I will collect you from outside the Town Hall, The Square, Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1AF in my 8 seater minibus. You will be driven through parkland and dusty narrow lanes to my small hidden village which perfectly illustrates what life was like back in the 16th century.

Having lived in the area for thirty-five years, my local knowledge is invaluable to visitors and you’ll experience it ‘as if you are a local’.

I’m lucky to have travelled extensively throughout the world and know what it’s like to get home, only to discover you’ve missed an amazing secret, all because you weren’t familiar with the area. What gave me the idea for starting the tour was that every tourist yearns to see inside these Cotswold cottages. To see how the English conduct their daily lives…….. I suddenly thought……… ‘I live in a pretty thatched cottage and I’d love to show people what I experience every day’. That’s why I created Secret Cottage, which is an exciting experience and totally unique.

I’ll make sure that you have a wonderful time in this unspoilt part of England. I’m here as your personal Cotswold Tourist Guide to take you on a unique and memorable tour.

My cottage is called ‘Secret Cottage’ and is quintessentially perfect for guests to experience a step back in time and to see what it’s like to live inside a very historic and quaint Cotswold cottage that is full of character. During the one hour tour inside the cottage you’ll have a cream tea and see the extraordinary antique furniture and paintings. There are three inglenook fireplaces which are open log fires used to heat the cottage. You can sit in two of the inglenook fireplaces and warm yourself on cold days. The winding stairs, doors and floorboards are all made from original elm planks. Incredibly, my heavily beamed Grade 2 Listed cottage is over 500 years old!

What is a traditional English cream Tea? It’s a refreshment that can be taken in the morning or the afternoon, consisting of scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. It is served with tea or coffee with an exceptional choice of sponge cakes, biscuits, sandwiches and many other temptations.

We cook on an Aga which is a traditional English stove. When you walk in you will feel the warmth and smell the scones being baked.

The cream tea is a surprise, which changes every day. You will be overwhelmed by the home-made baking which derives from family recipes handed down through the generations.

The tea is served on the finest Blue Colonel Spode bone china, which makes your cup of loose-leaf Earl Grey tea or coffee so much more enjoyable. The unique experience of having tea in the cottage is without doubt something that you will never forget. Most soft drinks are available, including herbal teas and decaffeinated drinks.

Diet and Allergies. When booking please advise of any special dietary requirements and allergies. CLICK HERE. Currently, we can cater for Vegetarians, Vegans and Coeliacs (gluten free). We cannot cater for other diets at this time. We require two days’ notice by email for any dietary requirements and allergies. Therefore, if you buy your ticket within two days of the tour, or on the same day as the tour, we may not be able to cater for you. There will not be enough time to prepare for your special diet or allergy. Please let the driver know at the start of your tour, or email us and we will endeavour to cater for your special requirements, but this is not guaranteed.

No visit to Secret Cottage is ever the same. Different people, different cakes and great conversation, whilst you are trying all the homemade delicious treats in the drawing room ‘as if you are a local’. There is such a variety of tempting cakes, biscuits and sandwiches to choose from, that you will not feel hungry when you leave.

Depending on the time of year you visit, you can also enjoy our English cottage garden with its well-stocked borders, winding paths and topiary hedges. No traffic here, just the sound of cockerels and horses hooves.

All our guests are overwhelmed by the experience of being invited into a private home with many of them describing it as fairyland. Increasingly, many say Secret Cottage was the highlight of their trip to the UK. Many famous people have visited Secret Cottage including ……… celebrities, actors, actresses, senators, lords, ladies, ambassadors, television personalities, pop stars and a president who came with his family. Many return to take the trip again with friends and family. One couple have taken the tour four times!

This is a mixed group tour. You can take the tour on your own, as a couple, or a group, with a maximum of 8 seats. Children under 5 are not permitted on the tour. Children over 5 pay the full tour price. The booking price is per seat (children cannot sit on their parents lap).

The pick-up point is outside the Town Hall, The Square, Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1AF (Click Here) which is opposite the newsagent – ‘Stow News and Post Office’. You can book your tour with ‘Stow News and Post Office (Click Here)’ at a cost of £55. Tickets are available over the counter every day from 09.00 – 17.00 (09.00 – 12.00 on Sundays) or click on the following link Book Your Tour link

The tour price of £55 includes a cream tea inside Secret Cottage for an hour and collection and drop off from Stow-on-the-Wold. You will arrive back into Stow-on-the-Wold after about an hour and a half.

Currently the tour starts at 16.30 daily on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We are closed on Sunday. You must book and pay for your tour beforehand. Book Your Tour

You can get to Stow-on-the-Wold by bus from Cheltenham, Cirencester, Bourton-on-the-Water, Kingham, Stratford-upon-Avon, Chipping Norton and Moreton-in-Marsh which has a Railway Station that connects directly by 90-minute journey to LONDON-Paddington via Oxford.

• No children under 5
• Children over 5 pay the full tour price
• By making this booking you and your party are agreeing to our ‘Tour information’
• The maximum number of seats is 8 per visit
• If you chose more than 8 seats, or the number is greater than available, the booking will not work, you will need to choose less seats or an aternative date/time.
• If you have allergies or a special diet, tours cannot be booked without two days notice.
• Once you have booked you cannot change the time or date.
• No refunds

A trip to London wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Becky’s Private Thatched Family Cotswold Home for a cream tea.

Visiting the Cotswolds is a great day trip from London-Paddington or Oxford, when you arrive at Moreton-in-Marsh, you will need to catch the ‘801’ bus to Stow-on-the-Wold. The bus stop is located within the railway station car park

Alternatively, you may wish to stay in a B&B or Hotel and take the tour the following day.

B&B and hotels in Stow-on-the-Wold, Moreton-in-Marsh and Bourton-on-the-Water link

We do not have room in the minibus for luggage, please see the following links for luggage storage in Stow-on-the-Wold link and Moreton-in-Marsh link

Please see the following reviews on TripAdvisor We have received over 2,000 staggering FIVE STAR reviews.

My tour to Secret Cottage is a truly memorable experience, which should be on everyone’s bucket list. All in all you’ll be my special guest. I guarantee you a wonderful experience with plenty of surprises. You’ll not go hungry and you’ll remember this day forever!

My family and I look forward to meeting you.