Your Perfect Country Retreat
Bedrooms - 3 Sleeps - 6 Bathrooms - 1.5
Dining Room Kitchen Living Room Garden Terrace Onsite parking WiFi
7 night minimum stay
£1750 for the week, £200pn for extra nights over 1 week
Contact: +44 (0)7930408830
Wintertime
In winter we can’t guarantee snow but the cottage is extra-cosy and the garden becomes a haven for silverback pheasants rabbits and woodpigeons with buzzards hovering above. The winter lambs should still be in the big field above. The local pubs in walking distance usually have hot toddies and mulled wine or cider at the bar with welcoming fire to thaw you out !
Stacked logs are born in from the woodshed (help yourself) and stacked in the inglenook ; barrels of cider which one can buy from the cider mill in Dowlish Wake the next village are tapped outside the back door.
A Welcome Pack of vegetables and eggs from the local farm awaits you. The Aga lid roasts the chestnuts with the big bird and/or veg in the ovens; the open log fire lights up the ancient oak beams in the sitting room with the 1930s Vintage Monopoly board laid out on the games table. Local events include Carol Services in one of the local churches all of which are 700 to 900 years old , the Cotley Meet or Racing at Wincanton on Boxing Day. Taunton Racing is on 30th December not forgetting New Year’s Eve in Bridport which is wild!
Overview
Cider Orchard Cottage is an idyllic, 17th century detached cottage where the farmhouse cider was made in times gone by. It is a cosy, tranquil cottage full of charm and character in the middle of the countryside on the Somerset/West Dorset Border; the perfect escape from the hustle of the city.
The cottage has been sensitively restored, yet includes modern amenities such as Central Heating, WiFi, Sky Sports package, dishwasher, freezer and washing machine whilst retaining old worldly features such as inglenook fire place, window seat, shutters and period basins in all bedrooms.
The cottage is south-facing, overlooking the big rambling garden and large stone paved terrace which leads down to a running stream and surrounded on three sides by rolling open pasture grazed by sheep and cattle.
The home features large living room, dining room and kitchen and cloakroom on the ground floor and the three bedrooms and full bathroom upstairs. Cot is available on request.
The cottage it is 3 hours by car or train from London. There is a fast train from Paddington to Taunton, 12 miles distant, that takes 1 hour 40 minutes.
DETAILS
Throughout the home you have charming, unique features that take you back to days gone by. From the off kilter stairs to the vintage wallpaper, the slightly off balance doors and the wooden floorboards that creak from time to time, this home is perfect for those who want to disconnect. It has been wonderfully decorated with artwork, antique furniture and furnishings to feed into its charm.
The ancient oak beams give a cosy atmosphere to the home. It has good ceiling heights so is still comfortable for tall folk, however mind your head as you go through the doorway!
Dining Room
The home opens through its original door into the large dining room which features a rustic farmhouse table that comfortably seats eight, period dresser, 2 oven Aga lit in winter for roasting turkey and chestnuts, vintage pine glass cabinet and antique chaise longue which could sleep an over-stayer. The Aga hotplate is perfect for mulled cider.
Living Room
The living room is to the left of the dining room and features original oak beams, period furniture, giant inglenook fireplace with log-burning Rayburn open fire, reading nook window seat, TV with DVDs and player, two large comfortable sofas, multiple book shelves with great holiday reads and a mahogany games table that can double as a work desk for those working remotely.
Kitchen
The spacious kitchen is through the dining room, featuring a reclaimed Belfast sink and Butlers sink, marble and slate north-facing larder for keeping cheese and bottled chutneys cool, large fridge, microwave, modern hob cooker, Bosch dishwasher, toaster, moka coffee pot, 4 slice toaster and kettle.
There is also a cloakroom to the side of the kitchen and the back door leading to recycling point and woodshed.
Upstairs and Main Bedroom
Up the original stairs you find the bedrooms and bathroom. There are wooden floorboards throughout the upstairs as well as antique rugs. Every room features quaint windows overlooking the garden for beautiful morning views that can be closed off in the evening by the wooden shutters. Throughout all the bedrooms carefully chosen period wallpaper further add to the calm, rustic feel of the cottage.
The main bedroom is very spacious and features wide handsawn elm floorboards, a mahogany antique Tester double bed, two vintage chests of drawers and full length cheval mirror plus Victorian corner basin.
Bathroom
Next to the main bedroom is the spacious bathroom which features a beautiful, deep, double-headed roll-top bath, ornate large floral basin and mirror, loo and rustic wooden storage and beautiful furnishings.
Double Bedroom
This cosy double bedroom features a pretty green iron bed, and deep four foot mattress, vintage bench and chest of drawers as well as a hand-basin in the corner. The door in this room is the original pitch pine door which is 350 years old!
Twin Bedroom
This L-shaped bedroom is the oldest part of the cottage with crock holes for original roof supports. It has two matching iron single beds beds with deep mattresses. There is a trunk, 1920s chest of drawers, beautiful bookshelf with great reading material, corner basin and great artwork.
The Garden
The garden is a special feature, almost unique in its bucolic setting.
It is overlooked on three sides by pasture grazed by sheep and cattle; they cross through the stream to the south facing slopes behind the cottage in the evenings.
There is a large ancient blue lias terrace (18 square metres) perfect for alfresco dining.
There is a second dining area at the end of the garden by the stream, which catches the late evening sun.
The drive is behind private gates leading down to ample parking.
