Walnut Tree House
Occupying a superb position with wonderful rural views, yet within a mile or so of Cheltenham’s elegant town centre, these delightful holiday cottages have been created from a range of 19th-century barns and are furnished and equipped to high standards. All cottages enjoy a good choice of shared facilities including a covered heated swimming pool, an all-weather tennis court and a croquet lawn. The cottages are well equipped, with an automatic washing machine, microwave oven and dishwasher, and each cottage has its own sitting out area with patio and furniture.
All the fascinating corners of the beautiful Regency spa town of Cheltenham are immediately to hand: there is an art gallery, a museum, tempting boutiques, antique shops, plentiful restaurants and inns. Only a short walk away is Cheltenham’s racecourse, famous as the home of National Hunt Racing, which stages the Cheltenham Festival in March, as well as several other top quality race meetings between October and the end of April. The Pittville Pump Room, a magnificent Grade I listed building opened in 1830, has a museum on its top floor. In the ballroom it is possible to taste spa water from the original pump. Historic illustrations, photographs and small displays tell the story of Cheltenham from its beginnings in Anglo-Saxon times. The building is surrounded by attractive parkland with a lake and children’s playground, public tennis courts and golf course. Number 4 Clarence Road, built in 1832 by James Creed, is the house in which Gustav Holst was born on 21 September 1874, and where he spent the first seven years of his childhood. The Holst Birthplace Museum is a memorial to the composer and a rare treat for lovers of music. On the summit of nearby Leckhampton Hill above the Devil’s Chimney, a teetering rock column, is the site of an Iron Age fort; keen walkers can follow the Cotswold Way.
Hunting Butts Cottages provide a perfect base to explore the beautiful countryside and villages of the Cotswolds as well as the attractions of the Heart of England. The Cotswolds cast their spell on artists, naturalists, walkers and everyone with a love for rural peace and tranquillity: Broadway – the ‘Venice’ of the Cotswolds; delightful Chipping Campden; Blockley, described as the most beautiful village in England, and Stow-on-the-Wold boasting England’s oldest pub, are all within half an hour’s drive. The variety of attractions is almost endless. Exploring this region at any time of year is a rewarding experience, each season throwing a different light on the changing scene. Heritage attractions in the area include Sudeley Castle (7 miles), once home of Catherine Parr, containing Europe’s largest collection of toys, arms and armour. Forest of Dean 23 miles. Birmingham, Bath, Oxford and Stratford-upon-Avon are all within one hour by car. Sailing and wind-surfing on 15,000 acres of lakes near the ancient Roman town of Cirencester are available within 30 minutes’ drive. Shops ½ mile.
