Vacation Rentals by Owner

Chocolate Box Cottage

Guest: Bev L.
Date of Stay: 04/06/12 Review Submitted: 04/13/12

Wow! It does exactly what it says on the tin! This quaint cottage is brilliant. Great location and has everything you could possibly think of for a short or long term break. We choose a late Easter Break and it has turned out to be one of the best we have ever taken with our family. The cottage was welcoming and so tidy and clean with a few extra surprises, like milk, butter and eggs. So thoughful. The local pub was again a total surprise with a warm welcome and fantastic food. Surrounding area for attractions was in easy reach and not too far as we had a grandchild with us. If ever anyone is looking for any easy to find cottage with fantastic surrounding try Rose Cottage. Bev Lane Bournemouth

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Rose Cottage in Oddington, nr. Moreton in Marsh, GLOS. UK

Guest: gene b. (Maine, U.S.A.)
Date of Stay: 03/01/10 Review Submitted: 06/12/10

We stayed for almost 9 weeks in this small, modest yet very comfortable cottage. It was exceptionally clean and very well furnished. Comfortable beds, good quality bed linens and towels. The kitchen had everything one could want to prepare meals. The washer/dryer were adequate. The owner provided an unbelievably complete list of helpful notes to prepare us for our stay; he also communicated with us when we had a minor request. The free wi-fi and telephone for calls in the UK were especially appreciated. A local man provided firewood regularly, as well as birdseed for the two feeders; we were royally entertained by the songbirds! The two local pubs (actually fine restaurants) were a real pleasure. The proximity to Stow-on-the-Wold and its supermarket and variety of fine shops was very helpful. Walking in the Cotswolds is a great pleasure, Public Footpaths available from most villages. Nearby organic farm market offers any bakery or produce item one could want - also a cafe and a day spa! There are too many fine restaurants to single out any, other than the two pubs, the Horse and Groom and also the Fox, in the village. Burford, the Slaughters, Bourton on the Water, and other Cotswold towns are an easy drive. Oxford is less than an hour away; drive to the Pear Tree Park and Ride, leave your car and pay a nominal fee to ride the shuttle bus to Oxford Center. Stratford on Avon is 30-40 minutes, also Gloucester Cathedral (fine musical offerings there). Blenheim Palace and Woodstock are also 30-40 minutes. If you enjoy watching lambs frolic, you'll love Rose Cottage!

Recommended for:Age 55+, romantic getaway, sightseeing.

Guest: N/A
Date of Stay: 12/28/09 Review Submitted: 12/27/09

Hello, Please find below a selection of some of the nicest entries to date in our guest book at the cottage and emails people kindly sent us after their holiday. If you let us know we would be delighted to send you a full transcript by email, together with further information on the cottage and the area. Kind regards, Jenny & Emmanuel

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Guest: Don and Sherrie Whitlock
Date of Stay: 11/12/09 Review Submitted: 11/11/09

What a wonderful week plus! We have enjoyed this vacation as much as any we have ever had. The antiquity and charm and coziness of Rose Cottage has been a storybook experience for us. We want to thank you for providing such an ideal stay for us. We especially appreciated your allowing us to add on the 2 additional days at the end of our stay. Wallace and Betty are truly fascinating, warm and welcoming people. We enjoyed visiting with them tremendously. We wish to plan a trip back here as soon as we can!

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Guest: John & Jane, Steve & Mandy
Date of Stay: 10/31/09 Review Submitted: 10/30/09

We have had a thoroughly enjoyable week here. The weather has been great, and we’ve walked miles. The autumn colours have been brilliant. We walked from here to Adlestrop (a good Post Office/ café) and then to Chastleton and Evenlode (no facilities in either place).We explored Stanton (good pub) and walked over to Snowshill (crowded!) – a lovely walk.The cottage is cosy and warm. We’ve been round the block in the evening – the stars were really bright because of no street lights.It’s been good to chill and forget about the rest of life. We’ll be back!!

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Guest: Nate & Allie Larkin
Date of Stay: 06/25/09 Review Submitted: 06/24/09

What a fabulous week!Rose Cottage was the perfect place to stay. So snug and quaint and practical, and so handy to the Horse & Groom and The Fox. The driving took a little getting used to, but we ventured out from here to Salisbury and Stonehenge, Bath, and (on Tuesday) the market day in Moreton-on-Marsh. Altogether an unforgettable vacation. We’ll be back!

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Guest: John and Barbara
Date of Stay: 04/15/09 Review Submitted: 04/14/09

Very easy to feel comfortable and at home in your sweet cottage when you have supplied everything we needed, including some exceptional extras – flowers, bread, milk, eggs! And all the local info as well. We’ve enjoyed walking & relaxing. If we wanted anything more, it would have been time to sit in your lovely garden with the birds.Many thanks,

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Guest: Laura, Robert, Jocelyn, Chris
Date of Stay: 03/19/09 Review Submitted: 03/18/09

We really enjoyed our stay at Rose Cottage, and like everyone else we wish we didn’t have to leave so soon.The cottage is very clean and well-supplied with all the essentials. The beds were also very comfortable and the fireplace was a joy at the end of every day. We have stayed in rental properties in various countries around the works, so we’re a little aware of the usual shortcomings, but we didn’t find any here. It’s obvious that the owners really care for and respect this lovely old home, and we’re delighted that they have shared it with us.Thanks!

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Guest: John
Date of Stay: 02/15/09 Review Submitted: 02/14/09

What a great cottage you have here! Needing a week outside of London and with a broken ankle, this was exactly what the doctor ordered (to the letter)!Very well equipped for a week away and Wallace nearby was also of great comfort (his arranging of logs and shifting of snow are both first class) along with a cheery ‘Hello’. I’m glad I haven’t melted this place as the wood burner can certainly kick out some heat when you want it to! All-in-all a fantastic cottage in a fantastic location (both couriers found us) and we thank everyone for the opportunity to stay here.Many thanks,

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Guest: Shawn & Carol + 5 kids
Date of Stay: 02/08/09 Review Submitted: 02/07/09

Thank you for allowing us the privilege of staying at your lovely cottage. Our only regret was that we did not stay long enough.It turns out that on the day we arrived, you had gotten about a foot of snow! Since we are from the state of Michigan that boasts record amounts of snow, it was a welcome sight. We now reside in the Manchester area of England which gets virtually no snow at all, so the children did not think they would see snow for at least a couple of years. They even got to go sledding.We truly appreciated the welcome basket you provided along with Wally’s friendly face. He made sure we settled in comfortably.Rose Cottage is very quaint and cozy. Our family of seven were very comfortable here and we would most definitely return.Thank you for everything!

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Guest: Greg Drone (Alexandria, VA )
Date of Stay: 08/30/08 Review Submitted: 08/30/08

We are a family of four that stayed one week at the Rose Cottage in August. This is a beautiful cottage in a great location. Stow is one of the nicest villages in the area. The cottage is very comfortable and close to Stratford, Oxford, Blenheim and all of the villages in the Cotswold. The kitchen is well equipped. The location is convenient for leisurely walks. I recommend this cottage.

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Guest: Roseanne, Jon, Sarah and Mathew
Date of Stay: 08/26/08 Review Submitted: 08/25/08

We have enjoyed our stay at Rose Cottage. The wood in the fireplace, the breakfast food in the kitchen, the extra blankets, and the fresh flowers made us feel at home right away. Unfortunately all good things have to come to an end as we now depart from this cosy doll house in the Cotswolds. We do look forward to many return visits. Thank you.

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Guest: Joan and Linda
Date of Stay: 08/15/08 Review Submitted: 08/14/08

Rose Cottage Part IIOur second visit here in about a year. Came last year during the floods. The cottage is so comfortable and cosy – we’ll be back, but for longer! We cooked dinner more last year, but thoroughly enjoyed the Horse & Groom (a few times!) this year. No problem walking home after the wine.We had planned to buy a vegetable steamer for the cottage, but couldn’t find one locally. Thank you for the welcome basket.Did a lovely walk today from Evenlode to Chastleton. Scenic but a tad muddy,We love this country and this part of the Cotswolds.We did buy some bird seed but the green finch spits most of it on the ground. One day a beautiful cat was in the back garden – just waiting!See you next year.

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Guest: Greg, Andrea, Erin & Keelie Drone
Date of Stay: 08/09/08 Review Submitted: 08/08/08

We are a family of four and had a wonderful time. Thank you for such a cosy cottage, where we made so many beautiful memories. We loved exploring the nearby villages and enjoyed The Fox as well as the Horse & Groom. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the farm animals and babies at the Cotswold Farm Park. Our afternoon in Stow was very nice. Finally, our daily visits to Tesco were anticipated as we planned our dinner menus. Having Rose Cottage to come home to every night and build a fire to sit around was a real treat. Thank you.

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Guest: Opal (Sidney, Ohio, USA)
Date of Stay: 07/01/08 Review Submitted: 07/01/08

My family of four spent two idyllic weeks at Rose Cottage. The owners and caretakers were charming and gracious. In fact, they were so helpful and the cottage was so perfect that I feel spoiled for all future rentals elsewhere! Cozy evenings around the fire. Hiking paths everywhere. A good hot shower. Comfortable beds. But, be forewarned - this is a country cottage - the only nightlife is sitting in the garden watching the moon pass by. The nearest town is Stow, and it is charming, but very quiet. The only thing open in the evenings is Tesco. It is a perfect quiet country getaway. For international visitors, this rental is a reasonable drive to Wales, London, Oxford, Stonehenge: we even drove the 7 hours to Edinburgh. I recommend it highly. In fact, I'll be daydreaming about it until I can return!

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Guest: Kim, Brad and Foster
Date of Stay: 06/15/07 Review Submitted: 06/14/07

We arrived fairly late on Friday to a spotlessly clean and very welcoming cottage -- thank you! We try to take two to three walking breaks each year so we have stayed in many different cottages, mainly in the Cotswolds and the Peak District, and Rose Cottage is by far THE BEST! We can recommend the walk that starts at Adlestrop and takes you through Cornwell. Burford is also well worth a visit, but the must is the walk which takes you along the river Coln which starts in the village of Bibury which is magical. Although it is about a 30-minute drive to get there, it is worthwhile. We thought the food at the Horse and Groom was very good and we found the King's Arms Inn at Bledington exceptionally good. This cottage has a wonderful charm and I can imagine would be just as beautiful in mid-winter. Somehow I think we will have to come back to find out! Many thanks,

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Guest: Bob, Christine, Kelsey and Andrew
Date of Stay: 06/09/07 Review Submitted: 06/08/07

We just had one of the best weeks of our lives!!! We love this cottage. It is so cute, cosy, warm and comfortable in every way!! Also, we love you decorating! My 17-year-old daughter, Kelsey, said ‘Mum, please tell the owners, if they ever want to sell this place, please let us know!’ My 13-year-old son, Andrew, enjoyed it so much too.We had just come from the Czech Republic, and the place we stayed at had its challenges, so we especially appreciated how clean your cottage is, how well supplied it is, how good it smells and how efficient it is. Everything we needed was right here!I am a gardener and so I, and my family, thoroughly enjoyed your beautiful backyard. What beautiful flowers. My husband loves wood, so he so much enjoyed all the wood beams everywhere.We had some wonderful experiences while we were here: Cambridge, Oxford, Cotswold Farm and Warwick Castle. My husband Bob especially enjoyed Cambridge and Oxford because he is a big fan of C. S. Lewis, Tolkien, Sayers and MacDonald.We cannot thank you enough for the gift of allowing us to stay in your cottage. It is a week that will always be dear to us.

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Guest: Gail and Peter
Date of Stay: 04/17/07 Review Submitted: 04/16/07

Nineteen hours (a new record for us) after leaving our home in Maine, USA, we arrived at this lovely cottage. It was welcoming and clean. You can't imagine how wonderful it felt to fall into the fresh linens and comfortable beds. Your clear and thorough instructions helped us settle in quickly. As we are here for my mother-in-law's "celebration of life" service, having this warm and comfortable place was a tonic for our sad souls. We took two fantastic walks in stunning sunshine. Thank you for this beautiful cottage. We'll add it to our many fond memories of travels.

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Guest: Sam
Date of Stay: 01/14/07 Review Submitted: 01/13/07

Dear Emmanuel Just to say we have a super time in the Cottage. The people who look after it for you do it very well. It was nice to find the fire laid and all the home comforts when we arrived, including such delightful beds and bed linen. We have often hired places where they don't provide any kindling or matches for the fire, nor things like dishwasher tablets / washing up liquid or tea towels. It will be nice when we return to visit again - because we will - to have a less loaded car as we always bring these things! Living so close, we hope to return on a regular basis, my husband only gets a weekend off every couple of weeks or so (he is a Crime Scene Examiner) so we try to make the most of them and being only 40 minutes away (well an hour and a quarter on a Friday night!!) is a bonus. I'll be in touch. Please convey my thanks to Sarah and Betty - I couldn't find a pen to write in the book. Best wishes

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Guest: Donna and Harry
Date of Stay: 12/29/06 Review Submitted: 12/28/06

What a wonderful place to stay in over Christmas. Long walks, good food and a log fire. What more could anyone ask for. Thank you so much for providing the perfect place.

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Guest: Helen and Peter
Date of Stay: 12/19/06 Review Submitted: 12/18/06

It’s been just the tonic we need before the Christmas festive season. The open fire made the cottage so cosy. It brought back fond memories of Ireland, our home country. Horses, farm land, open fires and lovely people.The cottage has everything one needs. I’d love to see the little garden in the spring. The bed in the blue room was co comfortable, we thought we were at home.As we prepare to head back to London, our adopted home for 36 years, to the hustle and bustle of our pub, we feel very relaxed and ready to give the very best Christmas to all our family, friends and punters.All that remains for us to say is thank you so much. Rose Cottage is beautiful and we’ll be back in the spring. Have a lovely, peaceful and happy Christmas

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Guest: Elisa, Peter, Ella and Ruby
Date of Stay: 12/08/06 Review Submitted: 12/07/06

Dear Emmanuel We have already recommended your cottage to our UK relatives, and will spread the word through Norway, USA & Australia. The rates you ask are reasonable compared to similar properties, which was a major draw for us as a family. We thought the cottage was perfect - everything we wanted. Our one regret was that we did not have enough time and the weather was a little wet. We are already planning our next trip (2 years) to the UK and Rose Cottage will no doubt feature. Thank you for everything - especially the fire. It was the icing on the cake.

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Guest: Elisa, Peter, Ella and Ruby
Date of Stay: 12/08/06 Review Submitted: 12/07/06

It has been delightful staying in this beautiful cottage. We only wish we had more time to discover more of the Cotswolds. The Pale Ale at the Horse & Groom is good and the hospitality very warm. The fire was wonderful, as we had some cold nights watching UK TV. The videos were great for our girls, as we hadn’t been in English-speaking countries for about 10 weeks. We hope to return and spend some time walking the public paths, climbing some stiles and discovering some other inns. Thank you for making our holiday even more enjoyable. Beds – great. Shower – fantastic. Fire – wonderful.

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Guest: Lorraine and Alan
Date of Stay: 11/20/06 Review Submitted: 11/19/06

What a wonderful place! Both the cottage and surroundings. Even the weather’s been great. We have really enjoyed our stay and family reunion over the weekend. Both village pubs are very friendly, and the “real ale” a real treat (for us colonials)! Only word of warning – don’t try and get a bus to the train station – it runs only once a week.We would like to return someday, especially in the summer months and really explore the area. Great weekend.

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Guest: Lorraine and Alan
Date of Stay: 11/20/06 Review Submitted: 11/19/06

Emmanuel We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Rose Cottage. The weather was perfect; the village is charming, and the cottage is very comfortable and well equipped. We went to each of the village pubs and also walked to Stoke on Saturday for lunch. We also met a lovely family, Jenny Charlie and Ollie, at an Oddington village bus stop. Jenny very kindly drove us to the train station on Monday afternoon. We will have fond memories of Rose Cottage. You must enjoy it very much. We feel very lucky to have found it.

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Guest: Jo and Paul
Date of Stay: 09/27/06 Review Submitted: 09/26/06

A wonderful cottage in a beautiful area. What comes across so clearly is that the place is loved, and that makes it feel like a proper home. Beautiful bed linen and wonderfully fluffy towels are a delight. We had a beautiful late September – the sun was shining and the birds singing – just right for a visit to Adlestrop. We hope to come back.PS – We enjoyed a decent meal at The Fox (worth the walk) and an absolutely outstanding dinner at the Horse & Groom – fantastic.

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Guest: Wendy and Nigel
Date of Stay: 09/20/06 Review Submitted: 09/19/06

We had a really enjoyable, relaxing time here at the cottage. So pleased we chose Rose Cottage, as it is so quiet here, yet easy to travel to most places. We found it a great base for exploring the Cotswolds and surrounding areas, even travelling further afield to Bath and Stratford. Would certainly recommend it to our friends in New Zealand. There wasn’t anything we needed as the cottage is very well equipped. Now heading to London before we return to New Zealand. Thank you.Love and carrots,

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Guest: Marianne, Ursula, Wolfram & Pablo
Date of Stay: 08/26/06 Review Submitted: 08/25/06

We had a lovely week in Rose Cottage. The cottage itself is perfect – cosy, clean, tidy with comfortable beds and a nice little garden. A most gratifying surprise was the bathroom, where a single tap provides hot and cold water. Such a luxury is rather uncommon in the country. The kitchen is well equipped and designed. Cooking is fun in any case, but one doesn’t feel like it when essential stuff is missing. A touch of mystery is conferred by the ubiquitous rooster motif. What dramatic story may lie behind it?Maybe the most pleasant surprise in the cottage was the myriad of walking books, maps and useful as well as entertaining information on local uses and geography. Now we know what Cotswold means! It does add a sense of timelessness to the landscape. The only thing in the cottage for which we didn’t have any use were those movies – Titanic and the like.We had a very nice time rambling around Oddington. St. Nicholas Church is not only of striking beauty and highly interesting, but located in a country of its own – yet a few minutes’ walk from here. We also recommend the Horse & Groom – delicious food. Very crowded, though – better make a reservation.We could go on for a few more pages, expressing our joy to be here and describing all the beautiful places we’ve visited. But since we’d rather limit ourselves to the cottage and its immediate surroundings, let’s finish here.

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Guest: Kate and Fraser
Date of Stay: 02/18/06 Review Submitted: 02/17/06

Thank you for a lovely weekend. It had everything we needed and was warm and cosy for our stay. It provided a great base to explore the Cotswolds. The Horse & Groom was perfect for Sunday lunch What a lovely cottage! Thank you so much. We had a fantastic few days and hope to be back soon.

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Guest: Liz and Rene
Date of Stay: 02/06/06 Review Submitted: 02/05/06

Fantastic! Thanks so much for a lovely New Year. The cottage was great and has everything we could have wanted. We’ll be back!

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Guest: Carol and Robert
Date of Stay: 12/28/05 Review Submitted: 12/27/05

Excellent. We enjoyed one of he best Christmas breaks we have had. The cottage was well equipped with every need catered for and the welcome note and gift were very thoughtful. We would like to thank the owners and the person who prepared the cottage for an excellent service. We have every intention of returning.

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