Cotswolds: Ilmington Cottage
About the home
Sansome House Cottage, in the courtyard of Sansome House, is in a very attractive peaceful setting on the edge of Ilmington, one of the prettiest villages in the Cotswolds. Converted from 18th Century farm buildings and recently refurbished and modernised, the aim is to offer a home away from home. It is ideal for a romantic break, a family holiday, for keen walkers (fabulous walks!) or just for friends wanting to relax together in comfortable surroundings.
The cottage is centrally heated but also boasts a open log-burning fireplace in the cosy and comfortable sitting room. The large sunny kitchen/dining room is extremely well-equipped and leads to a small private garden.There is both a shower room and bathroom. The main bedroom with dressing room off has a super king-sized bed made up as 'Austrian twins' with separate mattresses on the one frame so suitable for close friends as well as couples and insured against nighttime duvet stealing! I have not yet photographed this as it is new. The twin bedroom has good sized singles. We feel this cottage combines the traditional with modern comforts and it is the sort of place we like to stay in ourselves -ultra clean and well-equipped. As long as I have them in the garden you will find freshly arranged flowers in nearly every room. The cottage is perfect as a base for exploring the wonderful Cotswold countryside on the doorstep, by car, on foot, or by bike. We look forward to welcoming you and doing everything we can to make your stay a memorable one.
Weekly lets start on Saturday April to end October. I may have more flexibility for November and December nearer the time. The price per night displayed on the front page of this site is based on a 7 night stay so rather misleading, sorry - it is the way they do it and I have no control over it. Short breaks out of season and last minute are for a minimum of 3 nights and work out at 60 to 70 % of the weekly rate.5 night stays cost the same as a week.
This is entirely owner managed, maintained and loved. There are no agents or 'managers' involved and I am not on a commission based listing so no booking fees or extra charges. Sansome Cottage also has its own website which gives more detailed information on the area as well as the cottage itself. Sometimes the calendar updating is lagging behind on Trip Advisor so apologies if a booked period looks available when you enquire. Hopefully, it shows in real time on Holiday Lettings.
| Size: | Sleeps up to 4, 2 bedrooms |
|---|---|
| Will consider: | Short breaks |
| Access: | Car advised Nearest amenities: 6km |
| Family friendly? | Suitable for over 5s only Unsuitable for people with restricted mobility |
| Notes: | No pets allowed No smoking at this property |
Facilities
| Luxuries: | Log fire, Internet access, DVD player |
|---|---|
| General: | Central heating, TV, CD player, Table tennis, Wi-fi available |
| Standard: | Kettle, Toaster, Iron, Hair dryer |
| Utilities: | Clothes dryer, Dishwasher, Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Freezer, Washing machine |
| Rooms: | 2 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms of which 1 family bathroom and 1 shower room |
| Furniture: | Single beds (2), Double beds (1), Dining seating for 6, Lounge seating for 5 |
| Other: | Linen and towels provided |
| Outdoors: | Private garden, BBQ |
| Access: | Secure parking |
Further details indoors:
The centrally heated cottage is furnished in small country house style with a mix of contemporary and antique furniture and pictures. Persian rugs lie on wooden floors downstairs and it is carpeted upstairs. The owners (us) manage all bookings, cleaning and preparation of the cottage themselves so if something is not up to scratch we are here to make it right. We want you to have a holiday to remember but not to feel that you are in a typical 'holiday cottage' - more like an extension of your own home.
The kitchen is big and very attractive with an old pine country table and pretty painted dresser and is equipped as a home from home. It also has a small flatscreen TV and an ipod dock/iphone charger.
The sitting room, with open log fire, has two large sofas and a widescreen 40 inch HD TV with many digital channels (but not Sky!). If you want to curl up with a good book in front of the fire, extra logs are available locally. You can order from Tesco, M&S or Ocado (Waitrose) and get groceries delivered to your door ready for your arrival (I will put them in the fridge or freezer for you) or just eat out in the village where you can have both lunch and dinner in the two pubs. In the summer you can relax in the small cottage garden and cook your meals on the barbecue. There is a wide selection of books on the bookshelves as well as some DVDs, (hire shop is in Stratford for more) CDs, games and puzzles for rainy days . There is also a table tennis table in the adjacent garage with bats and balls provided and a 4ft snooker/pool table.
The principal bedroom has a TV and small en suite dressing room with basin. The bathroom upstairs is not en suite but lies between the two bedrooms. It does not have a shower. The shower room is downstairs, off the hall. The bed is super king-sized (American King), made up as 'Austrian Twins' and the second bedroom has twin beds. All beds have electric under blankets for the winter months.
We have equipped this cottage so it is like being a house guest where the owners have gone away and left everything ready for you. Although of course a self-catering cottage means you provide your own food and toiletries you will find small amounts of store cupboard basics( salt sugar, tea etc), shower gel in the shower etc. so you don't have to remember to pack initial supplies of things like loo paper and dishwasher powder - you will find 'starter' supplies already here to save you dashing out the moment you arrive but we just ask you to replace anything that you happen to finish. Every effort has been made to make it a really cosy comfortable and relaxing experience. When you arrive you will be greeted by us, the owners and will find a tea tray laid ready with home made biscuits. There is home made bread and jam also. If you are travelling from afar I can do a small amount of fresh food shopping for you with advance notice. A bottle of wine is left for your dinner and a small box of logs for your first fire - further logs may be purchased locally. The owners are available with help and advice, should you need it, during your stay.
The internet access is wi-fi Broadband so you need a wireless card in your computer to use this. There is no landline telephone in the cottage but I have a mobile phone which I can lend you for emergencies.
Further details outdoors:
This traditional stone-built cottage, converted from 250 year old farm buildings, is hidden away in the courtyard of Sansome House with its own small secluded garden and the situation is very quiet and peaceful although the bird song can be deafening in the spring! The cottage is completely separate but shares the courtyard with the owner's house with a lawn and tree in between the two and plenty of room for parking. The garden of Sansome House has wild residents who come and go on a regular basis - a pheasant sheltering from the local shoots who is tame enough to feed and sometimes visits the cottage garden, a pair of deer who raid the house vegetable garden in summer and a large variety of small birds including a green woodpecker and some goldfinches; also several grey squirrels (if it is not hibernation season) and a badger family who frequent us at dead of night to dig up our lawn for earthworms.
The hill above the village is the highest point in Warwickshire and there is wonderful walking country all around, the whole area being criss crossed with walking and bridle paths; you can wander through open fields, along escarpments and through wooded areas. You can start your walking right across the road from the cottage in our fields. Two notable trails are nearby: The Centenary Way which connects with the Heart of England way at both ends, starts a few miles away at Upper Quinton and runs through Ilmington (Kingsbury Water Park to Upper Quinton - 98 miles if you feel like a long walk!) and The Cotswold Way starts at Chipping Campden 4 miles from Ilmington and runs to Bath. By prior arrangement, I may be able to help you out by ordering a local taxi service to get you back home (I cannot give lifts as I am not licensed to do so, unfortunately, even if unpaid, unless it is an emergency). The cottage gets a mention in the the March 2012 issue of 'The Great Outdoors' as a base for doing an 8 hour circular walk if you fancy a full day out (this particular walker did it in November so returned after darkness fell!). There is another suggested walk from the cottage in Walk Magazine Spring issue 2012.
You are about 4 minutes walk from a beautiful church and two good dining pubs, both with gardens - The Red Lion and The Howard Arms. There are other good pubs in the villages around. The nearest shops are 5 mins drive and a new Waitrose is only 10 minutes away. There is a Sports Club which has tennis courts (all weather surface) on which visitors can play, an artificial wicket and a skate board ramp. All of this within 3-4 mins walk of the cottage. Just 3 miles away, you can swim and work out at an excellent leisure centre. It is also wonderful cycling country with many marked routes and you can avoid hill riding if you want a flat route. Maps and route plans for both cycling and walking are available for borrowing.
Further details
Our terms and conditions (the Agreement) will be emailed to you for signature when you confirm the booking.. For this, please supply your full name and address and a landline number please. A deposit is payable on booking, (£100/week or short break booked) with the balance 2 calendar months in advance of arrival (an exception is Christmas and New Year where the balance is due 3 mos in advance). I can accept credit/debit cards through PayPal for payments from abroad although there is a surcharge (imposed by PayPal on us - approx 2% for overseas payments) for this.
THIS IS A NON-SMOKING COTTAGE. That means no SMOKERS AT ALL!!
The cottage is not suitable for children under five or people of restricted mobility.
The vast majority of our visitors prefer to stay in a pet-free cottage so we do not have any pet visitors at all.
AND.... I have a second home, a large one-bedroom apartment in Dublin that is available for occasional holiday lets. It is in Ailesbury Road Donnybrook. Please contact me for further details.
Please remember that if you email through this site that you will get an email back from a new address - me! Therefore please check your spam/junk filter as I sometimes get caught up in there.
Conditions
I do not allow indoor animals in the cottage because of the allergy problems of many of our guests and the general preference to be in a pet-free zone. However, you are welcome to bring outdoor pets, such as rabbits, as we have ample room in our garden for hutches or runs. Please enquire if you would like to do this.
This is a non-smoking cottage for the comfort of all our future guests. I am afraid this even excludes smokers who smoke only outside as the smell on their clothes lingers and I sometimes don't have time (it can take several days of open windows and washing of cushions and covers) between lets to completely get rid of smells in wardrobes etc. Reluctantly, I must now say, if there is a smoker in your party, this is not the place for you.
There is quite a steep staircase, which we feel is unsuitable for the infirm. Because of this, and other safety concerns we no longer take bookings for the under-fives. However, all well behaved children over five are welcome.
Photos
Enquire nowThe Central England / Cotswolds / Gloucestershire region
The Cotswolds are a 50 mile long limestone escarpment, tilted up at its western edge and rolling into the green and wooded hills in the east. Shakespeare, who lived just north of here, described it as a tract of "high wide hills and rough uneven ways". It extends from the area near Bristol and Bath in the south nearly to Stratford upon Avon in the north.
Here are just a few of the events within an hour's drive of the cottage in 2013 Exhibitions and events at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham (NEC) all year round. (This is about 40 minutes drive). Trains run from Stratford upon Avon to Birmingham Moor Street making events such as medical conferences at the ICC easily accessible from the cottage whilst staying out of the hustle and bustle of Birmingham.
Shakespeare plays are performed by the RSC at Stratford throughout the year. There are Farmer's markets and Antique markets in the area year round.
2013 EVENTS
MAY 2013
• Cheltenham International Jazz Festival
• Chipping Campden Literary Festival
• Upton-on-Severn Folk Festival
• Cotswold walk - Rotary Club of Shipston on Stour 7 mile walk with spectacular views over four counties
• The parishioners of Whatcote, near Shipston-on-Stour, hold their Annual Bluebell Walk 2 mile walk through bluebell woods in aid of the church 27 th May
• Malvern Spring Gardening Show at Three Counties Show Ground
• Gypsy Horse Fair, Stow-on-the-Wold
• Spring Bulbs at Hidcote
• Orchestra of the Swan at Civic Hall, Stratford
• Badminton Horse Trials
• Blenheim Palace Events: Chipping Campden Music Festival at St James Church
• New season's exhibitions at Compton Verney Art Gallery
• International Music Festival, Bath
• Cotswold Festival of Steam at Toddington
• Raymonda Bolshoi Ballet, Live broadcast from the Picture House
• Shipston on Stour Wool Fair
JUNE 2013
• Bath international Musicfest Cheese-Rolling at Coopers Hill
• Kemble air day The Cotswold Air Show
• Cheltenham Festival of Science
• Woolsack Races, Tetbury
• Cotswold Olympick Games, Dovers Hill, Chipping Campden
• The Scuttlebrook Wake Chipping Campden Town Square (floats, maypole dancing and street fair)
• Shakespeare Plays continue as in May
• Food & Drink Festival, Fairford
• The Times Cheltenham Science Festival
• Bledington Music Festival
• Open Gardens in Ilmington
• Three Counties Show, Malvern
• Outdoor summer Theatre by The Oxford School of Drama Classic Shakespearean drama set in the glorious surroundings of the Pleasure Gardens at Blenheim Palace
• Longborough Festival Opera - runs from June to July (but performances are not every day during that time so check the website - June 16th to July 12th Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen 20th to 27th July: La Bohème
• Food & Drink Festival, Cheltenham
• The Shipston Proms- Jazz, blues, folk, rock and classical
• Steam Train events at Toddington
• The Great Tew Estate horse trials
• Open Gardens at Chipping Campden
• Warwick Summer Music Festival
• Wartime in the Vale - Ashdown WW2 Camp, Evesham
• Beaufort Polo Club Country Fair
• The Cotswold Show and Country Fair at Cirencester Park 30th
• Stratford River Festival begins
JULY 2013
• Stratford River Festival
• Warwick Summer Music Festival continues
• Stratford upon Avon Poetry Festival
• HSBC Cheltenham Music Festival
• Nibley Music Festival
• Exhibition of crafts in Chipping Campden Town Hall
• Ragley Hall - Outdoor theatre A Midsummer Night's Dream
• Longborough Opera Festival continues
• At Sulgrave Manor American Independence Day Celebrations
• Classic vehicles and classic buses at GWR,Toddington - Steam and diesel trains run through the summer
• The Cotswold Show and Country Fair at Cirencester Park- Arena events, country pursuits, rural crafts, food village, trade stands
• July Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, the world's largest military airshow
• Banbury Hobby Horse Festival
• Medieval Festival, Tewkesbury
• Gatcombe eventing
• Cheltenham Music Festival
• Racing, Stratford Racecourse
• Events at Blenheim Palace: Battle Proms Evening Picnic Concert
• July to September Hidcote Maize Maze
• Warwick Folk Festival
AUGUST 2013
• Stratford upon Avon Poetry Festival continues
• Blenheim Palace events all summer
• Summer concert Battle proms and picnic at Ragley Hall
• Warwick Castle and Sudeley Castle events for children
• The Gloucestershire Steam & Vintage Extravaganza at South Cerney with planes and helicopters as well as countryside displays
• NAF Hartpury Horse Trials
• Evesham Vintage Steam Rally
• Organ recitals at St Mary's Church Warwick
• Classic car Show at Blenheim Palace
• Hidcote Maize Maze until September
• Shakespeare plays continue
• Ilmington Village Fete and Flower Show Bank Holiday Monday
• Treefest at Westonbirt
SEPTEMBER 2013
• Heritage open Days September throughout the Cotswolds. Some places not normally open to the public viewable and some places offer free entry
• Labor Day at Sulgrave Manor
• Shakespeare plays continue in Stratford
• Major one-day Agricultural & Horse Show Moreton-in-Marsh
• The Blenheim International Horse Trials Blenheim Palace
• Ilmington Music Festival
• Woodstock Literary Festival
• Discover Creative Campden Chipping Campden
• Jane Austen festival Bath (Bath is 1 hour 40 mins drive)
• Chippy Jazz- annual Jazz event Chipping Norton
• Events at Toddington steam railway (1950's diesel as well)
• Races at Stratford and Warwick
• Warwick castle events
• National Dressage at Stoneleigh
• Stratford upon Avon Food Festival
• events at Blenheim Palace
• Frampton Country Fair
• The Cotswold Festival, Stow on the Wold
• Food & Drink Festival, Tetbury
• Malvern Autumn Show
• Clypping Ceremony, Painswick
• Cheltenham Fashion Week
• Diesel Gala at Toddington
• Horse of the Year Show at the NEC, the "World's Most Famous Horse Show", returns to Birmingham's NEC for five days of compelling action and dazzling displays
• Tetbury Music Festival
• Apple & Ale Festival at The Fleece Inn, Bretforton; Bike Blenheim Palace
• Music Festival Stratford upon Avon
• Grand Designs Live at NEC
• The Cheltenham Literature Festival
OCTOBER 2013
• Stratford-upon-Avon Mop Fair Charity Mop Main Mop - Runaway Mop
• Autumn Antique Sale Fortnight (Cotswold Antique Dealers Association Autumn Selling Exhibitions) spread across eight Cotswold towns
• Shakespeare plays at Stratford. Stoneleigh Abbey (with Jane Austen tours) open to the public until the middle of the month
• All month, Stratford Original Halloween Festival with spooky things to do (www.seekthemagic.org)
• At Warwick Castle - Special events for Half-term week, also at Hatton Farm Village
• Warwick Racecourse
• Race Meeting
• Jaguar International Spares Day at Stoneleigh
• NEC The National Wedding Show
• Cheltenham Racecourse: The Showcase Meeting
• Hidcote Manor Garden Autumn events - Halloween Trail
• Sudeley Castle
• Stratford upon Avon Racecourse Race Meeting
• NEC Antiques for everyone
• Ancient Cotswold Gypsy Horse Fair at Stow-on-the-Wold
• Ragley Hall Halloween Half Term Week-events and activities
• Blenheim half term Halloween - half-term
• Apple Weekend at Snowshill Manor
• Half term week Spooky Shakespeare at Anne Hathaway's Cottage
NOVEMBER 2013
• Batsford Arboretum Walk the Batsford
• Golden Mile: A trail around the arboretum following the best of the Autumn colour
• Bonfire Night at Ragley Hall Park and Gardens Enjoy a bonfire beside the lake and a spectacular fireworks display set to music with refreshment stands and children's entertainment
• Warwick Racecourse Race Meeting
• Cheltenham Racecourse The Open Meeting
• Classic Motor Show
• Living crafts for Christmas Fair at Blenheim Palace
• Racing at Stratford
• Hidcote Manor Garden Winter events
• BBC Good Food Show at NEC
• Christmas at Blenheim Palace
• Christmas Market at Sulgrave Manor
• Cheltenham Christmas Market at Cheltenham Promenade - wooden chalets selling a huge range of newly designed wooden chalets selling a wide range of festive crafts and gifts
• Oxford Christmas Market, Oxford Castle - German-style market with about 30 stalls selling handmade and fair-trade products, mulled wine, gingerbread and seasonal local food. Choirs and brass bands will perform carols throughout and there will also be a small Victorian carousel
• At Stratford upon Avon Christmas Market and Fayre - craft and gift stalls and festive entertainment
DECEMBER 2013
• Christmas Fayre - Worcester December Over 130 stalls fill the atmospheric streets of Worcester's historic heart with the colours, sounds and smells of Christmas
• Early December Chipping Campden - spirit of Christmas evening charity evening event December
• Christmas in Broadway late night shopping, stalls, band and seasonal hospitality. Entertainment for all the family
• Victorian evening at Shipston on Stour; Hidcote Garden, special December events (visit their website for details)
• NEC Clothes Show Live
• Broadway arts and Craft Market Handmade gifts and artwork from local designers and crafts people
• Bourton-on-the-Water Victorian Evening
• Blenheim Palace Christmas at Blenheim Palace
JANUARY 2014
• A huge variety of plays will be showing at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford for 2014. Militaria at Stoneleigh Europe's Premier Militaria Show
• January Amateur Dramatics Pantomime in Chipping Norton
• Cheltenham Trials Day end of January
FEBRUARY 2014
• Blenheim Palace and gardens reopen
• Valentine's Day Magical Stratford Cruise
• Hidcote Garden reopens (Sat and Sun only) mid February
• Half Term events at Ragley Hall, Sulgrave Manor, and at Shakespeare Houses and Nash's House in Stratford
• Half term at Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon and at Warwick Castle Events at Stoneleigh, NIA and NEC
• Chipping Campden Country Market weekly on Fridays
• Cheltenham Folk Festival
• Theatre tours and tower visits at the theatre Stratford continue all year.
MARCH 2014
• Dog Show at N.E.C.Birmingham
• Blenheim Palace open for the season - most National Trust Houses open
• RSC plays in Stratford. Hidcote Gardens open for some weekdays as well now (see website for details)
• Cheltenham, the National Hunt Festival 11th to 14th March
• Mothers Day Avon Cruise Stratford
• Races at Stratford Race Course
• Countryside Day - jumps at Warwick Racecourse and Jumps day
• New season's exhibitions at Compton Verney Art Gallery
• Swan Theatre Stratford
• Winter Tours and events at Kenilworth Castle & Elizabethan Garden
• Courtyard theatre
APRIL 2013
• Easter Egg hunts locally
• Gloucester Quays Festival
• Blenheim Palace events
• RSC Shakespeare plays, Courtyard Theatre
• Swan Theatre
• Farmers' Market Stow on the Wold
• Shakespeare birthday celebrations in Stratford
• Badminton Horse Trials
• North Cotswold Hunt Point-to-Point on Easter Monday at Paxford
• New season's exhibitions at Compton Verney Art Gallery
• Farmers' Market Stow on the Wold
• Shakespeare's Birthday Celebrations Stratford-upon-Avon"
• Stratford upon Avon Literary Festival
• Chipping Norton Literary Festival
• Events at Hidcote.(Hidcote garden is 3 miles from the cottage)
There are lots of links and more information on MY OWN WEBSITE which can be found pretty easily!
The Chipping Campden / Ilmington area
Ilmington lies beneath Windmill Hill, the last northern bastion of the Cotswolds. It has been designated as an "an area of outstanding natural beauty" (AONB). The village lies in the southern most tip of Warwickshire, very close to the borders of three other counties - Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Oxfordshire. If you climb to the top of the village you can see all three counties on a clear day. As it is not on any main roads it is a particularly 'rural' village, off the tourist trail but very near to some wonderful places, not least the gardens at Hidcote, 3 miles away.
Ilmington was originally known as Elmington, it is said because the village was once well planted with elm trees. Unfortunately, since the onset of Dutch Elm Disease in England there are now no English elms left in the village, but that is not to say that the village is not well endowed with mature and beautiful trees, particularly on the Lower and Upper Green.There are many footpaths throughout the village, winding between the houses and gardens and some of the honey-coloured stone houses and cottages can only be reached on foot. A little stream trickles through the village and the restored monks' fish ponds overflow as a gentle waterfall so you are never very far from the sound of running water. I have compiled a slide show from photographs I took on a walk around the village in May which you can see here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/89883730@N00/sets/72157603641017516/show/
There is a fine manor house which opens its gardens to the public several times a year. The parish church of St Mary the Virgin lies at the centre of the village and is reached by footpaths between the houses and cottages. The church has a fine Norman tower and the pews and pulpit were carved by a well-known Yorkshire craftsman, Robert Thompson in the 1930's. He left his signature carved mice on many of the pieces. Many happy hours are spent by visitors trying to find all the mice! The unusual lantern-like structure by the south porch is an early 19th Century monument to members of the Sansom family, late of Sansome House and Farm as it was then.
Apart from Ilmington there are dozens of beautiful villages around; most of the houses and cottages, often centred around a village green or a village pond, are built from locally quarried Cotswold stone which glows golden in the sunshine.
A five minute drive from Ilmington is arguably the most famous garden in England at Hidcote Manor (National Trust) and over the road from it, another lovely garden, the privately owned Kiftsgate. Both are open from Easter to October. You can have afternoon tea at Kiftsgate and at Hidcote there is a National Trust Shop, plant centre and both a restaurant and an outdoor cafe.
Ilmington is 4 miles from the old wool market town of Chipping Campden which boasts a wealth of antique shops, ancient buildings, the old market place and is great if you are into cream teas! 4 miles in the other direction is the historic town of Shipston on Stour. This is a good old fashioned town with 'the butcher the baker, the candlestick maker' mix of shops plus a small supermarket and two banks. It also has a fish and chip shop, a teashop, an Indian/Balti restaurant (bring your own alcohol!), and several good pubs for dining and drinking as well as a lovely shop where you can buy tasty freshly made meals to pop in the oven. Nearby Moreton in Marsh has a very big street market every Tuesday. There is a variety of eating places here. Stow on the Wold and Broadway are both within a 12 mile radius, Leamington Spa and Warwick, with its famous castle, 14 miles. Other castles to see in the area; Sudeley Castle at Winchcombe, Broughton Castle near Banbury and Kenilworth Castle ruins. National Trust houses abound and Blenheim Palace is under 30 minutes drive away.?
This is Shakespeare Country - Charlecote Park, all the houses associated with Shakespeare, and the art gallery at Compton Verney are all within a 10 mile radius. Coughton Court (a magnificent Tudor house associated with Guy Fawkes) is near Alcester. For all-round entertainment for all ages Stratford on Avon is only 15 minutes away. Stratford upon Avon offers the theatre (recently completely rebuilt), boating, very good shopping, cinema and restaurants, plus varied attractions like a Butterfly Farm and the racecourse. You can wander through the gardens by the river, watch the boats coming through the locks on the canal, take a carriage ride or open topped bus to tour the town or visit the Leisure centre for its pool and gym. Apart from the theatres you will find street artists performing in the summer.
Exploring further afield
Oxford (33 miles) and Cheltenham are each only approx. 40 minutes by car. The station at Moreton in Marsh, 8 miles south, has frequent direct trains to Worcester (50 mins), Oxford (32 mins) and London Paddington (1 hour 20 mins). I frequently spend the day in London myself although the last train home is quite early (before 10 p.m.) so if you were planning a theatre visit, it would have to be a matinee. However you can take a coach from Oxford from the park and ride and come home whenever you want. Bath and Stonehenge, Salisbury and Marlborough (my favourite Wiltshire market town, with prehistoric Avebury nearby) are all within 2 hours drive so easily doable in a day. I have had a family stay who 'did' all the castles of North Wales in a day although I think that is pushing it and they were home very late (!) - Shrewsbury, or Ross and Wye and mid-Wales are an easier goal.
There is so much to see and do in the area within a short drive, or even walk, that you'll wish you could stay longer. In the cottage you will find plenty of information on attractions in the area from wildlife parks through Roman remains, art galleries, historic houses and gardens to walking tours, cycling routes etc.
Ilmington has its own village tennis club with two all weather courts and visiting players are welcome. They also have an artificial wicket which seems to be very popular with the cricketers and a skateboard ramp in the playground. There is a public swimming pool three miles away. In addition you can swim at a private hotel pool, Charingworth Manor (about 3 miles away) for a reasonable fee. Brailes golf club, 7 miles from Ilmington, welcomes visiting players as do the many clubs in the Stratford area. There are riding stables in the area (about 10 miles) and cycles can be hired locally and delivered to your door. There are many marked cycling routes (flat as well as uphill) around Ilmington so the cottage can be used as a base for a cycling holiday and we keep cyclists' route maps in the cottage, for your use (as well as driving maps and walking routes). We also provide a cool bag, thermos and picnic rug to take out with you. Further away, Cirencester water park, offering many different water sports, is about 40 minutes drive.
How to get there
Click map icons for more information
|
|||||||||||
| Nearest Travel Links | |
| Airport: | Birmingham: 43 km |
| Railway: | Moreton in Marsh: 12.5 km |
BY AIR
London Heathrow approx 1 hour 30 mins drive to the cottage. If you do not have a car you can take a train or tube to Paddington Station and from there to Moreton in Marsh station which is 8 miles from the cottage. Taxis can be ordered in advance to pick up from the station. There are other airports nearby: Birmingham Airport 45 minutes , East Midlands airport 1 hour 15 mins. Bristol Airport 1 hour 30 mins.
BY TRAIN
Moreton in Marsh is 8 miles away. Trains to London take 90 minutes and to Oxford 30 mins. This is preferable to travelling to Stratford upon Avon as the trains from London take much longer.
BY ROAD
From London. Approximately a two hour journey via the M40 and Oxford. Detailed directions given on booking.
Activities near Chipping Campden
Tennis in town
Horse Riding
Golf within 30 mins drive
Fishing
Walking holidays
Rural / countryside retreats
Cycling holidays
Reviews
![]() 20 Dec 2012 |
We stayed at the cottage for a cold December week and had a truly lovely time. The cottage accommodated 4 adults well. We were warm and comfortable with plenty of room to relax. We appreciated the... more |
![]() 01 Oct 2012 |
Very comfortable. Owners were readily available and helpful. Home made bread, cookies, jams and beautiful flowers were provided on arrival. Very quiet location close to a beautiful small Cotswolds... more |
![]() 17 Sep 2012 |
We felt very much at ease at Sansome House cottage, not least because of the thoughtful service from the owners. Felicity often came by to drop off vegetables from her garden, or fresh baked goods. The cottage is large enough that our family of 4 (two teenagers) had plenty of space, but small enough to be cosy. The kitchen is large and very well equipped, which is what we're used to at home - not an afterthought as it is in many rentals. Illmington and the surrounding area are wonderful to explore on foot or in a car. A GPS is helpful for getting around efficiently, but it's more fun to drive on the small country roads using an Ordinance Survey map, of which the cottage has several. There are 2 pubs in the village, and lots more nearby. Stratford is 15 minutes away (we bought tickets to an understudy performance of Much Ado About Nothing for 5 pounds each). There's a Waitrose just outside Stratford that's very well stocked. |
Rental prices
| Rental prices originally quoted in: British £ | Convert to: |
| Prices for group size 4 | ||||||
| Period | From![]() | To![]() | Weekly![]() | Nightly rate | Minimum stay | |
| Weekday | Weekend | |||||
| 1 week stays from now on | 5 Apr 13 | 4 May 13 | £ 630 | - | - | 1 Week |
| unless there is last minute | 4 May 13 | 29 Jun 13 | £ 660 | - | - | 1 Week |
| availability | 29 Jun 13 | 17 Aug 13 | £ 700 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Short break | 17 Aug 13 | 21 Aug 13 | £ 700 | £ 145 | £ 160 | 3 Nights |
| One week stays | 21 Aug 13 | 31 Aug 13 | £ 700 | - | - | 1 Week |
| only unless last | 31 Aug 13 | 28 Sep 13 | £ 660 | - | - | 1 Week |
| minute availability | 28 Sep 13 | 2 Nov 13 | £ 620 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Short breaks may be poss. nearer to the time | 2 Nov 13 | 19 Dec 13 | £ 590 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Christmas | 21 Dec 13 | 28 Dec 13 | £ 900 | - | - | 1 Week |
| New Year can start any day from 28th | 28 Dec 13 | 3 Jan 14 | £ 900 | - | - | 5 Nights |
| Winter 2014 3 night min | 7 Jan 14 | 18 Feb 14 | £ 590 | £ 135 | £ 150 | 3 Nights |
| Longer stay only 2 week min | 18 Feb 14 | 14 Mar 14 | £ 560 | - | - | 2 Weeks |
| Spring Breaks 2014 | 14 Mar 14 | 30 Mar 14 | £ 600 | £ 140 | £ 155 | 3 Nights |
| Spring 1 week stays from now on | 30 Mar 14 | 19 Apr 14 | £ 630 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Easter Week 2014 | 19 Apr 14 | 26 Apr 14 | £ 680 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Late Spring week 2014 | 26 Apr 14 | 3 May 14 | £ 640 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Early Summer Sat-Sat | 3 May 14 | 28 Jun 14 | £ 670 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Summer Sat-Sat | 28 Jun 14 | 6 Sep 14 | £ 720 | - | - | 1 Week |
The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.
PRICES QUOTED ARE FOR 2-4 PEOPLE Note that the prices shown on Trip Advisor are often incorrect and are certainly misleading in the way they display, but less so than on the headline prices on Holiday Lettings. I am sorry about that. I have no control over their glitches and lack of updating. Please ignore the front page and look at my rates chart for the true picture.
NEW YEAR WEEK There is a minimum stay of 5 nights (£700). 6 nights are £800
SHORT BREAKS and MINIMUM STAYS (in Mid and LOW season only) are Friday to Monday.
MINIMUM STAY THREE NIGHTS
The minimum stay at weekends and for mid week breaks is normally 3 nights Weekend nights are Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. If you arrive on Friday and have to depart after two nights then you get the full day in the cottage on Sunday rather than having to be out in the morning.
These short stays are not usually available in mid and high season periods but if I have gaps very close to the time (about 10 days ahead) then I do consider it so it is worth asking. I can be more flexible about start days out of season so it is worth asking if you want a non-standard break.
Although usually only available in low season there are, from time to time, short breaks available in high season due to a longer than normal booking creating a gap. This will show on the availability chart.
If you are staying over a week then the extra days are pro rata, not the more expensive short stay rates and the departure day does not have to be a set day of the week but the start day is normally Saturday in the summer.
Holiday lettings price estimations can be confusing so please do contact me for the correct price as short stays are proportional more expensive than a weekly stay
SPECIAL NOTES ON PARTICULAR TIMES OF THE YEAR: I do not usually book SHORT stays more than 10 days in advance, from April through the months of May, June, July and August and September, as weekly stays take priority but if you see an odd gap on my chart that suits, feel free to ask!
RATES FOR 2013/14
I do not ask for a deposit more than a year in advance but can 'pencil' you in if you want to book further ahead than that.
Christmas week 2013 is already booked but New Year Week - starting any day from 28th December onwards is ~£900
PLEASE ENQUIRE ABOUT METHOD OF PAYMENT IF YOU ARE FROM ABROAD (PayPal is one option). FOR THOSE IN GREAT BRITAIN, EITHER CHEQUE OR BANK TO BANK TRANSFER PLEASE.
BOOKING The enquiry system through Holiday Lettings has been notoriously glitchy for months now so you are best to contact me directly on bookings@sansomecottage.co.uk rather than though the enquiry form here. Please tell me the dates you require (for up to 4 people) and we can go from there.
When you indicate that you definitely want to book I will ask you for your address for the letting agreement which I will normally email to you right away. If I don't hear back from you with your address within 48 hours, I will assume that you have changed your mind and leave that period open to another booking. Having heard back from you with return of the signed agreement (within 48 hours) we then hold a booking provisionally for 7 days to allow time for receipt of bank transfer or cheque for the deposit (or full payment if within 8 weeks of arrival) but we respectfully ask that people communicate what they are doing. A booking is not a booking until the deposit is received. Deposit is £100/week or part week reserved.
Enquire nowAvailability
See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here
| Key: | 11 | 12 | Unvailable | 11 | 12 | Available | 11 | 12 | Reserved | 11 | 12 | Arrival/Departure dates |
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | T | W | T | F | S | S | M | ||
| May 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||||||
| Jul 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Aug 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Sep 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||||||
| Oct 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Nov 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | ||||||||
| Dec 13 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |||||||
| Jan 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Contact the owner
* Required fields Please check the following errors: | 7 years listed You are contacting Felicity Ausden
Payment accepted
Languages spoken ![]() The owner is based in the United Kingdom and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2006. This cottage has received 28 reviews from previous guests. ![]() |
Verified property owner
This owner has been verified by our team
Book direct or online
Payments for this home can be made online on Holiday Lettings or directly to the owner.
This advert is created and maintained by the advertiser; we can only publish adverts in good faith as we don't own, manage or inspect any of the properties. We advise you to familiarise yourself with our terms of use and FAQs.
Holiday homes in England (21,139)

Enlarge


































