The Bolthole

Lovely house. Very cosy and comfortable.

Quaint really well equipped cottage set in lovely village a few miles from oxford. Lovely garden with patio furniture which allowed us to have breakfast in the company of the peacocks.

A lovely property to stay in with easy access to Oxford via bus. The peafowl living in and around the garden were a real highlight which made this property unlike any other I’ve stayed at. The advert is upfront about the proximity of the property to the busy road, but the noise did not bother me or my partner in the slightest (this may bother you, so beware!). The property is clearly very old and we did find a fair few cobwebs kicking about in cupboards, so I felt like I had to clean plates/cutlery/glasses before use (this is probably just me being fussy), but other than that the property was spotless. The kitchen is well-equipped although we didn’t cook anything big during our stay. There is an abundance of firewood, kindling and lighters should you wish to light a fire (which we did!). TV is a smart TV but quite small for watching a film in the evening. I highly recommend bringing slippers as the stone floor is cold and the wooden stairs are very slippery in socks!

A very well equipped and comfy cottage. A lovely cottage – very well equipped. Excellent log burner to keep us warm in the evenings. Excellent location for central Oxford with the X40 bus stopping just up the road. We left the car on the drive all our stay and just used the bus. Funny to look out of the back door and see so many peafowl in the back garden – very gentle birds, even bringing their peachicks to see us. Would definitely stay there again

Beautiful countryside home. However, the traffic could be heard within the building, even with ear plugs in. For the price, I was expecting it to be a bit more secluded. The airbnb provided instant coffee, but not regular coffee grounds. Just a note to consider, depending on your preference.

We felt very comfortable..
The charm of the house is wonderful. Although the house is located directly on a main road, we did not notice much of it. The location is also very nice and (by car) central. We were accompanied and watched by the peacocks all the time.
A slightly larger dining table would have been very nice. With 3 people that’s quite small. We did not get the oven to run – we did not find a manual for him. The washing machine is a combo – including dryer. So there is no way to dry the clothes normally (no drying rack).

Just spent a weekend at The Bolthole and can highly recommend this gem of a place. The house is absolutely charming. The furnishings are tasteful and high quality and it’s like staying in the house of a friend who has put a lot of effort into all the details to make your stay comfortable rather than a rental. And better for us than a hotel as the sitting room is so restful and we lit the fire and sat for hours relaxing and reading. The house is lovely and warm and the beds new and comfortable. The kitchen has literally everything you need although we ate out a lot because there are so many good pub restaurants nearby. Whilst it feels like you’ve got away from everything when you’re in the house, there is so much to do in the vicinity – 2 minute walk to the Arboretum where we sat beneath the Giant Redwoods while admiring the magnolias in blossom. We walked round the country lanes to see the noteworthy historic houses and churches and Oxford is a couple of miles away and you can get there on the bus – all easy. Blenheim Palace is just down the road. Stop off at the Farmshop at the Crazy Bear on the way and stock up on some cheese and bread and pat the baby goats. There are guidebooks and restaurant recommendations in the house and we found it easy to get reservations. I wish we had stayed longer and would go back in a heartbeat.