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Grange Farm Cottages - Beautiful, dog friendly, self catering cottages. Set on a working farm, ideally located in central England near the Cotswolds, Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, Silverstone and Bicester Village outlet shopping. Many walks nearby, DIY livery stables and angling available on our own private coarse fishing lakes.
A warm welcome awaits you at Grange Farm, a working farm set in rural Oxfordshire in central England. This beautiful, peaceful location offers all the delights of the English countryside. Our five dog friendly cottages, sensitively converted from original Victorian barns, are located in a private courtyard. Inside and out, their style reflects beautiful country charm combined with outstanding levels of comfort.
At Grange Farm you can take a holiday with your own horse, walk your dog across the rolling Oxfordshire countryside or fish in our own private angling lakes. Our self catering cottages provide a superb base from which to explore the many rural delights of the Heart of England and the Cotswolds. You can easily drive to Stratford upon Avon and Oxford or catch a train to London or Birmingham. Our cottages offer the business guest an ideal base for travelling, with broadband links and a meeting room available for hire.
At the heart of what we offer at Grange Farm are the holiday farm cottages themselves. Many of their original features have been retained, including stunning open roof trusses and beams, while each cottage has its own individual character, reflected in its name. The holiday farm cottages are all beautifully presented and equipped to the highest standard, with carefully chosen, colour co-ordinated soft furnishings and natural oak floors.
Apart from the farm walks and fishing on your doorstep, each of the holiday farm cottages opens onto an attractive, well maintained garden and courtyard area, and has its own patio area. Garden furniture, barbecue equipment and garden games for outdoor relaxation and dining are available, depending on the season.
The courtyard also houses 'the Meet', a shared barn with a snooker/pool table available. You are also welcome to use our selection of board games. The Meet can be booked for private gatherings.
The Oakey family has farmed for four generations and Grange Farm Country Cottages, owned and operated by Nigel and Penelope Oakey, are now part of the family business. The core activity of the farm has traditionally been cattle rearing and arable farming on over 1000 acres of Oxfordshire land.
Crops grown include milling wheat, barley, peas, beans and oilseed rape. Beef cattle are traditionally fattened at the farm and pastureland is also used to graze sheep.
Grange Farm Estates manages areas of woodlands and ponds and, since 2000, has actively participated in the DEFRA Countryside Stewardship Scheme, which aims to preserve and nurture hedgerows, wildflowers and local wildlife. The farm maintains many traditional hedges of hawthorn, blackthorn and holly.
Grange Farm Country Cottages are set amongst a wide network of footpaths and bridleways that lead gently across rolling Oxfordshire countryside.
Nearby are a variety of walks, from easy strolls to longer treks. From your cottage door there is something to suit walkers of all kinds and there are plenty of places to enjoy a leisurely picnic.
You are welcome to bring your well behaved pet dog and you can walk across the farm and beyond until you are exhausted. All we ask is that you remember to follow The Countryside Code (there’s a copy available in your cottage). Then, what better than to return to your warm, comfortable cottage for tea (or something stronger!) and a long hot bath or refreshing shower.
Meet our very own Ant and Dec, two shy but friendly young Alpacas! You will see them as you arrive, in a field close to the cottages.
We also have our gorgeous new alpaca arrivals, 'teddy bear' Hugo, along with our little 'twins' Basil and Felix.
Alpacas are members of the camel family, closely related to the llama. They are found mainly in Peru in the Andes, with smaller numbers in Chile and Bolivia. Alpacas were domesticated from the wild vicuna, six to seven thousand years ago.
Alpacas live for up to twenty years and on average they grow to 4' 6" at the head. Adult alpacas can weigh up to 185 lbs and are very hardy and healthy.
Small, very gentle, submissive animals with a very fine, soft, dense coat, alpacas come in more than twenty beautiful colours, ranging from black to cream with roans, pintos (piebald), browns, reds, fawns, charcoal greys and many other colours in between.
Ant (the grey one on the far-left) is a 'Huacaya' alpaca with a fluffy 'crimped' coat, while Dec is a 'Suri' alpaca with a shiny coat that parts along the neck and back line and hangs down in spirals.
Archie, Ronnie and Pickle are the family's ponies. Archie is a dun coloured, standard sized Shetland pony and Ronnie is a skewbald (brown and white) miniature Shetland, standing just 33 inches tall!
Pickle is our new family pony. He is a seven year old, 12 hand high Welsh pony. Bred in the mountains and wild regions of Wales for many generations, they are acknowledged for their temperament and beauty! Our daughter Lucie is hoping to take Pickle to some local gymkhanas, but will need to do lots of practising first!
Shetland ponies are very small, hardy animals and have existed in the Shetland Isles (off the coast of Northern Scotland) for over 2000 years, probably much longer. Over the years they have been used as pit ponies and also for pulling carts as well as for riding.
A standard Shetland can stand up to 42 inches in height with a small broad head, short back and legs and a striking full mane and tail. Colours include black, bay, brown, chestnut, grey and skewbald. Shetlands have a reputation for being headstrong and independent - but are also absolutely gorgeous!
Harry is our much loved black Labrador - you'll often see him rushing to your car to greet you when you arrive at Grange Farm! He's everybody’s friend and loves nothing more than joining you on your wander up to the lake, or having a game of ball in the garden. Harry has also helped many children visiting us who were previously nervous of dogs - by the end of their stay, they want to take him home with them!
When Tilly came to us from a family of untamed farm cats, with the appropriate nickname ‘Scruffy’, she was underweight and not in the best of health. Since she’s been with us she’s gained her full weight and now sports the glossy coat that you will see whenever you meet her. She loves to be stroked and made a fuss of!
Tel 01869 278778
www.grangefarmcottages.co.uk
Oxfordshire self catering holiday cottages