Description
Summary
Court Hayes is a lovely Cotswold stone cottage which sleeps four guests, in two characterful bedrooms, with two ensuite bathrooms. Once two separate properties, the cottage has a unique layout and a wealth of character features, including exposed Cotswold stone walls, original flagstone floors, oak beams and a roaring open fire in the living room.
The character of the cottage is complemented by modern facilities, including wireless internet access, a Freeview TV with DVD player, and a well-equipped, modern kitchen. There is a pretty, enclosed rear garden, with stunning views over the neighbouring farmland, and on-street parking is freely available close to the property.
Location
Court Hayes is nestled in the quaint village of Wyck Rissington, in the heart of the North Cotswolds. This unspoilt village is home to the 800 year old St Laurence’s Church, where the well-regarded composer Gustav Holst was the resident organist between 1892 and 1893. The village falls within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and features on the Oxfordshire Way walking trail, a trail just short of 70 miles that runs from Bourton-on-the-Water to Henley-on-Thames.
Wyck Rissington is just a short drive from Bourton-on-the-Water, often voted as one of the prettiest villages in England. Bourton has many tea rooms, shops and restaurants, as well as popular tourist attractions including Birdland and the Model Village. From Bourton-on-the-Water, further afield places such as the historic Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and Bath are easily accessible for day trips.
Description
Court Hayes is the perfect holiday home for a group of friends or family who are seeking a relaxing break surrounded by the beautiful Cotswold countryside. The cottage is laid out as follows:
Room | Amenities |
Living room |
This beautifully presented room is full of character features, including exposed Cotswold stone walls, wooden beams and original flagstone flooring. This room contains:
- large inglenook fireplace with open fire
- Freeview TV with DVD player
- three-seater sofa and two armchairs
- window seat
- beautiful writing desk
|
Dining room |
This well presented room with wooden beams and wooden flooring contains:
- inglenook fireplace with ornamental stove
- circular dining table which comfortably seats four guests
|
Kitchen |
This modern and well-equipped kitchen is perfect for home cooking and has a good sized pantry, which can also be used as a cloakroom. This room contains:
- electric oven with four-ring electric hob
- fridge and freezer
- washing machine, dishwasher, microwave, kettle, cafetière and toaster
|
Bedroom 2 with ensuite shower room |
A beautiful, well presented eaves room, with an abundance of character, including exposed Cotswold stone walls and wooden beams. This room contains:
- two single beds
- chest of drawers and hanging rail for storage
There is a small shower room and separate cloakroom, between them containing:
- walk-in shower, toilet and small wash basin
|
Master bedroom |
A spacious and characterful room with exposed Cotswold stone walls, wooden beams and a stone fireplace (not for use as a real fire). This room contains:
- king size bed
- armchair
- chest of drawers and hanging rail for storage
- dressing table
- window seat
|
Master bedroom's ensuite bathroom |
In the eaves of the cottage, this lovely bathroom contains:
- Clawfoot bath with handheld shower attachment, toilet, wash basin, heated towel rail and wooden chair
|
There is a large, beautiful enclosed garden to the rear of the cottage which overlooks neighbouring farmland. The garden has a pretty patio area with a garden table and comfortable seating for four guests, plus a charcoal barbecue. Beyond the patio there is a lovely laid to lawn area and a separately enclosed wildlife area, with a pond and a summer house. There is free on-street parking available in the village.
Key Features
Booking and payment
Character Cottages is a marketing agency and we do not own any of the cottages listed on our website. We manage a proportion of cottages within our portfolio and the remaining properties are managed by a third party property manager or the property owner – your pre-arrival email will contain confirmation and contact details for your property manager. 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 four 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 four guests at the property.
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 infants.
Security deposits
A security deposit of £100 is payable, which is returned after the letting period, subject to an inspection of the property. The security deposit is payable prior to arrival at the property, via a bank transfer or a valid debit or credit card.
Pets
Regrettably, pets are not accepted.
Bed linen and towels
Bed linen and towels are provided for guests.
Arrival and departure times
Arrival time is after 4pm 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
- Master bedroom: King size bed
- Bedroom 2: 2 x single beds
Bathrooms
- Master bedroom ensuite: Clawfoot bath with handheld shower attachment, toilet and wash basin
- Bedroom 2 ensuite: Walk-in shower, toilet and wash basin
Fuel and logs
Electricity and gas are included in the letting price. There is a real fire in the living room, with logs 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 a Freeview TV with DVD player. A cordless telephone is also provided, with an honesty box for the cost of calls made.
Guests should be aware that mobile phone reception can be poor at the property.
Parking
Quiet, on-street parking is freely available around the property.
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), high chair and safety gate are provided.
Initial consumables
A small quantity of initial consumables is provided for your convenience (eg. tea, coffee, sugar, dishwasher tablets, 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 and has many character features, including narrow and steep stairs, low beams and multiple floors, 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. In particular, the stairs from the master bedroom up to its ensuite bathroom have a restricted height, requiring most guests to stoop as they go up and down the stairs. The handrails up the stairs are rope, rather than fixed bannisters.
There is a pond at the end of the garden. This is fully enclosed by a gated fence, however, guests with children should ensure that they are supervised in the garden.
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 or vaping 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
Court Hayes was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in December 2012 and with its outstanding presentation and ideal location, it is a favourite with guests.
Other Customer Feedback:
-"Amazing and beautiful place to stay. Highly recommend staying here and enjoying the calm, peaceful and stunning place that it is.", Victoria, December 2020
-"Thanks so much for this lovely stay, we had a memorable and unique moment at your place. It was a dream ! The cottage is amazingly out of time ! Moments we had around the fireplace were delightful.", Audrey, December 2020
-"The place was nice and cozy, and offered more than I could expect. Both bedrooms are extremely spacious, but further apart so they offer complete privacy. The bathroom of the king size bedroom was gorgeous and fancy if you want to indulge and treat yourself. Location was great, extremely convenient since it’s close to a Co-op and the town Bourton on the water, but having a car will definitely make it easier to travel around.", Jessica, November 2020
-"Lovely cosy cottage in a perfect location, located near to Bourton on Water - very easy to visit and explore the Cotswolds from here. Loved the cottage.", Olivia, October 2020
-"We had a wonderful weekend in the Cotswolds and cottage was just perfect place to come back in the evening after a long walk", Ashita, October 2020
-"At the center of Wyck Rissington, this cottage was the perfect getaway for a staycation. We had a wonderful time utilizing the entire cottage and especially the backyard for barbecuing. Checkin was a breeze and check out was even quicker. The host does a great job communicating any questions that arise. We loved our stay and would advise anyone looking to visit the Cotswold for peace and quiet from daily life.", Sohrab, September 2020
-"Great property at great location.”, Aryo, March 2020
-"We loved our stay at Court Hayes, a very comfortable and authentic Cotswold cottage. Its location, just opposite the church at Wyck Rissington couldn't be better, with freely available parking on the kerb opposite the house. Wyck Rissington itself is the quietest and, in many ways, the most authentic of Cotswolds hamlets, a rarely found 'off the beaten track' kind of place. Don't expect any shops or even a pub within walking distance, but then that's the beautiful quietness of this place.", Paul, February 2020
-"Great little cottage and beautiful location. We loved our stay there!", Nicola, October 2019
-“The cottage was terrific. Check was a breeze, everything was ready for us when we arrived. The cottage is very close to neighbouring villages for shopping and many fine restaurants.”, Bruce, September 2019
-“It's a perfect place to explore and sample the way of life of the Cotswolds”, Joan, August 2019
-"Lovely characterful cottage in a remote village, nearby Bourton-on the Water. Would stay again. Suitable for people who enjoy a quiet comfy place with a lot of nature around.”, Lynda, August 2019
-“This cottage is very special! We have stayed at multiple places and this one is definitely at the top as one of our favourites! Every room has such charm - the stone walls, the black beams, the lamps with dimming switches, the artwork... everything! Our daughters loved their room with the vaulted ceiling and my husband and I enjoyed the master suite. We loved our dinners in the dining area and our breakfasts in the private garden! The location is so wonderful for a visit to the Cotswold. We had no idea how much we'd enjoy this area and how close we would be to so many of the towns! And then to return to the very quiet and quaint village of Wyck Rissington, away from all tourists, and go for evening walks was so peaceful. We hope to return to this wonderful place!”, Sarah, July 2019
-“Lovely cottage, in lovely part of the Cotswolds, couldn’t recommend it enough”, Marcus, April 2019
-"Brilliant location, lovely cottage. Everything you need to make a great holiday Highly recommend”, Gav, April 2019
-“Great stay. Highly recommended.”, Biba, March 2019
-“A lovely character cottage in the middle of the Cotswolds.”, Claire, March 2019
-"Amazing cute cottage, perfect location to visit nearby cute villages.", Miguel, December 2018
-"Absolutely blissful! The cottage is wonderfully cute - and so's the village. Couldn't be happier...", David, August 2018
-"This is a lovely cottage full of charm, very well located in this beautiful area. We had a wonderful time in a tale atmosphere. We will keep precious memories.", Sandrine, August 2018
-"A beautiful old cottage in a quiet and scenic Cotswold village, right in the heart of the countryside. Great log fire, cosy living room with everything you could need in the house. Location is great - right in the heart of the Cotswolds near Stow, The Slaughters and Bourton-On-The-Water. Scraping the barrel for negatives - just watch your head! I smashed my head twice on low door frames/bathroom walls - it does say to mind your head so not the owners fault whatsoever, just be careful.", Oliver, April 2018
-"Amazing location and cottage!", Martin, April 2018
-"Did the job well, a cosy cottage, nice and clean, functional and warm. Close to loads of lovely places inc Bourton, Stow and our fave Chipping Campden. It is in the cutest little village, picture postcard stuff. Quick response from management which was nice. A few small things, the doorways in most Cotswold cottages are small, so if you are like me at 6ft 3 then you have to duck quite a lot! This place is no exception. Highly recommended”, Joe, March 2018
-"My family of four stayed at Court Hayes this month and we loved it! The property was an incredible find, placed in a tiny village yet very close to a very nice larger town (Bourton-On-The-Water) where my wife loved to shop. My 18 year old daughter, who is fairly well traveled for her age (20 or so countries) declared it to be the best place she has ever stayed at, anywhere. I enjoyed quiet time in the garden, and the whole family was able to walk the nearby footpath (literally across the street) and get a feel for rural England. Would definitely recommend!", Eric, July 2017
-"Was a perfect weekend escape, beautiful cottage house exactly as described. Really enjoyed the spacious kitchen and backyard, and settling in front of the fireplace. Quick drive to several stunning villages close by made it a perfect countryside retreat Highly recommend." Richard, May 2017
-“Beautiful little house in a quiet Cotswolds village. Perfect long weekend escape for some quality downtime. ”, Tim, April 2017
-“A very characterful cottage in a very pretty village, central to some of the Cotswolds best attractions and close to both Stow-on-the-Wold and Bourton-on-the-Water for local pubs/restaurants. The cottage itself has been sympathetically updated, retaining character features, with modern amenities you hope for these days as well, modern kitchen/Wifi etc . An open fire is a welcome addition at all times. We thoroughly enjoyed our few days stay.”, Carmen, November 2016
-"An excellent cottage in a beautiful village. Ideal location to visit Bourton-on-the-Water and Lower Slaughter. Loved it!" V. Warrier, August 16
Floorplan

Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy Court Hayes 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 |
Charcoal barbecue and utensils |
DVD player |
Four-ring electric hob |
Freezer |
Fridge |
High chair |
Kettle |
Microwave |
Outdoor table and seating |
Stair gate |
Toaster |
Travel cot (without linen) |
Freeview TV |
Washing machine |
Wireless internet |
Dishwasher |
Cafetière |
|
General provisions |
Bin bags |
Dishwasher tablets |
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 |
Fire extinguishers |
Iron |
Ironing board |
Smoke alarms |
Tourist information |
|
Travel
Court Hayes is located in the quiet village of Wyck Rissington, close to the popular market towns of Bourton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-Wold.
Travelling by car
Court Hayes is easily accessed by car, being located approximately a mile from both the A424 and the A429 (Fosse Way), which are two of the main roads running through the North Cotswolds.
Travelling by train
The nearest railway station to Court Hayes is Kingham (approximately six miles away), which has regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of less than 90 minutes.
Travelling by plane
Court Hayes is within easy reach of a number of international airports:
- Heathrow International Airport: 72 miles, approximately 90 minute drive;
- Birmingham International Airport: 48 miles, approximately 65 minute drive.