If you’re a small family looking for a luxury cottage in the Cotswolds that’s cosy, yet spacious and has on-site facilities to hand including an indoor swimming pool, a spa and play areas, you won’t be disappointed.
Wordsworth Cottage is one of twelve luxury holiday cottages set within the peaceful grounds of an historic English country house estate near Chipping Norton. It’s ideal for two adults and two children and features a master bedroom and a twin bedroom, both with en-suite facilities, as well as a cosy kitchen and living room and a delightful terrace. You’ll benefit from privacy, independence and space, just like home, but have access to luxurious shared facilities in the grounds including stunning estate gardens, an indoor swimming pool, a gym and a spa, as well as a host of children’s play areas.
The well-proportioned kitchen/diner is a cosy place to cook and enjoy family meals. Design details include a Cotswold fossil stone floor, Shaker units and a Belfast sink, while essentials to make self-catering a breeze include a fridge/freezer, hob and oven, microwave and dishwasher, as well as a waste disposal unit, a washing machine and a tumble dryer. In the centre is a dining table, perfect for laid-back meals with extra helpings and chilled drinks in easy reach.
In the evenings, or on rainy days, get cosy in the drawing room which has dual aspect windows and a Cotswold stone fireplace, as well as elegant styling including an embroidered rug, a Victorian spoon-back chair and an antique mirror. Watch TV (there’s Sky, and Netflix is accessible with your own login), get stuck into one of the books from the shelves or grab one of the family games from the cupboard. In warmer weather the French doors can be opened up to the terrace.
Upstairs, there is a twin bedroom with an en-suite bathroom with a bath and a shower over. The second bedroom is a double bedroom with a king-size, four-poster bed and an en-suite shower room.
Outside, on the terrace, there is a table and chairs, a barbecue and an umbrella for shade. The terrace overlooks the wisteria and apple tree arches of the estate’s communal gardens and there are steps down into the gardens if you fancy a stroll.
You’ll also have access to the rest of the estate’s gardens which feature a mix of formal and informal elements, plus other shared facilities including an indoor swimming pool, a spa and a 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.
