Quiet Contemporary Cottage With South Facing Courtyard Garden

Chippenham, Wiltshire

Newly refurbished for summer 2023, The Lodge offers comfortable accommodation with a heated whirlpool spa, in a quiet location on a 10 acre small holding. It has far reaching country views towards the Cotswolds to the north and over the Dauntsey Vale to the south. Malmesbury is within a 5 minute drive, with a traditional high street, Waitrose, ALDI and Co-op supermarkets, restaurants, take-aways and leisure facilities.

The Lodge has been popular with both holiday makers and residential tenants over many years, receiving positive reviews and repeat stays, but is newly listed after a period of renovation. New hotel quality mattresses, bedding, towels and soft furnishings add to the comfort, and the addition of the spa pool enhances the overall guest experience.

Suitable for couples, friends sharing and families, the property has a double bedroom and shower room on the ground floor and another twin bedded area with en-suite bathroom on the first floor. This room can also be configured to provide a workspace on request. There is a large living / dining space, with ample capacity for 6 adults, which opens via patio doors onto the private and secluded south-facing, walled, courtyard style garden with Lay-Z-Spa hot tub, outdoor furniture and BBQ.

A well equipped modern kitchen with breakfast bar overlooks the rear yard with country views over pasture land. All essential cooking and dining equipment is provided, much of it new for 2023. The kitchen is equipped with a full size single fan-assisted oven with grill, 4 ring ceramic hob, new full size microwave with multiple pre-sets, large new fridge-freezer, built-in dishwasher and an automatic washing machine and tumble dryer.

The Lodge has a good WiFi signal throughout, with internet access via a high speed BT Infinity fibre broadband service that supports streaming, gaming and remote working. Most mobile providers also have a good 4G network signal strength throughout the locality.

There are flat screen TVs in both the living room (with FreeSat) and the downstairs bedroom (with FreeView terrestrial).

The patio is a real sun trap from early morning to late afternoon, encouraging al fresco dining, while the BBQ and spa pool add to the outdoor living experience.

Several local pubs with outdoor dining and good reputations are a short drive away, walking is also an option to those in Little Somerford and Lea with care on the country lanes. A number of takeaways are located in nearby Malmesbury and Royal Wootton Bassett, several of which also provide a delivery service.

The hosts have managed the 10 acres of pasture organically over a 25 year period, planting 2 acres of native deciduous trees, allowing wilding and encouraging a range of wildlife which is frequently observable from The Lodge, including birds of prey, owls, deer and hares. The fields are bounded with ancient native hedgerows punctuated with mature Oak and Ash trees. A small scale apiary is set within a fenced apple orchard adjacent to the front field, and the hosts provide naturally produced honey to a local wholefood retailer. Sheep are grazed in the fields to the front and rear during the summer months, with an occasional grass cut for hay making. The small hamlet of Cleverton itself is historically a farming community that has evolved to mainly residential properties, neighbouring properties are working cattle farms.

Local events include Badminton Horse Trials, WOMAD at Charlton Park, race days at Castle Combe, the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford and the Bristol balloon fiesta. World Heritage sites Stonehenge and Bath are within an hour's drive, and there are several popular National Trust properties within easy reach. King Charles III has his favourite home, Highgrove, and its renowned garden in nearby Tetbury which is also host to the National Arboretum, Westonbirt.

The Cotswold Water Park is within 15 minutes drive, offering a beach experience and numerous water sports on several large freshwater lakes. Nearby Cirencester has a traditional Lido with open air pool in operation from 11 May. To the south, Bowood House at 20 minutes offers picnic facilities in acres of landscaped gardens and an extensive Adventure Playground.

Slightly further afield (45 minutes), but highly popular with young guests, is the Cotswold Wildlife Park at Burford which has over 260 species of animals in 160 acres of parkland, and is the largest privately owned zoological collection in the UK. The drive to Burford goes via world famous Bibury and Barnsley, Burford itself is known as the Gateway to the Cotswolds.

Cycling and walking are popular activities, there is a footpath from the back yard across farmland to nearby Lea and beyond to Malmesbury. Cycles can be stored under cover in a secured barn on request. There are children's playgrounds in Little Somerford and Lea, and Malmesbury has a leisure centre with indoor swimming pool. There are tennis courts in Lea, Malmesbury and in a large sports facility at Royal Wootton Bassett.

The Lodge is accessed via a private paved and gated driveway off a quiet country lane and is set well back from the road. The driveway is shared with the hosts (next door) and one other private residence. Two car parking spaces are dedicated to The Lodge but additional vehicles can be accommodated by prior arrangement.

Towels, spa pool towels, bed linen, central heating, internet/WiFi and cleaning all included in the rental rates.

Located in Chippenham, this cottage is in a rural area. Royal Wootton Bassett Old Town Hall and Bristol Aero Collectlon are cultural highlights, and some of the area's landmarks include Lacock Abbey Country House and Highgrove House. Traveling with kids? Consider M4 Karting, or check out an event or a game at Hardenhuish Park. Be sure to check out the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

• Baby Friendly
• Internet