Oxford holiday cottage rental, Stanton St John with walking, log fire, jacuzzi/hot tub, internet access, telephone, rural retreat, TV, DVD

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Willoughby Cottage (cottage)

Home description

The perfect country house to savour the best of country life. Suppers in front of an open fire. Breakfast in the conservatory surrounded by private gardens. Step out the front door and follow the footpaths through fields and woodland. Walk to dinner at either of our villages two pubs, or stay in and make dinner in the fully stocked country kitchen. Need a last minute ingredient or the Sunday paper? No problem, the village store is open 7 days a week! Relax in the spa bath and settle down to a good movie in the study. Sleep late in our large comfortable beds. Snuggle up with one of our hundreds of books. Meander the back roads of rural Oxfordshire: Startle sleepy hamlets and chance on fabulous views. Have the best vacation of your life!

Willoughby Cottage stands on the edge of the village next to fields having panoramic views across valleys and woodland. The cottage was refurbished in 2003 to introduce all the comforts of modern living whilst maintaining the charm and privacy of the cottage and gardens. The rooms are filled with light, with artwork and beautiful objects. Inside and out, this cottage is a feast for the eyes.

The front and rear gardens feature mature borders and private lawns. In the front garden there is a deck with a table seating six for alfresco dining. There is a seating area for four and an arbor in the rear garden.

The bedrooms have large, very comfortable beds - the master bed is superking (6') , the guest bed is king (5'). The living room and study provide two private rooms for reading, TV watching, computing or just relaxing in front of the fire.

The large, open plan country kitchen, with its magnificent Aga Masterchef cooker, is stocked with the latest appliances, and adjoins the conservatory dining room overlooking the private rear garden.

Central heating and a huge un-vented hot water system provide cosy rooms and endless hot water. There are plenty of bathrooms: The master bath with a free standing airspa tub, the guest bath with a mirrored shower and 8" rose, and the downstairs WC.

Cottage Living Room	Willoughby Cottage
Master Bedroom	Conservatory Dining

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/21040

The Central England / Cotswolds / Oxfordshire region

More than 1000 years old, the attractions of Oxford are well known. In the central area it is a mainly unspoiled city with famous museums, public venues and especially the ancient Oxford colleges with their very spectacular churches and chapels, libraries, courtyard architecture and gardens.

When Oxford's first colleges were established, England was trying to reduce its dependency on Rome. At that time, most of England's educated bureaucracy were trained by the Roman Catholic Church and held concurrent positions with both church and state. Loyalties were divided between Rome and London. In those days higher education was mainly religious hence the original religious orientation of the Oxford colleges. Their graduates formed an elite which was entirely English oriented. Some would say nothing has changed.

Just 20 minutes away by car is the town of Woodstock. It is a particularly fine example of a small market town, basically unspoilt, full of interesting shops and places to eat. Casting all this in the shade is the incomparable Blenheim Palace which lies all along the edge of the town. A gift from a grateful nation to one of her most victorious generals and later, wily diplomats, the first Duke of Marlborough. The present Duke still resides there. The palace is probably the largest and finest outside the royal family. The interiors and furnishings are sumptuous, immaculate and original. The garden, park and lake are incontestably Capability Brown's finest achievement.

The palace was finished by wife Sarah after the first Duke's death. Sarah was quite a legend in her own time, but her memorial to her husband, a column rivaling that of Nelson, ensures that she will always be remembered as being nobly devoted to her husband's memory. The column stands on a hill, overlooking the palace, the lake and park, and miles of timeless English countryside. Sarah's personal tribute inscribed on the column plinth speaks of love and loss and admiration that is as vital today as it was when it was written several hundreds of years ago.

The Cotswolds are about 30 minutes away by car. When the wool trade was booming, the Cotswolds were one of the richest areas in England. The pleasing scale of the rolling landscape was the setting for sheep and woollen mills. This economy was one of the first fruits of the industrial revolution. Market towns sprung up to service the wool trade and the people involved. Although the mills are silent, you can still see a sprinkling of sheep in the fields, but they are not being grown for their fleece.

The Cotswolds' stone built market towns are each wonderful in their own particular architectural idiosyncrasy, and they are packed with antique shops, clothing shops, estate agents and restaurants. The list of shopping opportunities is endless. Tourism and the property market are the biggest businesses today. Neither is cheap, but the variety and quality are astonishing and rewarding even for the window-shopper. Tucked away, literally minutes off the beaten track are many idyllic hamlets where traffic is non-existent and the pace of life is deliciously slow.

Oxford / Stanton St John area

Oxford is 10-15 minutes away by car. Bus service to central Oxford is available on the B-road at the top of Cox lane. There is always something going on in Oxford. There is a rich variety of musical entertainment of all sorts from contemporary to sacred organ music to chamber music offered on a daily basis in Oxford's most striking historic venues. There are two playhouses. Tours of the colleges are very seasonal, but it is almost always possible to get in to see one or two, no matter what time of year.

In summer there is punting. This is one of the best Oxford inventions. Floating down the Isis on punts, eating strawberries and drinking champagne, conversing with the rather amused local bovine population and watching the Oxford colleges drift by in lazy splendour. Water voles are occasionally heard plopping into the river. The inspiration for Wind in the Willows is available for everyone.

In the Cotswolds and surrounding area you cannot go wrong with Burford, Bourton on the Water, the Slaughters, Chipping Camden, Stow on the Wold, Broadway and the Tews (with their incandescent yellow-orange stone).

There are many others. Just take any of the lanes outside the market towns and you will find yourself in another world.

Setting off from Willoughby Cottage, stroll back to Middle Road and walk down it to your right to find the village shop and post office. If you want to know anything about anyone in the village, this is the place to ask. Conversely, any information you tender will be instantly broadcast. Continuing on in that direction a further two minutes will bring you to our Norman church, St. John the Baptist. Most of the local villages have Norman churches, and each is uniquely fashioned and decorated. All are in use. Those of us who live here find many of our friends in the churchyard. Please say hello to Henry Long, my first gardener and one of the world's more endearing originals. He has a front row spot along the footpath.

Turning to your left onto Middle Road will lead you to the village’s two pubs. The Star is the local pub serving generous portions of delicious traditional country cooking and a fine range of seasonal English beers, traditional ales, bitters and lagers on tap. The Talkhouse, used to be owned in part by Marco Pierre White, and has changed hands twice in the past few months. It is a wonderful venue, with its atmospheric old stone and timber surroundings. Watch this spot!

There are many well used ancient footpaths and bridleways connecting Stanton St. John to the other local villages. These walks ramble in and out of valleys, along creeks and streams, across undulating farmland and provide excellent opportunities to see native English wildlife of all sorts. You don't need any special kit to take a stroll along the fields.

Fishing, golfing, shooting, riding, cycling, even hang-gliding, gliding and ballooning are all available locally at fairly short notice.

For those truly in need of retail therapy I can suggest Bicester Village. About 15 minutes away with zillions of designer discount stores. Wear comfortable shoes and do not take anyone along who hates shopping.

The Stanton St. John village fete is being held in 2006 over the late August bank holiday. This is a genuine village affair. Many people open their gardens. We all love it and are out in force. Prepare to be greeted warmly.

Oxford's St. Giles fair is hundreds of years old. It is held each September on the first Monday after the first Sunday. The two day fun fair takes over central Oxford, and turns Oxford into a carnival of flashing lights, pulsing music and the gyrations of huge, spinning and swooping rides.

Thame Show is held every year in September. It is the largest one day agricultural show in England. Livestock and all sorts of other country activities including a flower show are exhibited and judged. You can buy anything here that you can't get at Harrods.

Local villages also have fetes each year. Check with the village shop for news of very local offerings.

How to get there

Stanton St. John is a small village 15 minutes north by car from Oxford city centre.

The village is 40 minutes from Heathrow by car - or about an hour from Heathrow by bus (£10 return) to Oxford and then taxi (£15). It is about 2 hours from Gatwick by bus to Oxford (£24 return) and taxi.

Stanton St. John lies just North off the B4027 between Islip and Wheatley. Stanton St. John's Middle Road meets the B-road just at the pub called 'The Talk House'. Willoughby House is located at the end of Hillcraft Road, which is the first right turn off Middle Road coming from the pub. Willoughby House's front gate and driveway gate open onto Hillcraft Road. The drive can accommodate two cars. Street parking is also readily available along Hillcraft Road in front of the house.

Activities near Oxford

Facilities

Further details outdoors:
Two cars may park in driveway

Conditions

Sorry, no pets or children permitted.
Refundable security deposit of £150 required.
Wireless or Ethernet broadband connection and unrestricted telephone service are provided as standard. The cost of chargeable telephone calls and broadband use over the standard level will be invoiced separately.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
July-Sept	25 Aug 08	1 Oct 08	545£  545	0-	0-	2 Nights
October-March	1 Oct 08	1 Apr 09	495£  495	0-	0-	2 Nights
April-June	1 Apr 09	1 Jul 09	525£  525	0-	0-	2 Nights
July-September	1 Jul 09	30 Sep 09	595£  595	0-	0-	2 Nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the owner's discretion.
Prices for two assume using only one bedroom. Please inquire for prices for using two bedrooms giving details of guest's ages.

Refundable Damage Deposit of 150 pounds required with final payment. (Returned within a few days of departure)

Short breaks welcomed. Please inquire for prices.

Easter and New Years Weeks 25% Premium. Christmas Week 50% Premium.

Wireless or Ethernet broadband connection and unrestricted telephone service is included in rental fee (chargeable telephone calls and high volume chargeable broadband use will be invoiced extra to rental fee)

Prices subject to change at owner's discretion.

Availability notes

To see availability please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/21040

Contact owner

To contact this owner please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/21040

Contact details for home 21040 Please mention Holiday Lettings
Name:	Ann Mori
Tel:	+44 (0)1865 351 530
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Contact Notes: Both email and telephone contact welcomed
Advertiser joined: 1 Aug 2006 This property added: 7 Mar 2007

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