Enjoyed our Xmas stay, the owners had decorated the house for Xmas. It was warm and cosy and well equipped. It is also a great large space for a group of people, really good local pub and cute village. Some previous reviews were a bit off putting but we were really pleased and it was perfectly clean and private. Wi-Fi was a bit sporadic but ok. Thank you

2 Jan 2022

A wonderful old school house ideal for exploring the cotswolds and the quaint little villages around oxfordshire, a great little pub directly opposite the school house is handy for a relaxing evening after a tiring day exploring.

7 Oct 2021

This property does not qualify to be listed as a ‘Safer Stays’ property. We deliberately chose this ‘Safer Stays’ cottage as my son has a heart condition, so were disconcerted to arrive and find the unmasked, elderly host watching TV inside the cottage. He insisted on showing my husband over the whole property. We unloaded the car and investigated the property. There was no welcome pack (which would have been appreciated after a 6 hour drive) and the kitchen had not been cleaned. The fridge contained an uncovered, chipped mug of milk and was in need of a good wipe down. The sink had a dirty microfibre cloth and well used J-cloth in it. The toilets were uncleaned too. Every sink had used bars of solid soap (the en-suite soap bar sported body hairs). The toilet bowls appeared clean, but the cisterns were dusty and behind the toilet seats were uncleaned. The sinks were smeared with splatters. The bed linen was clean (but unironed). The towels were clean but some had seen better days with frayed edges. We got straight back in the car to drive to the nearest supermarket to purchase cleaning items and basics such as milk and teabags. On our return we discovered the kettle had been boiled in our absence with the teapot still on the worktop. I spent the next few hours deep cleaning the kitchen, both bathrooms, the downstairs loo and sink in the utility room. On further inspection we discovered the smoke detector on the top landing did not work and the one in the kitchen was covered by a plastic bag. The salad drawer in the fridge had cracked down the side and been cobbled together with plastic wire ties. The fridge door did not close properly at the bottom corner resulting in some spoiled food (the lovely 28C weather played a part, no doubt). We declined to use the dishwasher as it was filthy. The sofas were covered in what looked like fitted sheets and had seen better days. The mattresses were very soft and I’m sure the one in the small bedroom was a straw palliasse. The en-suite shower drain smelt foul and needs investigated. The en-suite lacked a door and was full of the owners personal items - sanitary items, various bottles of shampoo, shower gel, bath soak etc containing a few inches of liquid. I do not understand why these had not been removed, as there were plenty of locked cupboards where they could be stored. The house itself is charming and situated in a lovely village. It is within reach of many local attractions and Oxford is only an hour away by car. There is ample parking for 2 cars and there is a good sized garden with fishpond and whirlygig dryer. There is a wooden picnic table on the rear lawn and a patio set in the gravelled rear courtyard, neither of which we used as the hostess and her friends frequently traversed the garden and courtyard (they live in a summerhouse and fenced garden at the far end of the garden) to access the garages and integral study (connected to the main house via a locked door into the dining hall). There is a 2 person wooden bench on the front lawn which we used - lovely views of the neighbouring thatched cottages and open fields. The washing machine and tumble dryer were in good working order. There is plenty of cutlery, crockery and glassware (though not necessarily matching). There is WiFi available, however the password on the kitchen whiteboard is incorrect. Also, when we left the property, we had to push the keys through the letterbox as the key safe code we were given was incorrect. This property could make a wonderful holiday let if a thorough cleaning schedule was implemented, worn fixtures and fittings were replaced, the smoke detectors were brought in line with current health & safety regulations, a clear demarcation between guest/owner items was in place and with better attention to detail and guest expectations.

16 Sep 2021