You are looking for a really comfortable, pet-free, home from home in the middle of England for up to four people? A place from which to explore the Cotswolds and the Stratford area (we are also in Shakespeare country) or even to venture further East to Cambridge, South West down to Bath and Stonehenge or West, over to Wales? London is a 90 minute train ride away. This is all doable from our cosy, traditional stone, Sansome House Cottage in the very special Cotswold village of Ilmington. Moreover you do not want to be faced with extraneous surprise 'extras' tacked on. Maybe, in getting this far in finding my cottage, you have found what you seek? There are no hidden extra charges made by the owners. Free WIFI included.
Ilmington is always a little haven of quiet as it is not on any main roads and is only discovered by chance, mainly by cyclists and walkers. Even in winter the weather can be surprisingly conducive to sightseeing and walking trips (although no guarantees). See where we are in the village by looking at a map of Ilmington where the cottage is marked.
Hidcote Manor Gardens is a hike away over the hills and is lovely all year round although it is only open at weekends in winter. Come and charge up your batteries in a quintessential English Cotswold village, away from the madding crowds! Here it is
greenness all around and flowers all Spring and Summer long. I do fresh flowers for your rooms, no matter the season. We offer total relaxation in comfortable beds waking to the sounds of a birdsong filled-courtyard. See a summary of the kinds of things you can enjoy in the area by reading the location section here which is to be found near the bottom, below the map and before the availability calendar.
MOST stays Saturday to Saturday, 7 night bookings. Short stays mainly November to February excluding Christmas and New Year. No taxes and NO extra 'owner fees' from me but note there are some website fees here.
Ilmington lies on the borders of Warwickshire and Gloucestershire and less than 15 miles from from both the counties of Oxfordshire and Worcestershire. I describe it as a 'hidden' village as it is away from the hotspots of tourism (7 miles from Stratford upon Avon) and not on the main roads. It is four miles from pretty (but busy, in summer!) Chipping Campden. Lovely places to visit, all within easy reach, without living at the centre of the hustle and bustle.
Drive into a completely private courtyard and find the delightful Sansome House Cottage - a conversion of a 1760's farm building into a charming vacation cottage with all modern amenities. This honey coloured stone cottage lies opposite the main former farmhouse. In summer there are pots of tumbling flowers at the door. The courtyard - house, cottage and garages, is security protected by CCTV. Note that the garden is completely private. The interior style is small English country house - Persian rugs lie on wooden floors downstairs, antique furniture sits happily with modern pieces and the whole place oozes comfort and peace. You will be surprised at how roomy it is inside..a large rustic-style kitchen is so well-equipped that we doubt you will be asking for more (but you are welcome to borrow if we have missed something out!). This is also the eating area, with a big farmhouse table and chairs, although there is a small table in the hall that could be used for romantic dining for 2 if you prefer ( a bit of a squeeze for 4). Doors from the kitchen lead to a small completely enclosed garden with garden furniture for sunny days and a BBQ. The downstairs cloakroom/bathroom has a loo, basin and shower cabinet.
The drawing room boasts plenty of comfortable seating (2 sofas and armchair) grouped around an open log fireplace and has a 43" HDTV with all the normal digital channels (not Sky) and a Chromecast dongle so you can beam Netflix etc. if you have a subscription on your device. You have of course, free wifi access. There is a large collection of books available for your stay. There is a music system playable through Bluetooth. Up quite a steep staircase (not suitable for small children or people with balance difficulties) is the landing, off which are two bedrooms and a bathroom with bath, loo and basin. The bath has grip handles. There is no shower here as that is downstairs in the shower room.
The main bedroom (with TV+DVD player) and dressing room off, is spacious, with a King ('Super king' in England) bed which is made up as Austrian Twins (two mattresses on the same frame) with separate downy duvets so it suits close friends as well as couples. (Also no nocturnal duvet snatching possible!). There is a small sofa, two chests of drawers and hanging space. There is an extra hand basin in the dressing room. The second bedroom has two single beds (now without the footboards which are in the photos), chest of drawers and hanging space. All beds have cosy downy duvets and pillows, pure white cotton sheets and very comfortable mattresses. Allergy sufferers can request non-feather bedding.
NOTE: The left hand door and extreme left downstairs window in the exterior photo is not part of the accommodation as it is a narrow room I use as storage for cottage linen, cleaning materials etc. There is a locked door off the drawing room to this. I only go in there on changeover days. The courtyard, house, garages and cottage is protected by 180 degree cctv.
There is free access to WiFi and the first basket of logs is complimentary. In addition I provide starter supplies of all the basic household items and staples, such as loo paper, soap, foil, cling film, tea, coffee, herbs and much more.. to save you having to shop for essentials straight away. For those staying a week a complimentary bottle of wine is waiting for your dinner (candles are now banned by the fire prevention regulations). There is a community shop and café situated in the old Catholic Church on the Upper Green so you can buy all the basic supplies you need from there. You can wander round to the café most days (the shop is open every day) for breakfast, coffee time, tea time etc... With that and the two excellent pubs, you need never leave the village for food!
Basically, the cottage is all set up as a home from home from the off so you can walk through the door and feel you are not missing anything (except maybe your dog and family....) and can feel completely comfortable in YOUR Cotswold cottage for the duration of your stay. Children over five are welcome but the cottage is unsuitable for those under five so I have to say no to small children. NO PETS! This is suitable for those with pet hair allergies. There is a good village playground about 5 minutes walk away. Walks/hikes can be taken from your doorstep.
We live in the main house on the other side of the courtyard (a lawn and cherry tree between us!) and are nearly always on hand to give help and advice if required but of course leave you to enjoy your holiday without intrusion. The cottage is well stocked with leaflets and suggestions of places to visit which I keep current, as well as walking, driving and cycling maps. There is plenty of wildlife about and for the budding ornithologist, bird spotting opportunities abound on your doorstep. A currently resident thrush this Spring is ready with multiple songs to entertain you. We have two kinds of woodpecker.
From April to September there is normally a minimum booking period of a week and a Saturday changeover unless I have gaps created by people staying longer or cancellations ( insurance against this strongly advised!). Short stays are a minimum of 3 nights with sometimes the option of a 4th night at half price. There is a maximum occupancy of 4 and children over five are welcome. NO PETS! NO SMOKERS OR VAPERS!
There are NO OWNER EXTRAS to pay over and above the rate quoted. The rate is all inclusive so you are not going to get hit with surprises. I welcome phone calls if you want to establish our place is right for you, by talking to me but you will have to do a search for the number as I'm not allowed to give it through here. Please take note of differences in time zones though! Or just send me an enquiry through the "ask owner a question" link and I will get back to you almost immediately (unless i am travelling). I do not do instant booking as it is important for both of us to talk first to make sure the cottage is right for you. We are not insurance agents so we encourage you to take out appropriate travel insurance to cover cancellation for any reason.
See details of what is on month to month in the area by looking for 'What's On Sansome House Cottage'
People have to jump through hoops to leave reviews here so I am reluctant to ask them but several have kindly done it and you will find tons more in other places. Of course I really appreciate reviews! The calendar is kept up to date so please check there before enquiring for a particular period. I am always on email! The automated quote may not be accurate.
I welcome communication, rather than instant booking, as I feel it is important for you to make sure the cottage is the right choice for you!
PAYMENT METHODS AND CANCELLATIONS. Please read the details of cancellation before booking. I strongly recommend travel insurance to cover cancellations. Payment is taken through VRBO and only transferred to me after you arrive There are NO extras to pay, save what they add for booking. I prefer that we talk before you commit to make sure that the cottage is exactly right for you.
