Christmas Cottage
Tetbury is one of the gems of the Cotswolds, and Christmas Cottage provides an elegant base from which to explore. Nestled on the historic Gumstool Hill where the quirky Woolsack Race takes place, you are invited to relax and embrace local life. A roaring wood burner, traditional stable door and charming garden create this hillside hideaway which has been carefully interior designed. It is a peaceful retreat in the middle of the exciting hubbub of Tetbury. From your doorstep you can browse the selection of antique stores, art scene cafes, myriad eateries and Highgrove House and Gardens, the private residence of royalty, making this a prime Cotswold location. If you plan to do some exploring further afield, Malmesbury, the Cotswold Water Park and Stroud are all within easy reach.
Overview
Christmas Cottage is framed by townhouses of Cotswold stone in the eclectic town of Tetbury. With its grade I listed market house, architectural treasures, antique stores and acclaimed restaurants, Tetbury is a Cotswold treasure.
This three-storey cottage is a treasure trove of delightful features with over two hundred years of history made evident by the original inglenook fireplace and occasional low beam. On the ground floor you'll find a charming living room complete with a wood burning stove, and a spacious kitchen-dining area apt for gathering with friends and family. A light-soaked bedroom and family bathroom can be found on the first floor, as well as a delightful landing with a window seat looking out to the garden, while on the second floor is an elegant second bedroom with views across the rooftops of beautiful Tetbury.
To the rear of the cottage, through the kitchen door and up six stone steps, is an enclosed and private rear garden arranged as a paved patio terrace on two levels. If you’re lucky enough to be at the cottage in May, simply wander outside the front door for a ‘ring-side’ seat at the passing Woolsack Races.
Ground Floor
Hallway:
Welcoming you inside is Christmas Cottage’s light and airy hallway, where there’s room for hanging coats and storing boots after long strolls through the countryside.
Sitting room:
Wander to your left and you’re greeted by a cosy sitting room complete with a crackling wood burner, soft furnishings and an abundance of natural light. With a serene feel to it, this spot is perfect for gathering with loved ones, flicking on a movie or reading a chapter or two.
Kitchen/dining room:
Whether settling down to morning brunch or an evening feast complete with fresh local produce, the kitchen is truly the heart of Christmas Cottage. A place to gather and connect with friends and family, there’s seating for four and all the essentials to keep you happy during your stay. We love the traditional stable door - pop it open on a warm day to enjoy the sounds of nature.
First Floor
Bedroom one:
Find sanctuary amid the peaceful surroundings of bedroom one which has a super king-size bed. A place filled with natural light, this serene spot is a place to rest, read and relax after a day exploring Tetbury.
Bathroom:
A light and spacious room, the cottage’s bathroom features a polished Cotswold stone floor and neutral tones, giving it a spa-like feeling. A bath with a rainfall shower, lozenge-shape wash basin and gleaming mirror sign off the room with finesse.
Second Floor
Bedroom two:
On the second floor is a double bedroom commanding great views across the rooftops to the mature trees along the Tetbury Trail. As the sun sinks across the Gloucestershire skyline, rest on the bed and pull out a book to enjoy the last few hours of the day in this charming spot.
Outside
Immediately outside the kitchen door is a covered passageway with storage space for walking boots and an outside tap for washing off any muddy paws. Wander up the stairs and you’ll find a circular table and four seats, a delightful spot to enjoy a morning coffee or al fresco dining. Outside the front door makes a lovely spot to watch the Gumstool Hill activity go by, and if you’re lucky to be there in May, you’ll have a ‘ring-side’ seat at the passing Woolsack Races. Whilst there is no allocated parking for Christmas Cottage there is free parking usually available on the hill.
Facilities
Indoor
Bedroom One - Super King-size
Bedroom Two - Double
1 Bathroom - Family Bathroom With Bath And Over-bath Shower, WC
Hairdryer - 1
Fire - Logs Are Provided For An Initial Fire (1st October - 31st March)
Oven
Hob
Microwave
Toaster
Kettle
Fridge
Freezer
Coffee Machine
Dishwasher
Dining Table - Seats 4
Washing Machine
Tumble Dryer
Iron
WiFi *Please Note That Speeds Are For Guidance Only And Are Not Guaranteed - 40-60 Mbps
TV - Smart
Board Games
Outdoor
Garden
Outdoor Dining Area
No BBQ Available
Parking - On-street Parking
On your Doorstep
There is a well-stocked Cooperative food store in walking distance on the High Street and a Tesco superstore. Tetbury has some great specialist food and wine shops including Tetbury Wines, Hobbs House bakery, Jesse Smith Butchers, Knead bakery and Martin & Malthouse Deli. Tetbury is an antiques hub with over 25 antique stores on the High Street and Church Street. The town also has a wide range of independent clothing boutiques and interiors stores, including Overider, Sassy & Boo, Domestic Science and the Highgrove shop. Twice weekly markets are held at the Market House selling everything from local produce to jewellery, second-hand books and furniture.
Eating Out
- The Royal Oak, Tetbury – dog-friendly bar and relaxed dining area with a Summer pop up outside serving world street food
- Café 53, Tetbury – stop off for a drink or lunch in between browsing the antique shops
- The Snooty Fox, Tetbury – in the heart of Tetbury this pub is perfect for relaxed dining or a special occasion
- The Blue Zucchini, Tetbury - family-run restaurant/bar/cafe with a menu suiting any time of day
- The Dining Room at Whatley Manor, Easton Grey – Michelin starred dining in an elegant setting (6 miles)
Walks
There are plenty of walks in and around Tetbury to suit all ages and mobilities, from historic strolls past the town’s most famous landmarks, to rural rambles across the surrounding Cotswold countryside. The Tetbury Trail (once the Tetbury to Kemble Branch Line) is a gentle and historically interesting walk that’s suitable for walkers, cyclists (mtb) and horse riders. The Trail starts from the Tetbury Goods Shed, just down the hill from the cottage, and continues for three miles towards Kemble. There’s a picnic area at the start, plus the Goods Shed café is there should you need something before leaving, and along the way there are also 20 exercise stations.
Places to Visit
- Highgrove Gardens and House, Tetbury – private residence of King Charles II and the Queen Consort. Advance booking required (1.5 miles)
- Westonbirt Arboretum – 600-acre arboretum with beautiful walking routes, treetop trail and Gruffalo statues to be discovered (3.5 miles)
- Painswick Rococo Gardens – stunning gardens just outside the centre of a beautiful village known as the Queen of the Cotswolds (15 miles)
Travel
Train - the nearest train station to Tetbury is Kemble, a 15-minute drive away. Kemble operates a very popular and direct service to London Paddington in 75-80 minutes.
Taxis – Reliance Taxis, Taxi 247 Cirencester, Siren Cars
There is so much to discover in the Cotswolds, why not have a look at some of our favourite Bolthole Retreats Experiences
Points of Note
This property has a check-in time of 16:00 and a check-out time of 10:00
- Book with us to get exclusive discounts to top attractions and experiences.
- Christmas Cottage does not accept infants.
- The garden is unsuitable for children under seven or guests with any mobility issues, as there are a number of levels and several stone steps.
- Please do not walk on the flat roof over the kitchen-dining room.
- The property is situated in a residential area; therefore, in consideration of the neighbours, we respectfully request that noise levels are kept to a minimum after 10pm, especially outside on warmer evenings.
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Handpicked by us
Why we love this
- Elegant hillside hideaway with a roaring wood burner, charming garden, and carefully designed interiors.
- Nestled on Tetbury’s historic Gumstool Hill, just steps from antique stores, cafés, and the town’s lively arts scene.
- Perfect for soaking up local traditions like the Woolsack Race and visiting nearby Highgrove House, Westonbirt Arboretum, and the Cotswold Water Park.
Discover more
The Location
If you’re a lover of all things vintage or antique, Tetbury is undoubtedly the place for you, with some 25 antique stores located throughout the town. There’s an abundance of stylish and arty cafes, pubs and restaurants and independent interior, clothing and food shops, as well as Highgrove - Prince Charles’s Tetbury residence-inspired shop. Enjoy wonderful walking routes right from the front door, and the Tetbury Goods Shed, with its eclectic mix of music, art and theatre, is a minute away. Within a 10-mile radius, there are several places of interest to visit, including Nailsworth, the National Trust’s Newark Park, Westonbirt Arboretum, Owlpen Manor, Woodchester Mansion, Highgrove House, Badminton, and Gatcombe Park.
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Read our reviews
Christmas Cottage
Pleasant stay. ThankU. xxxxxxxxxxxxx cxxxxxxxxxxxxxcxxxxxxxxxxx c. cccfffcccccccccccccccvvvcccccccccccvcvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbhhbbhbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbhhhhhhhhbhhhbbbbbbbbbnjhhjhjjjjjjhjjhjjhhhhjhhhhhhhjjjjjjjjhjjjjjjjhjhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhgh. THIS COMMENT FIELD SIZE REQIREMENT IS CRAZY.
Guest
Cosy cottage in a beautiful spot just down from the town.
Beautiful, quiet cottage just down a steep lane from the ancient town centre.
Interesting location - "Gumstool" is where they dunked witches to test them!
Very well appointed with relative "quality" from kitchen to bed linen.
All services on hand and good shops and pubs close by.
Please be aware if you have mobility issues - 1. The cottage has a low ceiling/beam above the uneven steps to the kitchen, 2. the toilet seat is very/very low, 3. Gumstool Lane is very steep (perhaps an easier way back up on foot is the very close parallel Steps lane).
Note - we had a query on arrival but could not contact the property Manager (didn't answer 'phone and mail box "full).
Simon
Beautiful Cottage -excellent customer service
This is a beautiful cottage in an excellent location good for both town and country walks. TH house was very well appointed and we had a very thoughtful welcome pack which included mince pies. We had a slight issue with access to documents prior to the stay but this was sorted out almost immediately with the excellent customer service would highly recommend.
claire
Relaxing weekend
Cosy comfortable cottage
Great location with a short work to the shops, pubs and restaurants
We had a very relaxing weekend and loved Tetbury
Highly recommended
Alison
Christmas Cottage Tetbury
Good stay overall in the is lovely property, centrally located in Tetbury. Property comfort, facilities and condition were all excellent. The only disappointment was cleanliness, which was not up to the expected standard of a high end rental like this, especially in the kitchen and bathroom.
Michael
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us on your recent stay at Christmas Cottage. We’re very glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay overall, however we're sorry to read that the cleanliness of the cottage did not meet your expectations. Your valuable feedback has been shared with the property owners, who have confirmed that the cottage was thoroughly cleaned prior to your arrival, and they will be speaking with their housekeeping team regarding this. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back to the Cotswolds again in the future.
- Bolthole Retreats, 28th November 2025
Short break in Tetbury
The cottage is situated in a v convenient central location although parking on the steep hill was difficult at times! It was very cosy, particularly the lounge. Some of the kitchen appliances could do with a bit of TLC - eg the bottom oven door came adrift on first use . The crockery would be nicer if there were enough plates and glasses to match each other! The beds were comfortable and the bathroom was nice with a bath and over bath shower. The instructions left in the cottage need updating - they gave 2 different addresses for the property and inaccurate details on how to use the tv! Despite these minor issues - except perhaps the oven - its a lovely cottage which could just be improved with a few attentions to detail!
Anne
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us on your recent stay at Christmas Cottage. We’re very glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay however sorry to read that some aspects of your stay didn't meet your expectations. Your valuable feedback has been shared with the property owners who has taken your points onboard and are looking into them. They've confirmed that the oven door has now been fixed and are reviewing the TV instructions. We’ve also updated our information with the correct address. We hope to see you in the Cotswolds again soon.
- Bolthole Retreats, 19th November 2025
A lovely cottage
We stayed here for two nights at the end of October.
Its a lovely cottage and a great location. Although, I wouldnt recommend it if you have mobility challenges (its at the bottom of quite a steep hill). It was clean, the furnishings were comfortable and we found everything we needed in the kitchen. We were even left some welcome gifts, which was a lovely touch.
Thank you ??
Karen
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us on your recent stay at Christmas Cottage. We’re very glad to hear that you enjoyed your stay. With your comments regarding the location of the property being on a hill and not being suitable for guests with mobility issues, we state on our website that it is nestled on the historic Gumstool Hill. We hope to see you in the Cotswolds again soon.
- Bolthole Retreats, 5th November 2025
Effortless initial booking. Very thorough description of property. Wonderful communication with the property manager. Was a very comfortable and welcoming property and well located to the village.
Susan
Lovely property and great facilities.
Tim
Lovely cottage very clean with all mod cons & great location
Lovely cottage, very clean, with all mod con, & great location would like to return
very cosy& comfortable
Lynettte
Perfect stay, lovely place in a great location.
Stephen
Cottage in Tetebuy, Cotswolds
Christmas cottage is a beautiful looking cottage within walking distance to all of the amenities and walks, Tetbury trail being one which is worth doing. We were lucky to get parked right out side of the cottage. Some areas of the cottage would benefit a little updating.
The lounge and bedrooms were nicely furnished. The master having a lovely super king bed. Both bedrooms had lovely bed linen and comfy mattresses. Hair dryer was old but worked ok.
What let it down for us was despite stating there would be logs and kindling, there wasnt. The log burner hadnt been cleaned out. Kindling arrived very late into the evening on the first night with a knock at the door and two bags left on the door step. No logs.
Lacking a few basic items including only half a loo roll etc in the bathroom or a welcome pack with milk.
We took both our dogs with us but to be honest I dont think the cottage was suitable for them. As there was only one front entrance which was carpeted. We do always wash and clean our dogs especially if it has been wet and muddy. The garden was terraced with quite steep steps and borders which in summer would look beautiful but in winter blended in with the patio. We took the dogs out to a green area and walk if they needed to go out for a toilet
Guest
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback following your stay at Christmas Cottage. We're so pleased to hear that you enjoyed the cottage, but we're truly sorry to learn that some aspects of your experience didn't quite meet your expectations. Your comments are invaluable to us, and we really appreciate you bringing them to our attention. We've informed the property owner and property manager of your feedback, who are genuinely sorry to hear of the issues you encountered. They wish they had known during your stay, as they would have been more than happy to pop by and assist. They've already spoken with the housekeeping team to ensure extra care is taken moving forward, so these oversights don't happen again. Thank you once again for sharing your thoughts, we truly value your feedback. We very much hope to have the chance to welcome you back to the Cotswolds in the future.
- Bolthole Retreats, 27th February 2025
Christmas Cottage is a delightful place in a fantastic location.The lounge and wood burner were particular highlights. Highly recommend.
Cressida
Great cottage
Lovely cottage in a great location, only downside was the oven was not very clean at all when we arrived which meant we could not fully use it.
Guest
Good comfortable stay
On a steep slope so be mindful if staying in icy weather conditions or have mobility difficulties.small things like, kettle needed descaling and main oven didnt work. The garden could have done with weeding and tidying at the front . Window boxes were empty and steps to front door had weeds.
Overall, very cosy cottage. Good stock of games, books and dvds. Excellent wifi and the area of tetbury was pretty and I would definitely stay again
Guest
Stylish superbly appointed pretty Cottage in wonderful Cotswolds town
Thoroughly enjoyed our time in Tetbury, made even better by our stay in this beautiful and well appointed Cottage - really feels like the Owner cares and ensures everything is there to make the stay comfortable and enjoyable, with a lot of thought having gone in to it,. Beautiful fabrics, well decorated and very warm (it was a misty chilly December!), with bedding, soft towels, well equipped Kitchen, comfortable Sitting Room (complete with some logs for the woodburner).
It is on street parking but we always found a space outside, and it didnt seem that busy in the road (it is no through ) and free long stay public car park anyway a few mins walk.
Would stay again in an instant and am sure we will return in 2023....
Thank you for letting us stay here
James
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review, the owners will be so pleased to read this. We're happy to see that you enjoyed your stay at Christmas Cottage and hope we can welcome you back to The Cotswolds again in the future.
- Bolthole Retreats, 7th December 2022
Excellent experience
Christmas Cottage was a delightful experience: superb cottage facilities, fully equiped modern kitchen, high standards of cleanliness. Customer service was highly responsive and expeditious in resolving any questions. Highly recommended.
David
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