One of the Cotswold's most charming country house hotels has snapped up a neighbouring cottage and given it a new lease of life. Country Life's Giles Kime was one of the first to take a peek inside.
In the Cotswolds, honeyed limestone houses come in two different styles: the roughly hewn (such as the famous weavers cottages in the village of Bibury) or painstakingly carved (as in Oxford colleges that tend to be rich in architectural detail).
The historic town of Painswick leans towards the latter and even the smallest cottages boast impressively ornate doorways and windows, normally associated with much grander buildings.
From the 15th to the 19th-century, it thrummed with wool trading and weaving, growing larger and affluent in the process, yet its narrow streets have a wonderful feeling of intimacy that remains to this day.
Along with the beautiful church, surrounded with simple but striking topiary trees, the sheer quantity of beautifully fashioned Cotswold stone in Painswick has determined its beautiful appearance. High up towards the Painswick Beacon lies the secret to why this softly coloured stone is in plentiful supply here: the Catbrain Quarry is one of a number dotted around this area that give it the distinctive feel for which it is renowned around the world.
However Painswick is distinctive for more than just its architecture and topiary, it’s also surrounded by gently undulating folds in the landscape that afford it far reaching views and strenuous walks (it’s at the midpoint of the Cotswold Way, the 102 mile trail that runs along a beautiful slice of Britain from Chipping Campden to the Roman city of Bath). It’s also at the nexus of some of the most interesting and beautiful gardens in the country, including its own Rococo Garden, established in the 1740s that exerts a hypnotic draw on those in search of horticultural inspiration. From Barnsley House and Batsford Arboretum to Highgrove and Hidcote, Painswick is the ideal base for anyone with an interest in gardens.
Painswick also has the perfect base for a horticultural holiday: The Painswick, a handsome 17 bedroom hotel that was once the rectory and which has a new addition for large groups. The hotel recently acquired a neighbouring three bedroom cottage that it has enhanced with all the attractions of a hotel stay, but the benefits of a private house that is ideal for the green fingered, walkers with dogs or those who are both.
The look is comfortable, pared back English country, with sofas to lose yourself in, jaunty decoration and a free standing bath in the principal bedroom that ensures that it is much more than simply a home-from-home. For us it was the perfect place to cool our heels after a busy summer and before a busier autumn.
While there’s a kitchen, dining rooms and sitting room with a wood burning stove, the sybaritic delights of the Painswick are just moments away. The 18th-century hotel not only has an outstanding restaurant presided over by Jamie McCallum (formerly of London’s Wild Honey), but also a succession of lounges that lead to an exquisite terrace that offer breathtaking views of the surroundings.
Reasonably priced for this beautiful area, this highly specced cottage offers the best of both worlds.
The Painswick Cottage is available to rent from £528 a night. There is a two-night minimum stay. Visit www.thepainswick.co.uk/the-cottage for more information and to book.
Three gardens to visit in the Cotswolds
An icon of horticultural history near Chipping Campden that is immersed in the Arts & Crafts movement and is arguably one of Britain’s most influential garden designs.
Romantic garden, also near Chipping Campden, created by three generations of women gardeners
The home of the eccentric architect, craftsperson and poet, Charles Paget Wade near Broadway. He created a garden with the architect Mackay Hough Bailey Scott and filled the house with a huge collection of objects.
