I first saw this Airbnb on YouTube four years ago and held it in my memory ever since .
Finally we booked it for a three night stay this May and I was hoping it lived up to our expectations.
The Loft, lays in a sleepy valley just outside of the historic city of Bath in the grounds of 600 year old Brook Cottage, birth place of Cabbages and Roses, the quintessentially British Brand , home of the late Christina Strutt, co-founder of Cabbages and Roses who featured it in her best sellingbook "Living Life Beautifully".
We need not have worried , from the moment we arrived we were smitten with the accommodation. It felt like we were stepping right into a the pages of a magazine ! The Loft is spacious and the decor light, bright and extremely pretty. We found our eyes were darting to and fro over all the details, from top to bottom there was so much to take in. From the trailing “Creeping Jenny” plants f tumbling down from the ceiling, to the carefully curated collections of books and magazines.
The whole place is a visual treat. Everything is perfectly placed, and with purpose, either to be useful or visually appealing. I am reminded of the William Morris quote -
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”
The hayloft was actually converted by Christina’s son Ed who is a forester, this is revealed by the slabs of tree bark used as bedside tables and a wash stand , as well as in other parts of the cottage, like panelling and rustic garden terrace.
The Airbnb is run by both Ed and his wife Sophie, a gardener, which explains the cottage garden and the carefully planted pots dotted all around. The conversion was lovingly designed and created in Cabbages and Roses ‘shabby chic’ style, which makes it a truly unique place to stay.
As we arrive the squishy sofa was inviting us with flat screen TV and access to Netflix , an easy place to relax for an evening, but we had booked the hot tub option . So we threw on the kimono style robes conveniently provided by our hosts and flip flopped outside to the terrace to dive into the log burning hot tub which had been warmed ready and waiting for our arrival . We spent the evening winding down with a bottle of wine as the light faded under the canopy of trees.
It was easy to get a good nights sleep. The bed was super comfy, covered in luxurious Cabbage and Roses linens and the only sound to be heard was an owl hooting away to remind us where we were.
After a light breakfast we ventured into the city of Bath for our first day as it is just 5 miles away from St Catherines.
The single track roads to Bath are picture perfect at this time of year, crowned with cow parsley and bursting with vibrant greens. Don’t be put off by the narrow lanes. You are more likely to pass fields of cows and sheep than you are to see people or cars as you walk and drive through these country lanes.
For day 2 we decided to stay put and took a walk
along the brook at the bottom of the property and then made our way to St Catherines Church which has an interesting history, dating back to the
12th Century, and is a Grade II listed building.
The church sits in the grounds of St Catherines Court which is a GradeI listed building. The house is famous in recent times for being home to British Actor Jane Seymour and her family, who it is alleged upset locals with noisy parties !
We spend the afternoon in the hot tub to make the most of our stay.
We depart on Day 3 and head off home via Castle Combe, dubbed the most beautiful village in England. It doesn’t disappoint, with wisteria in full bloom it was a delightful end to our trip .
We stayed at The Loft
https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/4209105?adults=1&children=0&enable_m3_private_room=true&infants=0&pet