When it comes to outdoor luxury living you can’t go wrong with a trip to Winchcombe Farm, situated on the picturesque Cotswold Warwickshire border. We stayed in Jess’s Tree Bach, the newest lodge to be completed, here’s how we got on.
Where is Winchcombe Farm?
This idyllic five-star boutique retreat sits on the Warwickshire and Cotswolds border.
It’s a remote family-run retreat that nestles on a private estate in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. As well as experiencing luxury accommodation you‘ll be surrounded by tranquillity and views of the rolling hills with just sheep, chickens, moorhens, ducks, ponies and alpacas for company.
Surrounded by a working farm, it lies beneath the famous battlefield landmark of Edgehill and makes the perfect base for exploring Stratford-upon-Avon and some of the picturesque Cotswold villages nearby.
What are the accommodation options?
There are six separate lodges to stay in at Winchcombe farm, although they have slightly different facilities, they’re all done out to an excellent standard and feel incredibly luxurious.
Will’s Treehouse is Warwickshire’s only treehouse – offering the height of luxury and nestling in four sycamore and ash trees – three of them growing through the outside deck and one even growing through the kitchen!
Luxury accommodation features across the site range from his and hers rolltop baths, private hot tubs, hanging chairs, hammocks and an outside shower. There’s also barbecues, pizza ovens, BBQ hut, firepit for toasting marshmallows. A number of lodge have use of a heated geodesic domes with a king size circular bed plus personal binoculars for birdwatching and a telescope for a spot of stargazing! You’ll even receive a welcome hamper on arrival to start your holiday in style.
What are the facilities?
We stayed in Jess’ Tree Bach, which sleeps four (double bed, plus bunk beds) and is ideal for a family break. It had everything we needed and more. There was a fully equipped kitchen with plenty of places for family dining (both inside and out). I loved the attention to detail here with pastel coloured Smeg coffee machine and kettle, freshly picked flowers on the table and a homemade cake for us to enjoy. We also had use of a wood burning outdoor pizza oven and gas barbeque. Our absolute favourite feature was the five-seater hot tub that looked out onto the fields. Our kids loved splashing about in it in the day and we loved relaxing it in come night time.
One of the most memorable features of this (especially for our kids) was the four-metre slide that started from our raised decking and travelling all the way down to the woodland area below. Our girls loved this especially as it led to a giant trampoline, a mud kitchen, a wooden pirate ship and play area!
The double bedroom also had a very unique edition of two roll top baths in it. We also had an electric skylight above the bed that was perfect for star gazing using the telescopes provided.
If this wasn’t enough, our lodge has another special secret. We climbed the ladder to the top of the lodge to find a dedicated star spotting hideout! It’s pretty small but perfect for kids, with two little chairs, another telescope and posters of planets adorning the walls. Come sundown this made it feel really special!
What is there to do in the area?
You’re certainly not spoilt for choice when it comes to exploring the local area. Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon is just 20 minutes away by car. Take an open top bus trip round the town, see a show at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, visit Anne Hathaway’s cottage, or take a tour of Shakespeare’s school room and guildhall.
A masterpiece of Baroque architecture, Blenheim Palace, is a 35-minute drive away. This awe-inspiring attraction is well worth a visit as it and sits amongst more than 2000 acres of Capability Brown landscaped parkland and gardens. Home to the 12th Duke of Marlborough and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, this Grade 1-listed building is home to one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, which includes portraits, furniture, sculptures and tapestries. There’s a playground, maze, butterfly house for the kids to enjoy and a café inside the Pleasure Gardens with a land train to take visitors between the gardens and the Palace.
From one historic building to another, Warwick Castle can also be reached 25 minutes by car. Experience one thousand years of jaw-dropping history with great battles, ancient myths, spellbinding tales, pampered princesses, heroic knights, birds of prey and the castle dungeons. If you book your tickets online before your visit you’ll be able to get a discounted price.
If you’re child-free and fancy a grown-up activity head to the Cotswold Distillery (10 minutes by car) you’ll be offered a guided tours and the opportunity to sample their full range of spirits and liqueurs in a cosy tasting room.
How much does it cost to visit?
A two-night stay at Winchcombe Farm starts from £570 per lodge
For more information and prices visit winchcombefarm.co.uk
Final thoughts
The location is great, there’s so much to do and see within less than a 30-minute drive.
What makes Winchcombe Farm so special is all the extra little touches that make it feel really luxurious while still being right in the heart of the countryside.