Description
Summary
Heath Cottage is a beautiful, Grade II listed cottage, located close to the heart of the famous Cotswolds market town of Stow-on-the-Wold. Sitting on top of a hill, Stow is well known for its many antique shops, pubs and restaurants, as well as for the many lovely walks through the surrounding Cotswold countryside that are accessible directly from the town. The history of the town is beautifully preserved, including a medieval stone cross in the market square, the old town stocks and a number of alleyways for the passage of sheep being herded to market. Stow is also ideally positioned for exploring the wider region, including the many beautiful towns and villages of the Cotswolds, as well as further afield places, such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and Bath.
Built in the early 19th century, in lovely honey coloured Cotswold stone, the cottage boasts an abundance of character features, including exposed stone work, oak beams and two impressive inglenook fireplaces, one of which contains a lovely wood burning stove. The cottage has been immaculately furnished in a warm, contemporary style, and the traditional character of the building has been complemented by modern facilities, including wireless internet access, a Smart TV and a well presented kitchen.
Heath Cottage sleeps six people, in three bedrooms, with one bathroom. There is a pretty, enclosed courtyard garden at the rear of the property, and the cottage benefits from one allocated off street parking space. Heath Cottage is ideal for a family, or a group of friends, seeking a stunning, character filled cottage, which is perfectly located for exploring the beautiful Cotswolds region.
Description
Heath Cottage is located at the end of a short row of Cotswold stone cottages. The front door opens directly from the street into the dining room, and the following rooms are on the well laid out ground floor area:
- Living room: A spacious, dual aspect room, with a wealth of character features, including a flagstone floor, oak beams, exposed Cotswold stone, and a large inglenook fireplace with a cosy wood burning stove. The room is furnished with a large corner sofa, which comfortably seats four, a large footstool, comfortable window seat, and a Smart TV;
- Dining room: Another lovely, character filled room, with a large, ornamental inglenook fireplace and original exposed oak beams, which contains a large dining table with seating for six. A fridge freezer is also located in this room;
- Kitchen: Accessed from the dining room, the kitchen contains an electric oven, four-ring electric hob, dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, kettle and toaster. A door from the kitchen leads out to the courtyard garden.
A steep, winding staircase leads up from the dining room to the first floor landing, off which are the following rooms:
- Master bedroom: A beautiful room, which contains a king size sleigh bed, fitted wardrobe, and a dressing table with a mirror;
- Family bathroom: Contains a bath with handheld shower attachment, walk-in shower, toilet and wash basin;
The second floor bedrooms are in the beautiful eaves of the cottage, and are accessed from the first floor landing by separate steep staircases, with low beams, which open directly into each bedroom:
- Bedroom two: Contains a king size bed and a fitted wardrobe;
- Bedroom three: Contains a fitted double bed, fitted wardrobe, and a chest of drawers with a mirror.
A door from the kitchen leads out to an enclosed courtyard garden, which catches the late afternoon sun. There is a table with seating for six, a charcoal barbecue, and a shed that can be used to store bikes. At the end of the garden there are one allocated off street parking space.
Key Features
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.
Security deposits
Security deposits are not required (please note that guests are still liable for any damage or additional cleaning required as a result of their actions).
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.
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.
Pets
Heath Cottage accepts one large dog, or two medium sized dogs, at a cost of £20 per booking 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 and towels are provided for guests.
Arrival and departure times
Arrival time is after 5pm 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 (first floor): King size bed
- Bedroom 2 (second floor): King size bed
- Bedroom 3 (second floor): Double bed
Bathrooms
- Family bathroom (first floor): Bath with handheld shower attachment, walk-in shower, toilet and wash basin
Heating, fuel and logs
The property has a gas central heating system.
Electricity and gas are included in the rental price. An initial basket of logs is provided for the wood burning stove and further log supplies can be purchased locally.
Services provided
The property has free wireless internet access and a Smart TV.
There is no telephone at the property.
Mobile phone reception is variable.
Parking
The property has one allocated off-street parking space, and additional unallocated parking located at the front and side of 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
Guests with young children should note that the property has steep staircases, particularly up to the second floor, and the front door opens directly onto the road outside. There are also low beams on the stairs up to the second floor, which could make it difficult to carry an infant up the stairs. Consequently, guests with young children and infants should carefully assess if the property is suitable for them.
There is no travel cot or high chair at the property. The master bedroom, on the first floor, is the most suitable for a cot, however please note that it is not a particularly large room.
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 with character features, including steep stairs and low beams, which is laid out over three floors (with the steepest stairs and lowest beams on the way up to the second floor bedrooms), and could therefore pose difficulty to guests with limited mobility, or carrying babies, both in terms of their general movement and their ability to exit the house quickly 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.
The front door of the property opens onto the street, and guests with young children should take particular care to ensure that they are supervised when the door is opened.
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
Heath Cottage was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in April 2018. Customer reviews and feedback for this lovely property are provided below:
Other Guest Feedback:
-"Very organised hosts. Lovely cottage.", Kathleen, December 2020
-"Cute little traditional old cottage in a great location! Stow on the wold is a lovely town and easy to visit others nearby.", Patrick, November 2020
-"The cottage is beautiful and well located with a very short stroll into Stow. We enjoyed our stay very much. Helpful information had been left about walks and a lovely touch was a dog bed for the furry friend that came with us. The stair access to the two bedrooms in the eaves is not for those of tall stature!", Patricia, July 2020
-"We had a wonderful stay! The cottage was perfect and as per the pictures provided. I would recommend that anyone stay here, it is in a lovely location too - in walking distance to the local amenities. I must note that: if you are tall you might bump your head quite a lot! :)”, Natasha, March 2020
-"A wonderful cottage close to everything you need. A great stay.", Toni, January 2020
-"A perfect break in a beautiful Cotswolds cottage", Elaine, November 2019
-"Brilliant place to stay. So pretty and the rooms are great. The bathroom and kitchen were great. And the log fire is gorgeous. Would highly recommend.”, Louise, October 2019
-“Great traditional cottage in a beautiful village of stow-on-the-wold. 6 of us stayed and it was a perfect space. Would highly recommend!”, Anna, September 2019
-“We had such a lovely stay with our family and dog. Great location, lovely garden, really comfortable (especially the beds!). Would definitely stay again.”, Hazel, August 2019
-"Great cottage and excellent location. The family and I enjoyed hanging out in the cosy living room and enjoying a BBQ in the backyard when we weren't out exploring the Cotswolds. The proximity to the town center and restaurants was excellent and dedicated parking spot was a huge plus.”, Lawrence, July 2019
-“We loved our stay at the beautiful Heath Cottage. It’s a fantastic base for exploring the Cotswolds and a very short stroll into the stunning Stow on the Wold. Hope to be back some day!”, Megan, July 2019
-“Heath Cottage is a lovely little space perfectly located for exploring Stow and the wider Cotswolds. The cottage has a lovely little secluded garden space with a BBQ for those sunny days, and a comfortable living room with a cosy log burner for the colder evenings. Well equipped and generally clean throughout, we had a great time and would return.”, Tom, June 2019
-"It was such an adorable cottage. Loved the outdoor garden and the bedding was very comfortable. We enjoyed the sitting room and all of the information on what to do in the area.", Lynn, June 2019
-"This is a great place. The cottage feels historic but very comfortable. It is an easy walk to everything in town with a good place to park the car.”, Shawn, June 2019
-“Lovely cute cottage in an ideal location as walking distance to all the pubs/shops in stow on the wold. Cottage is nicely decorated and bedrooms are all a good size. The 1 bathroom is a bit tight but was fine as we were only there for 3 nights. Hosts were quick to respond to any questions I had. Stow is a lot less touristy than other villages we visited but still had a good selection of pubs and restaurants. Would definitely stay here again.”, Olivia, June 2019
-“Lovely cottage with a nice backyard, amazing for grabbing breakfast in the sunshine! Very well located to explore all nearby towns in the Cotswolds. We were all amazed by how comfortable are the beds but for tall people be wary of low ceilings! Highly recommend staying there for a cozy stay in the Cotswolds.”, Chloe, May 2019
-“Lovely stylish cottage in walking distance to beautiful Stow. Great for adults and older children. Bedrooms beautiful and house and garden very clean and cosy.”, Louise, April 2019
-“The cottage was lovely, great location, great setting. Lovely comfortable beds and well furnished throughout. There was a great selection of games.”, Charlie, April 2019
-"Lovely cottage, well located, lots of thoughtful touches and attentive staff.", Kwabena, March 2019
-“Lovely cottage with very easy access to everywhere in the Cotswolds - a few minutes walk into the town too. Good, private, safe parking.”, Caroline, February 2019
-"Great location and lovely cottage. Thanks for the lovely cake!”, Sophie, February 2019
-"Beautiful cottage with a fantastically equipped kitchen and brilliant access to loads of gorgeous villages in the Cotswolds, both by car and public transport.", Alice, February 2019
-"Gorgeous cosy cottage, perfect for a family weekend away and only a few minutes walk away from the pubs, restaurants and shops of Stow - perfect!", Laura, November 2018
-"A great cottage right in the centre of the Cotswolds. Close to many of the quaint villages of the region. The cottage was well appointed, clean and cosy. Just mind your head on the beams.", Simon, August 2018
-“Beautiful weekend in what can only be described as a picture perfect cottage. Fantastic location. Would highly recommend.”,Francesca, August 2018
-"A comfortable cottage with good amenities. Excellently position within Stow-on-the-Wold and perfect for exploring the Cotswolds. Stow-on-the-Wold is amazing. We had a wonderful stay at Heath Cottage would happily recommend it.", Peter, June 2018
-"Well appointed and prepared. Had a great time.", Anthony, May 2018
Floorplan

Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy Heath 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 |
Charcoal barbecue (without charcoal) |
Bed linen, bath sheets and hand towels |
Washing machine |
Four ring electric hob |
Fridge freezer |
Slimline dishwasher |
Kettle |
Microwave |
Outdoor table and seating |
Electric oven |
Toaster |
Smart TV |
Wireless internet |
|
|
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 |
Clothes drying rack |
CO detectors |
Smoke alarms |
Fire blanket |
Fire extinguishers |
First aid kit |
Hair dryer |
Iron |
Ironing board |
Drying rack |
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|
Travel
Heath Cottage is located in the centre of Stow-on-the-Wold, approximately 200 yards from the historic market square, with a very short walk to all of Stow's shops, pubs and restaurants.
Travelling by car
Stow is conveniently located at the junction of seven roads, including the A429 (Fosse Way), and is easily accessed by car.
Travelling by train
The nearest railway station to Stow is Kingham (approximately 5 miles away), which has regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of approximately 90 minutes.
Travelling by plane
Stow is within easy reach of a number of international airports:
- Birmingham International Airport: 45 miles, approximately 60 minute drive;
- Heathrow International Airport: 73 miles, approximately 90 minute drive