Gladstone Cottage

Enveloped by a pretty, English cottage garden, Gladstone Cottage offers the best of both worlds with plenty of character from its 1750s origins along with all the modern creature comforts expected in the 21st century. Named after British Prime Minister William Gladstone, who visited in the 1880s, it was previously known as ‘the cottage in barn orchard’. Sleeping eight guests in four bedrooms, Gladstone Cottage is located equidistant between Chipping Norton and Banbury and is perfect for exploring the northern Cotswolds. Centrally located it is the ideal property for groups of friends and family travelling from the north and south of England to meet and spend time together.

On the ground floor, there’s an impressive kitchen/diner, a spacious living room with a built-in bar and a cosy snug with an inglenook fireplace and a wood-burning stove. There is also a full bathroom. Two sets of stairs lead to the first floor. The first flight leads from the living room up to bedrooms one and two. Bedrooms three and four are accessed via the staircase from the snug. Three of the bedrooms boast an ensuite bathroom, whilst bedroom four has easy access to the family bathroom on the ground floor.

Outside living is easy here. The generous garden sweeps down to the River Swere, which forms a natural boundary. There’s a wooden bench perfectly placed to just sit and listen to the peaceful sounds of the water and Mother Nature. Closer to the house is a spacious patio with an outside dining table and chairs to seat eight under a beautiful magnolia tree festooned with fairy lights. It is a magical spot on summer evenings. There are also two outdoor sofas where you can relax with a drink. Keen chefs are welcome to make use of the abundance of fresh herbs including mint, sage, and thyme, that can be found just outside the patio doors. Head through the garden gate in the upper garden to walk to the Duck on the Pond pub next door. Gladstone Cottage also boasts ample parking for five cars.

Ground Floor

Entrance Hall:
Here you’ll find a photographic diary of the restoration work that the owners have undertaken. There’s also a handy bench where you can sit to put your boots on.

Bathroom:
This bright and light bathroom has richly coloured deep magenta walls and features a full-size bath with an overhead shower, a unique golden lacquered sink set in an antique dressing table, a toilet, and a heated towel rail.

Snug:
This cosy second living room showcases the cottage’s original stone flagstones, an inglenook fireplace with a wood-burning stove, and exposed timbers and beams. The room is furnished with two double, sink-in leather sofas, a footstool, and a pretty antique desk. The Snug has a 48” TV connected to Freeview and iPlayer. There’s also a DVD player and a wide choice of DVDs in a large cupboard which also houses plenty of family games. Stairs lead up from the snug to bedrooms 3 and 4 and behind the stairs is a bookcase with a wide choice of novels.

Kitchen/Dining Area:
The dining area features an antique wooden table and chairs to comfortably seat eight guests. A small dresser holds a library of cookery books for any keen chefs. The kitchen is a spacious cooking and socialising area featuring a central island with four barstools and a Rangemaster cooker set into the original inglenook fireplace. This is a room filled with personality with deep plum-coloured walls, rich purple tiling and Moorish mosaic detail and an antique Welsh dresser.

Utility Room:
This useful room houses a washer, dryer, iron, ironing board, highchair, cleaning items, a handy hanging rail for drying clothes and plenty of coat hooks and room for muddy walking boots.

Living Room:
This spacious room has a wonderful view across the patio and down the garden to the River Swere. Bi-fold doors open out onto the patio which during the evening is lit by fairy lights draped through the magnolia tree. There is plenty of seating with two four-seater leather sofas, a central coffee table, along with a bar and a wine/beer fridge. Entertainment comes in the form of a 48” flat-screen TV and Bluetooth soundbar.

First Floor

Bedroom One:
This spacious, triple-aspect room, with its delicate crystal chandelier and cream and lilac colour scheme, has superb views down the garden. There is a king-size, 4-poster, mahogany bed, bedside tables with reading lights, an antique chest of drawers, a triple-mirror dressing table, plus a full-length mirror. There is also a large, walk-in wardrobe with a trouser press.

Ensuite:
Adjoining the master bedroom is a delightful en-suite bathroom. After a day of exploring you can fill the roll-top bath with bubbles and soak to your heart's content. There is a walk-in shower with both a rain shower head and a detachable hand shower, a sink with a mirror above it and a WC. The underfloor heating keeps toes toasty.

Bedroom Two:
The vaulted ceiling of this king-size en-suite bedroom with its wooden beam has been designed with the history of the original cottage in mind. This relaxing room features a mahogany king-size sleigh bed, a large double wardrobe with plenty of hanging space, bedside tables and reading lamps, a dressing table and a large mirror. There is also a single bed with a trundle bed below making it ideal for guests with younger children.

Ensuite:
The en-suite shower room features underfloor heating, a walk-in shower with a detachable hand shower, a wash basin, and WC.

Bedrooms three and four are accessed via the wooden staircase from the snug.

Bedroom Three:
Tucked away from the main part of the cottage, the third bedroom has a country cottage feel. There is a double brass bedstead, two large, pine wardrobes to either side of the bed, an antique pine chest of drawers, a bedside chest of drawers with reading lamps and polished wooden floorboards. A large cupboard acts as a storage space or airing cupboard.

Ensuite:
The en-suite shower room has a corner shower, WC and basin with a mirror and shaver point.

Bedroom Four:
Mind your head as you take a small step down into the smallest, but sweetest, bedroom in the cottage, featuring a four-poster mahogany double bed. Though compact, this bedroom has a double wardrobe, bedside tables, and a large mirror. Guests staying in this room have easy access down the stairs to the ground floor bathroom.

Outside

As you turn onto Gladstone Cottage’s driveway, you’ll be greeted with a lovely view across the garden. The River Swere forms a natural border at the bottom of the garden and a thoughtfully placed wooden bench is an idyllic spot to sit. There is a large patio with a table and chairs to seat 8, which is perfect for alfresco dining, along with two outdoor sofas and a coffee table. There is parking for 5 cars.