Tolstoy Cottage

The highlights

• Start the day with a coffee in the beautiful little garden surrounded by countryside, you'll feel like you've stepped back in time.
• Enjoy cosy suppers in the kitchen warmed by the Aga before heading through to the living room to watch a film on Netflix with the roaring open fire for company.
• Explore the wonderful countryside, stop off at the country pubs for a drink or a meal, and be sure to visit White Horse Hill!
• Walk to The Trout at Tadpole Bridge for a pint and a good meal. Or head further along to Duxford, which is beyond the Trout, for some wild swimming.

You should know

• The Aga is off in the summer but has a unit on the left that works as an electric oven.
• The shower over the bath should only be used for hair washing as it is powerful and can flood the bathroom.
• Candles are prohibited and please use the fire guard in the living room.
• Not suitable for pets.

The detail

This beautiful cottage, restored by Alexandra Tolstoy, is utterly beguiling, full of antiques and cosy nooks, and has been featured in House and Garden and the recent coffee table book 'At Home in The Cotswolds'. It would be a wonderful holiday retreat for a small family with children or a couple seeking a romantic escape in the picture-perfect Cotswolds.

Nestled in a tiny hamlet in the middle of open fields, this lovely cottage could not be more characterful and charming. With exposed beams, plastered walls and flagstone floors it feels like stepping into another century. And yet all the mod cons have also been provided to ensure your comfort and ease.

The kitchen is undoubtedly the heart of the home with a large electric Aga, a cosy dining table for six with bench and chair seating, a china filled dresser and extraordinary attention to every detail. It comes fully equipped and also has a Nespresso machine for that all important first cup of the day.

Next to the kitchen you'll find a wonderfully cosy living room with a big soft sofa and two armchairs, a roaring fireplace for chilly nights in after big windy walks and a selection of interesting and pretty antiques (a theme throughout the house!). This is the room to curl up with a book and a big glass of wine by the fire, watch a film tucked up under a blanket or enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail after a day of exploring.

When it's time for bed, head upstairs to the three wonderful bedrooms. There's a main double bedroom decked out with more antiques, a lovely bed with high quality linens and warm blankets and gorgeous décor. There's also a single bedroom, equally lovely, and a fantastic, and a children's room with two normal sized beds and one shorter, child's bed.

In the morning you can start at leisure with a long soak in the bath as the sun streams through the window, before heading down to enjoy breakfast at the dining table with the family or loved one. On a sunny morning you might like to take your coffee out into the flower-filled garden and plan your day at the little table in the fresh air.

There are plenty of lovely walks to enjoy, and the villages of Faringdon and Burford are nearby where you can indulge in an afternoon tea and antique hunting. You'll be only a short mile through the fields from the Thames and a lock where the barges pass through, after which you can walk on to The Trout at Tadpole Bridge, a proper pub. Whilst in the area you might like to head to White Horse Hill and admire the famous 110-metre long chalk-cut hill figure! For a fancier meal out try The Double Red Duke at Clanfield which offers high end dining and great cocktails.

Features

Essential