Birch House
- 8 guests
- 4 beds
- 3 bathrooms
- Pet Friendly
Description
Set in the popular, historic market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, just a short walk away from local amenities is this elegant and spacious family home, located on a quiet residential street; an idyllic retreat for you and your family or friends to escape to the beautiful Cotswolds.
With dedicated parking located just outside of the garage door, you can unload your luggage right on the property grounds and look forward to entering the wonderful home. The front door opens into a fresh and welcoming hallway so kick off your walking boots and enter into the sitting room where you are greeted by a stunning ornamental fireplace and dual aspect windows, letting the sunshine pour in. The kitchen/diner is well-equipped and is the perfect space to cook up a storm, pour a drink and socialise with your party. Choose from the selection of games on offer and have a fun game night! Finishing off the ground floor nicely, there is a convenient cloakroom and utility room, with adjoining garage which has been smartly converted into a recreation area containing a table tennis table with bats and balls; the family will love this addition!
Accessed from the kitchen to the rear is the well-presented, enclosed terrace where you will find lovely hedges providing some privacy and manicured flower-filled pots as well as a table with seating if you fancy dining al fresco. The front of the property has a lovely raised lawn area, with stunning climbing roses and wisteria blooming in the summer months.
When sleep calls, a choice of four sizeable bedrooms await upstairs; the charming master bedroom contains a king-size four poster bed giving a luxurious feel to the room and boasts an en-suite bathroom, the second bedroom has lovely view of the terrace and has a large double sleigh bed with an en-suite bathroom, perfect for children, bedrooms three and four both have twin beds. Finishing the first-floor is the bathroom where you can have an enjoyable soak in the bath.
A short walk from your doorstep there are many amenities to enjoy; visit the Fosse Gallery to admire an array of contemporary British art, indulge in a bite to eat and drinks at The Stag at Stow, add a touch of opulence and revel in the scrumptious tea and cakes – or scones! - at The Old Bakery Tea Room. Discover over 500 species of birds by visiting Birdland Park & Gardens, which is a lovely spot to enjoy a picnic, surrounded by wildlife, or perhaps make a visit to the nearby village of Bourton-on-the-Water and discover a miniature replica of the Cotswold-stone village at The Model Village.
At nearly 800ft, Stow is the highest of the Cotswold towns, located on the Roman Fosse Way and has many scenic walking and cycle route to explore. The market square is the heart of the community and offers boutique shops, tea rooms, pubs and restaurants, as well as the farmers’ market which every second Thursday of each month, featuring inviting local produce.
Take a trip to Cotswold Wildlife Park & Gardens in Burford for the day, or take a tour at Undiscovered Cotswolds, located in Minster Lovell. If you want to enjoy the scenic spots that The Cotswolds have to offer, why not arrange a tour with Cotswold Walks & Hikes & Bikes, all just a short car journey from Birch House.
For your next trip to the stunning countryside, stay at Birch House.
Your dates
Everything you'll need
- Wifi
- Baby Friendly
- Dishwasher
- EV Charging
- Garden / Patio
- Wifi
- Baby Friendly
- Dishwasher
- EV Charging
- Garden / Patio
- Games Room
- Off Road Parking
- Pet Friendly
- Near Pub / Shop
- Smoke Free
What guests are saying
We had a really nice week here as a family of six, ranging in age from 4 to 60.
There is a lot to like about the house. It’s spacious, was clean on arrival and gave the six of us plenty of living space without feeling on top of one another. It also stayed wonderfully cool during some very warm weather. The location is excellent, an easy walk into town while also being close to the main roads for exploring further afield. For other families considering a stay, though, there are quite a few practical things we wish we’d known beforehand. The biggest issue for us was the beds, which are hard. The bed in the second double bedroom is also very low to the floor which made it difficult for the older members of our family and is worth bearing in mind if anyone in your party has mobility issues. The kitchen was another area where we struggled. Although the house is marketed for larger groups, it doesn’t feel particularly well equipped for actually cooking for one. There’s very limited worktop space and a tiny freezer, as well as no colander, flat baking trays or oven gloves. The bowls provided are also tiny and not especially useful for family meals. We purchased larger bowls for our stay! There is a coffee machine but no complimentary pods or clear information about which type to buy. One important point for parents of young children: the kitchen knives were stored in a low drawer at child height. With a four-year-old in the house this gave us a bit of a fright and we moved them somewhere safer for our stay. Perhaps a knife rack on the counter? Waste disposal was also surprisingly time-consuming. Guests are expected to separate tins, plastics, paper and other waste across numerous different bins inside, with corresponding bins outside. We absolutely appreciate the importance of recycling but unfortunately the labels on the bins were so smudged and difficult to read that we couldn’t work out confidently what went where. The outside bins weren’t much clearer. Better labels and a simple, up-to-date guide explaining exactly how the waste should be separated would make this so much easier for guests. There was also no inside food-waste caddy or food-waste bags despite food-waste separation being expected. There are several other areas where the property feels as though it could benefit from a little refresh and some thought about the guest experience. Although the house itself was clean, some of the décor is becoming dated, particularly things such as the light shades and artwork. The floors and doors are very creaky and could do with some attention and some WD40! The courtyard was disappointing compared with the lovely listing photos. It felt quite unloved and unkempt in person, with a lot of bird mess and would benefit from being included in the cleaning and general upkeep between stays. Some of the information provided to guests could do with a refresh too. The restaurant recommendations are out of date and include places that have now permanently closed, so it would be useful to review these periodically. We also noticed after our stay that some older reviews had mentioned issues that are still present. For example, a previous review from mentioned the missing oven glove and received a response saying it would be replaced, yet there still wasn’t one during our stay. Small things but when several of them accumulate it gives the impression that the property isn’t being regularly reviewed from a guest’s perspective. Overall, we genuinely did have a really nice week. It’s a spacious house in a fantastic location and worked well as a base for our multi-generational family. It just feels as though it needs a bit of a refresh and some attention to the practical details is needed. It would make a significant difference and could turn a good family stay into an excellent one.
We had a lovely stay and the property was perfect for us as a group of 6 ladies, with the 2 twin rooms and 4 bathrooms.
The kitchen is well stocked with utensils, although we missed an oven glove and had to use a tea towel. The focus on recycling aligned with our own values, but provision of some food waste bags would have been appreciated. Location was perfect, 2 minutes and we were in town, with shops and gorgeous pub and restaurants on the doorstep. We would definitely recommend this property to others.
The house and location worked really well for us.
Comfortable and only a short walk into town. We had a great time and really enjoyed Stow and the surrounding area Had to buy oven gloves as despite a previous review saying no oven gloves they hadn't been replaced as we had assumed. There is a light bulb needs replacing in the lounge.
Good to know
House Rules
Good housekeeping bond
This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £150
Smoking
Not permitted
Property notes
Note: For the comfort of future guests, we ask that dogs remain downstairs, stay off the furniture and that no trace of a dog remains after your departure.
Note: There is a low wall in the garden so children and dogs should be supervised outside at all
EV charging point, instructions how to pay inside property.times.
Note: The Stow Horse Fair is held twice a year, on the Thursday closest to 12th May and the Thursday closest to 24th October, this is a traditional fair for people to meet up and trade which dates back to 1476 when its Charter was granted; Stow is very busy for a day or two before and after each fair, and a number of shops, pubs and restaurants are closed.
Stay Information
Check-in / Check-out
16:00 / 10:00
Property ref
1091413
Parking
Off Road Parking, Off Road Parking, Road Side
Guest & Pet Policy
Pets
Allowed
Children
Children and infants welcome