Playful, peaceful, packed with toys

Wellacres House is playful, peaceful and packed with toys. Get the fire going and catch a movie. Watch hours elapse in the heated pool. Hang around in the hot tub. Play pool or ping-pong in the games barn. Eat al fresco among the starlings and lapwings. Wonder when you’ll ever venture out and see the Cotswolds.

Celebrate, recalibrate, be captivated

Big beautiful holiday homes in the Cotswolds present big problems. For example, the lovely Churchill Arms is just a short stroll away. The honeyed-limestone high street, wool church, tea rooms and country inns of Chipping Campden just down the road. And the glorious Cotswold Way wanders idly past.

The problem is that Wellacres House is so playful, peaceful and packed with toys that you might never get to see any of it. Set among rolling hills, Wellacres sleeps 16 amid flagstone floors, exposed beams and contemporary luxury. Get the gang together and celebrate, recalibrate and be captivated.

Cosy up with a real fire and a movie on the home cinema. Eat around the chunky, hunky dining table or out on the terrace among the starlings and lapwings. Let hours elapse splashing around in the heated pool. At night, hang around in the hot tub awhile as the stars shoot overhead and the dark skies reveal ever more layers of constellation.

Play table football, pool or ping-pong in the games barn. Kick the kids out onto the trampoline and the swings. Stay up late as you like, keep your glasses filled, then collapse into crisp cotton in the beamed bedrooms. Wake late and watch time grind to a halt. How do you solve a problem like Wellacres? Slowly, and with lots of wine.

Pool, Hot Tub and Gardens

Six acres of starlings, lapwings, hedging trees and lawn lie before you. Cricketing, croqueting and cartwheeling are all on the agenda. Watch time elapse as you splash in the pool. Kick the kids out to the copse to discover the swings and trampoline. Survey your domain from the big snail mound.

Cook in the clean air and eat your steaks and sausages out on the terrace beneath big skies. Get out to the games room and compete for family bragging rights over pool, table tennis and table football. As darkness descends, drink fizz in the steamy bubbles of the hot tub and watch cosmic events of many moons ago play out in the dark skies.

Living SpacesLiving SpacesLiving SpacesLiving Spaces

Living Spaces

Living spaces here are large, light, open-plan and geared for lazy laughter. Get the folks together in the stone-floored family room – a mere 11 metres by seven – with its squishy sofas for cards and games and tactile fabrics curated by a leading Cheltenham designer. But if you need to get far from the madding crowd, options abound.

Head to the snug to bask in the hearty warmth of the roaring fire. The sofas are comfy, the flagstone floors homely and the supply of books plentiful. Put on your headphones, close the shutters and enter a world of serenity and solitude. Or just enjoy having the TV to yourself.

For all-in, full-popcorn movie nights, invade the living room, as comfortable and homely as your favourite pub. This is a world of stone floors, chunky rugs, comfy throws and old beams. Work your way through your DVDs on the home cinema. From here, you can slide into the library with its books, maps and local information.

Work off a little steam in the games barn. Pick your teams then pick from eight-ball pool to table tennis to table football. Or just escape there with a book when no one’s looking. Wellacres is huge and flexible spaces can be as sociable or as solitary as you choose. Move in and out of the action as the mood takes you.

Cooking and Dining

Play the country cook to perfection on the large range cooker, gas hob and electric oven. This is the kind of kitchen that needs pots and pans to hang from an organiser alongside the day’s pheasant catch. But you might just prefer slow-grown meat, soups and stews from Daylesford Organic Farm Shop.

The chunky hunk of a dining table sits right next to the kitchen. So you can stew and simmer without losing the social touch. There’s space for 16 here, or you might prefer to set the table on the terrace and eat beneath the big Cotswold sky with a soundtrack of starlings and finches and the steady, inviting thrum of the hot tub.

If you don’t fancy doing the heavy lifting yourself, let us take the weight off your shoulders with a range of highly recommended chefs. Book a one-off celebration or put your feet up and let us do the lot. Alternatively, leave it all to the kitchen at The Ebrington Arms for locally sourced goats curd and beetroot or roasted halibut.

Elsewhere in Chipping Campden, go Greek at Michael’s Mediterranean, with a range of mezze dishes, to fresh fish and seafood to renowned ‘marathona’ fillet steaks. Knock seven bells out of the delicious hearty, homemade meals at the Eight Bells Inn. Or head to Cheltenham to Michelin-starred dining at Le Champignon Sauvage.

Bedrooms

Bedrooms at Wellacres are what you’d expect: large, light, beamed and beautiful. You’ll sleep like a log, with the window open and the fresh Cotswold air filling your lungs.

The master bedroom comes with a high ceiling. Pick from a kingsize bed and a single, or three singles. Lap up the views then linger in the en-suite bathroom with rolltop bath and shower.

Bedroom two is equally spectacular, with high ceilings, valley views and a shared en-suite. Burrow down into the kingsize bed with deep pocket-sprung mattress and cushion piled upon cushion. Window seats offer a front seat on the rolling Cotswold countryside.

Bedroom three is also large and lovely, with twin beds that kids will love. Two window seats capture idyllic views of the gardens and grounds. Bedroom four is hiding under the eaves, with two wooden beds and adjoining playroom. A secret space that children will always remember as special and safe.

Bedroom five can be a king-size or twins, while bedroom six offers either a kingsize bed and a single, or three single beds. Enjoy beautiful views and a big en-suite bathroom with bath and separate shower. Bedroom seven on the ground floor is a big, characterful king or twin with an open fire for cosy winter nights.

Children Welcome

Before you rush off to discover the rolling wolds and ancient limestone villages, make sure you’ve ticked off every on-site box first. There’s six acres of lush lawn, wild woodland and long meadow grass here in which to play cricket or croquet, to kick a ball about or play hide and seek for England.

You’ve got nooks and crannies inside, too, including an attic den, a place to curl up on winter nights and feel ultra-snug. Cupboards overflow with family games, toys and books.

From May to September, Exhibit A for fun and games is likely to be the heated outdoor pool (fenced and entered through a lockable gate). The hot tub can also make hours vanish with its uncanny ability to make the stars seem even more fascinating when observed from a deliciously bubbling pot.

Out there in the ancient Cotswold barn, we’ve got games. Get competitive over table tennis, table football or eight-ball pool. Or head outside, to idly pass an hour or so on the swings or to pulverise the trampoline. Bringing baby? We’ve got highchairs, cots, beakers and bowls. We’re parents, too.

Virtual Tour

Gone are the days when the only way to view a house was solely by way of poring over flat and sometimes confusing floor plans. With the emergence of 360-degree video we have an exciting new way of being introduced to the layout of a house.

With a few clicks you can be leisurely making your way through living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens and bathrooms – the whole house in all its beauty waiting for you to step on in for an effortless and insightful virtual tour.

What people say

What people say

"Wish I could rewind to last weekend - we had a really lovely stay at Wellacres. What a beautiful and well set-up house. And such a treat to have the heated pool open too. That really made a difference to the weekend. Fantastic location too. We loved it." - Jessica
"Efficient and well organised company. Lots of information given beforehand which helped with planning. Wellacres House was fabulous. It was spacious and luxurious, very well equipped with excellent facilities. We were given a warm welcome by the housekeeper Alison, which set the tone for the weekend. Couldn't have asked for more." - Geraldine
“Just wanted to say what a brilliant week we have had at Wellacres – thank you. We loved the privacy and setting of the house and spent many happy hours soaking up the views from the pool, the terrace and hot tub. Our grandchildren (and grown up children!) loved the ping pong and the little ones really enjoyed the playground. It is beautifully equipped and you were so helpful with all our requests and arrangements. We found the Cotswolds really enchanting and hope to return soon!” - David
"We had a wonderful time at Wellacres, the house is stunning, everyone loved it I wish I lived in a house like that....must start saving!" - Laura
"Wellacres was a dream, beautifully appointed, with a keen sense of design. It was clean, wonderfully warm and the beds so comfortable. There were considerable supplies of equipment in the very large kitchen and dining area. The facilities even extended to a hot tub outside. We wholeheartedly recommend it." - David and Vivienne
“Amazing. We just can’t stop talking about our special weekend at Wellacres. It was such a wonderful feeling to have the whole house and grounds to ourselves and to leave all our cares behind. Life is good! We will be back.” - Sarah
“I wanted to drop you a line to say what a wonderful weekend we all had. It was fabulous, you have been such a joy to work with and Alison was lovely. I miss being at Wellacres! I will definitely be booking with you again in the future as I am sure many of the girls will! A huge thank you once again. Best wishes and many, many thanks.” - Helen
“We have just returned from a wonderful weekend at Wellacres House. We left Bath on Friday in a storm but had two beautiful days so that the children enjoyed all the amenities. It is a lovely house with every convenience possible. Much thought has gone into making it so comfortable. Turning 80 proved to be quite enjoyable after all!! We cannot wait to go back but next time I hope it will be for a week. We all send our thanks and best wishes”. - Pauline
“We had a wonderful relaxing holiday at Wellacres. A really lovely house and great atmosphere. Heated pool and the hot tub great and went down very well with everyone. The table tennis tournament got very heated as well! Didn’t really explore the area much as we had everything we needed in the house! Many thanks again. A very relaxed Sue!” - Sue
“We had such a good weekend and all of us fell in love with Wellacres, it was the perfect house for the occasion, so well equipped and beautifully furnished. And of course the weather was unbelievable – so we used every bit of the outside facilities, plus quad biking and horse riding for the more agile.” - Diana
“Well thank you! We had the most fabulous weekend. And please pass on a big thank you to Alison whom kindly located a fishmonger nearby for us – and we had the most delicious tuna!” - CB
“We had a wonderful time on our anniversary – something that will remain with us always ….Your housekeeper was lovely, please thank her for her kindness.” - Lynda
“Thanks our stay was great and the caterers made every thing go so smoothly which made it a very remarkable weekend for us all” - John
"The house was brilliant, very well prepared and exceptionally we'll equipped. Excellent outside facilities, particularly the pool (glorious temperature!!) and the hot tub. The play area and the games room came in very useful for our big family party 16 adults, 14 children aged from 4 to 14." - Peter
"I just wanted to highly praise Wellacres House. Not only is the house just amazing, it was one of the best equipped places any of us had ever visited. We had the most wonderful time, we didn’t go out (apart for a walk up the driveway!) from the time we got there to the time we left. We felt very spoilt to be there, and I will certainly be recommending it to others." - Sharon
"Last week my children and their children spent a memorable week at Wellacres. The house was everything a big family, celebrating a very special occasion could wish for. We were also very lucky with the weather and the one rain soaked day was spent with all of us in the kitchen/dining room some playing card games and the rest helping my son prepare for a gigantic meal that night. What a lovely feeling of togetherness. Plenty of laughter and my 5 grandchildren have sent me beautiful messages of thanks. I would happily recommend you and the house to everyone!" - Lynette
"The whole family loved our week at Wellacres. The house was perfect for our size of group and we loved the quiet location. It was well equipped and spacious. The welcome pack was very much appreciated and enjoyed. You were very helpful in meeting our requests before we visited. We had great walks from the property across beautiful countryside into Blockley, Broad Campden and Chipping Campden. The games barn was well equipped and well used and so was the hot tub." - Bob & Jane

Grab some Cotswolds glamour

Ride the train and meet the lions and zebras at the Cotswold Wildlife Park. Go underground at Cheddar Gorge. Milk the cows at the Farm Park. Grown-ups can ruminate over antiques, galleries, coffee and cake in gorgeous villages, get active on a Rob Ireland Activity Day, or go giddy at the Gin-Tasting Experience.