Description
Summary
Clouds Hill is perfectly located on a quiet lane, with views out over the rooftops of pretty Cotswold cottages, to the fields beyond. Despite the tranquil setting, the cottage is in the historic heart of Blockley, which is a peaceful, yet thriving village, with two pubs, a restaurant, a community owned village shop & café, and a historic Norman church. It is also the location where the Father Brown mystery series is filmed.
Built around 1850, in traditional Cotswold stone, Clouds Hill has many character features, including wooden beams, exposed stone walls, flagstone floors and a wood burning stove. Complementing these period features, the house has modern facilities, including wireless internet access, a Freesat TV and a modern, well equipped kitchen. The cottage also has an enclosed sun terrace, which looks out over the village of Blockley. The layout of the property makes Clouds Hill an ideal retreat for a family or for a group of friends.
The cottage sleeps up to six people, in three bedrooms, with one bathroom.
Description
Clouds Hill has a small entrance porch, which leads to the ground floor rooms:
- Dining room: With exposed stone walls, wooden beams and a gas fire. Contains a dining table and chairs for six;
- Kitchen: The modern, well equipped kitchen connects to the dining room, creating a nice, sociable space in which to cook. Contains a cooker, microwave, dishwasher, fridge freezer, washing machine and tumble dryer;
- Living room: This room has a wealth of character, with exposed stone walls, wooden beams, a limestone flagged floor and a beautiful wood burning stove, complemented by a flat screen Freesat TV and CD stereo system.
Stairs lead up from the living room to the first floor landing, off which are the following rooms:
- Bedroom 1: With an oak floor, contains a king size bed;
- Bedroom 2: Twin room, with an antique polished elm floor;
- Bedroom 3: Twin room;
- Bathroom: Contains a Victorian-style clawfoot bath, with overhead shower, basin and toilet.
Heading back downstairs and out of the front door, there is an enclosed sun terrace, with lovely views over Blockley to the fields beyond, with an outdoor table and chairs for six people.
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.
Security deposits
A security deposit of £150 is payable to the property owners, which is returned by the owner after the letting period, subject to a property inspection. For the avoidance of doubt, guests are requested to leave the property in a reasonable condition, consistent with the property's appearance upon arrival. In the event that the owners, or their appointed housekeepers, have to spend additional time tidying up after your departure, then the cost of this extra time may be deducted from your security deposit.
Guests are specifically requested not to move furniture, or beds, around within the property and material failure to abide by this rule may result in a deduction from the security deposit.
For UK based guests, the owner's preferred payment method is via a cheque (for arrival dates more than 14 days in advance). Overseas guests must pay the deposit via Paypal. Further details of how to pay the security deposit will be provided with your pre-arrival information.
Occupancy
The maximum occupancy of the property is six 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. Please consult us prior to booking if you wish to discuss the possibility of having more than six guests at the property.
Pets
Clouds Hill accepts up to three dogs, at a cost of £25 per week per dog.
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.
Bed linen and towels
Bed linen, bath towels and hand towels are provided for guests.
Arrival and departure times
Arrival time at Clouds Hill is between 3pm and 5pm on a Saturday. You will be met by the owners upon arrival and we therefore request that you contact them in advance, to agree your specific arrival time.
Departure time is by 10am.
Bed sizes and configurations
- Bedroom 1: King size bed;
- Bedroom 2: Two single beds;
- Bedroom 3: Two single beds.
Fuel and logs
To cover a proportion of the cost of the electricity and gas used at the property, a fuel supplement of £25 per week is payable for breaks between November and March. Logs for the wood burning stove can be purchased locally.
Services provided
Clouds Hill has free wireless internet access, a Freesat TV, DVD player and CD player. There is also a telephone available, for incoming calls only.
Blockley is in a valley and guests should be aware that mobile phone reception can be very poor.
Parking
Clouds Hill has one off street parking space and free on street parking is available.
Child friendly facilities
A travel cot (without linen) and a booster seat are provided.
Initial consumables
Toilet rolls and cleaning products are provided. Guests should bring all the other consumables that they will require with them.
Accessibility, health and safety
Clouds Hill is an old property and has 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 house 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 Clouds Hill and the owner politely requests that guests do not bring any candles, or other similar products into the cottage.
Hen, Stag and other same groups
Unfortunately, Hen, Stag and other same sex groups are not allowed at Clouds Hill. Please note that same sex family groups are welcome.
Corporate and commercial bookings
Unfortunately, this property does not accept corporate, work related or commercial bookings of any kind.
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.
Other
The owners of Clouds Hill are proud supporters of www.giveustime.org.uk, which provides holidays to servicemen and their families, to help them adjust to life after combat.
Reviews
Clouds Hill was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in March 2012 and is in the process of building up customer feedback. With its outstanding presentation and ideal location, we have little doubt that the cottage will be a favourite with guests. Various recent postings include:
Other Customer Feedback:
-"It was a lovely week in the middle of the Costwolds, Blockley. This large cottage was full equipped and very well decorated with delicate details. Its owners, Cate and Chris, made us felt like at home!", Raul, February 2018
-"Quirky, cosy cottage in a beautiful village. We had a fantastic Christmas and New Year, thank you!", The Gain Family, December 2017
-"Another lovely birthday break in this lovely cottage in this lovely part of the world.", The Osborne Family and Friends, December 2017
-"An ideal base for family to catch up in this well equipped Cotswold cottage.", Catherine and Peter, October 2017
-"Thank you for a wonderful week exploring this stunning part of the country. We have loved every minute of it.", The Gradon Family, October 2017
-"A charming stay – a lovely Cotswold experience Helped me rest and recoup in my UK holiday. Excellent location for sightseeing also.", Jenny, September 2017
-"Cosy, clean, well situated cottage. Visited lovely villages.", Paul and Nigel, September 2017
-"Lovely, restful cottage, we enjoyed every little detail.", The Benvenuti Family, August 2017
-"Thank you for a wonderful stay in this beautiful cottage. We had a fantastic time and loved exploring the Cotswolds.", Evelyn, Abri, Suzette, Lucien and Marcus, May 2017.
-"Thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this lovely cottage. The dogs enjoyed it too. A lovely village and base for visiting. Will recommend you.", The Choma Family, November 2016
-"A great place to recharge the batteries. Thank you.", Rachel, November 2016
-"Thanks for a lovely warm welcome, we have had a brilliant time in a beautiful area. Our dogs were very happy too.", Sarah, Harriet and Sue, October 2016
-"The cottage was lovely in a beautiful part of the country. I really enjoyed my stay with my family. Everything was central to where we were staying. I will definitely return at a later date.", Gail, September 2016
-"Fantastic cottage in a lovely village. Great base to explore the Cotswolds. The cottage was really well equipped.", Mark, Emma and Milo the spaniel
-"We enjoyed our first visit to the Cotswolds. Weather has been great. The cottage is the perfect location for exploring the surrounding villages.", Kay, Dave, Rebecca and Alfie the dog
Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy Clouds Hill 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 |
|---|
| Cooker |
Bed linen, bath sheets and hand towels |
DVD player |
| Washing machine |
Fridge freezer |
Tumble dryer |
| Kettle |
Microwave |
Outdoor table and seating |
| Travel cot (without linen) |
Toaster |
Flatscreen TV |
| Dishwasher |
Wireless internet |
Child booster seat |
| General provisions |
|---|
| Bin bags |
Toilet roll |
Hand soap |
| J cloths & scourers |
Washing up liquid |
|
| Other equipment and facilities |
|---|
| First aid kit |
CO detectors |
Smoke alarms |
| Fire blanket |
Fire extinguishers |
|
Travel
Clouds Hill 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.
