Small WONDER

JANICE TALKINGTON AND PAUL BATES FELL IN LOVE WITH A COMPACT COTTAGE OVERLOOKING THE VILLAGE GREEN

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This chocolate-box-pretty cottage was only meant to be a detour on their way to a new life in Devon, but the lure of village living close to home in Oxfordshire proved irresistible for Janice Talkington and her partner Paul Bates.

The couple had put their farm up for sale in 2021 with plans to move to the West Country, but it sold more quickly than expected. 'The day we moved out in June, Paul booked me in to view a traditional two-up two-down cottage with an extension on the back that was on the market in the nearby village,' says Janice.

'I wasn't expecting to see it on the day I was leaving the farm but I fell in love with it at first sight. I loved its location across from the village green and the pond. It hadn't been touched in years and I could just see that it was crying out for some TLC and for it to go back to its original roots.'