Court House Cottage

Court House Cottage is a charming Stuart garden building dating back to around 1620 that is Grade I listed. It has been imaginatively converted to provide a chic little cottage for two to five, that has been compared to a dolls' house.

Originally, it was a banqueting house or gazebo, but more recently it has become known as the Manor's 'Court House', because it is here that the successive Lords of the Manor would have held their Court Leet or 'Halimote', the 'trying of their servants and tenants for petty offences'. It is screened to the east by a phalanx of mighty yews known affectionately as the 'ballroom', or sometimes the 'yew parlour', or 'wilderness'.

Downstairs you will find the kitchen and bathroom, with a little loggia restored as an attractive dining room. The glass doors, divided by a simple Tuscan column, frame the view of the east wing of the manor house and its yew trees.

Upstairs a spiral staircase leads to a sitting room in the old Justice Room on the first floor, with the main bedroom with double bed (and a basin) beyond.

The stairs wind up again to two cosy bedrooms on the second attic floor with low ceilings for Stuart statures. The first, with a single bed or twin childs' bed under the eaves, leads through the trusses to the larger one, curtained off, with a 4ft double bed. The oval bull's-eye windows enjoy delightful views to Uley, whose church spire can just be seen among the trees below the bare summit of the hill fort at Uley Bury.

The Court House has its private sun terrace and garden to the west. There is also a baroque sundial on the wall.

The Manor Garden. The present "Old English" garden has been recreated by the owners among open lawns and a field since 1980, with box hedges enclosing quarters of English parterres like those in the Stoke Edith tapestries, or Kip engravings. The planting is traditional, with herbs and aromatics, old shrub roses and garden favourites, and the box, holly, juniper and yew replanted, as well as formal features, a stilt hedge and pleached allee in lime and hornbeam, and sculpture by Simon Verity. The design makes use of old plans and records, suggesting an early garden re-ordered conservatively at the turn of the eighteenth century, just when the formal tradition was about to be swept away, in fashionable gardens, by the landscape garden. The mill pond walk recalls the early Georgian Elysium of rills and meandering paths. Two thousand young trees were planted as shelter belts to mark the millennium.

*Please note, locations shown on the maps are approximations only

The Manor estate is in the 'Royal Triangle', set in the heart of the Cotswold Hills. The historic cities of Bath, Cheltenham, Cirencester are all about 20 miles away, with their wealth of cultural and scenic attractions. Oxford, Blenheim Palace and Stratford-upon-Avon are popular day excursions. London is about 2 hours away; Heathrow Airport a little closer.

Whether your interest is the famous limestone villages of the Cotswolds, or prehistoric barrows, quiet lanes, antique shops, walking - from a gentle stroll round the estate trails to a 20-mile trek along the Cotswold Way - Norman churches, gardens, good food and drink, visiting friends, or more likely a combination of these, the choice is wide and you will barely scratch the surface during your stay.

Apart from the Cotswolds and their wool towns and villages, other touring regions include the Berkeley Vale, the Forest of Dean, the Wye Valley, the Welsh Marches, the Malverns, the Thames Valley.

Historic houses, besides the estate itself, include Berkeley Castle, Chavenage House, Dyrham Park and Sudeley Castle. Within walking distance is Woodchester Mansion, an unfinished masterpiece of the Victorian age. Tourist attractions include the American Museum at Claverton Manor and the Roman Baths at Bath, Gloucester Cathedral, Westonbirt Arboretum and the Wildfowl Trust at Slimbridge.

Gloucestershire is famous for its many gardens. They include Hidcote and Kiftsgate, Miserden Park, Painswick Rococo Garden, Rodmarton Manor, Barnsley House, Highgrove and Westbury-on-Severn. We are the ideal base for the Horse Trials at Badminton and Gatcombe Park, and for racing at Cheltenham.

The estate forms a wild and secret valley extending along the Ewelme stream under the Cotswold edge. It is accessible, yet far from the intrusion of public roads and the commercial farming of the Cotswold plateau. The extensive native beech woods are carpeted with bluebells in the spring. Richly varied walks lead the serious hiker or casual stroller over many miles of footpaths on the estate and beyond. Long-distance trails are well organised in the surrounding area of the Cotswolds.

Beyond the valley is an impressive group of archaeological sites. The Iron Age hill fort at Uley is the most impressive in the Cotswolds, commanding views over the Severn Vale to the mountains of Wales; neolithic long barrows and Roman settlements lie on the hills. The estate and its neighbouring valleys form a haven rich in wildlife, with wildflowers in the fields, protected butterflies, deer and badgers a common sight, and a rich variety of habitat for bird-watching – never forgetting the fabled owls.

As well as a traditional West Country livestock farm producing home-reared organic meat, this is a sporting estate perfect for all forms of country pursuits. There is fly fishing; rough shooting and clay pigeon lessons can be arranged. Riding, gliding and golf (with three courses) are all a mile or two away. Many activities are organized by us for corporate programmes or private parties. And there is plenty of room for those who want none of these, but simply to breathe in the peace and utter seclusion of a timeless countryside.

The Manor is a mile east of Uley, off the B4066. At the small Green past the Old Crown pub in Uley (just opposite the Church). Uley is a charming weaving village between Tetbury, Stroud (both 6 miles) and Dursley (3 miles west), signposted from the A 4135. The M5 Junctions 13 (north) and 14 (south) are a few minutes west: head for the B4066. The M4 is 12 miles south. Exit at Junction 18 and follow the A46 north in the direction of Stroud as far as the crossroads with the A4135. Then go west towards Dursley, turning second right after the Hunters' Hall pub in Kingscote down to village of Uley on B4066.

All the cottages are self-catering but we can provide breakfast hampers @ £9.50 per person and also have a take-away range of home-cooked food. There is a list of restaurants and pubs that are recommended nearby in the information book that you are supplied with on arrival with your keys.

The beautiful old Cyder House forms an atmospheric restaurant for exclusive dining at the centre of the hamlet. Karin Mander's menu emphasizes bistro-style cooking, with seasonal produce from the estate. This includes game – pheasant and venison are specialities – and traditionally-reared beef. Karin finds a special place for her native Swedish fish cuisine, and also the produce of the Elizabethan garden.  

The Cyder House is a listed historic building of the fifteenth century, with 'cruck' trusses. A gigantic oak cider press stands in the corner from 300 years ago, when cider feasts were held here. It is a stunning setting, furnished with portraits and Arts and Crafts furniture from the family collection.

The Manor cellars offer a good selection of reasonably-priced wines, especially French and Spanish regional wines, as well as local ciders. In addition to formal dinners, we serve light lunches and traditional home-made cream teas when the manor house is open from the beginning of May to early September. This adaptable room can be hired on an exclusive basis for meetings, office parties, weddings and receptions, as well as for corporate entertaining.

The Cyder House Restaurant is fully licensed. It is open for dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, and by request for groups of 15 or more. Personal requirements can easily be accommodated with reasonable notice. Ask for copies of our suggested menus for group visits.

- Security deposit: This is paid on arrival and will be refunded in full after departure subject to damage inspection.
- Linen & towels: All linen and bath towels are included in the rental price.
- Energy costs: Included in the rental price.
- End of stay cleaning: Included. Please leave the property in the state that you found it.
- Arrival time: 4pm onwards.
- Departure time: 10am.
- Pets: Please enquire.
- Smoking: No smoking in the property.
- It is recommended that all guests take out insurance to cover against potential cancellation and any accidental damage caused during your stay at the property.