The Forge at Smithy Cottage

This was our 2nd stay at The Forge and once again everything exceeded our expectations.

The cottage was perfect in every way and as before nothing was too much trouble for the owners - Sue and Mark. Would love to go back in Oct/Nov when we can visit Batsford Arboretum and see the Autumn colours

A small and clean converted forge in a quiet village with an excellent Indian restaurant and pub.

Ideally situated for exploring the Cotswolds, Oxfordshire and neighbouring Warwickshire and Gloustershire. The friendly and helpful owners live at the other side of the garden.

Mark and Sue really welcoming, nothing is too much trouble.

Forge has everything you need. In fact have rebooked for next year. Great location for Cotswold, Banbury, Blenheim etc

Smithy cottage had every thing you could Possible need when on holiday.

Mark and Sue are a lovely warn and friendly couple. Unfortunately the weather certainly was not warm or dry.

Lovely location.

The hosts could not be more helpful. The accommodation was exactly as described and suited us very well.

The Forge is a beautiful cottage in a peaceful location.

It has everything one needs and more. The owners have thought of everything to make the stay comfortable and more than enjoyable. If the weather is good holiday makers are encouraged to sit in the sun in their garden. There are many interesting places to visit in the area and also if prepared to travel further. I have enjoyed a most wonderful holiday at The Forge and recommend it highly.

Friendly people great place to stay.

We will ga back again. Lovely place for day trips

Great place to stay with lots to do in the area.

Bus from Milcombe to Banbury with lovely canal and shopping centre and Chipping Norton if you don't want to drive. Hook Norton brewery worth a visit with very tasty fish and chips. Lovely unique accommodation. Very comfy and with everything you need. The owners Mark and Sue who live next door very friendly and helpful. Mark took us for a drive in his Austin 10 very enjoyable. TV packed up and was replaced within an hour. Chris enjoyed the trip up to Currys with Mark. We will be back. Kay and Chris

I ADORE IT HERE!

The comfy bed and the well appointed kitchen. Just perfect.

Leuke cottage.

Goed onderhouden. Veel producten aanwezig. Zoals koffie, thee en huishoudartikelen. Aardige eigenaren. Ligt gunstig om veel te bezoeken in de Cotswold.

Lovely cottage, excellent location.

Owners were very friendly and helpful.

An absolute gem of a place!

Comfortable and clean with a very comprehensive set of high end equipment. The area surrounding Milcombe itself is lovely, with plenty of things to see and do. We really enjoyed having a chat with the owners Sue and Mark who live next door and who were on hand if you needed them. We especially appreciated their suggestions as to places and eateries to visit close by. Would certainly recommend and definitely stay again. Roy

I had a great week at the Forge.

I received a warm welcome and a thoughtful introduction to the property. Everything was scrupulously clean and there were good instructions for all appliances, etc. I really appreciated the detailed list of the food items (including spices, etc.) that I would find at the cottage, since it means less guesswork when doing the initial shop. The property is thoughtfully renovated and atmospheric. Milcombe and the surrounding area are delightful - beautiful villages, local shops at nearby Bloxham, and pleasant country walks. Only an hour and a half to Heathrow, too!

Forge Cottage was perfect for us and was equipped so well with more things than we were expecting - you just need your clothes and some food!

The owners, Mark and Sue were very welcoming and happy to help in any way they could to make our stay more enjoyable, and we loved our evening chats in the garden about what we had done that day and our plans for the next. Can't wait to book the property again.

We have visited The Forge on 3 occasions.

We have always been delighted with this neat and comfortable accommodation for 2 people. Owners Mark and Sue live in the adjacent house , and are friendly hosts who are always on hand to answer any queries.

The Forge was an excellent cottage to stay.

We had a lovely week. The cottage itself was comfortable and very well equipped. The hosts Mark and Sue were very good and ensured we had a lovely stay. I cannot praise them enough! It is situated in a lovely quiet village and close to many wonderful places to visit and explore the area from. We will definitely be visiting again.

Very well equipped converted village forge, with lots of features.

Lovely hosts, made very welcome, shared the front garden, strawberries on tap. Fab location for lots of historical stuff nearby, even Silverstone and Gaydon car museums not far away. Local pie pub a must !

This comfortable and well equipped cottage was spotlessly clean, comfortable and well equipped.

Everything has been thought of to make our stay truly memorable. The Forge has a very interesting history and it's rustic charm makes it a really lovely building to stay in. Thank you Sue & Mark for a very relaxing and enjoyable week in the Forge and for making us feel so welcome. The cottage is perfectly placed for visiting many of the Cotswold villages and places of interest. We highly recommend the Forge and couldn't have asked for better hosts. James & Sandra, Lincoln, June 2025 i

The renovated old forge has everything a couple needs for an escape to this Oxfordshire village.

The hosts, Mark and Sue, are extremely welcoming and gracious and are always available without being intrusive. They have supplied the lodging with a plethora of local guides and things to do. The bed is comfortable and all the equipment is in working order. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

The cottage was very well presented and spotless and well positioned for days out.

Mark and Sue where brilliant hosts.

Ideal location to visit the northern part of The Cotswolds.

Well equipped, warm, bright, comfortable and although small the property felt spacious due to the sympathetic conversion of this beautiful old forge. The owners had left a pint of milk in the fridge and a variety of teas and coffee which were very welcome on arrival. Fresh flowers were a nice touch. The owners also sent a comprehensive inventory which was very helpful when planning what to bring. We were very pleased to find this property and would definitely recommend it.

Absolutely perfect little cottage.

Beautiful warm safe and cosy. I actually think it surpassed my own hopes and made for the most relaxing break I could have wished for. Hosts are friendly and respectful and I cannot say enough positives about them and the cottage. My only "complaint" is that the break was over before I knew it :)

Fantastic property which has been done to great standards and with attention to detail.

The amenities were modern, everything was clean and lovely. We could tell that Mark and Sue have put a lot of care and thoughts on the cottage! Our time at The Forge was amazing and we loved discovering the area.

Second time of staying here, so goes to show it's a lovely place to stay.

Very well equipped with lots to do in the area, and lovely helpful, friendly hosts. Thank you Sue and Mark, lovely meeting you. Diane and Loz

The cottage is charming and cozy.

Not only did it meet our expectations it surpassed them. The cottage is quiet and secluded but locate close enough to see many attractions. The property owners very helpful and wonderful to spend time with. They will provide any information you may need as well the most amazing hospitality. They are there if you need them and you will not see them if you don’t

This beautiful and different accommodation is really special and tastefully restored and decorated in character.

with the building With all mod cons the hosts sue and mark have added lots of extras so all you need is your personal stuff they live at top of garden and are friendly and knowledgeable of the area.there are nice pubs a short ride out.and its very assessable to most parts of the cotswolds . Its in a peaceful area so very relaxing .and cosy would recconmend it . Irene

Mark and Sue were wonderful hosts for our first time in the Cotswolds.

The Forge has been refurbished to such a high standard, they should be very proud. Its location is lovely and peaceful but still within reach of a local shop and bus route. They even open up their garden for you to sit in and while away the day. Anything you need to know they are happy to share information on the local area. Thank you

Outstanding Cottage worthy of its top rating.

The Smithy has everything you need to make your visit memorable. Thoughtful kind hosts , location , internal fixtures and fittings an all round winner. Easy access to all the Cotwolds has on offer. Mike and Sue the owners on hand to ensure your holiday is one to treasure we will return in the future many thanks.

A lovely cottage, full of character and comfy.

Very helpful owners, thank you.

What a great little find for our week stay.

We are from Qld. Australia making our way around Englang. The area is so quiet and full of charm and history and the location was perfect for our daily sightseeing of surrounding areas. Mark and Sue are wonderful friendly hosts and the cottage was very clean and spacious for our needs as well as being equipped with everything you could possibly need and more. The cottage has been beautifully renovated while keeping it's historic rustic charm. We would highly recommend a stay at The Forge at Smithy Cottage. Ray & Julie

The cottage is an ideal location for many of the sights in the surrounding areas.

The cottage is very comfortable to stay in for two people. Mark and Sue have provided everything visitors could want. Mark was very helpful in recommending places to visit.

A lovely very well equipped cottage with lots of little extras available to use in the kitchen.

A lovely couple who own it, who were very welcoming and friendly. The area is excellent for lots of interesting places to visit. Would definitely stay here again in the future. Thank you Sue and Mark

A warm, comfortable & very well.

equiped cottage. Mark & Sue are excellemt hosts. Would be happy to visit again.

Owners friendly and welcoming.

A lot of thought had obviously gone into equipping the cottage to a high standard. Well placed to tour the local area and into the Cotswolds.

comfortable and very well equipped - it was cold and wet weather but we went out every day - coming back to a warm cottage.

We used to live in Milcombe in the early 60's it was nice to revisit and meet up with our friends. Mark and Sue were very friendly and it was nice to meet them.

Small but beautifully clean and well presented.

Ideal for a short break for two.

The cottage was perfect for two on a quiet getaway break.

The owners were really helpful and friendly with lots of useful ideas on what to do and see.

The property was immaculate and very welcoming.

Our hosts Sue and Mark have made it feel like home from home with a beautifully equipped kitchen to the very comfortable bed. We found the history of the Forge fascinating and would highly recommend it.

We really enjoyed our stay and would recommend the forge as a great place to stay

We zijn verliefd geworden op de cotswold.

Wat een heerlijke omgeving. Zoals Mark zei, lekker gaan verdwalen. Het wandelpad naar Bloxham is leuk, en ook burford, bibury en bourthon on the water. De Cottage is heerlijk! Goed bed, fijne douche en keuken. Schoon, compleet en mooi. We hebben het geweldig gehad. Dank voor de gastvrijheid!

Mark and Sue were extremely nice people and made our stay one to remember.

The cottage is very comfortable, the bed is also really comfortable, all the accessories were there and it's very clean, plus a ride and a drive of the Austin 10 Marks car. The cottage is in a perfect location central to all the places we visited. We highly recommend this property for it's cleanliness, location and comfortability. We will recommend to our friends and will be back.

We have liked our stay at the Forge very much.

The space, equipment and the location are perfect for visiting the countryside around. Sue and Mark are very kind and helpful hosts. Nous avons beaucoup apprécié notre séjour à The Forge. L'espace, l'équipement et la situation sont parfaits pour rayonner dans la campagne environnante. Sue et Mark sont des hôtes très gentils et prévenants.

We had a wonderful week staying in this well appointed and extremely clean cottage.

The owners, Mark and Sue were very welcoming and couldn't do enough to make our stay easy, they were knowledgeable of the area and were very helpful. I would happily recommend The Forge at Smithy Cottage. Lots of local places to dine and visit, we especially enjoyed a lovely meal at the Joiners Arms in Bloxham and found Chipping Norton absolutely delightful, the serving staff at every pub and eatery we visited were so welcoming and inviting. Overall we give five stars to every aspect of our holiday in Milcombe.

What a gem!

A very, very comfortable stay with everything we needed and more for our Cotswold explorations. Mark and Sue are lovely hosts and have gone to great effort to ensure the perfect stay. The Forge is spotlessly clean, has a comfortable bed with1st class linens and a fully equipped kitchen, and importantly everything in the kitchen works (I appreciated sharp knives). I would not hesitate to recommend The Forge for your next stay, I will be telling all our Aussie travelling friends.

Very well appointed property.

Has everything you need for a mini break. Host extremely helpful and welcoming. Clean, tidy, and comfortable. Would recommend and would definitely stay again.

An amazingly stunning property.

very comfortable and well equipped with everything anybody could possibly need. The hosts, Mark and Sue, were very welcoming and happy to help at any time. Our stay at Forge Cottage was most enjoyable and highly recommended. Pete and Carol Fleming October 2022

Lovely hosts.

Wonderful accommodation. Sofa was a little hard after a while. Nothing more to say.

Had a great stay and enjoyed the quiet area.

Property had everything you need (a iron and ironing board would be useful) if you use the washing machine as we did. Kitchen is a great size and had a plentiful supply of herbs in the cupboards. Open plan living / bedroom works well and great to see the very old beams. We had great weather and a slight shame there is no private outdoor space to enjoy the peace and quiet. We were offered to use the owners swing seat, but we would have felt awkward in their private garden, but thanks for the offer. There is a shop a a pub within 5/10 min walk, the pub food was great. Great value for money, would highly recommend.

A fantastic week spent at The Forge, with stunning weather and amazing hosts who went out of their way to make our stay so enjoyable.

A comprehensive range of equipment if you are cooking for yourselves. We spent a number of evenings with Mark and Sue in their garden even giving up their swing chair for our comfort. Highlight of the week was the trip to a local pub in the Austin10. Looking forward to returning in the future. Terry and Ann.

We had a wonderful stay in the lovely forge, Mark and Sue made us feel very welcome and were extremely helpful and friendly, couldn't of asked for better hosts.

The forge had everything you could possibly imagine you needed and probably more. The instructions and information were clear and plentiful. The kitchen had all the utensils and equipment you could need and even provided spices & herbs if fancied cooking. It was a great base to visit the Cotswold area and is located in a quiet village not far from a good road to Banbury and Chipping Norton.

We had a most enjoyable stay in a comfortable and well appointed cotttage, Mark and Sue, our hosts, could not have done more to make us feel welcome.

They also provided lots of information on the local amenities, which included a useful village shop and an inn serving excellent food less than five minutes walk away. The cottage is well situated for the Cotswolds and there are several National Trust properties within easy reach.

Cottage was ideal for a cosy winter's break - very comfortably furnished and Milcombe is a good base for walks and visits out and very handy for Compton Verney, Upton House etc.

We appreciated the well equipped kitchen and very comfortable bed.

A lovely property in a nice village setting, just right for a couple.

Excellent information provided by the owners about the facilities and the local area.

The Forge was an amazing place to stay at.

It looks exactly like the pictures and was a great destination for a weekend away. I couldn’t ask for more from somewhere to stay

A lovely cottage beautifully presented and Mark and Sue were more than helpful , our only issue was the Tv which we discussed with Mark I hope he can resolve it soon to make the cottage perfect

Fabulous stay.

Thanks for the warm welcome and all the help with places to visit. Everything we could have wanted in The Forge. Exactly what we wanted after a year of lockdown. Thank you. Lyn & Steve

The Forge is a charming and comfortable property located in the quiet village of Milcombe about 5 minutes drive from Banbury.

We found it ideally located for walking and exploring the local countryside as well as visit’s to Cotswold villages such as Hook Norton, Chipping Norton, Stow-on-the Wold and Bourton-on-the Water. We found it spotlessly clean and very well equipped, ideal for those like us who wanted mainly to self cater. The owners Mark and Sue were welcoming and friendly and are close at hand should there have been any problems, which there weren’t. We recommend this property without hesitation. Dave and Christine Rushworth

Very helpful and friendly couple.

Made us feel at home.

We are drawn to historic cottages and this sympathetic restoration of the old forge did not disappoint.

The hosts, Mark & Sue, made sure we had everything we needed and were close on hand if we had any issues (which we didn't). The local pub was excellent with very friendly, courteous staff and quality food. A very comfortable home from home for two people.

We are an elderly couple who like to go out and about and when we return have a meal and relax watching live television, this was not possible as the TVs is connected via the internet and all we could get was catch up, this was so annoying we left on the Monday we expressed our feelings to the owner, we feel we should have been informed of this.

I will definitely not recommend this property to anyone.

A very comfortable cottage in a quiet Village setting but lots of walks nearby and places to visit.

Mark and Sue were very helpful from the start, nothing was too much trouble for them. Lots of knowledge of the local area with some interesting tales to tell. The cottage is very well equipped for self catering however there is a village pub should you wish to eat out. Very clean, well prepared and it was nice to have milk, tea and coffee so we could have a drink when we arrived. The bed was warm and comfortable and the shower was powerful with plenty of hot water. We especially enjoyed our evenings in the garden on the swing seat with a candle and glass of wine, so peaceful and relaxing. It was like visiting friends and we would certainly recommend the Forge at Smithy cottage for your staycation.