Carter's Cottage

Beautiful little 2 bed cottage, very clean and accurately listed.

We loved our stay so much, the two little garden areas were wonderful to have coffee and play games!

We stayed April 2026.

The cottage was clean, comfortable and in a nice location. We really enjoyed our time here and can’t wait to return.

What a lovely find.

a really lovely cottage in a very good location. Plenty of local pubs to walk to and the cute shops are in walking distance too. Home from home inside the property to be able to cook a full meal. The only problem was the dishwasher which didn’t work which was disappointing; no one got back to me either via WhatsApp as suggested in the brochure. We had food in The Stag which was lovely, drove to The Farmer’s Dog which was a 25 minute drive and had a takeaway from The Prince of India. Some lovely little villages to drive too as well Broadway and Burford both very nice. We would certainly return to the property and Stow. Thank you.

Quaint, comfortable cottage in the heart of Stow, which is a great base for exploring the many walking trails passing through the Cotswolds.

We did sections of The Diamond and Monarch Ways which were very beautiful in autumns colours. Only two minor issues, the toaster was shorting the fuse box and the vacuum cleaner needed to be replaced or repaired to be fully effective.

Carters cottage could be really nice.

But could be a lot cleaner. Saucepans had to be scrubbed before being used. Cutlery & Cutlery tray needed washing. Oven was not clean. The biscuits left for us were soft. Bedroom door would not close. Windows needed cleaning. Garden very overgrown. Bin store was dropping to bits. X on a positive note the bedrooms were clean & comfortable.

A lovely cottage.

The location is amazing. A short walk to the shops, restaurants, and pubs in one direction or out into the countryside in the other. The cottage was comfortable and had everything we needed. It was perfect for the dogs. We had a very enjoyable stay and would book again and recommend to friends.

We’ve stayed at Carter’s Cottage several times and always have such a lovely time there.

It’s a perfect location, very private and quiet, yet close to the Main Street. The cottage itself is quaint and full of character. We found it fresh and clean when we arrived. The internet connection is good and there were a variety of programs available on the television. The comfort of the bed is really a matter of taste. I loved it, but my husband found it a bit soft. We found the furniture in the reception room to be comfortable too. There were plenty of utensils in the kitchen for cooking a meal and some milk was kindly left in the fridge for our first cup of tea. It was also nice to have a garden area to sit in the sunshine after a long day of walking through the Cotswolds. We look forward to returning next year.

Stayed here for a week during August, when we walked in the house was very dusty.

The cups were dirty and the cutlery was also dirty and tarnished. The bowls had chips on. The bathroom had blood on the floor which is disgusting. The carpet had dog hair on while the sofa has stains on. When I walked into the bedroom, there was a cigarette butt in the drawer, hairs all in the bed and they were dirty. The sheet had yellow stains all over. One of the bedrooms it stated king size bed, it was on a double frame with a built in wooden extra frame to hold the mattress, the bed was extremely uncomfortable, the bed dipped into the middle and the sides of the bed were rock hard and for the pillows they were orthopaedic pillows, which were very uncomfortable. The bedroom door didn’t shut, there was a lot of mould in the shower. The garden is overgrown. All of these points are disgusting, which put us off staying here. The only good thing about the cottage is the location of how close it is to the main centre. I would not recommend anyone to stay here, it is filthy and now reading back to the further reviews it looks like people have had the same problem in the past. I would not visit this cottage again, due to its uncleanliness and untidiness.

Firstly the location is fantastic.

The cottage served its purpose being a base to visit many of the beautiful towns and villages. Like many others have mentioned, the bed in the main room absolutely needs replacing. It sinks in the middle. We were desperate to get home to a good nights sleep. Also the sofa has to go. Downstairs does smell of wet dog. This could be the old lumpy sofa or the carpet. Removing the carpet and getting a leather sofa would fix this and be much more inviting.

Location is excellent, Parking a bit inconvenient, had to look for it all the time as this time of the year was busy.

Instructions for the key pick up was accurate. Overall condition of the property was good, still had dust on the window ledges. Hair was found in the shower stalls (photos taken) on check in. Beds were comfortable, velux blinds were not black out but we were warned about that and we took our eye masks.

Nice cottage.

The key safe is a bit dodgy and difficult to open even with the right combination. We did a bit of gardening. A hosta was suffering in the hot weather so we watered it a few times and also dead headed the roses. Otherwise all good.

The tv did not work when I arrived nor the wifi.

I wonder why this isn't checked when servicing the property on changeover days. The tv then broke. This meant I was without the tv for 3 days when on my own and wanting to watch Wimbledon. Not great. There was yellow dog hair (labrador?) all over the kitchen floor plus much dust and dirt, and on the stairs and lounge carpet. The vacuum cleaner was pretty useless. The sofa, as you know, is very uncomfortable and with sharp pokey feathers falling out all the time. We needed to put a blanket on it to sit comfortably. This could be an amazing property if cleaned properly and with a new sofa. The location is fabulous and we had no trouble parking despite it being peak season.

-Great service from managing company -Clear instruction for check in/ out - It will help to have pictures of the garden area of the listing .

It’s lovely so should be added. -Beds are comfortable -Lovely touch to provide biscuits -Great location Recommendations: - Should be decorated needs some paint in a few areas incl. bathrooms etc - Provide toiletries like shower gel shampoo that’s expected these days - the Sofa and furniture in the living room needs changing they are old & not very comfortable as the foam lost puffiness. The light in the living room didn’t work

The location of the cottage is excellent, and while there’s no onsite parking, this wasn’t an issue as there’s plenty available nearby.

However, I was disappointed with the checkout instructions—particularly the request to take recycling to a public recycling point in town and to run the dishwasher the night before, ensuring all clean dishes were put away by 10 a.m. Given the 6-hour window between check-out and check-in, this felt excessive—especially as there were dirty dishes left when I arrived. The listing photos are accurate, but the cottage would benefit from a refresh and some thoughtful interior design, as several items felt random and didn’t contribute to the overall aesthetic. While the beds were very comfortable and the location great, the amenities, living room, and garden weren't particularly inviting, so I didn’t spend much time there. Overall, an okay stay, but with room for improvement.

Very comfortable and clean.

Perfect location for exploring the Cotswolds. My only issue was the dirty frying pans. I had to buy a metal scourer to clean the pans because they had a lot of food stuck/welded on them. The cottage comes with a kitchen cleaning kit but the sponge that comes with it is not suited to getting fried food off pans. So bring your own steel wool scourer when visiting.

Have visited Carter’s cottage in the past so knew what to expect and it didn’t disappoint

Great location.

Comfortable cottage. The kitchen inventory could do with an update cutlery was very tarnished. The fridge is old and damaged. The bedding having feathers was a problem due to allergies. Pleasantly surprised at a second toilet, hairdryer and iron as not mentioned in the advert. Although no on-site parking it wasn’t a problem as plenty of parking close by. We enjoyed our stay but the cottage could do with a bit of an update. The local Chinese takeaway was lovely !!

Just had a brilliant wkend at the cottage.

Really cosy, very comfortable beds and bedding and towels. Warm and in the perfect location. Good value for money. Only comment would be to get some new cutlery but otherwise super and we will come again.

Cottage was lovely.

Kitchen well equipped, beds very comfy. All kept clean and maintained. Only small problem was the heating, because we couldn't change the temperature or times the cottage was cold in the evening. We did though use the heater provided. So we had a very pleasant stay.

The entrance to the cottage was very depressing.

The garden was seriously neglected and overrun. At first sight the cottage appeared abandoned and completely uninviting. This tainted our expectations of what to find inside. There needs to be a motion sensor light at the back door. We had issues with water leaking through lounge ceiling, loose toilet seat and no drain cover in bathroom sink. They were however attended to quite promptly. Description and photos of the cottage were misleading.

We had Fantastic hoilday, cottage was lovely differently book again

A cosy, quaint cottage, which we enjoyed staying in.

We were pleased to discover it was walking distance to the town centre.

Staying at Carters Cottage was wonderful.

The cottage was very clean and well presented when we arrived. The television wasn’t working unfortunately, but after contacting Sykes cottage a serviceman arrived the same day and rectified the problem. It’s such a cosy and comfortable place, with many things provided to make our stay in such a beautiful village so enjoyable.

Cottage was more than we expected, very charming and comfortable.

Close to town centre for the fabulous pub meals. Went to lots of places and Stow is by far the best ! Would highly recommend this cottage and we will be back !

Lovely little cottage.

Could do with a shower with some good pressure and maybe a bit higher. The only sore point was when my wife puts some bottles in the fridge the shelf fell off and we had to clear up a pot of liquid on arrival. We told Sykes and they didn’t want to help with the lost cost

Lovely, cosy cottage in a fantastic location.

Took about 10 mins to locate the cottage and parking either side of the narrow lane (shepherds row)was easy. Lounge was lovely but did get cold despite a roaring fire so the small heater was a welcomed touch. Fab to have a downstairs toilet. The kitchen was well equipped and only had one hiccup when the fridge door tray fell but thankfully nothing spilt. Rooms were lovely and comfortable. No problem with the dogs in the garden as there were 2 gates before the lane.

There are some outstanding housekeeping issues.

Broken blind in kitchen and drawers in fridge door need attention. Microwave would not pass a PAT test as there is exposed metal. Kitchen doors need attention as previously reported. Mattress in bedroom sinks in the middle.

Lovely cottage, comfortable and cosy in an excellent location but in need of some very basic maintenance I.

e. kitchen drawer broken, light not working in utility room and electric blow heater not working Small issues only which wouldn’t prevent us from returning

Rather dark but cosy well equipped ideal location

A very lovely cottage felt at home ideal location and great for the dogs it was very comfortable with all that you needed close to the center of town

no issue with cottage, which was really good, issue we had was trying to contact the housekeeping /maintenance query line, we rang the number given twice pressing option 2 and just listened to endless music, gave up in the end and sorted it ourselves

Being very close to all the amenities in the village is a big plus.

We did not find the parking a problem. There were plenty of places to park within a few steps of the cottage gate. Our stay was on the hottest weekend of the year and unfortunately we didn’t find a fan until day 3, but there was one available. We were disappointed and surprised to receive an email, only after we had left the cottage, giving details of how we had been expected to leave it. No information about this had been given in the information folder in the cottage. There were a considerable number of jobs requested which ordinarily would have been done by cleaning services, in my experience. Given the surprise email from Sykes cottages at the end of our stay I would be hesitant to book the accommodation again.

We had a great stay at beautiful Stow on the Wold and the weather was glorious.

Carters Cottage is very pretty with a nice enclosed patio garden to sit in. We parked easily at the top of the lane near the derelict cottage and there was parking on Wells Lane. The cottage was generally well equipped and the beds were comfy but it could do with a bit of a clean. Very dusty in parts, kitchen floor was grubby and we found numerous hairs on the toilet pedestal and plinth into the shower, unfortunately indicating it hadnt been properly cleaned. I'm sorry to have to point these things out but, as a fellow holiday cottage owner who does the changeover personally, I would think this is the minimum to expect to provide for guests.

Such an adorable cottage located in the heart of Stow-on-the-Wold.

I would definitely recommend staying in Carter's Cottage!

Great location.

Nice little enclosed garden, perfect for one small to medium sized dog. Walls could do with a repaint and carpets a little grubby. Bottom shelf of fridge had been damaged and sellotaped previously. There was no warning of this and we did not spot it had been sellotaped. We filled the bottom shelf then later opened the door and the shelf fell out along with all that was in it. This needs looking at as potentially dangerous. Kitchen well equipped and bathroom very nice. Generally, a great stay.

Nice cottage with a lovely enclosed garden, in a great location for Stow, no parking at the property, but plenty really close by.

Could do with providing more crockery/glasses, there were only 2 of us and we were continually washing up. Also, should provide a key for the front door, directly in to the utility room, to save going through the kitchen all the time. Would def recommend the cottage though

Oh what a disappointment!

What was shown in the information as a relatively bright and sunny cottage turned out to be a dark and poorly maintained building. Being surrounded by other buildings little natural light entered the lower rooms and we had to have the lights on all the time. For us the worst thing we discovered was the erratic heating with a controller that was not working. The radiator in the double room was out of action completely. As for the king bed room, it was like an oven, and the bed should have been replaced long ago. There is nothing worse than sleeping on a worn mattress. The promised log for the fire were absence. The instructions for use of the television were totally inaccurate as it had to be turned on at the back, not by the controls. We did contact the agent on the Sunday of our holiday and they visited on the Monday but apart from a delivery of logs there was nothing that could be done during our visit. There was also the dirty oven and the mould on the shower tray. I think what made us laugh, and not for a good reason, was the comment by the owner that dog should not use the garden as a toilet, this from a supposedly "dog friendly" cottage ! Pauline Tillett

We arrived at Carters cottage after a long journey only to find the garden was full of dog dirt, when we entered the cottage we found there was dried dog dirt on the kitchen floor and it was obvious that the floor had not been mopped as there was a broken mop head in a bucket outside the door and the handle was put away in a cupboard.

We mended the mop and before unpacking mopped all the kitchen floor - the water was extremely dirty. The oven was dirty with oil spills on the bottom which again we had to clean before we could use. The TV didn't work, we followed all the instructions but could not get it on, we even went out and bought new batteries for both remotes but it still would not work. The shower tray needs a good clean, probably needs bleaching to get rid of the mouldy edges. When i took the throw off the bed to fold up the underneath side was dirty. The whole cottage could do with a deep clean instead of just a quick clean on a change over day. We noted that the Owners live in America, it might be advisable to get a Housekeeping agency involved to do checks on the Cleaners as the cottage itself is in a good location, close to all the shops and restaurants.

Great idyllic place to stay in a great location.

The only criticism I had was the windows in the bedrooms need to be able to be opened. I did manage to open one of them but levering it with a table knife. I wanted to air the room during the day but this was not easy as I would say its never been opened before? Also the bed mattresses really needs to be renewed. We are not big people but we were laying in dips. Other than that the place is great. Oh also a key for the back door would have been handy as we would have brought the dog in that way instead of the kitchen. The tilled floor would have been perfect. Again thank you for the stay.

We had a lovely week in Carter’s Cottage.

Quaint and cosy and easily within reach of all that Stow has to offer. Although there is no dedicated parking, we could always find a nearby spot at either end of Shepherd’s Row. The cottage is really comfortable with a well equipped kitchen but a few more knives and ovenproof dishes would have been useful. Stow is ideally placed for exploring the Cotswolds and we went to just about everywhere. I would recommend Bourton-on-the-Water - so pretty and Moreton In Marsh, especially on a Tuesday when there is a great market. We went to the King’s Arms and The Sheep for evening meals, both dog friendly and we used the Indian Takeaway and Greedy’s fish and chips, both highly recommended. All in all a great week and the weather was kind to us too. A bonus in early February.

Lovely cottage, thank you.

A couple of thoughts: bringing in logs tricky with no dedicated parking, serious challenge if you're not physically fit and pretty strong. Maybe provide some for purchase from the garden bin store? We had actually selected that we needed parking but clearly that filter was lost in transit and we didn't spot the error. Sykes or Snaptrip issue? Also - really small thing but easily remedied! - there was no salt. We always carry a pack of essentials, but had stopped salt because it's always there... oops!

Everything lovely except we had no logs (as promised) and house very chilly on arrival.

Beautiful and characterful house otherwise, superbly equipped in perfect location for Stow. Monarchs Way on doorstep for dog walking and all facilities 5 minutes walk away with some great pubs, restaurants and tearooms. Really appreciated all the maps and info of the area, a thoughtful touch. Thought parking would be an issue but you can unload on Shepherd's Row outside house and park easily and safely on Shepherd's Way (75 metres away), although we never found room on Well Lane (20 metres away) as there is a lot of building traffic

Great Cottage - Short walk from centre of town.

Comfy beds and no street noise. Only down side is the car parking - Free but need to find a space on street about 50m from cottage. Would stay again.

We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Carters Cottage.

The gentle ambience and cosiness and comfort there make it such a cheerful place to stay. It’s perfectly located in the village. It’s quiet and private and has a lovely garden area perfect to sit in on a warm summer evening. It was fresh and clean when we arrived. We love Carters Cottage and highly recommend it.

Fabulous cottage in great location.

Only improvement would be comfortable outside seating for four. We would certainly rent this cottage again.

Great Position on a quite side road, just 5 mins walk to the high street

Carters cottage is lovely but smaller than expected and due to small cottage windows it can be pretty dark even when the sun is shining in the garden.

The kitchen is impacted most by this which is a shame. Mostly clean with a couple of disappointing exceptions like the kitchen bin and amount of visible dust. Upstairs bedrooms are good size (comfy bed) with a really decent bathroom and shower. The downstairs bathroom is also really practical. Watch out for the stairs though. Overall we had a lovely break here particularly enjoying the garden and five star location.

A perfect weekend in a traditional character cottage.

Before we arrived we were a little concerned having read the previous negative feedback however we needn't have been worried as the cottage was lovely! Super-comfy beds with nice bedlinen, well-equipped kitchen, cozy lounge and in such a fantastic location with great local walks and fab dog-friendly pubs on the doorstep (Kings Arms and The Sheep our favourites). Great weekend in a great cottage. Thank you.

on arrival to the cottage we found it difficult to find as the name plate was faded and hidden behind the gate, stairs were steep and slippy, dust and cobwebs in down stairs toilet and chandelier over the dining table also was dirt in kitchen, cabinet door on left of sink was hanging off, fridge door had a broken shelf, bin lid broken, also no cleaning products or bin bags left, the heating was not working, the thermostat was flashing all the time, generally it needs a deep clean and maintenance, no welcome pack for the price we paid we expected a higher quality accommodation.

The location was perfect.

Upstairs was clean with fresh bedding and towels, although there was a broken bedside lamp that had just been left on the floor. The biggest disappointment was the kitchen. Cupboard doors were hanging off or didn’t close properly, the drawers did not fit and dropped each time you opened them. We appreciate the property is old and has character but don’t expect to have to wash every utensil or item of crockery before it can be used, because it is dirty. We were asked to leave the property as we found it, I believe we left it in a better state. This is the first holiday cottage I have stayed in that didn’t have any sort of welcome pack, such as milk and a few tea bags or coffee. There was no mention in the details about parking, some advice or guidance would have been useful. Overall very disappointed with Carters Cottage and Sykes.

Very cosy and well located.

Clean and well equipped. We had a lovely stay and would definitely come again and recommend to others. Only a few improvements: could do with matches/ newspaper/kindling to light the fire.

So much to see and enjoy in the Cotswolds and the cottage was ideally placed for the holiday.

The cottage offered comfort and adequate amenities. Central location to be able to enjoy all that Stow had to offer.

The cottage was beautiful, so cosy, and in a fantastic location.

Great location to Stow on the Wold.

The cottage was truly lovely, with stunning walks and a beautiful quintessential Cotswold village, amazing pubs and cafes.

A particular favourite was Hives.

Great place, brilliant location.

Very cosy.

Great location off the main road but really close to the centre of Stow.

Place was really clean and tidy and a great space downstairs for 4 people. Highly recommend for the price. Vicky

Lovely cozy cottage that is well equipped.

Cottage was clean and comfortable. It is well located within 5 minutes walk to the village center which had a good selection of restaurants, pubs, coffee shops and quaint shops.

Great location!

Very charming cottage. Has everything you need. Would be great if there was on-site parking.