Brackley Regional Information

If market town life isn’t quite what you’re looking for, and instead a more rural lifestyle is what you seek… the multitude of villages surrounding Brackley will definitely have something to offer you.

Brackley is ensconced in truly agricultural surroundings. This is farming country, and you will regularly come across tractors, horse riders, and possibly even the odd sheep or two as you drive around the lanes. If you head out from the town in a north easterly direction along the A422, you’ll soon come to delightful villages such as Farthinghoe and Middleton Cheney before you hit Banbury. Head in the opposite direction on the same road, and you’ll soon discover Westbury and Bufflers Holt before reaching Buckingham. Then if you trace the A43 out towards Towcester, you’ll swiftly reach glorious little villages such as Biddlesden, Syresham, and Silverstone, of course. However, if you’re happy to branch away from these main roads, you’ll discover a host of delightfully idyllic places and you should get acquainted with Greatworth, Helmdon, Wappenham, Abthorp, Blakesley, and Stowe, to name but a few. Local farm shops, teashop treats, pubs with inglenook fireplaces, duck ponds, village stores, and beautiful stone cottages; you will find it all around here!

But if this makes Brackley and its surrounds sound a little out of touch, forgive us for giving you the wrong impression. People living in the area are well catered for with respect to shopping, indoor activities, outdoor pursuits, and entertainment, as well as other more practical amenities such as health care facilities and supermarket shopping.

In the surrounding villages, there are many highly rated primary schools and competition is fierce. However, with a few phone calls it doesn’t take long to ascertain the lie of the land on where places are to be had.

The town itself has its own state funded secondary school, Magdalen College School, already mentioned earlier, which has a good reputation and significant history to back it up. Winchester House is a thriving prep school in the town, offering places to both girls and boys. And nearby in Westbury is Beachborough School, which offers flexible boarding. Swanbourne School, just across in Buckinghamshire, also offers boarding up to Year 8; pupils then go on to many top schools in the country for the remainder of their education. Plus, there are several other superb independent schools within easy access, including Rugby School, Princethorpe, Stowe, and Bloxham. And for those seeking additional options for boarding, Uppingham, Oakham, Oundle, Wellingborough, and Spratton Hall are within a reasonable distance too.

Brackley itself offers a welcoming selection of shops, independent cafes, book stores, and pubs, plus it also has a particular penchant for antiques. So if you’re not planning to head out of the town, there is plenty to while away your time. However, Brackley and its surrounding area is steeped in history, and that lends itself beautifully to providing locals with plenty of days out and entertainment. For example, not far is Sulgrave Manor, the ancestral home of George Washington’s family. And also nearby is Canons Ashby Manor House, a stunning Elizabethan home managed by the National Trust. Plus we must mention Stowe House, also managed by the National Trust, for it’s extremely popular for its magnificent gardens.  For city-based culture, Oxford is 30 minutes away, and the Cotswolds are on your doorstep.

If shopping is your thing, Brackley is perfectly located to reach superb browsing opportunities in Oxford, Milton Keynes and Bicester Village, giving you access to all sorts of unusual treats as well as the normal top brands you’d wish to find.

Those with a love of the outdoors will not be disappointed too, with opportunities for fishing, horse riding, and canal boating aplenty. Water sports can be high on your agenda, with the multitude of reservoirs and lakes within easy reach, with many organised clubs offering sailing, windsurfing and canoeing.

And then, of course, with Silverstone racing circuit almost a stone’s throw away, anyone with a love of motorsport will be kept busy. And the British Motor Museum is just half an hour’s drive up the M40.

The Proposed HS2 route does pass through this area, near Brackley. Whilst it is obviously important to understand the impact of future developments, works have started and it is possible to find out more detail regarding a location once you’ve pinned one down. Of course it is impossible to know for sure on any house purchase what might happen in the future, and this must be borne in mind. For example, the impact of HS2 will vary enormously from house to house, and sound can travel in unexpected ways rather than line of sight. Also, when it is built, the HS2 trains will be electric and far less nuisance than current trains. It is possible that some properties may be adversely affected during the construction phase, even a long way from the actual route. But with careful research and an open mind, you may feel that the eventual impact will not be significant for you, and you can potentially invest in a property at a good price.

As a property finder, we help not only with your house hunt but we also oversee the purchase process all the way to completion. And in taking on this role, we thus remove all the obstacles from your path, organising surveyors, conveyancers, and tradespeople etc. as necessary.

Our clients may be moving some distance, or be local; they may be too busy or not know where to begin; they may be unable to find a suitable house or have too much choice – see our case studies to see how we’ve helped people in your situation.