Beechnut Cottage

Sophia Ainsworth

Location

Swerford, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire

Description

award-winning luxury self-catering holiday cottages lovingly converted from old stone farm buildings set in 70 acres of meadow and woodland. An exquisite and tranquil base for exploring the Oxfordshire Cotswolds.

Beechnut cottage, with its light and airy living room and separate bedroom, is  an unusual and characterful cottage providing a haven of tranquillity to help you unwind and relax after a day spent exploring the extensive grounds or surrounding area.

Each room has its own unique and inviting character. Beneath the dovecote a weighty wooden door with wrought iron grille leads into the lobby. To the left is the bedroom with stone mullioned arched windows looking directly out onto the fields. A medieval styled arched door and stone passageway leads past an unusual Moroccan styled bathroom with spacious power shower down into the light and airy living area and open plan fully equipped kitchen with dining table and chairs.

A comfy sofa allows you to relax in front of the open Adobe style fireplace (This can also become a bed to accommodate an extra visitor or family member).

Whitewashed walls and terracotta floor tiles and rugs throughout give a Mediterranean feel to this room. The high-pitched ceilings, exposed beams also add to the ambience with windows looking out onto the courtyard, where the morning sun streams in.

Superior crafted, natural luxury together with our exacting standards and attention to detail ensure that Beechnut offers guests a truly relaxing and pleasurable experience.

Beechnut has outperformed its star rating and been awarded gold by Visit England in recognition of exceptional quality.

A beautiful courtyard, gardens and 70 acres of woodland and flower meadow await you. Feel free to explore everything that is on offer and to feel at home in this beautiful cottage.

Please note that the driveway and farm buildings are in constant use and care should be taken with youngsters in these areas.

Click here to take a virtual tour round Beechnut Cottage.

The Spectrum Set-up

This accommodation has been visited and has met our criteria to ensure suitability for a family with a child or children on the spectrum.  Take a look at our criteria list and find out more about what equipment will be available and how we prepare all our properties for your stay here.

More information

award-winning luxury self-catering holiday cottages lovingly converted from old stone farm buildings set in 70 acres of meadow and woodland. An exquisite and tranquil base for exploring the Oxfordshire Cotswolds.

The Courtyard and garden

The courtyard with its gracious terraces, intimate herb borders and magnificent views is generously provided with seating areas where guests can relax in peace and tranquility. Enjoy your morning tea, glass of wine in the evening or simply relax with a book to the sound of running water and birdsong. Feel free to pick fresh herbs straight out of the borders to enhance your cooking. For those who enjoy cooking alfresco we provide cast iron barbecues. The gardens that surround the courtyard and reception are also ideal places to enjoy the views and soak up the atmosphere.
The courtyard and garden is a communal space so please be considerate to other guests.

Woodland
The vast majority of the farm is set aside for woodland which is regularly maintained. Wander down woodland paths and enjoy noticing the signs of wildlife in this peaceful & tranquil setting.

The Pond
Built over 25 years ago, tapping into natural springs in the hillside the pond encourages wildlife from herons, geese and ducks to the occasional kingfisher. Enjoy the views of the cottages reflected in the water as part of your walk or whilst stopping for a picnic.

The Chicken run
Our chickens roam free in a large enclosure in the woodlands apposite the vegetable garden. Fed on a well-balanced diet of feed and food leftovers from our house, they produce lovely golden yoked eggs far superior to your standard “free range”.

The Animal field
On the estate there is a small holding of sheep, goats, chickens, geese plus the family dog Poppy. The farm animals will often be seen from your cottage window grazing and lazing in the field below the cottages or behind the bakers and farm buildings

There are some amazing spots on the stunning 70 acres of woodland and meadows. We provide hampers in every cottage equipped with cutlery, plates and glasses and outdoor blankets for you to be able to have the perfect picnic.

Beyond the garden and orchard you’ll find the games Lawn. A terraced area with stunning views is the setting for you to relax or play to your hearts content.

There’s a games shed packed full of equipment for you to enjoy. Activities include, Croquet, Badminton, Volleyball, Swingball and Giant Jenga. There’s also a 14ft trampoline, swings & slide.
Situated just past reception opposite Walnut & Chestnut entrances is our games room. Equipped with table tennis table, pool table, darts board, exercise bike, yoga & exercise mats, video projector, sound system and computer. WiFi and plug in point available. Enjoy ample lounge seating or gather around the table for board and card games. There’s a wide selection of toys and games provided. There’s even an easel for artists to paint.

We also have a library of books with a wealth of information on nature and a selection of maps, walking and cycle routes.

Below the Orchard and Games Lawn and nestled in the middle of a wildflower meadow you’ll discover the kite flying and model aircraft strip.  it has even been used before for launching hot air balloons! We’ve provided a number of kites which are located in the games shed by the Games Lawn.

Feel free to bring your own equipment, safe storage will be provided. Please note only electric powered flight is allowed to minimise noise.

Enjoy playing chess soaking up the atmosphere in the top corner of the courtyard on our custom-made large chess board which was part of the integral design of the courtyard. For those wishing less of a challenge there is also a draughts set.

Pet Free
Pets are not allowed at this cottage. The main reason is due to our exacting cleanliness standards to help allergy sufferers. We do also have our own dog and farm animals that can be affected by pets.

Please note:

  • Open body of water on the grounds
  • Open fires in holiday accommodation
  • Fire pit and chiminea in communal area
  • The estate has designated the areas near the cottages and within the courtyard as quiet zones
  • For safety reasons farm buildings and especially the wood stacks are out of bounds.
  • Children should be accompanied at all times.
  • Working farm buildings and driveway in constant use by farm traffic

Local Amenities

Heath Farm is ideally placed for exploring the beautiful villages and historic towns of The Cotswolds with plenty of cultural and leisure activities to be found in places such as Oxford, Stratford and even closer by in Chipping Norton, Banbury and various other towns in the stunning Cotswolds.

If you prefer shopping there’s a wealth of shops and markets selling local produce and specialist retailers in various local towns such as Stow-on-the-Wold, Burford, Witney and also the fashion giants at the now world-famous Bicester village.

With convenient access to the M40 we are under an hour and a half from London, an hour from Birmingham so it’s easy to visit and

Supermarket deliveries
If you’d like to order supplies and groceries for your stay Tesco, Sainsburys and Ocado will deliver your on-line order to Heath Farm. Quote the individual cottage name, then Heath Farm Holiday Cottages and postcode OX7 4BN.

Nearest convenience stores are in:
Milcombe – (open till 7p.m)
Bloxham – shops including local Co-op (open till10p.m), chip shop & post office.
Hook Norton – Post office & shops
Deddington – Post office, shops & deli.
Our nearest supermarkets are:
Chipping Norton:
Aldi, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton, OX7 5ET,
Sainsburys, 12-14 Market Place, Chipping Norton, OX7 5NA
Co-op, Albion St, Chipping Norton OX7 5AB
Banbury:
Tesco, Lockheed Close, Banbury OX16 1LX
Morrisons, Swan Close Road, Banbury OX16 5AQ
Sainsburys, Oxford Road, Banbury OX16 9XA
Aldi, Ruscote Ave, Banbury OX16 2GU
Marks and Spencer, Castle Quay Shopping Centre, 36 Bridge St, Banbury OX16 5YA


Included in your stay

Sensory equipment and toys as part of our Spectrum Pack including –

  • A selection of handheld fidget toys
  • Light projectors
  • Easy hold mirrors
  • Sensory light toys
  • A range of sensory tactile toys
  • Visual resource pack

The complimentary cake you find on your arrival has been made on the farm by Cotswold Baking.
Choose from a variety of gluten free flavours such as Tunisian orange and almond, carrot and cardamom or courgette & coconut. There’s also chocolate & beetroot, ginger or lemon drizzle on offer. Feel free to ask Paul to make any custom cake or patisserie you desire whilst staying with us or swap the flavour of the cake we give you. His unit is right by the guest parking area.

Tea and fresh ground coffee also supplied in the cottages.

Each cottage has their own supply of lovely, pure spring water. The Spring water is regularly tested and is UV treated and filtered so there are no chemicals involved and is perfectly safe to drink. Crisp and refreshing, no need to buy bottled water!

Curl up on the sofa and relax in warmth from your fireplace. Each cottage’s fireplace has its own unique style and character. Perfect for cold evenings and winter nights.

We supply guests with unlimited firewood which is cut and dried on the farm.
You’re also welcome to use the firewood in the fire pit or Chiminea in the courtyard to keep you warm in the evenings.

Linen and towels included as standard

Before and During your Stay

We understand that preparing an autistic person for a holiday can be challenging. At spectrum holidays we are always looking for ways to make this process easier for our families. We have visited each of the holiday homes personally and have put together a social story for each one. Just let us know how we can best support you in your holiday preparation and we will create personalised visual countdown calendar or timetable for you!

Inside the holiday homes you will find a set of visuals to help support you while on holiday, there is also a “now, next, later” travel keyring to take out and about with you as well as some information about the local area.

We work closely with all of our holiday home owners so there will always be someone available to help should you have any problems during your holiday. Please contact Spectrum Holidays in the first instance with any queries or issues and if applicable we will contact the holiday home owner on your behalf. We can also provide information on the surrounding area, local amenities or visitor attractions


How to book

A £100 deposit is required to secure your chosen dates. Please read full booking terms here

Interest free monthly payments are available for this Cottage with full payment due 8 weeks before arrival date.

For full details please read our cancellation policy

For up to date availability and pricing, or to make a booking please contact us.

Details

  • Guests: 2

Availability

Calendars are currently being updated. Please contact us for booking information.