Wisteria Cottage Watlington, self catering holiday cottage in the Chilterns Oxfordshire– Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

We have 3 ways you can book a stay at Wisteria Cottage. You can contact us by sending an enquiry or making a phone call and we will respond and take payment by BACS or cheque from a UK bank account.  Or you can book online through Bookalet and Stripe who take card payments at no extra cost to yourselves. Alternatively we do have listings on several popular online booking sites which take payment too but they also charge yourselves and us a “service fee” so the cost is likely to be more than if you book direct.

These are on our website. Click here

Yes, we ask guests for a £200 deposit which we hold until after their stay in case there is any damage to, or loss from the cottage.

Our cancellation policy is very clear. We will only refund any payment if there is a national lockdown. If you decide to cancel after any payment has been made, we will open up the dates in the hope of acquiring a replacement booking but this may be at a lesser payment to your booking and we will also deduct a £50 administration fee. We therefore STRONGLY advise all guests to take out travel insurance to cover you for any eventuality. Occasionally we may be able to transfer dates but this depends on availability and may incur an additional cost due to our pricing structure. A £50 administration fee will apply.

You won’t have to worry about any bills as council tax and water rates are included as well as reasonable usage of gas and electricity. PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT HAVE WIFI BUT MOST 4G PHONE NETWORKS PROVIDE COVERAGE. However, if we discover that you have used more of any of these than we deem reasonable we will withhold some of your damage/security deposit. We include the use of all bed linens and one bath sheet and one hand towel per person, plus a bath mat, tea towels and oven gloves.

We charge 50p Kwh for the use of our EV untethered charging point which is about £20. There are no public EV charging points locally at the moment. Please let us know in advance if you require it. 

We also charge £25 for a dog per week or stay if less than a week. This covers the laundry costs of the furniture throws which need a separate wash to the bed linen and towels.

Yes of course but there is no price reduction if you decide this suits you best.

We take guests from 2 day weekends to 28 days. It is a great option if you are visiting the area as a tourist, visiting friends or family, if you are working short term locally, if you are having house renovations or if you are between house moves.

Yes, we are totally flexible about arrival and departure days.

 The majority of our guests are couples but we also have singles, 2 friends or 2/3 family members. This is why our sleeping arrangements are flexible. We will make up the double bed in bedroom 1 and the single bed in bedroom 2 for all guests. The maximum occupancy is 3 adults and a baby in a cot.

You are welcome to arrive any time after 15.30 and departure time is by 10.30. If the cottage is prepared earlier than 15.30, we can let you know upon request. If you would like an early arrival, for instance if your flight lands at London Heathrow Airport in the morning, we suggest you book the previous night as well.

We no longer meet guests and for your flexibility we have a keysafe which means you can arrive any time you like though we do suggest daylight hours are best. We will give you your code for the keysafe a few days before your arrival in the essential cottage information we send by email to the email address you have provided. Do check your junk folder!

It is downstairs separated from the kitchen by a lobby. It was re fitted in 2015 and consists of a 1500mm bath with a shower at one end.  The basin is set into a drawer unit. There is a heated electric towel rail, mirrors and a washer/dryer in a cupboard.

Not really. The internal staircase to the bedrooms is irregular in shape though there is a handrail to part of it. The doorways are not wide enough for a wheelchair and the one from the kitchen to the lobby is narrow.

Wisteria Cottage was built nearly 200 years ago when people were shorter so tall people need to be aware that the downstairs ceiling beams in the living room restrict height to 1.80m. Elsewhere it is 1.90m

We have a gas fired central heating system with a radiator in each room equipped with its own thermostat. The gas boiler is in a cupboard in the kitchen and should not be touched. The programmer is set to factory settings and does not require adjustment. In addition there is a small logburner. We provide sufficient wood and paper for the initial fires but additional wood can be bought from the garage in town.

Yes we do allow children but parents must accept full responsibility for them and acknowledge that the cottage is not structurally child friendly. We are unable to install safety gates on the stairs, or a fireguard around the woodburning stove. However, we are able to provide a travel cot (no bedding) and a small selection of baby and children’s toys and DVDs.

We allow one well behaved dog (not puppy) but the beds are a strictly human area.  2 small/medium dogs may be allowed after discussion. We have a dog policy on our website which we request you adhere to. There is an additional charge of £25 per week or part of a week. We provide furniture throws, doggy towels and bowls. It is possible we may consider an indoor cat after prior discussion. No trace of the pet must be left inside or outside the cottage.

Please let us know within 24 hours. You will have a mobile contact number. However, please only use this if it is urgent otherwise an email will suffice. We will then arrange for our housekeeper to visit. However, please be aware that we can not be held responsible for third party outage issues which include electricity, gas and water supply and it is not reasonable of you to expect compensation for anything outside our control.

We have created private off road gravel parking for 2 cars which is a luxury in Watlington.

The untethered minipro type 2 fast charger is located on a wall near to the parking area. You will need to bring your own cable and inform us in advance if you wish to use it. There will be a charge of 50p/Kwh representing about £20. There are no public charging facilities in the town.

Yes, on the front patio we have a small table and 4 chairs so there is plenty of opportunity for you to relax in the sunshine. We also have a sheltered, secluded morning sun trap in the rear courtyard; perfect for breakfast, morning coffee or lunch. We have a Weber traditional BBQ in the front garden but ask that you clean the grill after use. 

Apart from your clothes, we ask all guests to wear slippers or soft house shoes in the cottage as 80% of germs and viruses are transported on footwear.

As we wish to reduce risks to our housekeeper, we ask you to remove the bed linen and leave it in the bath along with the towels you have used and the bathmat. We also ask you to empty the contents of all room bins into the kitchen bin liner which should be placed in the black wheelie bin at the end of the garden. Recyclable items can be placed directly into the green bin.

There are 2 pubs within a few minutes walk. The Chequers (Thai food) is up the footpath by the side of our neighbour, and the Spire and Spoke (coffee, cakes, pizzas) is on Hill Road. Dogs may be welcome in outside areas. 

Yes, there is an Indian restaurant and a fish and chip shop in Shirburn Street Watlington. In addition there is an excellent restaurant about a mile away in the Red Lion at Britwell Salome and we have many country pubs close by which serve good food. Don’t forget to book well in advance if you wish to secure a table at one of the gastronomic experiences with Michelin stars nearby.

Just a 5 minute walk from us are the interesting and largely independent shops and cafes of Watlington and in addition there is a Co-op supermarket.

Yes! We have left you an assortment of maps, map books and walk leaflets in the cottage. You can walk in any direction! This is a walkers paradise with the Ridgeway National Trail just a mile away and the South Oxfordshire Way and the Chiltern Way easily accessible. 

Yes it really is recommended as there are only a few buses a day into Oxford. 

Please contact your own doctor and let the owner know at once. You should inform your travel insurance provider. We will be willing to provide support documentation for this. Please note that a refund will NOT be given as this is what travel insurance is for.

If you feel unwell whilst staying at Wisteria Cottage

Take a lateral flow test. Inform the owner at once if it is positive. You may choose whether to stay isolated at the cottage until the end of your booking or you may decide to return home. No refund will be given.

If you are hospitalised, for any condition, the remaining guests can stay at Wisteria Cottage for the remainder of their booking but must then vacate the property. In the unlikely circumstances of no new guests expected, please discuss with the owner the options available. Your travel insurance should be of assistance.

Should the government announce another national or Oxfordshire lock-down which affects your holiday date, any payment made (deposit and balance) will be subject to 2 options. 1 You can decide whether to defer your payment towards another stay of equal length within the same price range to a date of your choice (subject to availability), up to 6 months from your original holiday date. 2 Or you can request that we refund any payments made up to that point. We are not obliged to compensate for a lockdown in your home area and you should claim from your travel insurance.

If you change your mind about taking your booked holiday for any reason: also known as Disinclination to travel no refunds will be made. However, we understand that, especially in the current climate, personal circumstances can change. If we are able to do so, we will try to re-book your holiday dates and if successful, we will refund as much as we can of your payment less any costs (such as additional advertising or a last minute offer price reduction) incurred by us for which a £50 fee will be retained.

We strongly suggest that you take out a travel insurance policy which covers you for all known risks at the time of booking.

Thank you