Cirencester Holiday Cottages

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Elizabeth - Verified booking

  We stayed at Pudding Hill Barn Cottage for a week in August 2023 as a family of four (two adults, a 7 year old and 2 year old) and I have to say we had the most amazing time!

  The cottage is beautifully laid out and decorated to a high standard, with lots of very thoughtful touches which helped make our stay easy. From delicious treats such as homemade Apple Jelly and some fresh bread and butter (along with milk, tea, coffee and juice), to useful household items such as dishwasher tablets and cleaning products. There was also a small but comprehensive stash of emergency supplies such as toothbrushes, toiletries and loo roll should you arrive late or be tight on space for shopping when you’ve traveled. Our children were made welcome by both Karen and Marcus who live next door and we felt very comfortable and at ease during our stay. The travel cot and high chair we use for our toddler was a good size and of good quality too (pretty good for those travelling with toddlers as often these items can be lacking). Karen was also knowledgeable about local places to visit and had excellent recommendations on places to eat and drink. One thing to note is that that cottage is down a private single track through two sets of gates, in fields where sheep were grazing, so it’s not obvious from the main road what the location is. This was no issue for us, but something to bare in mind. We loved the secluded location and how peaceful it was. There’s plenty of footpaths and places to visit on foot nearby and actually if you want to visit Bibury (listed as one of the most beautiful places in the Cotswolds and I can confirm it is STUNNING) this is easily done on foot from the cottage. Additionally, if you are visiting Bibury for those perfect pictures for the ‘gram, it’s far easier to go without a car if you can as there’s very limited parking in the village itself and the local community would be very appreciative of less congestion! Our visit was a very much needed holiday for our family and I was feeling very burnt out before our trip and almost reluctant to go in case it was not what we expected- but I am so glad we did! It’s definitely one of the best and most memorable holidays we’ve had so far as a family and we will be back again in the future. Thank you so much Karen and Marcus, we had a really wonderful holiday!

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• Peter - Verified booking

  A wonderful family three days was spent by us at Arlington Mill.

  (There were ten of us). It is an amazing building and is just right for a large family group. There is so much space that everyone was satisfied with their own en suite accommodation. We ate in on two nights, preparing huge banquets in the massive and well-equipped kitchen (two freezers and two fridges!). The Catherine Wheel Inn is a stone's throw up the road and did us proud on one evening. This mill is an amazing place and there is so much to see in the village and surrounding area. It is a delightful part of the Cotswolds. Just one or two minor gripes. When using previous rented accommodation we have usually had a TV set in the bedrooms. Arlington Mill does not, though we were probably too tired to bother, anyway! The TV in the lounge appears only to receive programmes via Sky as Freeview failed to pick up any signal. The soundbar failed to switch on and is very precariously attached to the set. I am familiar with the model and it seemed to be inverted? We tried everything to get it into action, but it seemed dead. We brought DVD's with us for the grandchildren but were unable to use them as the player was not connected to the set and the leads appeared to be missing. The heating system is quite complex and not to be messed with! The timer appeared to be incorrectly set though we were frightened to fiddle with it and left it well alone! In leaving it as it was the heating seemed to come on very late in the evening and hardly at all in the morning when we were getting up. The master bedroom, however, was always warm. As a result, we had to purchase heaps of logs and used the very efficient log burner to heat the dinning and associated lounge area where we spent most of our time. These are only minor gripes about a holiday let which is second to none. It certainly has the 'wow factor' and is well worth the money. Congratulations to the owners who have done a great restoration job on what is a wonderful old building of some significance.

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• Anthony - Verified booking

  Wow what a fantastic cottage, full of character, pristinely presented with lots of little fine touches giving us a wonderful, luxurious and homely feel to our holiday.

  We were very grateful for the welcoming treats our hosts had left for us on our arrival! The location is stunning.... wonderful views across the countryside from the cottage. We also enjoyed the short stroll up to the Trout House where we sat and enjoyed the peaceful, stunning countryside views over the valley which was the icing on the cake. Our exceptionally welcoming and friendly hosts went above and beyond to make our stay a very enjoyable and relaxing experience, nothing was too much trouble and they gave us excellent recommendations on what to see, do and eat! Very dog friendly, our little dog loved her mini break too and was well catered for. The area has a wealth of interesting places to visit which are all within around 20 minutes drive from the cottage - the local Trout Farm is well worth a visit in Bibury and near by Bourton on the Water is simply stunning. We would highly recommend a visit to Pudding Hill Cottage, and can't wait to return! Thank you so much Karen, Marcus and your furry and feathered family for such a fantastic stay.

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• Geoff - Verified booking

  The accommodation was adequate in most respects but not as good as other other 4 ticks Sykes cottages we have experienced.

  It's not " excellent standard throughout". The double bed was very comfortable and the shower was excellent. But the spacious bathroom lacks the facility to hang two bath towels to dry, the shower screen seal was broken, and the bottom 9 inches or so of the light pull string was an unpleasantly dirty brown. The kitchen equipment is rather sparse, eg no microwaveable pans/dishes, and when we arrived the oven and baking trays were unusably filthy. The owner apologised and cleaned it but it's disappointing that we had to point it out. There is a very large sideboard in the kitchen but it was full of miscellaneous stuff, such as cardboard boxes in which had once contained wine glasses, and was no use to us. The patio would indeed be "spacious" if the large rotted wooden bench and the pile of stones were removed, the shrubs cut back and the weeds pulled out. This is the place where it is most obvious that the photos on Sykes' site were taken some considerable time ago the jumble under the staircase is another

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• Roj - Verified booking

  Bibury has a reputation for being a busy village with coaches visiting Arlington Row, but Pudding Hill Barn Cottage provides an oasis of peace and quiet tucked away from the crowds.

  Surrounded by fields and on the footpath to Ablington, the cottage offers a fantastic spot to enjoy the local wildlife, explore on foot or sit and relax in the Trout House watching the birds over the river. Our Cocker Spaniel had the time of her life running and playing in the gated and safe field next door. The cottage is clean, tidy, very well decorated and comfortable with everything you could possibly need and is the perfect cosy base for exploring the central Cotswolds and beyond. Karen and Marcus are fantastic hosts who made us feel so welcome and for who nothing was too much trouble. From the home grown and made apple jam, sourdough, free range eggs, local beer, fresh fruit and chilled prosecco that was set out for us on arrival to travel tips, walking guides and restaurant recommendations they really did take such good care of us. It was a pleasure to meet such lovely people and at the end of the holiday we were sad to leave but refreshed and restored by our stay in this special place.

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