A Cotswold cottage that embodies modern country style

Who hasn't at some stage in their life dreamt of having a place in the city and a country bolthole to run to on the weekends? It's long been presented as the ideal living situation, the best of both worlds. The past two years and the ongoing world troubles have done nothing if not strengthen that desire. What really makes you ache for it though is when you get to try a slice of this lifestyle by renting a country cottage for the weekend, stocking up on firewood and making multiple daily trips down the lane to your local pub. Or at least that's what happened to this writer over a weekend at the almost insultingly lovely Well Cottage in the Cotswold village of Ramsden.

The location is perfect, especially for those on the south-western side of London, as you can whizz up the motorway to the village in just over an hour and a half. Ramsden is near Woodstock, the home of Blenheim Palace, on the eastern edge of the Cotswold AONB. It's a particularly good location, not just for ease of access but also for the stellar village pub, The Royal Oak, a mere four minute walk down the road; there are plenty of others well-placed in neighbouring villages for mid-hike refreshments.

As for the cottage, it must be one of the best you could stay at in the entire sprawl of the Cotswolds, coupling rustic charm with zeitgesty decoration and modern amenities. There are plenty of luxurious touches, including a heavenly bath in the main bedroom. Waking up in the colossal bed, opening the skylight blinds to flood the GP&J Baker wallpaper with sunlight and then lying in bed watching the bath fill up is a wonderful way to start any day. Follow that up with a trot down the narrow staircase to the deep red, bright and spacious kitchen to cook up a spread on the large and impressive range and it doesn't get much better than this.

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The cottage was once two cottages, turned into one larger abode and extended (very sympathetically) to allow for the ample kitchen and dining space and add on the master bedroom. The result is a cottagey feel in the two living rooms: one functions as a welcome area with a fireplace and panelled boot room off to the side, as well as a dresser full of glassware and games, while the other is a snug with another fire, squashy corner sofa and large ottoman, as well as lots of books and local literature to curl up with. This cosy atmosphere extends to two of the bedrooms, while things feel more spacious and generous in the master bedroom and kitchen. It's the best of both worlds.

The interiors did not happen by accident, instead, they're the result of an owner with good friends, who called on her London neighbour and interior designer Laura Stephens to transform the 17th-century cottage into the jewel box it is now. “Whilst it has it's own distinct charm, it is not a chintzy Cotswolds cottage,” she explains. "We wanted to bring the colours of the surrounding countryside into it, so deep reds, mustards, olive greens and shades of brown and stone were used throughout." The colours are not just reflected in the Little Greene paints, but the tones of the wallpapers Laura picked and the zellige tiles in the two bathrooms. There are personal touches too, in the framed flower pressings that line many walls; they're the result of Laura and her young daughter's countryside walks and shared love of flower pressing.

If ever a weekend away were to entice you to leave the city for good, Well Cottage would be the house to sway even the most ardent urbanite. What more could you want from a country house than cosiness, a more-than-decent pub within walking distance, the smell of a wood burner warming your rooms, a vintage Monopoly board to play well into the early hours, proximity to winding footpaths and in the right season, an abundance of wild garlic? Ramsden means ‘wild garlic valley’ so perhaps spring is the ideal time to visit, though summer gives the chance of using the neat garden spaces to their full potential, however autumn and winter appeal greatly for making the most of the warmth and shelter the house facilitates. All in all, it doesn't matter when you go, it'll be bloody marvellous.

Well Cottage is available to rent through Sand & Stone Escapes. It sleeps six and prices start from £300 per night.

Laura Stephens is a member of The List by House & Garden, our essential directory of design professionals. Visit The List by House & Garden here.