Oh, the sweet spell that lingers over February. For the romantics amidst us – those that favour old sensibilities like reading Brontë and Austen by candlelight, taking long countryside walks, pressing foraged flowers between the pages of a book, and churning butter by hand – here, find yourself a home with which to be matchmade. Saxon is a place of decadence: of endless wings, four posters, and honeyed walls that seem eternally kissed by sunshine. And one that has watched history unfold for over a thousand years.
Nestled in the Cotswolds village of Maugersbury on the outskirts of the picturesque market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, this country house’s sweeping driveway immediately sets the scene for what’s to come. But beneath its storybook exterior, lies a tale of important transformation. "We saw its promise,” notes Saxon’s owner Amanda, on when she and her husband Daniel first discovered it. “The house was tired and divided into flats. We spent two years carefully restoring her – bringing the grand old dame back to life; window by window, beam by beam.”
After purchasing Saxon in 2017, it wasn’t until the project started that Amanda and Daniel fully understood the challenge they had on their hands. “It was in need of significant care,” she explains. “The building’s condition reflected decades of under-investment and piecemeal alterations, with many original features hidden or compromised.”
One of the Cotswolds’ most historic homes, Saxon has understandably enjoyed a colourful life. The original house, which witnessed the Norman conquest, was rebuilt in the 17th century and became the stately home of Lord Edmund Chamberlayne and his descendants for 300 years. It then metamorphosised into a school and was later divided into flats, before falling into decline. “The manor’s long history is also woven with legend,” Amanda adds. “Oliver Cromwell’s troops are said to have camped in the gardens during the Civil War, and Jane Austen herself is believed to have stayed here as a guest.”
Over the years, the couple undertook the largest restoration of the manor in modern times. “The aim was to return it to a family home, while respecting its heritage,” Amanda notes. The renovation comprised an internal restructure – including removing modern partitions to restore the historic floor plan – full rewiring and plumbing, replacing every window, and installing a new roof. Now standing is a home where corridors flow from one to the other, and a library with reading nook overlooking the garden awaits behind a secret door.
Recently enlisting the help of interior designer Alex Hoda, the interiors have been reimagined. The walls have been painted a porcelain white throughout, evoking a sense of lightness and grandeur. Original dark-wood floorboards and furniture bring whimsy and character – from statement antique Swedish armoires, conjuring images of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, to French chaise longues and four-posters (or ‘beds of kings’). “The home honours its past while being ready to welcome future generations,” Amanda adds. This explains how 21st century luxury additions, such as a circular copper William Holland bathtub in the principal bedroom suite and projector in the cinema room, have been carefully integrated.
Undoubtedly, Amanda and Daniel are proud of their home. “In 2017, after returning from New York, we longed for the kind of escape we had seen there,” she recalls. “The way people could live intensely in the city, yet retreat at weekends to places where air, sky and space feel endless.” If boxes could be ticked, Saxon would tick every one – architecturally impressive, laced in history, within beautiful grounds, walkable to Stow-in-the-Wold, neighbouring the likes of Daylesford and Soho Farmhouse, and just 90 minutes from London.
“What I treasure most about Saxon is the way the house changes with the light,” Amanda explains. “In the mornings, I love being in the garden room, where sunshine streams in and makes the whole space feel like an oasis of calm. On cooler days, the light softens, and I’ll curl up with a book by the fire in the main sitting room, or slip away to the snug. When the weather is kind, I spend hours outside – breathing in the garden air, watching how the light shifts across the valley: golden in the mornings, crisp and clear at midday, rose-tinted at dusk. It never looks the same twice, and it always feels restorative.”
“It is, quite simply, our home of light and air – and sharing it is a joy.”
Feeling inspired? Discover more of our owner chronicles, explore our collection of country house escapes, or find the best places to stay in the Cotswolds.
