> SlowTrav > UK > Vacation Rentals > Reviews > Heart of England

Review 1210: Owner, Briar Cottage

Recommended. Review by Pauline from NM

2bed/1bath cottage in Winchcombe, Heart of England

Briar Cottage, Winchcombe, photo by Pauline Kenny

When

September 2004, did not stay here

Review

While staying nearby in Winchcombe, we contacted the owner of this vacation rental and asked if we could see it. We loved Winchcombe, but did not like the cottage we had rented (Sudeley Castle Cottages), so were looking for something for a return trip.

The location of Briar Cottage is good - on a country road that leads from Winchcombe to small towns in the countryside (across from the Sudeley Castle Cottages). It is not a busy road, but does have some traffic. The house sits back a bit from the road (see photo) behind a sidewalk and small garden. You are three blocks, up a hill, to the high street of Winchcombe, with lots of good shops.

Briar Cottage is one half of a duplex. Looking at the photo, it is on the right side, facing the cottage. The one without the vines on it. The cottage is small and on three levels, but is nicely furnished. You enter into a small entry way (with a place to hang coats and leave boots), then into the living room and kitchen area. There is a nice big window out the front and a smaller window in the kitchen to the side. The living room is small and you have to set up a folding table for eating at - but the owner says this works well for people. There is a working gas fireplace. The kitchen is well equipped and is a good enough size.

Up one flight of stairs to a nice master bedroom and bathroom, with tub and shower. Up another flight of stairs to the second bedroom and bathrooom (with shower only I think). This room has a phone line which you can arrange to have turned on (extra charge) to use with your computer.

There is a large garden area, across the shared driveway from the cottage. It is completely walled and is private. The only door to the outside from the cottage is the front door.

The prices listed for 2004 on their web listing are 250 - 475 pounds per week, comperable to the prices of the Sudeley Castle Cottages across the street. This unit is smaller than the 2 bedroom apartment we had at Sudeley, but it is much nicer furnished and is very charming and pretty.

The only downside to this cottage is its size and the lack of a desk or dining table. I would estimate that each level is about 300 square feet, which adds up to a good size, but it feels smaller because of the three levels.

I spoke to the keykeeper on the phone - she lives nearby. And we met the owner on the day we looked at it. Both were very nice and they take great pride in keeping this cottage very clean and in good condition. There are pretty touches, like custom painting along the wall edges.

Winchcombe is an exceptional Cotswolds village and still has a thriving local economy and lots of the shops you need: baker, small grocery store, specialty food shop, butcher, newsagent, bookstore, three good tea rooms (Juri's and The Old Tea House were our favorite), takeaways (Indian, Chinese, Fish and Chips), restaurants (including The Wesley House, a very good restaurant), pubs (The White Hart was our favorite). Four main long distance footpaths come into Winchcombe: The Cotswolds Way, Warden's Way, The Glouchestershire Way (this goes right beside Briar Cottage), and another one that I cannot remember now. There are many hikes you can do right from Winchcombe.

Winchcombe is a 10 minute drive from Broadway and is close to many other lovely Cotswolds villages. It is only 15 minutes to Cheltenham, a good sized town with a big downtown shopping area (with a Marks and Spenser) and a large Waitrose and Tesco (on the road to the train station).

You can view the property directly: Briar Cottage.

This review is the opinion of a Slow Travel member and not of slowtrav.com.

Return to Reviews List

Car Rental	Hotel Booking	Flight Booking	Train Tickets	Books, Maps, Events
Europe Cell Phones	Long Distance Cards	Luggage, etc.	Travel Insurance	Classifieds

* Advertise on Slow Travel | Post your travel questions on the Slow Travel Forums

Review 1210: Owner, Briar Cottage

When

Review

Vacation Rentals

Reviews

Listings

Other Listings