Description
Summary
Dating back to the 18th century, The Forge is a beautifully refurbished Cotswold stone cottage with a lovely private garden, which sits on a quiet road in the picturesque village of Upper Oddington. The village benefits from the award winning Horse & Groom pub, and is next to Lower Oddington, which has the equally well regarded Fox at Oddington pub. Numerous beautiful walks are available right from the doorstep, and the village is just two miles away from the famous market town of Stow-on-the- Wold, with its many shops and restaurants. The well known Cotswold towns of Bourton-on-the-Water, Moreton-in-Marsh, Broadway and Chipping Campden are all just a short drive away, and further afield places such as Oxford, Bath and Stratford-upon-Avon are also within easy reach.
The owner has tastefully renovated Forge Cottage to a high standard, whilst retaining many original features, including wooden beams, oak floors and doors, and exposed Cotswold stone walls. The character of the cottage is enhanced by modern features, including wireless internet access, a Clearview wood burning stove and a well presented kitchen. Thoughtful touches include a selection of children’s cutlery, crockery and toys.
The Forge sleeps four people in two bedrooms, with two bathrooms. There is a well established enclosed garden outside the property and off-street parking is available for one car, with further on street parking readily available. The Forge is perfect for a family or a small group of friends looking for an idyllic break in one of the Cotswolds’ loveliest villages.
Description
The Forge is a detached cottage located on a quiet lane, with wooden gates opening into the garden, through which the cottage is accessed. The front door opens into a porch and the following rooms are on the ground floor:
- Living area: The majority of the ground floor is a stylish interior designed open plan living, dining and kitchen area, with beautiful character features including oak beams, doors and floors. The living area contains a Clearview wood burning stove in a Cotswold stone fireplace, window seats looking out to the garden, a two-seater sofa and a comfortable leather chair. There is a flat screen Freeview TV with integrated DVD player, an iPod docking station and radio, and a selection of DVDs, books and games;
- Kitchen/dining area: The wooden country style kitchen has been handcrafted and is well equipped, with an electric cooker, four ring gas hob, fridge, slimline dishwasher, microwave, kettle, toaster and food mixer. There is an oak-topped dining table between the kitchen and the living area, with four chairs and a wooden bench;
- Utility room: A handy room, with a freezer, washing machine/dryer and a clothes drying rack;
- Shower room: A bright and airy room, with a stylish exposed Cotswold stone wall, which contains a walk-in in shower with a rain shower and a separate handheld shower attachment, a toilet and a wash basin.
Stairs lead up from the ground floor to the first floor landing, off which are the following rooms:
- Master bedroom: A beautiful room with a double sleigh bed, built-in wardrobes and a chest of drawers, with lovely views of the garden and village;
- Bedroom 2: As with the other rooms on the first floor, this room is entered via a lovely solid oak door and contains beautiful oak beams. There are two single beds and a chest of drawers;
- Family bathroom: Contains a roll top bath with a handheld shower attachment, toilet and wash basin.
The mature garden is a lovely suntrap, with a lawn surrounded by beautiful bushes and flower beds. In the corner of the garden is a lovely seating area, with a wooden table and four chairs, and a charcoal barbecue is also available.
There is off street parking for one car and further on street parking is available close to the cottage.
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 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 infant.
Pets
One medium sized dog is accepted, 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 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: Double bed
- Bedroom 2: 2 x single beds
Bathrooms
- Family bathroom (1st floor): Roll top bath with handheld shower attachment, toilet and wash basin
- Shower room (ground floor): Walk-in shower with separate 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 basket of logs is provided for the wood burning stove and further log supplies can be purchased directly from the owner.
Services provided
The property has free wireless internet access and a Freeview TV with DVD player.
There is no telephone at the property.
Mobile phone reception is variable, typically being better outside the property than inside.
Parking
The property has off street parking for one car and free on street parking is readily available.
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 high chair are provided.
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, 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 some low beams and it is laid out over two 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 cottage 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 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
The Forge was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in July 2017. Customer reviews and feedback for this lovely property are provided below:
Other Guest Feedback:
-"This Cottage is perfect, amazing, cosy, wonderful, gorgeous, comfortable, sweet, ,,,,, don't know enough English adjectives to describe. SHORT: WE ALL LOVED IT!!!”, Christina, May 2019
-"What a magical place! I loved every minute in The Forge. Central location for walks, pubs and drives to neighbouring towns. Very quiet and quaint. I highly recommend.”, Jennifer, May 2019
-“Excellent experience working with Character Cottages. Beautifully maintained property in a lovely village.”, Patricia, May 2019
-“Outstanding location. Beautiful cottage. Great little garden to sit with the kids and play. Amazing walks within 10 minutes - provided guide books were fantastic. Awesome local pubs. Felt like a local after only a few days.”, David, April 2019
-“We had a fantastic time at The Forge, such a beautiful cosy cottage in a lovely area. The welcome package was most appreciated & fireplace was a great feature!”, Katy, March 2019
-"Lovely cottage where me, my wife, child and golden retriever instantly felt at home! The personal touches (cake, wine and Netflix subscription) were a welcomed surprise, especially with the weather. We will definitely be booking again!", Stephen, February 2019
-"We loved staying at this place. It was exactly as expected, and the owner, Kirsten, was very prompt in her replies.”, Alex, January 2019
-"Lovely cottage with style and location. We walked in neighbourhood easily and on the Winchcombe Path with great ease. Stow-on-Wold had charming restaurants. Easy communication and entry. Would come back in a flash if heading to the Cotswolds.”, Katherine, December 2018
-"Very comfortable cosy cottage with ample equipment for four people. The wine, cake and milk we found on our arrival was a nice touch. The log burner was great with plenty of logs available for a chilly November. It was nice to meet the owner who dropped by to make sure we had everything we needed.", Martin, November 2018
-"Really lovely cottage, loved the log burner and the enclosed garden- it was very dog friendly! Great location close to stow on the wold and Boughton. Definitely recommend this cottage! Thank you for a lovely stay, thoroughly enjoyed it!”, Karen, November 2018
-"My girlfriend and our dog spent a lovely time at The Forge. It was perfectly located and a wonderful place for a cosy, relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds. Lots of great local walks and pubs, I highly recommend to anyone looking for an escape.”, Connor, October 2018
-"Very lovely cottage in a beautiful area. Everything was as in the pictures. Perfect retreat.", Karina, July 2018
-"Wonderful & Charming! Great cottage. Nice touches and excellent location. Fantastic. Will be back.", Chris, June 2018
-"The Forge is well equipped for a comfortable holiday. It is centrally located to visit other places in the Cotswolds. There are two excellent gastro pubs in Oddington.", Michael, June 2018
-"Very comfy beds, very tasteful interior, well-equipped kitchen, fantastic materials about walks and sights provided, nice owner.", Tanja, April 2018
-"We spent two wonderful weeks in the Cotswods. The cottage is beautiful and very lovingly decorated. From the beginning we felt very well and at home. The location is great. In 5 minutes by car in the small town of Stow-on-the-Wold. To explore the Cotswolds simply class. We thank Ms. Eriksson for the great hospitality and the uncomplicated check-in and check-out. Best regards and see you soon!", Marcel, April 2018
-"We had an excellent time, your place is wonderful.", Richard, January 2018
-"This cottage is a perfect place to stay to discover all the Cotswolds offers. It is beautifully warm and cosy and set up with all you could possibly need. We are already looking at possible dates to stay again.”, Sarah, January 2018
-"Best Holiday Cottage we have stayed in, up to now. A very high standard, hope it keeps like that. We intend to use Character Cottages again in the future.", John, November 2017
-“Had an amazing time at The Forge, amazing cottage. Very appreciative for everything provided and done to make us feel welcome. Thank you!”, Adam, October 2017
-“Lovely cottage, wish we were staying longer. Ideal spot for visiting the Cotswolds. The extra touches very much appreciated. The cake was really delicious. Thank you.”, Chris, September 2017
-“Fantastic cottage in a fantastic area of the Cotswolds. Great local walks across the fields into Stow. Great local pub with fantastic food. Enjoy”, Tom, September 2017
-“Had a lovely few days in the Cotswolds. You have a lovely home, in a great location. The Forge is a home from home. We will definitely be back!”, Claire, Russ + Ruby the Dog, August 2017
-“Thank you so much, we have so enjoyed our stay - will definitely return. Love the cottage - oozes character. Have enjoyed walks and drives in the beautiful Cotswolds.”, Ingrid, August 2017
-“First time to the Cotswolds from London where we have been living for 10 years. Can’t believe we haven’t come out sooner. Beautiful home, great location and our dog loved it, too! We will be back for sure. Many thanks and best wishes.”, Wendy, July 2017
-“Had a delightedly stay in The Forge - what a great relaxing place. Great location for everything - walks and touring the Cotswolds. Lovely relaxing evenings, cosy with the fire. Looking forward to coming back again soon - especially to visit the teddy, now named “Barnie” (he came everywhere with us :-))”, Sally, April 2016
Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy The Forge 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 |
iPod dock |
| Four ring gas hob |
Fridge |
Freezer |
| Kettle |
Microwave |
Outdoor table and seating |
| Electric oven |
Toaster |
Flatscreen TV with DVD player |
| Washing machine/dryer |
Wireless internet |
Slimline dishwasher |
| Travel cot (without linen) |
High chair |
Steriliser, children's cutlery, crockery and toys |
| 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 |
Travel
The Forge is located on a quiet lane, in the peaceful village of Upper Oddington.
Travelling by car
Upper Oddington is easily accessed by car, being located a few hundred yards from the A436, which connects the A429 (Fosse Way) and the A44, two of the main roads running through the North Cotswolds.
Travelling by train
The nearest railway station to Upper Oddington is Kingham (approximately four miles away), which has regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of less than 90 minutes.
Travelling by plane
Upper Oddington is within easy reach of a number of international airports:
- Heathrow International Airport: 71 miles, approximately 90 minute drive;
- Birmingham International Airport: 48 miles, approximately 60 minute drive;
- Bristol International Airport: 70 miles, approximately 90 minute drive.
