Unique Cotswold Cottages — Graham Custance Photography

Hygge is a Scandinavian word that means a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment and that was exactly what I was thinking how to describe our accommodation as I walked Riley down Hailes Street in Winchcombe on a wet Sunday morning. There was that warm fuzzy feeling inside despite the rain, which had been persistent for the last two days across most of the country. We had taken this walk several times over the weekend and I liked to have a sneaky peak through the windows of the character cottages of various shapes and sizes that lined the high street. There were log burners ablaze, with the smell in the air, antique furniture adorning the living rooms, fully loaded book cabinets, cats perched on the back of chairs, tudor beams and the sound of water dripping off of the slate roofs.

Winchcombe is an ancient Anglo Saxon town, the name meaning ‘valley with a bend’ and today the town still has the curve. Nearby Sudeley Castle has one of Henry VIII’s wives, Katherine Parr entombed here. There is a timeless quality in the town, with lots of independent shops, local galleries and restaurants.

Amanda, the owner of Unique Cotswold Cottages had kindly invited us to stay at the ‘Bolt Hole’, one of the three properties in her collection of luxury holiday cottages for two. I love finding out about the history of the property and this cottage is over 150 years old, spending many of those years as a butchers and then a florist before being converted into a residential dwelling over 15 years ago.

What a conversion this property has had though, being completely refurbished that now has a beautiful log burner as a main focal point in the lounge, which has a nice open plan feel to it sweeping through to the dining room/kitchen. Appliances are top of the range with a large Smart TV on the wall in the lounge, comfortable settee and underfloor heating.

There was a complimentary supply of wooden logs and firelighters to light the log burner, which was so welcome after a day exploring the Cotswolds. As well as excellent Wi-Fi coverage the Smart TV has Netflix and Riley was also well catered for with a bed, dog towel and bowls as well as his favourite item, a large collection of dog treats!

The first floor bedroom provided 500+ thread-count cotton bed linen, a large king size bed and an en-suite bathroom with a roll-top bath that I enjoyed soaking in with a glass of wine that had also been left out for us.

With the cottage being in the centre of Winchcombe, you can park outside the property, unload your luggage and then use the free unrestricted parking either end of the high street which was only a few minutes walk away.

Whilst we were in the Cotswolds, high on my list of locations to visit was Stow on the Wold and this magical doorway at St Edwards in the centre of the town. It looked more like a portal to a fairy tale rather than the entrance to a church. Local lore has it that it inspired J.R.R Tolkien’s ‘Doors of Durin’. The structure was built in the Middle Ages and it is Grade I listed building.

The second location that I wanted to photograph was Snowshill, set within the Cotswolds Hills with views over the Severn Vale. The church is the centre piece of the village with the Snowshill Arms pub just across the road.

The stunning village of Bibury was our next location to visit and specifically ‘Arlington Row’ the famous collection of cottages that are one of the most visited in the Cotswolds. Built in 1380 as a monastic wool store, they were converted into a row of weavers cottages in the 17th Century

Amanda from Unique Cotswold Cottages invited us to visit the second of her properties, the equally stunning ‘Little Gem’ in the town of Bourton-on-the-Water, with its attractive low bridges over the River Windrush and abundance of shops, tea rooms and restaurants. Another beautifully refurbished Cotswold stone cottage complete with log burner, fully equipped kitchen and a quaint private patio garden and parking for one car right outside the property.

The feature roll-top bath and separate rain shower, toilet and sink in the bathroom complete with Egyptian cotton towels provide a nice space to unwind.

The stable door in the kitchen leads to the charming patio garden with a barbeque and tables and chairs for alfresco dining. There are lovely walks from the cottage and cycles can be hired in the village.