The Cottage - near the Cotswolds and Stratford on Avon

The Cottage is set in a conservation area in the beautiful and friendly village of Hornton in north Oxfordshire, 15 miles from Stratford upon Avon. It is built of local gingerbread-coloured Hornton stone and parts of it date back more than 200 years. There are two double bedrooms and a twin-bedded room.

Inside, the cottage contains a wealth of exposed oak beams and an ancient stone spiral staircase. There`s a dining room and three sitting rooms. One is at the "top of the tower" with views over the village and another faces the large garden, which leads down to a stream at the bottom. There`s plenty of garden furniture and a small gas BBQ there. There is a Sonos sound system with a Napster music streaming system that plays pretty much any music you want, and also unlimited broadband. The TV has a Netflix account and can also show all the main free streaming services like BBC iPlay, ITV hub and All4.

On the other side of the stream is the "local", the Dun Cow, which serves local Hook Norton ale and excellent pub meals.

The cottage has been completely renovated and features an eco-friendly ground source heat pump, which provides heating and hot water, although there is also an oil-fired Rayburn and a wood-burning stove.

We have indicated on the form that it is a second home. However, it would be more accurate to say that it`s our first home. Our second home is in north London.

The Cottage is ideal for adults but the flagstone floors and the stone spiral staircase (there is a second staircase!) means that it is not suitable for young children.

We have done lots of house swaps in the past, both here and in north America, and so are pretty relaxed about the idea of someone staying in our home. As one of us is retired and the other is freelance, we can arrange swaps at short notice, including on a non simultaneous basis.
At moment, we are only interested in house swaps to UK locations.

About the location

Hornton is situated six miles from the market town of Banbury in what the locals call "Banburyshire", where the counties of Oxfordshire, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire meet. It is steeped in history, from the site two miles away of the Battle of Edge Hill - the first in the Civil War - to Stratford upon Avon, Shakespeare`s birthplace, which is just 25 minutes` drive away. The ancient city of Warwick, site of Warwick Castle, can be reached in 30 minutes and so can the villages of the north Cotswolds. Oxford and Blenheim Palace are just 45 minutes` drive.

Conditions of exchange

Facilities

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