La Vecchia Canonica, Cold Ashton

A distinguished Cotswold Rectory, enjoying extraordinary panoramic southerly views over the valley and open countryside beyond.
There’s a quiet gravitas to The Old Rectory in Cold Ashton – an ease that comes from centuries of standing its ground. Dating from around 1510 and later reshaped in the 19th century, this Grade II listed former Rectory is a house that has grown into itself, its mellow stone, mullioned windows and gabled roofline telling a story of gradual evolution rather than design. The approach, through a characterful porch with carved detailing, sets the tone. Inside, the sense is of generous, time-worn spaces where light falls softly through leaded glass, and where the proportions feel both practical and enduring. Today, the house offers as much opportunity as it does heritage. It would benefit from thoughtful modernisation, presenting a compelling chance to restore and refine, bringing contemporary comfort into balance with its historic fabric. Alongside, The Coach House provides exciting potential, whether as guest accommodation, workspace or a more independent retreat. The gardens are a defining feature. A beautifully enclosed walled garden offers structure and seclusion, while the wider grounds, mature and well-established, open out to far-reaching views across the St Catherine’s Valley, an outlook that lends the house a real sense of place. Rich in history, Sir Bevil Grenville is said to have died here after the Battle of Lansdown. The house sits comfortably within its past while inviting its next chapter. This is not a country house shaped by perfection, but by time—layered, atmospheric, and full of possibility.