Description
Summary
Built over 200 years ago, Spa Changing Rooms is one of three cottages that originally formed a Spa (a fourth cottage was added later), whose aim was to rival the spa facilities in the towns of Cheltenham and Bath. The cottage is located on the outskirts of the peaceful village of Lower Swell, which has a traditional Cotswold pub, and is less than a mile away from the famous market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, with its wide range of shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, the cottage is an ideal base for exploring the region, either on foot, by bike or by car, with many of the quintessential Cotswold towns and villages within easy reach, including Bourton-on-the-Water, Broadway, Chipping Campden and Moreton-in-Marsh. Further afield places such as Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and Blenheim Palace are also easily accessible.
This historic grade II* listed property has an abundance of period features, including oak beams, exposed Cotswold stone walls, flagstone floors, a wood burning stove, and ornate stone mullion windows at the front of the cottage, with leaded lights, which are described as “Moghul” style, an Indian influence believed to have been inspired by the construction of nearby Sezincote House. The cellar of the cottage contains one of the original springs to the spa house, with the old steps down to the cellar being visible from the kitchen. The historic character of the cottage is complemented by modern facilities, including ultra high speed internet access, three Smart TVs and a Freeview TV, a water softener, drinking water purifier, and an efficient heating system throughout the property.
Spa Changing Rooms sleeps five people, in three bedrooms, with a family bathroom. There is a lovely back garden, with a wooden decking area that has spectacular rural views across the Abbotswood Estate. There is dedicated parking for up to three cars across the road from the cottage. Spa Changing Rooms is perfect for a family or group of friends looking for a relaxing break in the heart of the Cotswold countryside.
Description
Spa Changing Rooms is located in a short row of cottages, adjacent to the road from Stow-on-the-Wold to the village of Lower Swell. The front door opens directly into the living room, with the following rooms on the ground floor:
- Living room: This comfortable and characterful room has exposed beams, a flagstone floor, and a large fireplace with exposed Cotswold stone and a lovely wood burning stove. There is comfy seating for five, further seating including a window seat, plus a Smart TV, DVD/Blu-Ray Player, and a music system;
- Kitchen: A doorway leads through from the living room to the well equipped kitchen, which has smart granite worktops. The kitchen contains a four ring induction hob, electric oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher, toaster, kettle, Dualit coffee machine (compatible with Nespresso capsules), coffee percolator, bread making machine, DAB radio and a drinking water purifier. The original stone stairs down to the cellar are visible from the kitchen, offering a glimpse of the original springs for the spa (the cellar is not accessible to guests);
- Dining room: Next to the kitchen, this lovely room has a beautiful long case clock, a wall map of the area, a dining table and seating for six. French doors lead out to the enclosed back garden.
Stairs lead up from the ground floor to the first floor landing, off which are the following rooms:
- Bedroom 1: A lovely light room, with beautiful rural views, which contains a king size bed and a 32” flatscreen TV;
- Bedroom 2: This characterful room can be set up as either a king size bed or two single beds, and also contains a 32” Smart TV;
- Family Bathroom: Contains a freestanding roll-top bath, with a separate shower, toilet and wash basin.
Steep stairs lead up to the second floor:
- Bedroom 3: A characterful room with exposed beams in the eaves of the cottage, which contains a single bed and a 24” Smart TV.
The French doors in the dining room lead directly out to the enclosed garden. Steps lead up from a patio to a lawned area, at the end of which is a decked area, with fabulous rural views across the Abbotswood Estate. There is an outdoor table and seating for six, a parasol and a charcoal barbecue.
Directly opposite the cottage there is a dedicated parking area for up to three cars.
Key Features
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
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, including its grounds, is five 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 five 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
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 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: King size bed
- Bedroom 2: King size bed or 2 x 75cm wide single beds
- Bedroom 3: Single bed
Bathrooms
- Family bathroom: Roll top bath, separate shower, toilet and wash basin
Heating, fuel and logs
The property has an electric central heating system. Electricity is included in the rental price.
An initial supply of logs, kindling and fire lighters is provided for the wood burning stove and further log supplies can be purchased locally.
Services provided
The property has free very fast fibre broadband as standard (300mbs upload and download), three SMART TVs plus a further Freeview TV, and a DVD/Blu-ray player.
There is no telephone at the property.
Mobile phone reception is variable, generally being better on the first floor or outside the property.
Parking
There are allocated off-street parking spaces for two or three cars directly opposite 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), a baby bath and a high chair are provided. Stair gates have been installed outside each bedroom door, which can be used if required.
The property’s garden is enclosed, however young children should be supervised outside at all times.
Initial consumables
A small quantity of initial consumables is provided for your convenience (eg. tea, hot chocolate, handful of coffee capsules, sweetener, 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, Grade II* listed property and has many character features, including narrow and fairly steep stairs, low beams in the kitchen, and low doorways, 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. Access to the 2nd floor bedroom is via a narrow and steep stairway and a low doorway.
A full Accessibility Guide is available on request, setting out more information, including measurements and photographs.
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.
Other
The property is located adjacent to the B4068, which is the primary road through the village of Lower Swell, leading to Stow on the Wold. Whilst it is not a major road, it can experience increased traffic at certain times of the day. Guests should take care to ensure that the front door to the cottage is not left open, as it is close to the road.
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
Spa Changing Rooms was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in March 2017. Customer reviews and feedback for this lovely property are provided below:
Hello Magazine Review of Spa Changing Rooms
This cottage has been evaluated under the Visit England Quality in Tourism scheme and awarded 4* Gold, reflecting the latest annual inspection. More information can be found by reference to the websites of both Visit England and Quality in Tourism.
Other Guest Feedback:
-"We spent a long weekend at the Spa cottage and had a great time. Gorgeous venue and near a beautiful village - Stow on the wold - so much to do!”, Catherine Niglas, November 2019
-“Charming cottage in the Cotswolds. We loved the area and appreciated the highchair and pack n play being all set up for us when we arrived. Had an absolutely magical stay.”, Katrina, October 2019
-"The cottage was perfect for myself and 2 friends. Great location. Cosy and warm. Comfy beds and a lovely bathroom.”, Claire, October 2019
-"Charming place in the middle of a wonderland. We enjoyed every moments here. The house was very well prepared.”, Dorottya, October 2019
-“Lovely cottage. Very convenient location. Beautifully maintained. Attention to detail for all the equipment and little extras. Garden at the rear opens up to fantastic countryside views. Great place to stay”, Sian, September 2019
-“We really enjoyed our stay in Lower Swell. The cottage was peaceful and quiet, with lots of beautiful locations nearby and guide books to help you with your stay. We particularly enjoyed a long sunny evening in the garden watching the sheep. A lovely home away from home for 5 friends to catch up. Thank you!”, Robyn, August 2019
-“A wonderful little cottage . Very well equipped. The seating area at the top of the garden has lovely views and is perfect for a BBQ.”, Zoe, August 2019
-“The cottage is full of attentions and top equipment to have a good time whatever the weather. It is also well located to discover the Cotswolds.”, Sandrine, August 2019
-"A stylish and comfortable cottage. Perfect location for local Cotswold attractions and pleasant country walks.”, Vadre, August 2019
-"My wife and I and our three daughters had a wonderful time at the cottage. The amenities are great with a very well appointed kitchen with high end touches. We cooked a wonderful dinner one night. The view from the back patio table is a nice scenic Cotswolds landscape including some close by but shy sheep! Location is convenient to Stow on The Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, and other nearby sites. The bathroom is much nicer than the one at my house and also stocked nicely. Extra touches like slippers made it really comfortable. It is not a huge cottage but it is fabulous. Hosts and communications were spot on, all details made it easy our visit. Highly recommended.”, Brian, July 2019
-“We had a wonderful time at the cottage! The whole space was charming and had everything you might need for your stay (including the coziest towels!). We especially enjoyed sitting on the back deck as we enjoyed breakfast. It was a great location for seeing many of our favourite Cotswolds sites. Totally recommend!”, Heather, June 2019
-“Great location, lovely cottage and garden with view over the fields. In the midst of some lovely walks with great pubs en route.”, Mark, June 2019
-“What a charming gem in the Cotswolds . This cottage is warm and cosy, filled with numerous thoughtful and charming touches. Our hosts were very attentive and so easy to deal with. Highly recommended.”, Lyn, June 2019
-“It was such a great experience to stay at Spa Changing Rooms, we smoothly self checked-in. Clearly guided everything that we need. We enjoyed a peaceful holiday here. We love this cottage and really want to recommend it to other travellers.”, Tao, June 2019
-“Great space in an ideal setting. This was our first visit to the Cotswolds and we didn't really know where to stay or what town would fit our needs best. The Character Cottage - Spa 2 - was fabulous! Very old and interesting building, but completely renovated and updated with every modern thing you'll need. The bedrooms and bathroom were excellent, and the kitchen was small, but had everything you can imagine, even in induction cook-top! The view of the sheep pasture out the back is stunning - this time of year we saw like 100 little lambs, adorable! Highly recommend this place for a small group or family of 5 like ours.”, Ryan, May 2019
-“Lovely cottage in a beautiful part of the world.”, Tom, March 2019
-"Great spot, near villages in area. Pub down the road. Awesome petite furniture which matches the space perfectly.”, Jacob, March 2019
-"A great stay at Character Cottages, the house is very quaint with all the modern amenities and touches that you could want. The house had everything to make for a perfect weekend including tea and coffee and all that was needed to easily get the fire going.”, Jordan, February 2019
-"Lovely cottage in a convenient location. Would definitely stay there again.”, Grace, December 2018
-"Clean place, perfect for a small family or girls weekend. Expect great extra touches, ample space to relax and a fully stocked kitchen set for cooking wonderful meals. Nigel and Jane were wonderful hosts! The space was beautiful and well kept. Everything from available firewood to soap extras were perfect! The neighbourhood was perfect as well. We wish we had more time to enjoy the town.", Alexandra, December 2018
-"An exceptionally well equipped cottage.", Sue, October 2018
-"We had the most amazing stay! It was a fantastic location and we really enjoyed walking down to the pub. We took our 4 month old bub and were so touched that they had a baby bath, change mat, towel, travel cot, rubber ducky and toy all at the house it was such a great touch and many properties I looked at wouldn’t even accommodate babies so this was fantastic. House was brilliant we didn’t cook as we were out and about but great applicants and washing machine. House was spotless and really well kept. We will be back! Thanks so much.", Sophie, October 2018
-"Thanks to our host Jane and Nigel, we had a wonderful time staying in your charming n beautiful cottage. We stayed for a week n love every moment of it. We especially like the backyard view, the well equipped kitchen, the tastefully decorated interior and all the little personal touches throughout the cottage. We hope to return again in the future.", The Soon Family, September 2018
-"We loved our stay at the Spa cottage. What a charming place!! It’s obvious that it is well taken care of as every detail has been well thought out. It’s a perfect jumping off point for exploring the Cotswolds. We walked for miles and stopped at so many wonderful places....it was lovely to come back to the cottage and have a meal and relax with modern conveniences. The only (very tiny!) negative was that the road out front gets quite busy during the morning and evening and can be a little loud. It wouldn’t stop us from staying again though. We loved all of the history provided by the owners, as well. It was fun to learn about the origin of the Spa Changing Room.", Marla, July 2018
-"A beautiful cottage in a wonderful location. The cottage is excellently equipped and has many thoughtful touches to make your stay homely and comfortable.", Jennifer, June 2018
-"Very comfortable, modern and extremely well-equipped accommodation in an excellent location.", Giles, December 2017
-"The spa changing room is one of my favorite places to stay. It's not too far from stow on the wold by walking. The cottage is managed very well, in every single detail, such as the torch for darkness, umbrella for raining day etc..we really enjoyed our stay and experience a different way of living in UK. Definitely would like to be back.", Feng, October 2017
-"Spa Changing Rooms exceeded our expectations. The cottage was picturesque. The location perfect. Just minutes from Stow on the Wold. I would definitely come back.", Meg, October 2017
-"First Class. Everything that you could require on site. Clean, Comfortable, and in an ideal spot.", Christine, September 2017
-“Beautiful cottage, impeccably presented, glorious views from back garden. Really convenient for Stow on the Wold. Highly recommended.”, Shaun, August 2017
-“The cottage was smaller than it looked in your photos, but that's usually the case. However, it was lovely and very comfortable and not overly decorated, which made it possible to bring in all our stuff and not have the cluttered feel. The beds were very comfortable with very nice quality linens, with the added benefit of being able to store our luggage underneath. The bathroom was a joy. The cottage was exceptionally equipped with all one could need and a very workable kitchen. The view in back (my main reason for booking this one) was absolutely beautiful and peaceful. The owners put a great deal of personal thought into this cottage.”, Lynn, June 2017
-"Exceptionally clean. Lovely little cottage. We had a terrific time!" Jeanne Jermyn, April 2017
Floorplan
Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy Spa Changing Rooms 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 (without charcoal)
|
Bed linen, bath sheets and hand towels |
DVD/Blu-ray player |
| Four ring induction hob |
Fridge |
Freezer |
| Kettle |
Microwave |
Outdoor table, seating and parasol |
| Electric oven |
Toaster |
3 x Smart TVs + Freeview TV |
| Washing machine/tumble dryer |
Wireless internet |
Dishwasher |
| Travel cot (without linen) |
High chair |
Baby bath |
| 3 x stair gates |
DAB radio |
Selection of USB/phone/tablet connectors |
| Drinking water purifier |
Coffee percolator and cafetiere |
Bread making machine |
| Water softener |
Hand whisk/blender |
Milk frother |
| Selection of garden games |
Dualit coffee machine (initial supply of capsules provided) |
|
| General provisions |
|---|
| Bin bags |
Dishwasher tablets |
Hand soap |
| Dish cloth |
Salt and pepper |
Handful of Nespresso capsules |
| Small quantity of sugar |
Small quantity of tea bags |
Toilet rolls x 2 |
| Washing up liquid |
Selection of cleaning products |
Small quantity of hot chocolate |
| Small quantity of sweetener |
|
|
| Other equipment and facilities |
|---|
| Clothes drying rack |
CO detector |
Smoke alarms |
| Fire blanket |
Fire extinguishers |
First aid kit |
| 3 x hair dryers |
Iron |
Ironing board |
| 2 x cordless vacuum cleaners |
Floor mop |
USB charging sockets in 5 rooms |
Travel
Spa Changing Rooms is located on the outskirts of the small and peaceful village of Lower Swell, and is three-quarters of a mile away from the market town of Stow-on-the-Wold.
Travelling by car
Spa Changing Rooms is easily accessible by car, being three-quarters of a mile from Stow, which is located at the junction of seven roads, including the A429 (Fosse Way).
Travelling by train
The nearest railway stations to Spa Changing Rooms are Moreton-in-Marsh (approximately 5 miles away) and Kingham (approximately 6 miles away), which have regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of approximately 90 minutes. Pre-booking a taxi for onward travel is strongly recommended.
Travelling by plane
Spa Changing Rooms is within easy reach of a number of international airports:
- Birmingham International Airport: 45 miles, approximately 60 minute drive;
- Heathrow International Airport: 75 miles, approximately 90 minute drive;
- Bristol International Airport: 70 miles, approximately 90 minute drive.
