A Cotswolds house to rent that is the jewel of the Slad Valley
The platonic ideal of a house in the Cotswolds surely lies in the Laurie Lee valley, where the undulating hill slope into the green valley and the views and countryside are impossible to beat. With Slad as the main village in the area, it also feels more authentic than neighbouring villages, less ‘honey-hued perfection’ and more country life as you'd expect to find it. It's also home to one of the best pubs in the Cotswolds, The Woolpack, which serves a St John-style menu in its tiny dining room or on sunny days, across the garden that opens up onto the valley. And then there's Stroud just down the road, which boats a glorious Saturday market, an eclectic mix of shops, the local brewery and Juliet's, a new restaurant from the team behind The Woolpack.
In this idyllic area, there can be no finer house to stay in for a break than The Knapp, allegedly the oldest house in the Slad valley, dating back in some parts to the 13th century. The current owners bought it ten years ago and spent five years restoring it, taking it back to its original stone in places With Natasha Hidvegi Design at the helm, they have done a breathtaking job, seamlessly blending the oldest parts of the house with a modern extension that looks as though it has always been part of the house. In doing so, they added a fantastic master suite and a kitchen that is hard to forget even when you've long since departed the house.
The house sits surrounded by countryside at every turn, with the valley stretching out below the garden (the views from the master bedroom when you wake up or after a sunset bath are heavenly), cows in the field next to the trampoline area and, on the road back to Slad, race horses grazing. The soundtrack to a stay is the gentle lowing of the cows, chirping of the birds and occasional braying of an unidentified donkey. Add to that the chickens in the garden who lay fresh eggs (the best you'll ever eat) for you to collect and it's pure bliss: a true escape from everyday life.
The house itself is set over two floors, with the main entrance opening into a spacious boot room and adjoining utility space, which flows into the sitting room, clearly in the oldest part of the house and centred around an original fireplace. From here, there are wonky stone steps up to the first floor or you can walk through to the snug, a cosier, smaller TV room and the modern kitchen extension. The kitchen is really the heart of the house, with a huge island dominating the space, table that easily seats ten at the other end and every possible piece of cooking equipment you could need. It is brand new, but feels completely in keeping with the house's history thanks to a judicious use of materials and copious amounts of jugs, copper pots and a weathered old butcher's block to maintain the flow.
Above the kitchen – via some less wonky stairs – is the master suite, with an antique copper bath in the bedroom, ensuite shower room and a landing that acts as a study space. From here there's another double with ensuite, family bathroom and then two smaller rooms in the older part of the house, perfect for couples and children alike. It's all decorated in the same manner, with the perfect blend of luxurious trappings and things that show that while The Knapp is a rental house, it is also someone's house and there's a real sense of their identity.
That identity is rooted in Hungary, where one of the owner's parents are from and as such, many Hungarian pieces fill the house. There are beautiful folk cupboards alongside a covetable collection of Sicilian ceramics – it's these pieces collected from the family's own life that bring The Knapp so much personality and make it feel less ‘holiday cottage’ and more as if you're living out an alternative life in your own house. Of course this makes leaving all the harder as it's a life that nobody could want to leave.
It's not all about the interiors though; the garden alone is a huge draw; alongside the necessary country amenities of fire pit and ample lounging and dining spots, there's also a full blown outdoor kitchen with a brick oven and impressive grill. This leads you into the annexe, a smaller guest house that has more bedroom space as well as a pool table and football table. There's the trampoline, the chickens, a hammock, a vegetable patch, a greenhouse, the pheasants that regularly visit the garden – the list goes on. The Slad Valley is a special place and within it, this hidden house is perhaps its finest asset.
The Knapp: uniquehomestays.com
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