What a flamboyant treat. Oak House No.1 is an exclusive boutique establishment filled with a sensational collection of modern art. Set in the heart of Tetbury, it’s a brilliantly opulent private house whose welcoming owners have devised it as the ultimate take on a B&B.
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The house is just above Tetbury’s picturesque Chipping Steps. The one drawback of its position is that the front door gives onto a car park, however high hedges ensure privacy and add a sense of mystique. The bustling heart of town, lined with antique shops and enticing stores (including Prince Charles’s Highgrove Shop), is about a minute’s walk away. The nearest station is at Kemble, about six miles (10km) east.
Style & character
This is an eye-popping Elysium of bold décor and striking modern art. Where else could you have breakfast under the gaze of the Queen by Andy Warhol and lounge in a limited-edition chair by Mark Brazier-Jones? Step into this handsome Georgian house and you catch your breath at the exuberance of the décor, even in the hallway. Turn left and you’re in a deep-blue sitting room with vibrant portraits on the panelled walls; turn right and you enter a poppy-red and sage-green dining room with an enormous chandelier and a Grayson Perry vase among the art on show. Everywhere you turn there’s something extraordinary to catch your eye. The glittering guest list of this fantastically opulent operation has included Miranda Hart, Russell Watson and Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones.
Service & facilities
Gary and Nicola Kennedy bought Oak House No 1 as their home, and took much pleasure in furnishing it with their art collection and with pieces they had picked up on their extensive travels. It was largely for fun that they decided to take in guests. And so it remains. They quite evidently enjoy creating a house-party atmosphere, which is part of the appeal of a stay here. They live on the lower ground floor and are on hand to provide a bespoke service – and they encourage guests to use their elegant, hidden garden.
Rooms
Food & drink
Guests can help themselves from decanters of sherry, whisky and brandy in the sitting room. They are given sumptuous afternoon tea and a feast of a breakfast, which might feature smoked salmon blinis and eggs Benedict – or more or less anything guests choose to order. The latter is served, dinner party-style, around the dining room table. For other meals, restaurant options include the brasserie at The Close hotel in Tetbury and Gumstool Inn at Calcot Manor four miles (6km) west.
Value for money
Double rooms from £395 with no seasonal increase. Breakfast included. Free Wi-Fi.
Access for guests with disabilities?
All three bedrooms are upstairs and there is no lift, so there is no access for wheelchair users. But given the size of the rooms, guests with otherwise limited mobility could be accommodated.
Family-friendly?
This is not a venue for small children – there’s too much valuable art and glassware.
[Source:-Telegraph]
