The cottages are uniquely stylish and luxurious, and exceptionally well equipped, with open fires, antique furniture and four-poster beds, as well as state-of-the-art kitchens and bathrooms. Each holiday cottage is decorated differently, and has a private enclosed terrace with garden furniture, a big white umbrella and a barbecue; many have their own secluded gardens too.

Interiors
All holiday cottages have full oil central heating (thermostatically controlled), a stereo system, CDs, satellite TV, videos, and access to an excellent DVD/video library. Each holiday cottage has a good collection of books and board games as well. They all have direct-dial telephones with automatic billing, power showers, microwave ovens, dishwashers, washing machines, tumble dryers and fridge-freezers. Cots, high chairs and stairgates can be supplied. Cleaning equipment, towels and linen are included: guests can ask for backboards, and choose duvets or blankets (non-allergenic if preferred). There's a wonderfully generous welcome basket with wine, cheese, butter, milk, tea, coffee, cereal, eggs, chocolate, a bottle of wine, and homemade bread, jam, cakes and biscuits.

Many guests come back because they just love being at Bruern. They don’t want to stir from the place. Some love the gardens, which are our pride and joy – the flower beds round every terrace packed with roses, lilies, vines and clematis; the lawns and vast borders in the walled garden; the courtyard with its Mediterranean scents of lavender and cistus; the cutting garden, a dazzle of colour in high summer; the woodland walk past the river; the excitement of spring bulbs from the showiest to the most recherché.

Outdoors
But there’s a lot for the energetic: croquet, tennis and swimming in the heated outdoor pool; and in the games room there’s pool, table tennis, table football and darts.

Children are in heaven at Bruern. Old hands are off to the playhouse and climbing frame, at the end of the walled garden, before their parents are out of their cars, and we now have a new treat for them – a play cabin (heated in winter) with toys, dressing up clothes, crayons, lego, a Brio railway, a sheepdog rug and much more. Parents are wild about it too.

Local area
Bruern is a tiny hamlet in the Evenlode Valley, an officially designated ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ in the heart of the Cotswolds. Nearby are famously beautiful villages like Great Tew, Bibury and the romantic ruins of Minster Lovell, and handsome towns of golden Cotswold stone, like Burford, Stow-on-the-Wold and Moreton-in-Marsh.

Bruern's location makes it an excellent base for exploring the Cotswolds: Oxford is half an hour away, Stratford-upon-Avon under an hour, and Cheltenham much the same. As well as stately homes like Blenheim Palace, Chastleton House and Warwick Castle, some of England's loveliest gardens are nearby: Hidcote; Kiftsgate; Sezincote; Rousham Park; and Sudeley Castle. On the way you can indulge yourself, antiquing in Stow-on-the-Wold, designer bargain hunting in Bicester Village and stopping off for lunch in the excellent local pubs and restaurants. Children can explore the Cotswold Wild Life Park, the Model Village at Bourton-on-the-Water, Bourton Model Railway and the Cogges Manor Farm Museum.

There’s an eighteen hole golf course at Lyneham ten minutes walk away, fly fishing at Cornbury Park, riding a short drive away, racing at Cheltenham, boating at Lechlade and wonderful walking along the Oxfordshire Way, which runs through Bruern and the BBONT nature reserve.