An architect-designed home in the Cotswolds that’s particularly suited to families with young children and features a baby suite, a private garden and stunning views of the countryside.
A fantastic architect-designed house set in the grounds of a Grade II-listed property in the rural North Cotswolds. It’s an oak-frame house overflowing with luxurious country charm and bags of contemporary style. Perfect for a relaxing family holiday and super welcoming to children – there’s even a baby suite adjoining the opulent master suite, the house has three en-suite bedrooms, lots of indoor space, private gardens and views of an orchard home to hens and ducks. Meanwhile, it’s just a stroll into the village of Beckford where there’s a cafe/small shop, a playground, a nature reserve and floodlit tennis courts.
Inside this oak-frame house, natural materials including limestone floors and beautiful exposed beam ceilings, blend beautifully with luxuries including underfloor heating and WiFi, plus a sophisticated, contemporary Cotswolds country style.
There’s plenty of space to spend time together as a family and at the heart of the home is the huge farmhouse kitchen/dining room. Fashioned from oak, the bespoke kitchen features an Aga (turned off in peak summer as heat becomes uncomfortable), as well as an electric oven, a microwave, fridge, freezer, wine fridge and a dishwasher.
Meanwhile, the large dining table is perfect for socialising over a home-cooked family meal. Just off the kitchen there’s a utility room a with a sink, washer/dryer and a cloakroom with WC, that’s the perfect place for the kids to clean up after running around outside.
For cosy evenings in, there’s a main sitting room where you can watch TV – there’s Sky Q TV with a Sports package and there’s also an Ultimate Ears Bluetooth Speaker. Warm up beside the roaring log burner or throw open the French doors and watch the comings and goings in the fruit orchard (that belongs to the owners of the property) which is home to ducks and hens. Occasionally, a pheasant, rabbit or even a deer may make an appearance.
The owners are happy to offer you fresh eggs, apples, plums and pears when they have them too.
There’s also a family sitting room, which is a great chill out zone for children or for cosying up on the huge, squishy sofa for a movie on the large wall-mounted TV with Sky Q. It also has cupboards full of toys for the little ones.
However, on warm evenings, or days when the fresh air is calling, the delightful private garden, which is fully enclosed, is the place to be. Relax on the patio which is furnished with quality garden furniture and a professional gas BBQ where you can cook up a feast for a leisurely lunch. For long summer evenings there is even a Corten steel patio wood burner.
There are three luxury en-suite bedrooms. The master suite has a vaulted ceiling, a king-size bed and an adjoining large bathroom with a romantic freestanding bath and huge wet room shower, leading to the quietly discreet baby suite with wooden cot.
Bedroom 2 is a king-size double aspect and overlooks the orchard to the south with freestanding slipper bath and WC. Bedroom 3 is a double with en-suite bath/shower and WC. All bedrooms also have flatscreen TVs.
The Cotswolds is a richly rural area with more than 3,000 footpaths and trails running through farmland and wildflower meadows, as well as ancient woodlands to explore.
For woodland birds, Box Wood tucked away in a valley near Minchinhampton is well worth a visit. Comprised mainly of beech, with some limestone streams running through it, in summer it becomes alive with birds. Listen out for great-spotted woodpeckers and tawny owls, and keep your eyes peeled for treecreepers and nuthatches as they run up and down the trees.
More woods can be found on Crickley Hill jointly managed by the National Trust and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. Located just south of Cheltenham its habitats also include grassland, scrub, and limestone rock exposures. Mixed flocks of tits and finches are common in the woods, while kestrels can often be seen hovering above as they hunt for prey. In summer, the site is also a haven for wildflowers and butterflies.
Cotswold Water Park which straddles the Gloucestershire and Wiltshire border is a vast marl lake system spread over 42 miles. Cleveland Lakes Reserve is made up of two of the largest lakes and is an important site for both wintering and breeding birds including coots, great crested grebes, and little egrets. For bitterns, reed buntings, water rails, and snipes, head to Shorncote Reedbed which also has two bird hides so you can view the wildlife close up.
If you want to see some exotic and rare birds, Birdland in Bourton-on-the-water has a variety of attractions set in nine acres of gardens and woodland. Some of the highlights include the Parliament of Owls, home to eight species of owl, the Pandemonium of Parrots, where you can learn about the 16 species of parrot housed there, and Penguin Shore which has daily feeding displays. There are plenty of spots to have a picnic, as well as a children’s play area, and a gift shop.
Nearby Greystones Farm nature reserve is home to wildflower meadows, Iron Age ramparts, a replica Iron Age roundhouse, a working organic farm, and an interactive discovery barn. The old farm buildings are used by swallows and house martins for nesting and there are plenty of birds of prey to be spotted gliding overhead. There is also the opportunity to view a live camera feed of a barn owl box, and watch the birds as they bring up their chicks.
Farmland birds can be found all over the beautiful Cotswolds countryside. Look out for corn buntings, grey partridges, turtle doves, and yellow wagtails.
