Byfield House

May 23 2013

Oh my goodness. I don’t even know how to start to describe where we are. We spent the morning in Bath, which was lovely – we toured the Roman baths and really enjoyed the fantastic museum. We then headed to a place that had been recommended as the best B and B in the Cotswolds. My friend Pip had stayed here with her partner Tony and their baby tortoises and had told me that I really needed to visit at some point. When I was thinking about our trip, I sent an email to see if there was a vacancy for a couple of days at Byfield House, the place that Pip had recommended. I got this amazingly detailed email back from Jill who let me know that they only had one night available in May/June. Well it turned out that we could fit in the single night. Jill sounded totally delightful on the email so I was keen to come and meet her. She told me that Brett had been born in Melbourne and that Brett’s ancestors were on the goldfields of Bendigo. Well it all seemed as though it was meant to be.

We are in the absolutely beautiful town of Painswick in the Cotswold’s. We drove through spectacular English fields and arrived in this wonderful Cotswold village. A drive down a tiny street, with stone buildings scraping the side of the car.  I stopped to ask someone directions to Byfield House and the comment was ‘oh you lucky things it is the most magic place’ – sounded hopeful so we kept driving and found this stone building in the middle of the town that was lovely, but the stone exterior hid what was inside. Well we are sleeping on the top floor  of a 14^th century Tudor house. I am not often speechless, but arriving here was just totally blown away. Jill and Brett are the most fantastic hosts. The houses in Bisley Street are all 14^th century. The village is a historic wool town surrounded by exquisite national trust woodlands.

Jill is a completely extroverted antique collector and across about four floors the house is filled to the brim with the most amazing antiques and paintings. All incredibly early furniture – it is like sleeping in a museum. We have the whole house to ourselves and there must be at least twenty rooms – all filled to the brim with antiques – Lydia is beside herself and is off with the camera – a bit like a country house photographer. There is a fridge full of food, bottles of wine for us to drink, piles of amazing books and exquisite magazines. I am sitting in an antique armchair completely surrounded by extremely early artwork. Lords and Ladies are looking at me from every wall. It is sort of like being in the most amazing antique shop. The wineglasses are beautiful, every piece of furniture an exquisite example – centuries old. No description can do it justice.

We were welcomed with tea and brownies in the antique kitchen and sat and chatted for ages.

Lydia and I marched across the most amazing fields, past old mills and climbed stiles along the side of the river. To the tiny local pub for the best fish and chips I have ever eaten. I am now climbing into a huge antique bed. Lydia has her own antique filled room next door and our fresh croissants will be delivered early in the am – it is just heavenly!