Description
Summary
Holly Cottage is a beautiful Cotswold stone cottage, located on a quintessentially English lane in the small village of Old Minster Lovell. The pretty village looks much the same as it did over a century ago, sitting peacefully by the River Windrush, with its traditional properties containing a mixture of thatched and Cotswold stone roofs. On the edge of the village, close to Holly Cottage and next to the beautiful Church of St Kenelm, are the extensive ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, a 15th century manor house. Old Minster Lovell also has a lovely pub, situated on the banks of the river. The village is perfectly located for exploring the many beautiful towns and villages of the Cotswolds, as well as for visiting Oxford, which is just 14 miles away, Blenheim Palace and even making day trips into London.
Holly Cottage has an abundance of traditional character features, including exposed Cotswold stone, oak beams, wooden floors and doors, and a large inglenook fireplace containing a wood burning stove. The character of the cottage is complemented by its modern facilities, including wireless internet access, a flatscreen TV and a well presented kitchen.
The cottage sleeps a maximum of six people, in three bedrooms, with one full bathroom and an en-suite cloakroom. There is a large, enclosed back garden, with lovely views and free on street parking is readily available. Holly Cottage is an ideal retreat for friends, couples or a family, looking for a relaxing break in the heart of England.
Description
The front door of Holly Cottage is accessed directly from the quiet lane through the village and opens into a small hallway. The following rooms are on the ground floor:
- Living room: the large, dual aspect living room has oak beams, wooden window shutters and a large inglenook fireplace with a wood burning stove. There is comfy seating for six and a Freesat TV, with a DVD player. Please note that the living room has a low ceiling and guests over approximately 175cm tall will need to stoop to move around;
- Dining room: another dual aspect room, with a lovely oak door leading out to the back garden. The dining room contains a wooden dining table, with seating for six. As with the living room, please note that the dining room has a low ceiling and guests over approximately 175cm tall will need to stoop to move around;
- Kitchen: a lovely farmhouse style kitchen, with flagstone floor, Belfast sink and views of the garden. Contains a double electric oven and six ring gas hob, kettle, toaster, a large fridge with separate freezer compartment, dishwasher, and a washing machine;
- Bedroom 3: Accessed via the living room, this bedroom contains a king size bed. The bedroom also has its own modern ensuite shower room which contains a walk-in rain shower, with a separate handheld shower attachment, toilet and wash basin.
Steep stairs lead up from the hallway to the first floor landing, off which are the following rooms:
- Master bedroom: A lovely, large dual aspect room, with exposed Cotswold stone and wooden floors, which contains a super king size bed;
- Bedroom 2: Contains either two single beds or a super king size bed;
- Family bathroom: Contains a roll top bath with handheld shower, heated towel rail, toilet and wash basin.
Holly Cottage's large, enclosed garden is to the rear of the property, with lovely rural views. The garden contains an outdoor table and two benches. A charcoal barbecue is provided during the summer months. The gate at the end of the garden leads into a lovely meadow with a trampoline, guests with children must ensure that they are supervised at all times whilst they play on the trampoline.
Free on-street parking is available close to the property.
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
A security deposit of £150 is payable, which is returned after the letting period, subject to an inspection of the property. 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. The security deposit is payable prior to arrival at the property, via a bank transfer or a valid debit or credit card.
Occupancy
The maximum occupancy of the property, including its grounds, 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 up to one additional infant.
Pets
Up to two medium sized dogs are accepted, at a cost of £25 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 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: Super king size bed
- Bedroom 2: 2 x single beds OR super king size bed
- Bedroom 3 (ground floor): King size bed
Bathrooms
- Family bathroom: Roll top bath with handheld shower, toilet, wash basin and a heated towel rail;
- Bedroom 3 ensuite shower room: Walk-in rain shower, with a separate handheld shower attachment, 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 supply 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, however, please note that the signal may not reach some areas of the house and garden. Please check with us before booking, if this could be a potential problem for you.
There is a Freeview TV with DVD player and a telephone is provided (with an international bar).
Mobile phone reception is generally poor inside the property, but slightly better outside.
Parking
Free on-street parking is readily available, close to 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) and a high chair are provided.
The property's garden is enclosed, however, please note that some areas of the garden are not visible from the cottage.
Initial consumables
A small quantity of initial consumables is provided for your convenience (eg. tea, coffee, sugar, washing up liquid, soap, dishwasher tablets, 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 steps on the ground floor, 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. Both the living room and the dining room have low ceilings and guests over approximately 175cm tall will need to stoop to move around.
The trampoline in the meadow should be checked by adults prior to use and children must be supervised whilst playing on the trampoline at all times. The dry-stone walls in the garden are not designed to be climbed on, and children should be supervised when playing outside.
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 the children 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
Holly Cottage was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in November 2014. Customer reviews and feedback for this lovely property are provided below:
Other Guest Feedback:
-"A well maintained, tasteful and characterful cottage in a really lovely quiet village location. The furniture and paintings add to the interest. The garden is extensive and also well maintained for year round display.”, Gillian, March 2020
-"A beautiful cottage in a gorgeous location. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough.”, Nathanael, March 2020
-"Holly Cottage is a lovey spot In a picturesque village from which to explore the Cotswolds. The description is very clear that tall people will need to stoop in several rooms, due to low ceilings, and we appreciated that - our tall family only bonked their heads twice during the visit! The bedrooms are comfortable, with great linens and towels. Not having a shower was something to get used to, but we managed fine with the large bathtub and hand-held shower fixture. There was lots of hot water and the heating was fine for cold days, with a great wood burning stove in the living room. The gardens would be lovely in the summer, but we were there in a cold and rainy season, so just looked at the view. And enjoyed the cozy inside. The Old Swan pub is a short walk down the lane and great for a drink or meal. And there is a spa next to it that looked fun!”, Sara, December 2019
-"Very nice place and very well positioned both for Oxford Area and for the Cotswolds. I think we´ll try to come again in the future.",Luis, December 2019
-"Wonderful property, Michael was quick to respond to any questions, instructions to locate the cottage and tips for local experiences were all spot on.", Philip, September 2019
-"The cottage was absolutely amazing, cosy and chic. We loved the beautiful garden & trampoline. The rooms were specious & well set.”, Khalifa, August 2019
-"Holly cottage is a beautiful property! Perfect for all ages, the youngest of our group was 2 and the eldest was 71 and everyone enjoyed it. The property is spotless and they have thought of everything, from the children’s books and games to all of the different things in the kitchen! The rooms are all spacious and the property has been decorated to a high standard throughout! The village is lovely and has a great local shop for day to day bits. We all had a lovely weekend away and would thoroughly recommend to anyone looking for a get together in the Cotswolds! Thanks again.”, Jordan, March 2019
-"Lovely cottage with outstanding gardens. Pity weather wasn't too great. Hopefully be back in summer to enjoy it. Beautiful location.", Susan, January 2019
- "A beautiful village and comfortable cottage.", Kate, October 2018
- "I wanted to thank Characater Cottages for their helpful and efficient handling of the booking arrangements and to express the appreciation of every member of the group to the owners of Holly Cottage for the use of their lovely cottage in Minster Lovell! We had a really great stay (despite pretty bad weather!) and enjoyed the surrounding areas as well as the cottage itself. Many thanks.", Sharon, September 2018
- “I arrived as Cas Wright & left as Cas Jackson. Had a lovely stay in a beautiful cottage.”, Cas, June 2018
- “Another lovely few days in Holly Cottage beautiful walks and shopping! The Swan is excellent, see you next year!”, Joanne, May 2018
- “We enjoyed our stay very much in this lovely cottage and stunning gardens.”, Bas, The Netherlands, May 2018
- “The cottage was great and the garden was too! We had so much fun!”, Stacy, April 2018
- “Simply perfect we want to come back lots! Thank you.”, Alice, April 2018
- "Lovely House with very nice garden. The river nearby was very inviting, even for swimming.", Christoph, August 2018
- "We absolutely loved our stay at Holly Cottage. It was very comfortable and a lovely place to be.", Joanna, September 2017
- "What a gorgeous cottage, and wonderful service from Character Cottages, would definitely recommend and use again - THANK YOU!", Lisa, July 2017
-“Stunning cottage, gardens and village. Plenty of room for games in the garden and rooms so beautiful, we loved the log fire.” The Clarks, April 2017
-“We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, The cottage is beautiful and well equipped. The garden is stunning and a joy to sit in and enjoy the sunshine. Great location for getting around but so nice you don't want to go out too much! We would highly recommend to others and would absolutely return. Thank you so much.” The Gill Family, April 2017
- “The cottage was stunning! Huge but cosy at the same time. We had a lovely long weekend there with the children and would certainly stay again. There's lots for a family to do in the area and its just 30mins into the centre of Oxford. I can only imagine how lovely it would be to stay in the summer months and enjoy the lovely gardens. The addition of a shower would be nice but we found time to enjoy the luxurious bath tub.”, Anna Davidson, February 2017
- “Return visit for half term with the grandchildren, we had a great time. Many Thanks.” Press Cookson Family, Ireland, Lake District & Oxford, February 2016
- “Fantastic cottage the perfect place for me to get ready for my wedding at the Old Swan + Minster Mill.” Caroline, London, January 2016
- “Had the best time. The cottage is beautiful and met all our needs. A Lovely time was had by all and we will definitely be back! XOXO,” Samantha, January 2016
- “In my opinion the best cottage I’ve ever stayed in. Lovely & relaxing cottage with beautiful gardens & walks. Needs a microwave and dryer.” Samara Ord, Australia, December 2015
- “Beautiful cottage, very comfortable, Ideal for a relaxing weekend break.” Chris, London, December 2015
- “A fantastic experience, we loved the cottage. Thank You!” Joshua, London, November 2015
- “What a find! Beautiful cottage, garden & location. We had such fun. X” The Claytons. West Sussex, November 2015
- “Lovely cottage, beautiful countryside and very relaxing Thank you.” Maria, Leamington, November 2015
- “Happy 80th birthday Mummy. A relaxing and happy weekend, thank you.” The Goodyears and Townsends, Somerset & Hampshire, November 2015
- “Beautiful cottage & countryside. A perfect Week! We shall definitely be back, thank you.” The Millers, Lichfield, Staffordshire, October 2015
- “A beautiful cottage, thanks for having us. A wonderful weekend escape” Ingrid, London, October 2015
- “Really lovely house and a perfect place to stay, you have thought of everything.” Lamberts & Dodds, Sydney Australia & Seattle USA, September 2015
- “Gorgeous place to soak up the true English countryside experience! Thanks” The Loosemore Familly, Australia & America, August 2015
- “Enchanting! Beautiful cottage in a fabulous location, loved it all. Thank you.” Catherine, Marlow, Bucks, August 2015.
- “Lovely cottage and garden! We very much liked the location, nice and quiet. Thank you!” Mr Paardekooper, The Netherlands, July 2015
- “What a wonderful break – enjoyed the house, the garden, walks and talking with the locals! Thank you.” Lizzie, Greenwich, Connecticut, July 2015
- “Excellent séjour avec le beau temps, maison et jardin très agréable” Jean Pierre, France, July 2015
Floorplan
Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy Holly 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 coals) -Summer |
Bed linen, bath sheets and hand towels |
DVD player |
| Six ring gas hob |
Fridge with freezer compartment |
High chair |
| Kettle |
Outdoor table and seating |
Double electric oven |
| Telephone (with international bar) |
Toaster |
Travel cot (without linen) |
| Freesat TV |
Washing machine |
Wireless internet |
| Dishwasher |
Washing line in the garden, top section |
Coffee percolator |
| Cafetiere |
Small selection of books |
|
| General provisions |
|---|
| Bin bags |
Washing up liquid |
Hand soap |
| J cloths & scourers |
Salt and pepper |
Small quantity of instant coffee |
| Small quantity of sugar |
Small quantity of tea bags |
Toilet roll |
| Other equipment and facilities |
|---|
| CO detectors |
Iron |
Ironing board |
| Fire blanket |
Fire extinguishers |
First aid kit |
| Hair dryer |
Smoke alarms |
|
Travel
Holly Cottage is located in the small village of Old Minster Lovell, approximately five miles away from Burford, the "gateway to the Cotswolds".
Travelling by car
Holly Cottage is easily accessed by car, being located within a mile of the A40, one of the main roads running through the North Cotswolds.
Travelling by train
The nearest railway station to Holly Cottage is Hanborough (approximately eight miles away), which has regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of approximately 75 minutes.
Travelling by plane
Holly Cottage is within easy reach of a number of international airports:
- Heathrow International Airport: 58 miles, approximately 60 minute drive;
- Birmingham International Airport: 74 miles, approximately 70 minute drive;
- Bristol International Airport: 74 miles, approximately 100 minute drive.
