Swifts Retreat at Oosland Barns
Swift’s Retreat is a beautifully appointed one-bedroom barn conversion with a private hot tub and enclosed garden. This lovely retreat shares a large courtyard with four other holiday homes that comprise Oosland Barns, a family run arable farm that is just half a mile, and an easy walk, from the historic riverside village of Bidford-on-Avon. This is a wonderful spot from which you can also explore Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, just 7 miles away.
Overview
Lying at the end of a farm track, surrounded by fields Swift’s Retreat is a delightful barn conversion offering a pleasingly rural place to stay yet with a multitude of attractions within easy reach.
Forming the left-hand side of the courtyard, Swift’s Retreat is a long, single level barn with bi-fold doors opening to both the open plan kitchen/living area and the bedroom. As you step through the entrance door you are welcomed by a light and airy space with a beautiful stone floor and exposed wooden roof beams framing the high ceiling. The rustic yet stylish design is perfectly in keeping with this barn’s former life as a grain store and a fresh colour scheme of pale cream, yellows and greys features throughout with soft throws and cushions, bringing a warm and welcoming feel to this lovely space. The bedroom is a restful room with a comfy king-size bed and a spacious ensuite shower room.
Outside you’ll find an enclosed garden, bordered by the green corrugated iron of a Nissan hut to one side. There’s a small lawned area, but the star of the show is the hot tub, with views through the farm to the fields beyond. This is the place to relax in the sunshine on sunny afternoons, rustle up something tasty on the BBQ and stargaze by night surrounded by the soothing bubbles of the hot tub.
Ground Floor
Kitchen/Dining Area:
The entrance door opens into the kitchen area, which is a modern and stylish, well-equipped space. The pale wooden units add to the feeling of light and there’s a window to the rear with rural views over the fields beyond. You’ll find everything you need to prepare wonderful meals, including an induction hob and electric oven, there’s also a slimline dishwasher so no-one needs to worry about being on washing up duty. Underfoot, the stunning stone floor runs the length of the barn.
The spacious breakfast bar is surrounded by high Eames-style stools and seats four comfortably. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy romantic meals, morning coffee or just perch sipping a glass of wine while culinary masterpieces are created in the kitchen. If you’re feeling the need for comfort, there’s a soft leather armchair by the bi-fold doors, where you can catnap in the sun.
Living Area:
Creating a natural divide from the kitchen area is a large, exceptionally comfortable corner sofa adorned with soft throws and plump cushions. It’s the ideal place to curl up with a good book or just kick back and relax after busy days of exploration. Two sets of bi-fold doors can be fully opened allowing plenty of fresh country air to flow though. From the living area there is a door to the enclosed rear garden and a door through to the bedroom.
Bedroom One:
This lovely, tranquil room is decorated in the same restful shades of cream and yellows with plenty of light from a further set of bi-fold doors. The comfy king-size bed is flanked by bedside tables with lantern-style reading lamps. There is a set of cute cubby shelves on the wall and hooks with hangers for clothes. There’s also a chest of drawers and a dressing table with a mirror.
Shower Room:
The generously sized ensuite shower room has a large step-in shower cubicle, heated tower rail, handbasin and WC, a large window to the side overlooks the private garden.
Outside
Swift’s Retreat has a private, enclosed garden complete with a four-seater hot tub (robes and flip flops are provided) and views over the farm buildings and surrounding farmland beyond. There’s a charcoal BBQ, pretty bistro table with two chairs and a garden bench in the same style.
Facilities
Indoor
Bedroom One - King-size
1 Bathroom - En-suite Shower Room With Shower, WC, Hand Basin
Hairdryer - 1
Oven
Hob
Microwave
Toaster
Kettle
Fridge
Freezer - Compartment In Fridge
Coffee Machine - Nespresso Pods
Dishwasher
Washing Machine
Iron
WiFi *Please Note That Speeds Are For Guidance Only And Are Not Guaranteed - 25-49 Mbps
TV - Smart
Board Games
Workspace
Sound System - B&O Speaker
Outdoor
Garden
Outdoor Dining Area
BBQ - Please Provide Your Own Charcoal
Hot Tub
Parking - Off-road Parking For 2 Cars
On your Doorstep
The closest supermarkets are Co-op in Bidford-on-Avon (1 mile) and Waitrose in Alcester (6 miles). There is also a One Stop in Bidford-on-Avon. The Farm Shop Bidford (1 mile) is run by the property owners, and offers fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables, including strawberries from the Vale of Evesham in the summer, and Bidford pumpkins in the Autumn. All produce is directly sourced from the family farm and a network of trusted local farmers and artisans. The town of Stratford-upon-Avon plays host to a variety of high street brands, including Mint Velvet and M&S. It also has a wide selection of independent boutiques, heritage shops and antique stores.
Eating Out:
- The Bridge, Bidford-on-Avon – Enjoy a finely selected menu in an idyllic setting overlooking the town’s pretty Saxon bridge (0.5 miles)
- The Dirty Duck, Stratford-upon-Avon – Enjoy local ales and food at this popular actor’s hangout (7.5 miles)
- Salt by Paul Foster, Stratford-upon-Avon - Proud holder of a Michelin-star, Salt is a fabulous fine dining experience with a relaxed ambience and high quality food (7.5 miles)
Bidford-on-Avon boasts scenic walks from the fine 15th century road bridge crossing the famous River Avon, and a picturesque church, built in 1250.
Places to Visit:
- Anne Hathaway’s Cottage – Wander through acres of beautiful cottage gardens and orchards, and explore the sculpture trail inspired by Shakespeare's plays (7 miles)
- Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon – spend an evening watching a fantastic performance of a Shakespeare tale (8 miles)
- Broadway Tower, Broadway – Discover this 18th century folly and its breathtaking views of the Cotswolds (10 miles)
- Train - Stratford-upon-Avon (8 miles)
- Taxis - Mario Taxi, Tom’s Taxi
Points of Note
This property has a check-in time of 15:00 and a check-out time of 10:00
- Book with us to get exclusive discounts to top attractions and experiences.
- The hot tub can be used between 10am -10pm. Please ensure all guests read and adhere to our Hot Tub Rules and Guidance.
- Swift’s Retreat is on a working farm, and at certain times of year, there is more activity than others.
- Swifts's Retreat is an adult-only retreat.
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The Location
The village of Bidford-on-Avon boasts a picturesque church, built in 1250 and scenic walks from the 15th century road bridge that crosses the famous River Avon. The village has shops, pubs and a supermarket - all on an exquisite riverside setting. Swifts Retreats is perfectly located to explore the scenic countryside of the Cotswolds, historic Stratford, with the Shakespeare Theatre, half-timbered buildings and museums, and nearby National Trust properties, including Coughton Court, Warwick Castle and Hidcote Gardens.
And relax..
Why book with us
1.
Guaranteed
best price
Book your holiday home directly with us for the best possible price. Because we work exclusively with our owners; we guarantee you won’t find our properties cheaper elsewhere.
2.
Guaranteed
best price
Book your holiday home directly with us for the best possible price. Because we work exclusively with our owners; we guarantee you won’t find our properties cheaper elsewhere.
3.
Guaranteed
best price
Book your holiday home directly with us for the best possible price. Because we work exclusively with our owners; we guarantee you won’t find our properties cheaper elsewhere.
Read our reviews
Perfect.
Emma
Really nice place easy access to food and shops and nice and quiet.
Courtney
The place was lovely and just what we needed quiet but comfy.
Julie
Fabulous stay with great views, lovely barn conversion all beautiful.
Emily
A very peaceful location. Lots of parking. Great secluded hot tub. Host friendly. Plenty of places to eat and drink nearby.
Gordon
Enjoyed our stay was simple and effortless check in, would recommend for a weekend away.
Adam
This is a lovely place to stay as a special treat. An ideal stay if you want to get away from everything but still be in walking distance from amenities.
Mandy
A lovely place to go and just get away from everything. The location is fantastic, it’s peaceful, there’s lot of lovely restaurants and everywhere is walkable. The lodge itself was so clean, it met every standard.
Lauren
Beautiful place. Could literally live there, had all you needed.
Daniel
High standard relaxation
Excellent accommodation and location. ideal for exploring cotswolds. Everything you need is provided… a real treat.
Debbie Owen
Mini Staycation
We recently had a fantastic short stay at Swifts Retreat, this barn conversion was in a great location and well equipped, feeling like a home from home. We enjoyed a relaxing break, the hot tub was warm on arrival and its located only a short drive to Stratford upon Avon and other local facilities. We would highly recommend as a quiet rural break and would certainly stay here again.
La'Deva McKenzie
Very relaxing, great place to stay!
Our stay at Swifts Retreat was great, upon arriving we immediately felt we could relax, the setting for the retreat is beautiful being on a working farm. Sitting in the hot tub in the evenings watching all the birds was a real treat.
James Willson
Improvements
Slightly disappointed with the cleanliness of the property, cobwebs everywhere. Also the duvet cover had not been ironed, even though there was an iron & ironing board in the cupboard. £80 cleaning fee is a bit extortionate, I left the property cleaner than I found it.
I didn't use Customer Services
Guest
Perfect!
Perfect location to visit Cotswolds and Stratford.
We booked 3 cottages and each one had everything we needed down to flip flops and robes for the hot tubs!
Would definitely recommend and would book again. Thank you
Karen Kent
Stunning place with maintenance issues
Although the bolthole was impressive when we first walked in, we soon became less than impressed with the state of the accommodation.
The floor was dirty and gave us black feet, the blinds has been splashed with reddish brown stains and when the sofa when slightly moved, revealed shards of glass that had not been picked up.
The boltholes must have had a quick spritz rather than a good clean between guests.
Hopefully after my feedback, future guests benefit from a cleaner property.
The hot tub was not cleaned as stated on the website, there was a layer of grime and muck on the sides of the hot tub and dust and residue at the bottom of the tub.
The floor was filthy and we soon realised that our feet were blackened by dust.
On closing the blinds at night time, we realised that the blinds were splattered and stained with food or drink. Some unknown substance that was not nice to look at when relaxing by the tele.
Paige Hurley-Phillips
Amazing
Perfect place to stay for a break.
Such a pretty area, and the barn was clean, well equipped with everything we needed.
Definitely recommend and would love to go back and stay again!
Deborah Roberts
Swifts Retreat
The house itself was lovely and had everything we needed for our stay. On a slight downside the view from the back garden overlooking the farm wasn't particularly appealing as it was a view of old rusting farm machinery and packing crates which i am sure wouldn't have taken much effort to move from the line of sight. Or alternatively make the fence same height as other side. Also a nice touch would have been a couple of sun loungers on the grassed area as laying on a towel isn't very comfortable. Also I am at a loss to understand the bi-fold doors in the bedroom which are never likely to be opened proper windows would have been better so they could be opened on a night as the bedroom could be quite hot and stuffy. Apart from those slight criticisms which could be easily rectified apart from the bedroom bi-fold doors we enjoyed our stay even if it was rather expensive.
Mick Culpan
Our staycation
When we arrived we thought the property looked just as it did in the pictures on the website, it was very pretty and a very lovely location. However, there was dust on the microwave, television, the extractor fan in the bathroom was covered and other places along with many cobwebs. For me this isn't acceptable when a property is cleaned professionally so frequently between people staying there. The property details said there was games under the TV, of which there were 2 for children, even though this is a property for 2 people so more suited to couples. The middle light on the ceiling in the lounge didn't work. Every time we were in the kitchen we found ants on the work surfaces, we couldn't determine from where they were getting in but there was a few every time we used the kitchen which is not acceptable at all. Also, when using the shower for the 1st time the bathroom flooded so we removed the plug from the drain and had to leave it out and every time we used the shower had to turn it off after a few minutes to let the water drain. So, whilst the location was great and it was very pretty, there were many details that let it down and sadly we would not recommend people to stay here because when you have spent as much money as it costs you expect much better.
Grace Zentilin
Fantastic accomodation
Super cottage. Warm, comfortable and very well equipped. Hot tub was lovely - extra towels and bath robes included!
Michele Combes
Long weekend
Swifts Retreats is a lovely property and overall we really enjoyed our stay there. A couple of points for improvement but these are just minor points.
The fence next to the hot tub is too low and doesn’t provide enough privacy. There were people constantly coming and going from the barn opposite the property who could see us getting in and out of the hot tub, as 6 foot fence would be better.
There were a few spiders webs around the inside of the property. Just needed a feather duster but this is a minor point and probably not easy to clean with the high vaulted ceilings.
Lastly the sofa isn’t very comfortable, it’s ok but kinda lets the rest of the properties furnishings down. It’s also quite low to the fall, wouldn’t be good for older people.
Philip Hicks
Nice and cozy!
Comfortable stay, owner was accomodating and allowed late checkout, a week before the visit, appreciated,
Name escapes me and for that apologise
Heated floors and jacuzzi well worth it
ZAIN ISHTIAQ
Relaxing stay
A beautiful location and perfect if you just want to relax in peace. We really enjoyed our stay but even for out of season it’s on the high end of prices. Other than one hot tub problem which was quickly fixed... Overall we had no issues with our stay.
Thank you to all the team, we would love to come back
Faith Large
Perfect getaway
Swifts Retreat was the perfect place to have a few days getaway. Very clean and a very high standard of accommodation. Situated in an ideal location for the Cotswolds and Stratford-on-Avon, beautiful canal walks and quaint villages nearby. Hot tub was an added treat. Thank you for making our stay just perfect.
Audrey Phillips
Our Friends 50th
What an amazing property and we especially loved the fat that our friends were all around us.
We will definitely be coming back and only a short walk away is some great pubs with amazing food.
Thank you
Dean Newman
Relaxing confortable stay
Ended up staying here alone as my friend couldn't make it with late notice. I felt very safe in the property and it is so comfortable. Location is good and you can walk into Bidford so using a car when there not essential. The hot tub was such a nice treat, I spent a lot of time in it!
It is such a lovely well thought out property, there were only minor niggles and to be honest Id be really clutching at straws to even bother listing them. I will be returning, thinking I might make it an annual treat to myself to have a weekend alone here!
My only feedback would be that it would be useful if the courtyard was lit better at night, I arrived at 10pm and on my own and it was really hard to figure out which door and which direction I needed to head in! Luckily another lady staying in the adjacent property helped me with a torch so I could see where to go
Becky Harrison
Lovely place in an ideal location
Perfect place for a short getaway. Ideally located to visit Stratford and cotswolds. Great hot tub!!
James Gethins
A lovely stay
Wow what a beautiful little property suitable for a relaxing getaway in beautiful surroundings. We loved our stay here and would highly recommend. The cleanliness was to a very high standard and it was equipped with all we needed, even down to the eco friendly products.
There is just one little suggestion that we would make and that is to have some comfy garden furniture although the furniture there was pretty it was not comfy to relax on especially with the weather that we had been blessed with recently and most of the time we were outside. Also just a suggestion to have larger bins in the communal area to eliminate overflow that’s we experienced the day of vacating.
Thank you for such a lovely stay. We would definitely come back again.
Gary Vinue
Lovely Break
Our stay was perfect, it had everything we needed and the hot tub was even better. We will definitely be coming back.
Darrell Winfield
Great location to visit Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire.
SWIFTS RETREAT IS ON A WORKING FARM IN BIDFORD ON AVON . IT IS A CONVERTED STABLE BLOCK OF FIVE PROPERTIES ALL WITH GARDEN AREA. THIS ONE ALSO HAS PRIVATE GARDEN AND HOT TUB.IT IS A PEACEFUL LOCATION. THE PROPERTY IS VERY CLEAN SPACIOUS AND HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED. SHOWER IS VERY GOOD TOO. MICROWAVE WITH GRILL. OVEN DISHWASHER WASHING MACHINE IRONING BOARD CLOTHES AIRER . COFFEE MACHINE. EVEN BATH ROBES TOWELS AND FLIP FLOPS FOR HOT TUB USE. WE WAS ABLE TO VISIT MANY PLACES WHILST SPENDING 7 DAYS HERE WITHIN 4 COUNTIES. CLOSE BY IS A FEW OF PUBS THAT DO FOOD AND WALKING DISTANCE 10 MINS A INDIAN RESTAURANT AND CHINESE AND FISH CHIP TAKEAWAY. STRATFORD ON AVON APPROX 10 MIN DRIVE . BROADWAY APPROX 15 MINS. WORCESTER APPROX 30MINS . TOO MANY OTHER PLACES CLOSE BY TO MENTION. TESCO SUPERSTORE ABOUT 10 MINS DRIVE OR CO OP AND ONE STOP IN BIDFORD. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS PROPERTY FOR A PEACEFUL PLACE TO STAY WITH HOME FROM HOME AMMENTIES AND MORE .
JAYNE LAMBERT
Good but could be better
The cottage itself is lovely - really beautifully decorated and perfectly located for easy access to the Cotswolds. However, there are things that really let us down - small things that would have made our stay a lot more comfortable like providing more than 1 roll of toilet paper (we stayed there for 5 days), some spices and oil for cooking. Another thing that was really disappointing was that for a whole day there was no hot water in the shower so we couldn't use the hot tub - when calling the owner to request someone to fix it she said she is aware of the issue and couldn't do anything about it (it would have been nice for her to call us or send us a text message to inform us about the issue in the first place). She said she would bring water bottles later in the day but that never happened. Also, the "private" garden where the hot tub is is not actually private. There is a very low fence that faces the road and farm so anyone driving or walking past can see you in the garden/hot tub so there is no real privacy. Overall, I don't think this cottage is good value for money as we've stayed in places that cost less and provide more.
Guest
Relaxing weekend
Very quiet and relaxing, for the perfect weekend away, the apartment was very clean and tidy, beautiful views, close village and great walks.
Maxine Shaw
Valentines Weekend
Lovely place to relax and take a well needed break with my partner for the weekend.
No faults other than there was an unclean baking tray left in the oven when we arrived.
Georgina Donachie
Fantastic Stay
Highly recommended:
Barn was super clean with lovely bedding and towels and a coffee machine and pods
Good pubs in town 1/2 mile away (Frog good for food)
Great cafe in town for lunch
Fancy restaurant was lovely (Bridge - good 2 course offer)
Did 2 good walks from town
Stratford just a short drive away (recommend the MAD museum and lunch at Boston Tea Party)
Mary Doohan
Stunning
Our stay away was absolutely amazing. The property itself was so cosy and full of character. Hot tub was perfect in the super cold evenings and even better late afternoon when you could take in how peaceful and beautiful everything was. We had everything we could possibly need. The 10 minute walk into the village was perfect for a few glasses of bubbly in the evening!
Joni Collier
A great week in the Cotswolds
We have just returned home from a week at Swifts Retreat. It was clean and comfortable and had everything we needed for a self catering stay.
Owner very kind and helpful. Could maybe do with a replacement sofa as no much support sitting in the evening but there is a very comfortable individual chair. Bed good but we are used to a mattress topper so felt quite firm which would suit some people maybe. Very well placed for getting to many places of interest and very peaceful setting. Overall good place to stay.
Wendy Hersey
Create Memories
Experiences designed to make your stay unforgettable
We have curated not only a portfolio of properties, but also a portfolio of experiences we recommend everyone try the next time they visit the Cotswolds and surrounding counties. This selection of ours is constantly growing as we discover more hidden gems and local stars. Many of the experiences are incredibly popular, and we encourage booking in advance because these little extras can turn your everyday holiday into a fantastic, fond memory, one you aren’t soon to forget.
