I have a treat for you today quirky cottage lovers. Remember in the Spring, when my little family and I headed to the Shropshire Hills and spent the week at the quirky cabin The Dipping Shed? well the following week we also visited this cottage, which I discovered on Cottages.com and it has quickly became one of my firm favourites. Titchbourne cottage is nestled amongst the Shropshire hills on a 200 acre farm, perfectly secluded in an AONB (area of outstanding natural beauty) with walks straight from the door and views of the beautiful valleys all around. The mature garden is bursting with flowers and wildlife, and the cottage itself is cosy, rustic, and full to the brim with charm and character.
Where is it: Shropshire
Price from: £324 for a week
Pets: 2 welcome
Sleeps: 4
A brief history of the cottage - a labour of love
Titchbourne is an 'away from it all' commoners cottage that is owned by Nesta and Doug, who also own the the nearby farm and land that it sits on. It has remained in Doug's family for some time, and when Doug was a young man, together with his good friend, they lovingly restored and extended Tichbourne to twice it's size, using reclaimed timber and materials. Doug and Nesta kindly showed me some old pictures of the build, including some 'before' pics of the house. Sadly his friend passed away before the work was completed, but the hard work and care that went into this house is clearly evident in every nook and cranny. Once finished they decorating the inside with authentic antiques and charming knik knaks. Here are some of the 'before' and 'during' pics, followed by a photo we took of Doug with his delightful grandchildren, who also live nearby.
What is it like inside?
In the lounge there are comfy sofas, a TV, radio and a cosy log burner of course - plus lots of books puzzles and games to keep you entertained. The Aga in the little dining area keeps the whole house cosy and the kitchen is very well equipped, so you should want for nothing.
What's it like upstairs?
The bedrooms are simply furnished with rustic furniture and they are just gorgeous. The bed is super comfy and the view from the window was just heavenly. When the sun was setting the bedroom was filled with a golden glow - it was just beautiful. My second favourite room was the bathroom - as it has a lovely luxurious roll top bath: in fact one of my 'fave fings' was getting in from a long walk, having a cuppa followed by a long soak with a good book while listening to the birds chatter outside the window - heaven.
The garden and surrounding countryside
The garden and views here have been the best I've ever experienced at a cottage so far. We were lucky with the weather so most nights we dined on the patio overlooking the valley, which was forever changing in the light. Sunset's were just magnificent here and the dark skies were filled with stars in the evening.
To reach the cottage you enter a private gate and drive up a long dirt road to get to the cottage. As it was spring the fields all around were filled with tiny lambs! Which is exactly what Ralphy is looking at in the piccy below :-) There are plenty of wonderful walks from the cottage door, and you'll find lots of walks / booklets / places to go leaflets inside the cottage.
To reach the cottage you enter a private gate and drive up a long dirt road to get to the cottage. As it was spring the fields all around were filled with tiny lambs! Which is exactly what Ralphy is looking at in the piccy below :-) There are plenty of wonderful walks from the cottage door, and you'll find lots of walks / booklets / places to go leaflets inside the cottage.
This really was a wonderful cottage and holiday. We have visited Shropshire several times now and we always find new places to explore. I'll be sharing another post soon on some lovely places to visit while in Shropshire. In the meantime should you like to book Titchbourne or read more about it pop along to the Cottages.com website below.
Titchbourne Cottage - cottages.com
JM x
As I've said before, you DO find the loveliest little places to stay! What a perfect cottage! I would never want to leave! We hope to be visiting the UK again soon (maybe next year) and I will definitely keep this in mind! xxx
ReplyDeleteGorgeous place, and your photos show it off much better than the ones on their website!
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