Make yourselves comfortable in the living room surrounded by clever lighting and lush plants – the wood-burner will be all ready for you to light (plus plenty of extra logs), pretty sash windows let the light flood in, the sound system is excellent and the sofas just made for loafing. In the kitchen you’ll find milk, juice, bread, pastries and muffins, along with a hand written card from Rachel – she’s an open-handed soul.
On sunny days you’ll be through the cast-iron gates and sitting in the cobbled, walled garden surrounded by jasmine, clematis and big pots of agapanthus, perhaps sipping on something delicious from one of the nearby vineyards you can visit. Bedrooms and bathrooms have mountains of towels, White Company linen, good reading lights and Liberty fabric blinds.
Wander out to great shops and cafés in this vibrant little city with a growing foodie reputation and a thriving farmers’ market twice a month. Rachel’s other lovely little bolthole, The Clock House, is just next door – handy if you’re coming as a six.
Spotlessly clean, beautifully furnished and ideally placed. Everything about our stay exceeded our expectations and Rachel was a very good host.