The Chairman's Retreat is a light and airy house with all the comforts of home. It is totally self contained with a private garden and forms the rear half of our home. It's so private you probably won't see us during your stay but if you do need help we are generally just next door.
The House is in the middle of the Slad Valley, immortalised in Laurie Lee's beautiful book Cider with Rosie. It has great views across the valley from the garden and views up to Frith Wood from the house. It's a really peaceful retreat in a spot that is magical at all times of the year.
We don't have many street lights here so the nights are dark and the stars are bright. Pretty much the only noises you will hear at night are foxes, badgers, owls and the wind in the trees.
The house is really comfortable, with a mix of antique and contemporary furniture.
The entrance hall has lots of space for coats and muddy boots, a loo and a laundry room with separate washer and dryer.
The house is upside down with bedrooms mainly on the lower floor and the sitting room, dining room and kitchen upstairs.
Through the entrance hall is a small study area; you'll get good wifi throughout the house but if you need some desk space you'll find it here.
Up half a flight of stairs to the master bedroom, with its own en suite shower room and patio doors onto your own private terrace with a table and chairs for morning coffee or evening drinks. This room is easily big enough for a travel cot or child's bed.
Round the corner and down some stairs to a double bedroom and twin bedroom with a shared bathroom, which has a bath and shower.
Then upstairs to the open plan dining room and sitting room. The dining room has a table for eight; great for lazy dinners. The sitting room is part of the same space but up a flight of stairs. Complete with squashy leather sofas, a wood burner (your first load of logs will be waiting for you), a smart TV, toys, games, books and a DVD collection. There's lots to do and space to relax.
The kitchen has a big fridge, separate freezer and large range cooker. Lots of kitchen kit is available and if you need anything else we are just next door and happy to help. There is also a breakfast table and high chair for smaller guests.
The fourth bedroom is off the sitting room and down a little corridor and is a double with windows facing Frith Wood. It's next to a bathroom and while not en suite, it's pretty much your own. The bathroom is a tribute to the 80's and as you would expect, has its very own jacuzzi bath.
Outside there is a terrace with seating and a BBQ and two lawn areas, one of which is fenced to give some play space for younger guests. There is also a little herb garden, so feel free to help yourselves. You are welcome to use the paddock which is great for romping and frisbee but a bit too sloped for football. Take care with the electric fence around the chickens and do feel free to ask us about eggs.
There is great walking to be found all around the valley. You can walk from the Chairman's Retreat straight up into Frith Wood; down the valley will bring you to Tom George's racing stables and through the woods and over the hill will take you to Painswick, the so called Queen of The Cotswolds, with its unusual churchyard, lovely pub The Falcon and surprising Olivas Deli, St Michaels restaurant and a fine coffee shop. Painswick as about a 45 minute walk away and if you fancy a night out, it's a pleasant (if hilly) stroll home.
Closer to home is the Woolpack pub. Serving great food, local Uley Brewery and Stroud Brewery ales, it's cosy and popular and famed as an old haunt of Laurie Lee. If you want to be sure of a table it's worthwhile booking or letting us know and we will book for you.
Slad is only a few minutes from Stroud by car. Trains from London Paddington are direct and take around an hour and forty minutes. There is parking for two cars; if you need more space let us know and we can arrange it.
If you are coming from further afield, Heathrow is 1:45 hours away, Birmingham airport 1:20 hours and Bristol 1:20 hours away.
Stroud has a great Farmers' market on Saturday mornings - excellent local produce and yummy things for lunch. Our favourites are the Falafel wraps and the Tartiflet and if you can fit anything else in, Pippins Doughnuts.
Further afield Cheltenham and Gloucester are no more than half an hour by car with good shopping, the race course and The Everyman theatre. Gloucester Cathedral is amazing and hosts some great exhibitions. If you are around in the summer, it's also worth checking out Gifford's Circus, a small but perfectly formed avant guarde collection of craziness, popular with adults and children alike. It tours the Cotswolds in the summer and is really worth a visit.
An hour in the car will take you to either Bath or Bristol. Lots of history with the Roman Spa in Bath and HMS Great Britain in Bristol docks.
We usually have a 3 nights minimum stay. This may be longer for some busier periods.
There will always be logs and kindling available to light a fire on your first evening. We can supply further logs for £10 a barrow load; if you need some more, please ask us in advance or on arrival.
The Chairman's Retreat - your perfect holiday retreat to explore the Cotswolds.
House Rules:
- No smoking
- No pets
- No events or parties
- We would appreciate it if you could leave your outdoor shoes in the big downstairs hall or in the shoebox outside the patio door.
- The lovely garden space has some steep drops. Although we have a fenced area we would recommend that children are supervised in the garden at all times
- We all enjoy a glass of red wine but our carpets don't! Can you please only drink red wine in the kitchen, dining area and outside in the garden!
- You are welcome to walk in the paddock but please keep off the woodpile and out of the stable. The chickens are kept safe from Mr Fox by an electric fence, so please do not touch or you will be in for a shock!
- Please keep things quieter after 10 pm, to keep our neighbours happy!
Thank you!
