wood (a Site of Special Scientific Interest) and long-distance footpath the Cotswold Way.



The Cotswolds National Landscape has an extensive network of bridleways and footpaths. Within easy reach are several ancient monuments, historical buildings and archaeological sites, such as neolithic long barrow Belas Knap, Chedworth Roman villa, the medieval ruins of Hailes Abbey, Jacobean manor Stanway House and Sudeley Castle.



Cheltenham has plenty of options for shopping, eating, drinking and recreation, and is renowned for its festivals of literature, music, jazz and science. Cheltenham Racecourse has a busy National Hunt calendar, culminating in the spring with Gold Cup week. Pittville Park, Sandford Parks Lido, the Wilson Art Gallery and Museum and Daylesford Organic, only slightly further afield, are other local attractions.



There are excellent state and independent schools in the immediate area. Birch Close is a short walk from Balcarras Academy, which was named in 2020 as the 'state school of the decade' by The Sunday Times. Cheltenham is also home to the highly regarded Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham Ladies College, Cheltenham College and Dean Close School.



Charlton Kings has convenient access to the A417 and A40, which run north-south and east-west respectively. A regular bus service operates into Cheltenham town centre. Rail services run from Cheltenham Spa to London Paddington in around two hours. Bristol or Birmingham International Airports can be reached in around 75 minutes.



Council Tax Band: E