Holly Cottage
ID: S424835
- Bedrooms 3
- ・ Sleeps 6
- ・ Pets 2
Guests say
Holly Cottage in Oxfordshire is a charming property with a beautiful garden and a true Cotswold feel. Guests appreciate its cosy atmosphere, historical character, and picturesque village location. The cottage is well-equipped and perfect for family gatherings, with special mentions of its comfortable beds and extensive outdoor space.
Reviews indicate a mix of experiences regarding cleanliness. Some guests found the cottage to be well kept and clean, while others reported issues with cleanliness, including dirty crockery and a need for a deep clean. The mixed feedback suggests room for improvement.
The location of Holly Cottage is highly praised for its brilliant position, lovely quiet village setting, and proximity to local attractions and walks. Some guests noted the road can be busy, but overall, the location is considered a highlight.
Comfort is a strong point for Holly Cottage, with many guests finding the beds comfortable and the cottage cosy. However, some guests mentioned issues with low ceilings and steep steps, which could affect comfort for those with mobility concerns.
Facilities at Holly Cottage are generally appreciated, especially the kitchen and garden. However, guests have suggested improvements such as the addition of a microwave and hair dryer, and there are reports of maintenance issues like a broken dishwasher and the need for an updated gas certificate.
While many reviews express gratitude for the cottage's charm and amenities, there is no specific mention of gifts or extra thoughtful touches provided by the hosts. Therefore, it is not possible to assess the thoughtfulness category based on the available reviews.
About this property
Peacefully located in the quaint village of Old Minster Lovell, is this beautiful Cotswold stone cottage, Holly Cottage. The large cottage is full of character and has lovely gardens, with views of open fields, the local church and the ruins of Minster Lovell Hall, making it the perfect retreat for a family or group of friends who are seeking a relaxing countryside break.
A quiet lane leads you up to the front door, which opens into a small hallway, with space to put your shoes, before opening up into the lovely farmhouse style kitchen complete with flagstone flooring, Belfast sink and all the appliances you require for a wonderful self-catering stay.
Your meals can be enjoyed in the bright, dual aspect dining room, sat with your guests around the wooden dining table as you toast to a wonderful start to your holiday together.
Retreat into the large sitting room where you can sink into the sofa or one of the welcoming armchairs and watch a compelling movie on the DVD player, as the woodburning stove that sits within the lovely, large inglenook fireplace keeps you warm on a cold winter evening.
The third bedroom is located on the ground-floor and has one step up to it, featuring a lovely king-size bed and a contemporary en-suite shower room with a walk-in rain shower, hand-held shower, basin and WC.
Up the steep staircase are two further bedrooms; the master is a large dual aspect room with a lovely exposed Cotswold stone wall and wooden flooring, with a super-king-size bed and the second has lovely sloping ceilings and contains twin beds or a super-king-size bed on request.
Look forward to an indulgent soak amongst the bubbles in the roll-top bath and get out to a wonderfully warm towel, thanks to the heated towel rail!
Holly Cottage's large, enclosed garden is to the rear of the property, with lovely rural views, containing an outdoor table and two benches, a charcoal barbecue which is provided during the summer months, and a lovely meadow with a trampoline further into the garden, perfect for keeping the little ones occupied!
Lace up your walking boots and discover the pretty village of Old Minster Lovell, which 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.
Take yourself out of the kitchen and enjoy a relaxed dining experience at The Old Swan pub, which is situated on the banks of the river.
Holly Cottage is also located in close proximity to Jeremy Clarkson's pub, The Farmer's Dog - a very popular attraction!
A fun day out for all the family to enjoy is spent at Crocodiles of the World, located in Brize Norton and is just a short car ride away, where you can come face-to-face with some of the world’s most feared predators in a fun, safe and stimulating environment, with under-water viewing, talks, animal encounters and feeds throughout the day there’s plenty to keep you occupied at the UK’s only Crocodile Zoo!
Keeping in with the animal theme, head for a great day out at Heythrop Zoological Gardens where you can discover an array of wonderful exotic animals, and finish your day with a pub dinner at one of the many pubs that sit within nearby Chipping Norton such as The Red Lion and The Fox.
The much-loved Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water, often referred to as the ‘Venice of the Cotswolds’ due to the low arched bridges that cross over the River Windrush, is easily accessed from Holly Cottage and boasts a variety of popular shops and attractions such as Cotswolds Antiques and Tea Room and the lovely Kingsbridge riverside pub, as well as Greystones Farm & Nature Reserve which is home to wildflower meadows and a working organic farm; offering time out from the hustle and bustle of the village centre.
For a wonderful countryside retreat, stay at Holly Cottage.
Minster Lovell is a village and civil parish in West Oxfordshire on the River Windrush. It is popular for its ruin Minster Lovell Hall, famed for allegedly being the place the ninth Lord Lovell’s remains were found in an underground room. It is often visited now for picnics by the river or long walks through the surrounding meadows, as well as the dovecote nearby. It has several local county inns, including The White Hart and the Old Swan which provide excellent food and real ale. There are public footpaths that cross the field to the parish church or across the river to a small weir where local children often go to swim. Nearby attractions include the Cotswold Wildlife Park and Kilkenny Lane Country Park, both within a short driving distance. Minster Lovell is located 4 miles west of Witney and 2 miles east of Carterton.
Accommodation
Three bedrooms: 1 x super-king-size, 1 x twin , 1 x ground-floor king-size with en-suite walk-in rain shower, hand-held shower, basin and WC.
Bathroom with roll-top bath, hand-held shower, basin, heated towel rail and WC.
Kitchen.
Dining room.
Sitting room with woodburning stove.
Gas central heating with woodburning stove.
Double electric oven, gas hob, fridge, small freezer compartment, washing machine, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, coffee percolator, hairdryer.
Freesat TV, DVD player, selection of books, WiFi.
Fuel, power and starter pack for woodburning stove included in rent.
Bed linen and towels included in rent.
Highchair and cot available.
On-street parking.
Enclosed lawn and patio garden with furniture and charcoal barbecue (without coal) (summer only).
Two well-behaved dogs welcome.
Sorry, no smoking.
Shop 0.7 miles, pub 0.6 miles
Nearby points of interest
- Crocodiles Of The World
- Burford Garden Center
- Cotswold Wildlife Park And Gardens
- Cotswold Motoring Museum
- Ashmolean Museum
- Pitt Rivers Museum
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History
- Modern Art Oxford
- Blenheim Palace
Reviews (30)
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Gary
Location is excellent only a short walk to the Minster Mill Hotel / Old Swan. Heating and hot water were very efficient and parking outside for one large car was easy. Only slight negatives were the damp in the downstairs bedroom, why has this not been fixed? The quantity of spiders⦠and no Microwave or coffee machine. However we had a great stay and would recommend the cottage!
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Carolyn
We loved the features like the antique furniture and the chess board, and thoroughly enjoyed the table tennis. Our dog really liked the garden and meadow. It's a beautiful village and a great base for exploring the many attractions the Cotswolds has to offer.
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Andy
Rodent sized holes under the door from the dining area to the garden look very inviting for a cold four legged critter or in fact any other critters out there. Furniture in the lounge is very stained and we were pleased we could sit in the garden due to the weather. However, the garden lights are in fact nowhere near the garden seating area so a little useless as it gets darker. The knives and forks look like they were there when the place was built and that is not a compliment as to their vintage look. Rugs, both upstairs and downstairs, are threadbare and fraying at the edges. Some of the windows are broken and the garden was quite overgrown during our stay. The key safe is in fact nowhere near the front door and so when arriving in the dark it was a challenge to find the door keys tucked around the corner nowhere near the door !! In the upstairs bathroom the sink was falling off the vanity shelf so be careful when washing in it or cleaning your teeth for fear of it parting company with the shelf, and the glass tiles are all lifting off the surface too. The bin in the bathroom also doesnât close and needs to be replaced but was still there so contents are all on display. The pots hanging in the kitchen needed to be cleaned prior to use. In the main bedroom one wall was plastered but not painted. In the downstairs bedroom en-suite there was mold in the bathroom which has clearly not been cleaned sufficiently and the walls are showing signs of damp in the main bedroom upstairs and in the downstairs bedroom. This property is advertised as being dog friendly but there is in fact nowhere convenient for dogs to sleep as there is no door on the kitchen area and so dogs, unless kept in a bedroom with you are, free to roam around the house, which is far from ideal. Also, it seems the place must be totally cleaned tip to toe on departure which is not ideal when kicking out time is 10 am..... plus I would highly recommend taking your own towels as we have been charged for a towel with a bit of mud on it and a towel with some water based makeup on it.... having used them obviously... derrr... you would think you could !! The issue with the towels is the fact that the decision to charge for them was taken before they had been put in to a washing machine. Unless of course the linen and towels are not normally washed between guests ? This was all done without any discussion on the matter, despite us asking for better information and whether the towels had actually ventured anywhere near a washing machine or not, however the funds were simply taken from our account with zero discussion on the matter... It is also ironic that on arrival, the tea towels that were in the kitchen were absolutely filthy and we put them to one side but there was no mention of the tea towels in the âdamaged towelsâ claim and it was a good job we took our own tea towels as directed. We would not stay at this place again and we would not use Sykes cottages again either. Their handling of the matter was to simply brush it under one of the threadbare and frayed carpets...