An attractive cottage with a cosy and social living area that’s perfect for a family or friends to spend quality time together, with the benefit of on-site luxury facilities including an indoor swimming pool and spa.
Keats Cottage is one of twelve luxury holiday cottages set within the peaceful grounds of an historic country estate near Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds. Set back behind the three central arches of the estate, in the courtyard, the cottage used to be the carriage house, but is now a lovely cottage for a family. It is an attractive building with symmetrical windows and doors and sophisticated decor with period details including deep cornicing and antique accessories. During your stay, you’ll also enjoy the luxury of access to shared facilities including the stunning estate gardens, an indoor swimming pool, a gym and a spa, as well as a host of children’s play areas.
At the heart of the cottage is the large, open-plan drawing-room/dining-room/kitchen. The focal point is the antique pine mantelpiece and open fireplace with a club fender, plus there’s comfy sofa and armchair seating where you can get cosy. A needlepoint rug, a Victorian bookcase and a brass candelabra all add individual flair and homeliness to the space.
Next to the sitting area is a dining table positioned beside French doors that lead to the cottage’s secluded terrace.
Behind the dining table is the kitchen space which has half granite, half pine worktops, a Belfast sink and a kitchen island. There’s everything you could want to make all your meals, including a hob and oven, a microwave and a fridge/freezer, plus there’s a washing machine and tumble dryer.
The master bedroom is on the ground floor and features a king-size, four-poster bed and antique furniture including a 19th-century mahogany chest of drawers and a rosewood desk. Plus, there’s an en-suite with a bath and a shower over, a WC and an old marble-topped French washstand.
A staircase leads up to the second bedroom that has two single four-poster beds and an en-suite wet room with a walk-in shower, WC and washstand.
Outside, the terrace is edged on both sides by trellis covered with climbing plants which offer plenty of privacy. It borders the lawns and walled gardens of the estate. Furnished with a table, chairs, umbrella and a barbecue, it’s a delightful spot for al fresco dining.
You’ll also have access to the estate’s stunning gardens which feature a mix of formal and informal elements, the perfect place for a quiet stroll. There’s also access to shared facilities including an indoor swimming pool, spa and gym, as well as several children’s play areas and the teens’ games room.
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.
