Description
Summary
Alice Cottage is set on a hillside, with views out over the rooftops of Blockley, to the woods and fields beyond. The village is a hidden gem, being set well away from major roads and is very peaceful and picturesque, yet it is large enough to have two pubs, a restaurant and a community owned village shop and café, as well as a historic Norman church. It is also the location where the Father Brown mystery series is filmed. Blockley is close to the popular Cotswold market towns of Moreton-in-Marsh, Chipping Camden and Stow-on-the-Wold, and many beautiful countryside walks are right on the doorstep. It is also well located for further afield destinations, such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford or Blenheim Palace.
Dating back to the 19th century, Alice Cottage has been extensively refurbished, whilst retaining traditional features, including wooden beams and a stone fireplace, with wood burning stove. The character features are complemented by gas central heating, a well equipped kitchen, wireless internet access and an LED HD Freesat TV, with DVD player.
The cottage sleeps up to three people, in two bedrooms, with one bathroom, and is a cosy, tranquil retreat for a couple or a small family.
Description
Alice Cottage is one of a handful of cottages set on a small quiet lane, yet only moments from Blockley's historic high street. There is one shared parking space in front of the cottage and additional, free street parking is readily available. A path through the garden leads to the front door, which opens into the sunroom and the rest of the ground floor:
- Sunroom: South facing and looking out to the garden, with exposed stone walls and a clear roof, this is a lovely room to relax in, whatever the season. Contains a wooden table and two chairs;
- Living room/dining room/kitchen: The heart of this cosy cottage, the living room area contains comfy seating for three people, a wood burning stove and an LED HD Freesat TV, with DVD player. There is a fold away table, for formal dining. The kitchen area is very efficiently and practically arranged, and includes a 2-ring electric hob, electric oven, Smeg fridge/freezer, microwave, Miele washing machine/tumble dryer, toaster and kettle. There is also a radio with an iPod dock.
Stairs lead up from the kitchen area to a small first floor landing, off which are the following rooms:
- Master bedroom: Contains a double bed and plenty of storage space. There is also a radio with an iPod dock;
- Bedroom 2: A small room, which contains a 75cm wide single bed and a bedside cabinet with drawers;
- Bathroom: Although small, the bathroom has been well designed, to include a shower, small basin and toilet.
Alice Cottage's small, enclosed garden is well proportioned with a raised terrace to take advantage of the lovely far reaching rural views and to provide a beautiful south facing outdoor seating area, with a table, wooden bench, two chairs and a charcoal BBQ.
Key Features
Booking and payment
Character Cottages is a marketing agency and we do not own or manage any of the cottages listed on our website. Bookings made via us form a legal agreement directly between you and the property owner.
For bookings commencing more than 10 weeks in advance, a 30% non-refundable deposit is required to confirm the booking. The balance payment is then due 10 weeks prior to arrival.
All payments are made subject to the cancellation policy set out in the standard Booking Conditions.
Occupancy
The maximum occupancy of the property, is three guests, at any point during your stay. Unauthorised over occupancy is a breach of our terms and conditions and may result in the cancellation of your booking and additional charges.
Infants who sleep in a cot do not count towards the occupancy figure, however, due to space restrictions, the occupancy figure may only be exceeded by one additional infant.
Security deposits
Security deposits are not required (please note that guests are still liable for any damage caused or additional cleaning required as a result of their actions).
Pets
Up to two medium sized, well behaved dogs are accepted, at a cost of £20 per dog per booking.
For the comfort of future guests, we ask that dogs remain downstairs, stay off the furniture and that no trace of a dog remains after your departure.
Please also note that Alice Cottage only has a small garden, with no lawned areas.
Bed linen and towels
Bed linen and towels are provided for guests.
Arrival and departure times
Arrival time is after 3pm and departure time is by 10am. Access is via a key safe, therefore it does not matter if you are arriving late at night.
Bed sizes and configurations
- Bedroom 1: Double bed;
- Bedroom 2: 75cm wide single bed.
Bathrooms
- Family bathroom: Walk-in shower, toilet and a small wash basin
Fuel and logs
Electricity and gas are included in the letting price. There is a wood burning stove in the living room and logs are provided under a fair usage policy (there is an honesty box for contributions towards the cost of logs used).
Services provided
The property has free wireless internet access and an LED HD Freesat TV, with DVD player. A telephone is provided, with an honesty box for the cost of calls made.
Blockley is in a valley and guests should be aware that mobile phone reception can be very poor.
Parking
There is one shared off street parking space opposite Alice Cottage. This is shared with the next door cottage on a first come, first served basis. Free on street parking is readily available.
Housekeeping
Where a letting exceeds nine nights, a mid-stay clean, bed linen and towel change may be included in the price. Please check with us to confirm. Additional housekeeping services may be available on request.
Child friendly facilities
A travel cot (without linen) and high chair are provided.
Although the property's garden is enclosed small children should be supervised at all times.
Initial consumables
A small quantity of initial consumables is provided for your convenience (eg. tea, coffee, sugar, washing up liquid, soap, washing powder, toilet rolls, etc), however, you should not expect the quantity of these provisions to be sufficient for the duration of your stay.
Accessibility, health and safety
This is an old property, with narrow and steep stairs, which could pose difficulty to guests with limited mobility, or carrying babies, both in terms of their general movement and their ability to quickly exit the cottage in the event of an emergency.
The smoke and CO detectors operate on a sound only basis and, therefore, those who have serious impairment of hearing may not be able to hear the alarm systems and could be at risk.
Smoking
No smoking is permitted throughout the property.
Photographs
In order to provide you with as much detail of our properties as possible, we sometimes use wide angle photography, which can make certain rooms, or spaces, appear larger than they actually are. Wherever possible, we try to include a floorplan, with detailed dimensions of rooms and areas. If you have any queries regarding the size of any rooms or spaces, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Reviews
Alice Cottage was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in January 2013. With its outstanding presentation and ideal location, Alice Cottage is a firm favourite with guests.
Other Guest Feedback:
- "Thank you. We had a lovely stay, Alice cottage was cute and had everything we needed. Beautiful location too. Loved the home made cookies!", Poonam, November 2018
- "Clean and we'll kept. Excellent communications with from the host. We were very happy and would recommend the cottage.”, Carolyn, September 2018
- "We will definitely come back. A lovely cottage, with a lovely sunny front garden and everything you could possible need. We love The Cotswolds but hadn't been to Blockley before, it's a charming quiet village with a good pub and local shop / cafe. The cottage is cosy, and the small conservatory is great. Lots of great walks and gardens nearby.", Paul, September 2017
- "Lovely cottage to stay in for our first visit to the Cotswolds. Quietest place in the world!", Alice and Andrew, August 2018
- "We LOVED it there, it was perfect for our little family. We hope to come stay again soon. Thank you!", Hannah, July 2017
- “Thoroughly enjoyed our few days in this cottage”, Tracey, June 2017
- “A cosy and relaxing cottage for two! Scenery stunning!” Julie and Martin, October 2016
- "Such a quaint cottage in a very friendly village. Perfect holiday for dogs with amazing walks, would definitely be going back." Nicola, October 2016
- “We loved your sweet little cottage and enjoyed your garden in beautiful sunshine, thank you.” Hazel and Rob July 2016
-“Lovely cottage, enjoyed our weekend break in Blockley. Broadway Tower and Broadway village well worth a visit.” Hilary and Pete, November 2015
-“We had a fabulous time at Alice Cottage, it was a perfect base for our Cotswolds adventures” Sarah and Kieron June 2015
-“We celebrated our 10th anniversary here and couldn’t have had a better time! Cottage is beautiful.” Becky and Julien, March 2015
- "My friend and I had a delightful few days in Alice Cottage. Our only regret was that it was so cosy with the central heating that we did not need to light a fire!" – Brenda Bateman, January 2015
- "We had the most lovely New Year Break at Alice Cottage, It was cosy, clean warm and inviting with mince pies and a little Christmas tree. My husband, dog and I snuggled by the fire every night just enjoying being in our own little cottage hideaway. We went on lots of lovely walks right from the door step and had a really happy stay. Thank You!" - Daisy, December 2014
- "Yes, it was a fantastic time spent at the Alice Cottage, I will hopefully be visiting again sometime soon. I loved everything about it!" - Rebecca, April 2013
- "Perfect weekend, couldn't wish for a better place to spend our 1st anniversary! So romantic, a real getaway. Something we will never forget. Thank you." - Yasmin
and Jack, February 2014
- "You couldn't have made more of your little cottage. Petite luxury, Thank you." - Denise and Rob Matthews, February 2014
- "We had a lovely time in this superb cottage, enjoyed the garden. Wish it was ours!" - Martin and Carola, August 2014
- "A beautiful cottage, could not have wished for a better place to celebrate valentines/B day." - Mr and Mrs Brown, February 2015
Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy Alice Cottage as if it was your own home and this information is provided to ensure that you are aware of, and are able to use, all the facilities that are available.
| Main appliances, furniture and facilities |
|---|
| Barbecue and utensils (without coals) |
Bed linen, bath sheets and hand towels |
Cafetiere |
| Two ring hob |
Fridge/freezer |
High chair |
| Kettle |
Microwave |
Outdoor table and seating |
| Electric oven |
DVD library |
Radio with iPod dock |
| Telephone |
Toaster |
Travel cot (without linen) |
| Freesat HD TV, with a DVD player |
Washing machine/tumble dryer |
Wireless internet |
| General provisions |
|---|
| Bin bags |
Hand soap |
J cloths & scourers |
| Salt and pepper |
Small quantity of instant coffee |
Small quantity of sugar |
| Small quantity of tea bags |
Toilet roll |
Washing up liquid |
| Other equipment and facilities |
|---|
| Appliance instruction drawer |
CO detectors |
Dustpan and brush |
| Fire blanket |
Fire extinguishers |
First aid kit |
| Iron |
Ironing board |
Hair dryer |
| Torch |
Vacuum cleaner |
Clothes horse |
| Snow shovel |
Smoke alarms |
|
Travel
Alice Cottage is located on a quiet lane, in the peaceful, picturesque village of Blockley.
Travelling by car
Blockley is easily accessed by car, being located approximately 1 mile away from the A44 and approximately 3 miles away from the A429 (Fosse Way), which are two of the main roads through the North Cotswolds.
Travelling by train
The nearest railway station to Blockley is Moreton-in-Marsh (approximately 3 miles away), which has regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of approximately 90 minutes.
Travelling by plane
Blockley is within easy reach of a number of international airports:
- Birmingham International Airport: 42 miles, approximately 60 minute drive;
- Heathrow International Airport: 76 miles, approximately 90 minute drive;
- Bristol International Airport: 75 miles, approximately 90 minute drive.
