Coughton Lodge - Self catering holiday cottage in Coughton, Alcester, Warwickshire, England - Sleeps 22

Click any picture for photo gallery

Coughton Lodge dates back to the 16th Century and is a beautiful historic large holiday cottage that provides self catering accommodation for up to twenty two guests (plus cot) in ten en-suite bedrooms. It provides excellent facilities including an outdoor heated swimming pool and grass tennis court and is located in a rural village within Warwickshire, close to stratford upon Avon, Warwick, Evesham and The Cotswolds.

Sitting in the grounds of the owners house, Coughton Lodge and Coughton House are located directly opposite the National Trust House, Coughton Court, the stately home of the Throckmorton family. The Throckmortons were a notoriously Roman Catholic family and were resposible for masterminding “The Gunpowder Plot” as well as aquiring the services of Guy Fawkes to do the dastardly deed of blowing up the Houses of Parliament. Rumour has it that Guy Fawkes lived at Coughton House while the plot was hatched. It may even be the case that the gunpowder was stored in The Lodge itself!

Sir Walter Raleigh was also a frequent visitor to the Court and he eventually married one of the Throckmorton daughters. Elizabeth I was very displeased as she wanted Sir Walter for herself. She would search relentlessy up and down the country for him and he continually had to escape from her. Rumour also has it that there is an underground tunnel from the court to Coughton House where Sir Walter could escape as Elizabeth was seen driving up the drive in her carriage. Coughton House still boasts the tiny spiral staircase and priests hidey hole in the attic where the tunnel would have ended up but alas no sign of the tunnel.

There have been many developments to Coughton House since the 16th century, with the addition of new wings, but the original tudor part of the house remains much as it would have been then. The Lodge itself was for many years the Estate Manager’s Office from which the Coughton Court estate was run and it would also have been the barns for the equipment and animals. Although the barns have been tastefully converted all the original beams remain and provide a quite outstanding feature in the dining room, sitting rooms and five of the ten bedrooms.

The grounds to Coughton House and Coughton Lodge extend to approximately eight acres with two acres of formal gardens and a six acre paddock to the rear. A stream meanders along the bottom of the paddock as too does one of the many public footpaths in the area (part of The Arden Way). The footpath winds through an idyllic valley to the next village where you can eat or drink at the famous village pub – The Green Dragon. Or you can take a stroll across the paddock and over the bridge across the stream to The Throckmorton Arms, a pub/restaurant just two hundred yards up the road from The Lodge.

Coughton is conveniently located in the heart of England with Stratford-on-Avon, Worcester, Warwick and Evesham very close by. The nearest small town of Alcester is just two to three miles away and is a historic roman town with some lovely little shops as well as a Waitrose, Post Office and numerous pubs and restaurants. It is a lively little town and the only remaining town in the country that still has its own court leet. The court leet members can often be seen in the town in all their robes and they carry out official duties such as” tasting the beer”! During the year there are many different functions in the town such as The Folk Festival, street markets and The Mop.

The Cotswolds are also within easy reach and there are wonderfull little towns and villages such as Broadway, Bourton on the water, Chipping Campden and Stow on the Wold to explore. Other local attractions include: Warwick Castle, Ragley Hall, Coughton Court, Charlecote Park, Hidecote manor Gardens, Cadbury World, Hatton Country World, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Blenheim and Drayton Manor Park.

For those who wish to partake of sports there is golfing, walking, horse riding, fishing and cycling nearby. Race courses at Warwick, Stratford, Worcester and Cheltenham.