Description
Summary
Willow Vale is a stunning Cotswold stone cottage that sleeps six guests in three bedrooms, with a family bathroom. The open plan living space downstairs has been elegantly furnished and retains traditional character features, including exposed wooden beams and a fireplace with a wood burning stove. These period features are complemented by modern facilities, including wireless internet access, a Smart TV with DVD player, and a well presented kitchen.
Location
Tucked away in the heart of Snowshill, Willow Vale overlooks the beautiful village church of St Barnabas, and is a short walk away from the ‘Snowshill Arms’, a popular country inn. Located within the village is Snowshill Manor, now owned by the National Trust, which houses thousands of objects collected by Charles Paget Wade in the early 20th century, and there are also beautiful gardens to explore.
This chocolate-box village sits atop the escarpment above the villages of Broadway, Buckland and Laverton and allows visitors to enjoy the glorious countryside, open vistas and lovely woodlands which fall within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Snowshill is close to the popular Cotswold market towns of Chipping Campden, Moreton-in-Marsh and Winchcombe and has many stunning countryside walks right on its doorstep.
Description
Willow Vale is the perfect retreat for a gathering of friends or family who are seeking a relaxing countryside break. The cottage is laid out as follows:
| Room | Amenities |
|---|
| Open plan living room |
The open plan living room has beautiful character features, including exposed wooden beams that enhance the room’s charm. This room contains:
- three-seater and two-seater sofa
- fireplace with wood burning stove
- Smart TV with DVD player, plus a small selection of DVDs
|
| Open plan dining room/kitchen |
In the heart of the house is the stylish open plan dining room/kitchen. This spacious room contains:
- large wooden dining table which comfortably seats six
- electric oven
- four-ring induction hob
- fridge/freezer, dishwasher, microwave, kettle, toaster and coffee machine
- washing machine/dryer
|
| Family bathroom |
Contains:
- walk-in shower, bath, toilet and wash basin
|
| Bedroom 2 |
A bright and spacious room with beautiful views overlooking the church. This room contains:
- king size bed
- built-in wardrobe
- chest of drawers
|
| Bedroom 3 |
A well presented bedroom with views overlooking the back garden. This bedroom contains:
- bunk beds
- chest of drawers
|
| Master bedroom |
A beautifully presented bedroom in the eaves, with plenty of character and charm, including exposed beams and sloped ceilings. In addition this bedroom has stunning views overlooking the church and surrounding countryside. This bedroom contains:
- king size bed
- two chests of drawers
- dressing table
- hanging area
|
The large, attractive back garden is accessed from the open plan dining room/kitchen area. The back door opens into a shared service area with steps leading up to an initial small garden. Following the path round behind the outbuildings will lead you to the wonderful main garden area comprising a children’s play area and a picnic table with seating. The garden has fantastic views of the surrounding countryside and is the perfect place to relax.
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
One small dog, over one year old, is accepted, at a cost of £20 per booking. Please note that the garden is not enclosed, therefore dogs should be supervised outside at all times.
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: King size bed
- Bedroom 2: King size bed
- Bedroom 3: Bunk beds
Bathroom
- Family bathroom: Walk-in shower, bath, 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 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 with DVD player.
A telephone is provided for incoming and local calls only.
Due to its rural location, guests should be aware that mobile phone reception can be very poor.
Parking
Willow Vale has one allocated off street parking space and further 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), two high chairs and a stair gate are provided.
The property’s garden is not enclosed, therefore 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 property has many character features, including narrow 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.
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
Willow Vale was launched as a Holiday Let with Character Cottages in September 2018. Customer reviews and feedback for this lovely property are provided below:
Other Guest Feedback:
-"Character Cottages were very responsive to our needs and questions. The house was pristine, with milk and shortbread left for us in the kitchen. I would definitely be happy to rent from them again.", Julie, May 2021
“We had a lovely weekend at this cosy cottage. It's a perfect size for a small to medium family. The wood stove is excellent, the kitchen is well-equipped and there is a garden up the top for kids to play and the parents to have a nice drink in the late afternoon. The owners must use it for their own family as there are lots of toys and books for the kids, local info and walking maps for the adults, and the cottage has a nice lived-in feel. The location is perfect, close to Broadway, Bourton and Stow but off the tourist trail. Snowshill village is just gorgeous - very small and not too busy, just a few instagrammers outside the church. There are fantastic walks around, a really nice and interesting National Trust, Broadway tower just up the road, and the relaxed pub has a great beer garden with a playground for the kids.”, Jennifer, May 2021
-"Wonderful views, peaceful location, cosy warm and well equipped house, we had a wonderful stay and enjoyed our first family trip to the Cotswolds immensely.", Nancy, October 2020
-"A very cosy cottage with a beautiful outlook to the church and distant views beyond.The interior has been tastefully done and is all in good order. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.", Diana, October 2020
-"Lovely stay, fab location and comfy beds!", Jessica, September 2020
-"Quaint and well situated two story cottage in the heart of the Cotswold's.”, Henry, August 2020
-"Such a comfortable and pretty house in a beautiful location. The beds and bedding were so comfortable. The house equipped with everything you could need, along with children’s books and a selection of games. Behind the house lies an elevated garden, perfect for star gazing or an early evening drink! The village of snowshill is so picturesque with a church and a local pub. Can’t wait to book again, next time in the winter!", Naomi, August 2020
-"Cute little place to stay!", Natalie, July 2020
-"The property is gorgeous, fantastically situated and a really comfortable place to stay, from the gorgeous hidden garden, the very well equipped kitchen to the local guides left for your use. Would recommend to anyone!", Jack, July 2020
-"Lovely cottage, perfect location for our young family and loads of baby and kid essentials are provided. Already booked to return in Septembers, what more can I say!”, Emily, March 2020
-"My family and I had an amazing week exploring the Cotswolds and this cottage was a perfect place to relax and enjoy the calmness of the area. Highly recommended.”, Ricardy, January 2020
-“Cosy cottage with real log burner, beautiful location and comfortable furnishings”, Richard, November 2019
-“We had a lovely two weeks stay in the cottage. There is so much to do within an hours drive we didn’t get to do it all and the cottage was very well set up for children including high chairs, travel cot, plastic ware and of great relief with a baby, two stair gates! A quaint little village with tourists wandering around on foot rather than lots of traffic and buses which made it much quieter than neighbouring Broadway.”, Kristine, August 2019
-"Everything was great. Calm, tidy, nice neighbourhood...! We want to stay again.”, Mayako, August 2019
-"We had a lovely time at the Willow Vale cottage. It was clean, charming and cosy. No complaints at all. Would definitely recommend.", Hayley, July 2019
-“We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Willow Vale. Exactly as advertised. Amazing location with great hiking nearby. Would definitely return.”, Tom, June 2019
- “Wonderful stay with my family in what we found to be the most scenic and idyllic town in all of Cotswolds. Everything surpassed our expectations, especially the fantastic location and how updated the interiors of this historic cottage are.”, Mei, June 2019
-“We had a wonderful stay in Willow Vale. We had my parents and our two kids and there were some lovely little touches for young children like toys and dvds. The area is stunning and we loved enjoying nights in the cottage and lovely sunny afternoons in the garden!”, Fiona, May 2019
-“Lovely clean cottage with everything you might need . Perfect location in a lovely village”, Veronica, May 2019
-“A wonderful cottage in a very quaint village. Stylish decor and lovely bedrooms. Lots to do nearby and also only 40 mins from Warwick Castle which was a fab day out with 3 kids.”, Amanda, April 2019
-"We loved this cottage - it was perfect - it lived up to our expectations in every way. Highly recommended, we'd love to come back!", Tim, March 2019
Inventory
Our aim is for you to enjoy Willow Vale 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 |
|---|
| Tassimo coffee machine (without pods) |
Bed linen, bath and hand towels |
Smart TV with DVD player |
| Four-ring induction hob |
Fridge/freezer |
Children's outdoor play area |
| Kettle |
Microwave |
Outdoor table and seating |
| Electric oven |
Toaster |
Dishwasher |
| Selection of DVDs |
Wireless internet |
Washing machine/tumble dryer |
| Travel cot (without linen) |
2 x high chairs |
Stair gate |
| 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 |
| 2 x hair dryers |
Iron |
Ironing board |
Travel
Willow Vale is peacefully located in the heart of Snowshill, close to the market town of Broadway and the village of Blockley.
Travelling by car
Willow Vale is easily accessed by car, being located approximately three miles away from the A44, one of the main roads through the North Cotswolds.
Travelling by train
The nearest railway station to Willow Vale is Moreton-in-Marsh (approximately seven miles away), which has regular, direct services to London Paddington, with a typical journey time of approximately 90 minutes.
Travelling by plane
Willow Vale is within easy reach of a number of international airports:
- Heathrow International Airport: 82 miles, approximately 90 minute drive;
- Birmingham International Airport: 40 miles, approximately 60 minute drive.
