A design-led Cotswolds apartment within a magnificent Grade II Listed country house

 

Otto’s Suite is a beautifully appointed ground-floor apartment situated within Sherborne House, a magnificent Grade II Listed former private country manor house, surrounded by approximately 12 acres of beautifully maintained private grounds in the heart of the North Cotswolds.

 

Offering a rare opportunity to enjoy life within this historic estate, the apartment makes an exceptional Cotswolds pied-à-terre for one person or a couple, a dedicated country base for weekends, extended stays and spontaneous escapes throughout the year, without the responsibilities associated with owning and maintaining an entire country property.

 

Compact at approximately 280 sq ft, Otto’s Suite is distinguished by the remarkable proportions of its principal room. Exceptionally high ceilings and an unusually large, beautifully proportioned multi-pane window create an impressive sense of volume, light and architectural grandeur, making the apartment feel considerably more expansive than its footprint might suggest.

 

The substantial traditional window floods the room with natural light and looks towards the peaceful enclosed cloister. Its scale, deep reveal and architectural character are a striking reminder of the apartment’s setting within a historic country house.

 

The Interior

 

The interiors have been personally designed by Veronica Todisco, whose creative and design work has been featured in publications including Vogue and Architectural Digest.

 

The scheme has been conceived to complement the proportions and historic character of Sherborne House. Deep blue walls and architectural woodwork create a rich, enveloping backdrop, contrasted with burgundy and blush velvet, warm brass, glass, artwork and individually selected furnishings and decorative pieces.

 

The result is characterful and sophisticated, balancing the grandeur and history of Sherborne House with the intimacy and comfort of a private country-house suite.

 

The principal room combines sleeping, sitting and dining areas. At its centre is a double bed with a high-quality Hypnos mattress, complemented by upholstered occasional chairs and a glass-and-brass table providing a comfortable area for dining, reading or relaxing.

 

Generous built-in wardrobe storage makes the apartment practical for extended stays, while a wall-mounted television provides Freeview and Wi-Fi connectivity for streaming services.

 

A separate, fully equipped kitchen provides excellent independence for an apartment of this size, with a four-ring electric hob, oven and grill, fridge with freezer compartment, extensive cabinetry and preparation space.

 

The separate bathroom includes a generous glass-enclosed walk-in shower, WC and washbasin.

 

The apartment is accessed through the impressive principal entrance and foyer of Sherborne House, with Otto’s Suite’s own private front door just moments from the main hall.

 

Sherborne House

 

Sherborne House has a remarkable history stretching back to the Middle Ages. The estate was associated with the Abbots of Winchcombe before passing through a succession of owners and subsequently remaining with the Dutton family, Lords Sherborne, for approximately four centuries.

 

Following the death of the first Lord Sherborne in 1820 and with the earlier house in a deteriorated condition, the second Lord Sherborne substantially rebuilt the house in the late 1820s.

 

During the Second World War, Sherborne House was used by British and American forces, before becoming King’s School in the post-war period. Following the death of the seventh Lord Sherborne in 1982, the wider estate was bequeathed to the National Trust, and Sherborne House was subsequently sensitively converted into approximately 30 private residences.

 

Today it remains an imposing and highly distinctive historic residence surrounded by extensive landscaped grounds.

 

Grounds & Residents’ Facilities

 

Residents of Sherborne House enjoy approximately 12 acres of beautifully maintained communal gardens and grounds, creating a remarkable sense of space, privacy and seclusion.

 

Established planting, mature trees, lawns, herbaceous borders and yew hedging surround the house, while the elegant historic orangery forms one of the architectural focal points of the gardens and overlooks an impressive ornamental fishpond, created from the estate’s original outdoor swimming pool.

 

The combination of historic architecture, extensive private grounds and leisure facilities makes Sherborne House an exceptionally unusual proposition within the Cotswolds.

 

The Village & Surrounding Countryside

 

Sherborne House is beautifully positioned at the heart of Sherborne, a quintessential North Cotswolds village, much of which forms part of the historic Sherborne Estate and is now under National Trust ownership.

 

Characterised by traditional Cotswold stone cottages and historic buildings, the village is surrounded by thousands of acres of beautiful parkland and countryside, with the historic Brook running through the valley.

 

Sherborne itself has a parish church, village shop and café, primary school and social club.

 

The surrounding countryside offers an exceptional network of footpaths and bridleways, making the property particularly appealing to those looking to enjoy walking and the outdoors directly from their Cotswolds base.

 

Nearby Bourton-on-the-Water and Northleach provide an excellent range of local facilities, including independent shops, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants, while Burford and the wider Windrush Valley are also within easy reach.

 

The renowned Daylesford Organic Farmshop is a short drive away, with its farm shop, restaurants, deli, homeware, fashion and spa. Further east, Soho Farmhouse is set within the Oxfordshire countryside.

 

Cheltenham provides a wider selection of shopping and dining as well as its celebrated literary, jazz and food festivals and racecourse.

 

Connections

 

Despite its peaceful country setting, Sherborne is well positioned for connections to London, Oxford, Cheltenham and the wider Cotswolds.

 

The A40 provides convenient access east towards Oxford and the M40 and west towards Cheltenham and the M5.

 

Kingham and Charlbury railway stations provide regular services to London Paddington, making Otto’s Suite particularly well suited to someone looking for a permanent Cotswolds base while retaining easy connections with London.

 

Otto’s Suite offers something increasingly difficult to find in the Cotswolds: a beautifully designed and manageable private pied-à-terre with the architectural presence, grounds and amenities of a substantial country estate. Its extraordinary ceiling height, oversized historic window and carefully considered interiors give this compact apartment a character and sense of scale far beyond its footprint — an intimate private suite within one of the North Cotswolds’ most distinctive historic residences.

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Interior by VT Design.