Quintessential cosy English country cottage

Michaelmas Cottage is how you would imagine a quintessential English country cottage. Situated in the heart of The Cotswolds (an area of outstanding natural beauty) amongst rolling hills and fields with tumbling roses and honeysuckle growing from the cottage's honey coloured stone walls, if you’re looking for peace and quiet, long walks and coming back to a the comforts of a well-equipped and cosy cottage with inglenook fireplaces and a woodburner; then put simply, Michaelmas is for you. Dear Guests, Welcome to Michaelmas Cottage.p I hope your stay is comfortable, enjoyable and you experience the beautiful countryside, villages and historic sites here in the Cotswolds. The Cottage • There are lots of books dotted around the cottage and a selection of DVD’s are kept in the TV cupboard for you to enjoy. (Please do not take away any books or DVD’s with you but please leave them for us and other guests to enjoy). • There are also tourist information leaflets in a plastic wallet in the lounge together with some tourist guides for local places of interest. • Not least because Michaelmas is our family cottage before you vacate, please leave the cottage in a clean, tidy and respectful condition with your general waste bagged-up in the bin liners (bin liners are in the bottom drawer by the kitchen door) and left in the grey wheelie bin, your plastics in the white recycling bag and your cardboard in the blue recycling bag all under the apple tree. Bottles go in the black recycling box marked “Bottles”. If you have any urgent questions please me on (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) or if I’m at work and don’t pick-up please call Patricia (my Mother) on (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) Public Footpaths and Walking • A good walk - If you fancy a good walk, walk back up the farm track you drove down, so you're back on the main village road. Cross over and walk down the road immediately opposite, which goes past past Owl Cottage on your left and then Sage Cottage. Carry on down the road and then follow the road around to the right so you go past Smithy Cottage on your left. Immediately after you’ve passed Smithy Cottage you'll see a public footpath sign, called "The Heart of England Way". (From Michaelmas to Smithy Cottage it's about a 2 mins’ walk; so very close). The Heart of England Way walk takes you across some stunning countryside past the stately home, Seizencote to the beautiful neighbouring village of Longborough, (which has a pub called The Coach and Horses) to quench your thirst or appetite. The walk from Michaelmas to Longborough there and back is about 6 miles. Local Pubs for good food • The Horse & Groom pub and restaurant (about a 5 mins’ walk up the hill from Michaelmas) in Bourton-on-the-Hill. Telephone numb (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) Please note that the pub is closed on Sunday evenings. If you go up to the pub during Autumn/Winter please take a torch as the main street doesn’t have lights. There is a wind-up torch in the cupboard under the stairs. (Website hidden by Airbnb) • Good pubs just a short drive from the cottage which I’d recommend are: The Ebrington Arms in Ebrington; (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) full of character and good local food) (Website hidden by Airbnb) The Wild Rabbit in the pretty village of Kingham - (Website hidden by Airbnb) Again, fantastic food and a great ambience. The Kingham Plough, again in Kingham - (Website hidden by Airbnb) The Porch House – Stow-on-the-Wold (Website hidden by Airbnb) The Mount Inn – Stanton – there is a beautiful (but very steep) walk along The Cotswold Way from Stanton up the hill to the top which gives you amazing views West across the valley towards the Malvern Hills. We did the walk (as I said not for the faint hearted) the other day, finished it at The Mount Inn and had a fantastic meal there. The Mount Inn also has fantastic views from its garden terrace. Stanton is also one of the prettiest villages in The Cotswolds. My advice would be to combine visits to nearby Broadway and Stanton in one day. Stanton in the morning with a walk and pub lunch at The Mount Inn, then into Broadway in the afternoon for a leisurely afternoon. (Website hidden by Airbnb) The Churchill Arms, Paxford – again a very good gastro pub. Paxford is about 10 mins’ away by car from Michaelmas. (Website hidden by Airbnb) Things to Do and Local Places of Interest • The renowned Batsford Arboretum is on your doorstep. (You will see the entrance on the right hand side of the A44 as you come up the hill to Bourton-on-the –Hill from Moreton-in-Marsh). This is well worth a visit and you may want to take a look at the official website (Website hidden by Airbnb) before you arrive. It includes a 55 acre garden (including approximately 1,500 species of plants) which is absolutely stunning, a falconry (we’ve been to the falconry display and loved it), a garden centre and a very good cafe serving home cooked food and a wonderful variety of freshly baked cakes. In the summer months you can sit out on a large decked area overlooking the garden centre. Batsford House which you will see when you walk around the gardens is also where the infamous six Mitford sisters (the daughters of Lord Resedale) grew up in the early (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) ’s. • As well as Moreton-in-Marsh, Longborough and Blockley, if you have time you may want to consider visits to the nearby quaint and quintessentially Cotsolds’ villages of Stow (on –the-Wold), Bourton- on- the Water, Upper Slaughter, Lower Slaughter and Broadway. I suggest you avoid Bourton-on-the-Water at weekends though as it gets very busy and crowded. It’s just full of coach parties. • The villages of Broadway, Lower Slaughter and Upper Slaughter, Stanton and Snows Hill are in my opinion an absolute must. (To get to Broadway you just turn right out of the farm track and just follow the A44 up the hill. You basically stay on the A44 and follow the signs for Broadway, down the very steep Fish Hill and at the bottom of the hill take the left hand turn at the roundabout into Broadway. It’s about a 20 minute drive. For The Slaughters, turn left out of the farm track, down the A44 to Moreton-in-Marsh. At the roundabout turn right and then keep going straight past Stow-on-the Wold until you see The Slaughters sign-posted on the right. Again, it’s about a 20 mins’ drive). Park in Lower Slaughter, walk through the village alongside the stream to the old water mill and then behind the mill is a public footpath across beautiful countryside, alongside the stream to Upper Slaughter. As you approach Upper Slaughter on your left hand side you’ll see lawns sloping down to the stream from an old manor house. This is Lords of the Manor Hotel and the hotel does a really good English afternoon tea, (tea, coffee, cakes, scones etc), which during the summer you can enjoy on the lawn. Do walk around the whole of Upper Slaughter though because it’s stunning. Go up the hill from Lords of the Manor Hotel and then branch right which will take you down a hill to where the stream cuts through the valley surrounded by beautiful stone cottages. This scene is often pictured on the front of magazines. • In Bourton-on-the Hill itself you also have Bourton House whose gardens are open to the public on specified days of the week. It’s literally 3 mins’ walk from the cottage. It’s not a huge garden but it’s a nice way to spend a couple of hours and they have a little café selling tea, coffee and cakes too. (Website hidden by Airbnb) • Also down the A44 towards Moreton-in-Marsh is the entrance to Seizencote (on the other side of the road from the entrance to the Batsford Arboretum) the stately home I’ve mentioned above. You can visit the house and the gardens. (Website hidden by Airbnb) • Do try and visit Chastleton House, just a few miles away in Chastleton which was one of the locations for the recent and acclaimed BBC adaptation of the Booker Prize winning novel “Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel set during the reign of King Henry VIII. This is such an interesting property as it’s never been updated since it was built in (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) So you really get a feel of how they lived then. We went there last summer and found it absolutely fascinating. (Website hidden by Airbnb) Shopping • Moreton in Marsh - Tuesday is market day in Moreton-in-Marsh and there is also a large supermarket (Co-op) in Moreton-in-Marsh. Turn left out of the farm track, go down the A44 to Moreton-in-Marsh, turn left at the roundabout into the main street and it’s about 200 metres along the high street on the right (after the main parade of shops peter out). There is ample car parking at the Co-op. I also recommend the butcher’s in Moreton-in-Marsh for good quality meat, vegetables and freshly made bread. (R & D Walker Ltd, 24 High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh). • Daylesford Organic Farm and Shop – just outside Kingham - For those of you who are into healthy eating and organic food, Daylesford Organic Farm and Shop is very near; just outside Kingham. Definitely worth a visit. (Website hidden by Airbnb) Heating and appliances • You will find instructions for electrical items, the central heating and the wood burning stove in the lounge in the Guest Folder referred to above. There is also a hairdryer in the footstool in the top 2nd floor bedroom; just flap up the lid. • Wi-fi is available and the details are: Wireless network name: BTHomeHub2-SMJK. Wireless key c (Phone number hidden by Airbnb) . Admin password 84CPSCYZ. Rubblish Petrol • If you turn right out of the farm track and drive up the hill past the Horse and Groom there is a petrol station on the left (about 1 minute after the Horse & Groom). It also has a small Budgen franchise for essentials. • If you turn left out of the farm track, go down the A44 into Moreton-in-Marsh and take a right at the first roundabout that takes you onto the Fosse Way. There’s a petrol station on the right hand side about 3 minutes down that road. Finally, sit back, relax and please enjoy the peace and quiet of Michaelmas and the beautiful surrounding countryside. With Kind Regards, Alison Finding the Cottage Michaelmas is very tucked away so please read these instructions carefully. The exact address is: Michaelmas Cottage, Bourton on the Hill, Gloucestershire, GL56 9AE. Brief instructions are: • If you’re driving to the cottage via Moreton in Marsh via the A44, the A44 will take you straight up to my village, Bourton on the Hill. As you come up the hill into the village you will see a little terrace of cottages on the right hand side, followed by a dark wooden bus shelter also on the right hand side. On the left hand side you'll see a church, (do not go past the church as you’ll have gone too far). Immediately you see the bus shelter on the right, slow down and indicate right, as you will need to turn right down the farm track immediately after the old house after the bus shelter. • Go down the bumpy farm track and at the end take the right hand fork. As you turn right you will see the back of a 3 storey cottage which is Michaelmas. • Park on the farm track if possible opposite the cottage, next to the disabled space marked for Ledger Cottage as this is Michaelmas’ space. If you can’t park there please park elsewhere along the track. (However, please note there is only one space allocated per cottage and please do not under any circumstances park in the private disabled space marked for Ledger Cottage nor in the two private spaces marked for Eden Cottage as the neighbours will complain to me immediately which I do not want. Also if you’ve got more than one car you must park it on the other side of the main road (on one of the roads behind the church please). • You will see a stone archway through the middle of the cottage. Go through it and as soon as you pop out on the right hand side you will find the garden gate to Michaelmas. Key to the Cottage The key's in a little box on the stone wall hidden in foliage immediately to the left hand side of the garden gate, (once you’ve come into the garden and are standing with the garden gate in front of you). Don't get it mixed up with the gas metre box which is on the main wall on the cottage. To release the key you just punch in a 4 digit code I will give you. When you leave just pop the key in the jiffy bag left on the dresser in the dining room and post back through the letter box. For my international guests a jiffy bag is a brown padded envelope. SAFETY, HELPFUL TIPS ABOUT MICHAELMAS AND DO’S AND DON’T’S IMPORTANT INFORMATION. PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY: 1. Mind your heads and duck - please mind your heads as there are many low beams and doorways in the cottage especially if any of you are tall. Particularly watch the doorway and duck between the kitchen and the dining room and also the white beam on the 2nd floor landing sloping outside the single bedroom. Please also duck under both arched ends of the stone passageway leading to Michaelmas. They are very low. 2. Kitchen door - to unlock the kitchen door lift up the door handle and then turn the key. 3. Showers' control - both shower units are power showers. I've had a few problems with guests pulling the shower controls outwards and breaking them. To work the showers you simply need to turn the controls. Please do not pull them. Therefore, to turn on the water you turn the metal lever and to adjust the temperature you twist the circular control. 4. Dogs - if you have dogs please be respectful to other guests and to us (Michaelmas is our family cottage too) and please do not let your dog foul in the garden. 5. Towels/bed linen - All the beds will be made-up for you when you arrive. I also provide towels for our overseas' guests which will be left in the bathrooms for you, or on your beds. However, if you're not coming from abroad, whilst we do provide bed linen we do not provide towels. Even though you may see towels (and bed linen) left on the shelves in the boiler cupboard in the first floor bathroom, please kindly do not use. These are our own bed linen and towels for our own use when we come up to the cottage. 6. Boots - we remove our wellington boots or walking boots outside the kitchen door and then store them in the stone inglenook fireplace in the dining room. We strongly suggest you do the same as it stops mud and wet going all over the floors/carpets. 7. Lounge - you will notice that the red sofa with its back to the large radiator is pulled a few inches away from the radiator. This is for a reason. During the colder months, please do not push it back right against the radiator simply because you will just block all the heat coming out. 8. No smoking - Please note Michaelmas is a no smoking cottage. Smoking is absolutely prohibited. 9. Leaving the cottage - Please kindly leave the cottage respectfully, clean and tidy with your rubbish deposited in bin liners in the dark grey wheelie bin.