... Belated update (so ashamed!!) ... and Crafty Anniversary Celebrations

…… and life has become so busy, and what originally started as a VERY regular blogging addiction, has now transformed into something that was at risk of being forgotten! … my apologies for the delay and i'm hoping to re-grasp your attention and update you on things …….

Original plans with Number Five were to renovate and get it out there as soon as possible,  ..... but, best laid plans and all that - its true things took a little longer than expected and I've decided to blame Donald Trump or Brexit, - haven't actually decided which one to go with just yet !

The latest cottage needed a lot of tender loving care which of course in true Crafty Cottage style we have provided and we hope guests at Number Five agree that it was worth waiting for.  In September 2017 we opened the doors to Number five which is now up and running, and we are pleased to have received so many positive comments from guests so far ...

To update you on things, the first room to be completed was the ensuite/shower room upstairs which we are delighted with.  I could go on and on, - but think maybe "before" and "after" photos probably says it all :

     

            before                                after                                    after 

(apologies for any text in the wrong place - particularly when viewing on a mobile device!
i'm a bit rusty at this blogging thing!)

With regards to the first floor we had a bit of a Spice Girls thing going on when, ..... two became one! ..... that is exactly what happened with the bedrooms, and Number Five now boasts a very spacious and comfortable bedroom, with a super king size bed (USA King - twin on request) and two windows to the front of the house overlooking Sheep Street, original pine floorboards, and you can even see 

St. James's Church in the distance which is an added  bonus!

   

                             before                                   before                                         before

  

after

The kitchen

before

 

                                           after                                                          after

The ground floor WC

  

                                             before                                          after

So there you have it!!  … from what started out as more of a hobby, - we now find ourselves having a successful business with 3 lovely cottages in the heart of Chipping Campden! …  We love meeting guests when we get the opportunity, and we are so proud to be able to say we have received nothing but positive comments from everyone - thank you!

… and it's amazing to realise that on Friday of this week, - 28th September it will have been 5 years since the very first guests at Crafty Cottage arrived - and it was sooo exciting!  WOW .. where have the years gone?  looking back we totally enjoyed building Crafty Cottage into the lovely home from home it is for travellers today, and hope you enjoy looking back through our blog at the past 5 years + it's build !

I promise I will try to keep the blog going as much as possible to keep things up dated, although we have no plans to add an additional cottage to our collection just yet !! ……

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Renovations begin on Number 5

Renovation works started quickly on Number 5, and it will be amazing to see just how fast this little Cotswold cottage can be transformed into comfortable accommodation for visitors to Chipping Campden.

The Bathroom

going ....

going ....

gone ..!

  

Plans for the bathroom ...... ?

We plan to add a modern walk in shower, WC & dresser type table with 2 separate sinks.

The Kitchen / lounge

   

 

It  didn't take us long to decide the wall between the lounge and kitchen needed to be come down! and once this decision had been made, - there was no going back !!

.... just a couple of hours later and it had gone!  creating a great open plan space on the ground floor.

At the moment it resembles Chipping Campden's first pole dancing club! but I have been assured the necessary beam is on its way, & I cant wait to see it developing into something very special!

Plans for the groundfloor ....?

We plan a modern kitchen with washer/drier, dishwasher, fridge freezer, gas hob, electric oven, microwave, spacious seating area, and lounge area to the front of the cottage with a bed settee and other seating, TV etc/ log burner.  There will also be a porch area off the front door from Sheep Street.

Will keep you posted!

-S-

Welcoming Number 5 to the Crafty Cottage family ...

Wow, cant believe how time has flown since my last blog post! .... life in Chipping Campden is still very much the same, and the cottages have been very busy as  the months come and go thank goodness!  We have had some lovely guests from all over the world - many returning two or three times a year! .... and great feedback which is very much appreciated.

On September 1st we picked up the keys to the latest edition to the Crafty Cottage family.  Once renovations have taken place we hope to add Number 5 Gordon Cottages (which is part of the terrace and next door to our other cottages!) to our collection.

The cottage (as Number 6) was built as part of the terrace of cottages known as Gordon Cottages on Sheep Street in 1901.  These cottages had just been built when Charles Ashbee arrived in Chipping Campden with a group of guildsmen & Campden's Arts and Crafts history began.  The whole terrace (6 cottages) originally housed guildsmen and their families.  Our cottage Number Six, was the home of the Osborn family whose father had been an ivory worker (creating ivory headed walking sticks and umbrellas) then later when the ivory trade altered, he had work in the Silversmiths within the Guild. We are looking forward to discovering the history of the family who called Number 5 their home.

   

Crafty Cottage, Number Six .....  & Number 5 !

Renovation works are due to start soon - in the meantime, we have been having a good look around to see what kind of tasks we have ahead!

 

So now the Blog is officially up and running again and we will be keeping you updated of how things are moving forward with our new project ...

-will keep you posted!-

-S-

The nearby village of Broadway ...

Already March 2015 and an appointment this morning out of town  had led us in the direction of Broadway and most conveniently around lunchtime!

We presumed that due to a road closure on the main access into the village things were unusually quiet and it was almost too easy to find a parking space! - obviously this morning was "just meant to happen .."

It was a glorious sunny day and was it too risky to  believe Spring had arrived ?  ... Broadway is a beautiful village,  just a 10 minute drive from our cottages in Chipping Campden, - and walkable to others who wish to avoid the roads and follow the muddy trails up onto the Cotswold Hills, passing the wonderful scenic Broadway Tower and down into the village itself.

Today we chose to have lunch at The Swan, we've been here many times before and the food in the restaurant to the side is always good :-)  The place itself sits more or less opposite the village green, with a view of the road which leads to the nearby village of Snowshill.

 

 

On leaving The Swan the rest of the village beckoned us to take a saunter and as the High Street looked so inviting in the sunshine it was very easy to oblige. 

There is a lovely selection of independent shops and restaurants in Broadway, they stand side by side decorating the wide path & 'broad - way' of the High Street and today in particular the beautiful Cotswold Stone they were built from so long ago was literally glowing.

     

 

 

     

 

 

 As usual, when we visit the village we paused for a while in front of "Leamington Cottage" - although these days it is better known as   BROADWAY COOKSHOP

 

 

 

 

 

My mother was born here, and where my great-grandmother, grandmother & grandfather had a Tea Rooms cycle hire & tobacconists X amount of years ago!  ...  I remember my mum telling me how my grandmother used to scrub the tiles on the alley floor on her hands and knees every morning ..... and now here I was looking out from the alley way onto the Village Green thank goodness my boots weren't muddy ... so feeling no guilt :-) !

... and at the risk of becoming too sloppy and sentimental

this was my mum's  bedroom window !



 

  

There is a good selection of Tea Rooms and Restaurants to choose from

in Broadway.

 

  

 

The Lygon Arms Hotel

 

  

 

The Broadway Deli

 

 

 

Beautiful houses on the High Street

 

 

... from our cottages Broadway is walkable, depending on your ability - on weekdays & Saturdays you can also take the bus back to Chipping Campden if necessary. 

There is a Tourist Information in Broadway, Shops, Galleries, Tea Rooms, & Museums

 

By car,  the drive between Chipping Campden would usually take no more than 10 minutes.

 

 

 -and before leaving Broadway,  - I couldn't resist a trip down Memory Lane !.....

 

 

My Mum, (and my uncle!) outside their home
Broadway

 

Leamington Cottage back in the days!

 

 

 



 My mum on her pony - Broadway High Street

(in front of what is now  The Broadway Deli )

 

 

 

 .... Happy Mothers Day 2015!

... will keep you posted :-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Procrastinating in the Cotswolds!

 

This morning drawing back the curtains at home I revealed a crisp February morning, and after a  frosty start to the day bright sunshine was now streaming down on Chipping Campden.

 

I had so many plans for the day ahead  mostly involving a paintbrush, roller & masking tape accompanied  by my faithful friend Magnolia,  however the day outside looked so inviting  I decided to put that on the back boiler & head off down to:

 

 

 

I had been conscious of the fact that my last  blog had been Christmas themed and even that had been delayed and written in January!  ....  and with new temptations on the High Street alongside such beautiful weather I was suddenly inspired to bring my Blog up to date!

 

Campden was quiet this morning,  but that's surely an advantage when all you want to do is walk around the town.  The Cotswold stone walls of the cottages seem to glow in the sunshine and add  brightness to the back lanes and alley ways.

 

 

  



 

 

I crossed the road from Sheep Street, and headed towards the Market Hall.

 

 

 

..... through the arches and over cobbles!

... stopping briefly to take a look at the new Marker Stone for the beginning

(or is it the end?!) of the Cotswold Way Footpath

 



   

On the pavement above the Market Hall one of my favourite shops "Frankie Doodle" I usually find it very difficult to pass the door without having to go in for a "mooch" and today was no exception as unfortunately for me I also find it very difficult to have a mooch without buying anything! 

 

 

As hard as it was to drag myself away from Frankie Doodle I knew there was another treat in store nearby, as a new shop appeared on the High Street this week which I had yet to visit.

 

Tokes

 

a great little Deli, with wonderful cheeses & wines

specialising in local produce.

Stepping through the door I could tell instantly this FAB little shop will be a popular addition to the many other great shops in Chipping Campden.

 

   

 

 The perfect place for guests at our cottages to pick up treats for that all important summer picnic or locally produced goodies to take back to the City!

 

 

 

 I was strangely drawn to the wine corner!  but resisted temptation this time - in favour of a bowl of assorted olives which .... as I am writing this can add an update *** were delicious :-)

 

Tokes also stock Cotswold Traiteur meals - delicious pre-made dishes which will no doubt be regular visitors to the ovens at Crafty Cottage & Number Six !

 

...  I particularly liked the sound of the Classic Chicken Chasseur, described as having diced free range chicken, white wine, mushrooms, tomatoes and tarragon .... in fact, it very definitely has to be said "yum yum pigs bum" !! 

 

 

I crossed the road from Tokes, out of the sunshine and into the shade on the opposite side of the High Street.  I called in to Stewart Antiques briefly to say "Hello"  ... this is the kind of place where you can never look at the person you're speaking to, - as there's so much adorning the walls, cabinets shelves & tables, you don't want to miss anything!  - a real treasure trove.

 

 

 

 

I do love this time of year,  we are just at the brink of seeing more colour in the gardens and Drinkwaters never fails to disappoint with some of the first signs of Spring!

 

 

 

bulbs, snowdrops, daffodils   ....

 

 

 Walking back towards Sheep Street I remembered how I was returning home to continue decorating ....  or on reflection ....  maybe I should take a quick walk up Dovers Hill !!

 

....  where it has to be said

was absolutely Freeeeeeezing !!!

 

 but worth it for the fabulous views ...

 

  

 

A beautiful place to visit



Dovers Hill is just above Chipping Campden & where we host

The Cotswold Olimpicks later on in the year!

Cotswold Olimpicks
 

easily walkable from the centre of town,

(about 45 mins walk from our cottages)

 



 

No sign of any sheep up there today,

but plenty of evidence that they've been there lately!

  

 



 

 

I did catch a glimps of one on the way home though - they're never too far away !!

 

 

 



So that was how I spent this cold but sunny morning in the Cotswolds.

 

I still have to finish off my decorating at home

 but I wouldn't have missed this morning for anything :-)

 

 

.....  and as usual, I will of course be keeping you posted!

 

-S-

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