A special place to stay in a delightful Cotswolds village
Note that you will always find the lowest price here, on booking direct. I am on several different websites and the prices vary on those, depending on how much they charge me for listing/fee processing or commission. Some will also add on a 'service fee' which gives you a certain amount of guarantees, recommended if you think I might not exist!! Unsuitable for pets or children under 5 so I do not accept bookings with either, nor third party bookings.
Sansome House Cottage is a sympathetically restored courtyard cottage situated in the beautiful North Cotswold village of Ilmington. With two dining pubs in the village and a village shop (open every day, including Sunday mornings for your croissants) and a café, it is an ideal rural retreat for a short break, a weekend or a longer self catering holiday. Note that most of the year there is a minimum stay period of one week. There are plenty of lovely pubs and restaurants to explore in the area or you can pick up a delicious ready prepared meal from one of the many local outlets if you don't want to be stuck in the kitchen. Go shopping in nearby towns for those special unusual things in a myriad of quirky, original and generally 'different' shops than your average High Street. Visit Chipping Campden, Stratford, Broadway, Stow on the Wold, Moreton in Marsh and of course our local historical town of Shipston on Stour for old-fashioned non-chain store shopping. Enjoy the wonderful Cotswolds countryside that surrounds this property, either by bike, walking or in the car.
Ilmington is situated between Shipston on Stour and Chipping Campden, 7 miles south of Stratford upon Avon and only 45 mins drive from Oxford and Cheltenham so there is much to see and do from the cottage. Please note that we do not take pets as we cater specifically for those who require a pet-free environment. Also for many reasons, the cottage is unsuitable for under fives so we do not take bookings involving this group of small children although I will give consideration to those who are nearly five.
The cottage is furnished in small 'country house' style with antique rugs on wooden floors downstairs and carpets upstairs. It is a happy blend of old and new with character retained amongst modern comforts. We try to equip it like we would for friends coming to stay, rather than as a typical rental.
It has two bedrooms, one twin and one double and sleeps four people in roomy comfort. It has a bathroom with a bath upstairs and also a downstairs cloakroom with a great pressure monsoon and normal shower. The drawing room has an open log fire and is very comfortably furnished. There is an eclectic collection of books to read, a flatscreen smart TV, a bluetooth music system with CDs and DVDs as well as games and puzzles for quiet evenings in. And WIFI of course!
The large country kitchen is exceptionally well equipped and has patio doors leading to a small and completely enclosed private garden. Note that the extreme left hand window and door are not part of the accommodation as that is my small storeroom for cleaning equipment and the endless spare duvets, cushions, pillows I needed for Covid rotation. There is no access from the main house.
We avoid the word 'luxury' which means different things to different people. Rather, we like to think of ourselves as offering something 'special'. We want you to feel that for your time here, YOU are special and this is your own little hideaway, with all that you need to have a lovely relaxing holiday.
As we have a lot of overseas visitors coming on long vacations with limitations on luggage, we equip the cottage like a home from home so you don't have to rush out to buy basic kitchen/house supplies straight away. These are intended to be starter quantities only. It is of course a self-catering cottage so it is appreciated that you replace as necessary as you go along (although not of course the welcome tea tray) There is an excellent village shop 5 minutes walk away which is great for all everyday supplies. Supermarkets deliver but you have to get your order in some time in advance - sometimes a week to 10 days. We have Sainsbury's, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado all within the delivery radius.
We live close by and whilst carefully respecting your privacy we are nearly always on hand to help and to advise you when needed. The courtyard is protected by CCTV. This does not cover your very private garden.
The cottage has several folders of information on the area as well as maps and guides. Note that mobile phone reception is very poor in the village so you may have to use wifi boosted calls or an app such as whatsapp. We leave a landline phone to plug in in case you have an emergency are are unable to use your smart phone.
When you arrive you will find your beds made up with cotton sheets, cosy downy duvets, soft pillows and comfortable mattresses with the option of electric blankets as well in the winter. The log fire is set, ready for lighting and in the kitchen you will find your tea tray laid with just baked homemade bread, with Sansome House homemade jam, homemade biscuits, tea and coffee to start you off. A bottle for dinner for those staying a week. As long as I have them in the garden, nearly every room will have a vase of freshly picked flowers. Due to new fire regulations we have had to remove the candelabra and candles and ask you not to have candles.
Note that the cherry tree in the photos on our 'roundabout' lawn has died. We planted a young Whitebeam in its place and it is growing fast. The setting is 'special' too - very quiet, the day to day sounds being those of the many garden birds and, in term time, the happy squeals of the children in the school playground up the road at break time. The bells of the Norman Church of St Mary the Virgin, ring out on Sundays with practice time on Wednesday evenings. There are squirrels, badgers, a deer, a mole, couple of partridge and a moorhen (who swims on our pond) on regular visits/eating forays to the garden. There is are pheasant nearly always on a semi-permanent tenancy in our garden. All are fleeing the local shoots in the winter. Sensible birds, they know a good thing when they find it. All the animals, except for the pheasants and the squirrels when they are annoyed about something, are almost completely silent. Just occasionally there might be a 'knees up' in the village hall or at the sports club and although both of these are some distance away, as sound travels round the village, bouncing off the stone houses you may hear music. I will try and let you know if I know in advance but of course I can't stop the party! This only happens a few times a year for a special event, like after the Ilmington Show in August or for some commemoration or other. Bonfire and Fireworks night can be pretty noisy (around November 5th) but otherwise evenings are generally pretty quiet although you may hear cows mooing or owls hooting. We are in the Cotswold Dark Skies area. For those who like gazing upwards at night, on a clear night you can see the stars as Ilmington is anti-light pollution. We have no street lights. When you go out to walk around the village (to the pub perhaps?) in the evening in the winter, remember to bring your phone or a torch. The cottage is marked on Google maps so you can see where we are in the village. Contact me by email please as I am pretty well never off line! I am also on 01608 682555 but not always available on there. Mobile is 07971389561. Cold callers/scammers not appreciated so I sometimes do not answer the main phone if I don't recognise the number because if you are a serious renter, then you will leave a message!
VIDEO to see Sansome House Cottage and surroundings year round
PHOTOS If you click on a thumbnail photograph on the LHS it will enlarge and allow you to scroll through (click NEXT) the others
Click on the 'Details' tab to get the finer details of each room in the house and outside space!
"Ilmington Village" A walk around the village in May (I made this several years ago so not up to date, for example, in our courtyard surface but the village is much the same!)
