Call of the wild
GRAND DESIGNS: Looking for family-friendly, eco-friendly holiday? Lucy Oates heads to the estate endorsed by Kevin McCloud.
EARCHING for familyfriendly accommodation for our recent trip to The Cotswolds, we stumbled across an ultra-modern, self-catering option that couldn’t be more different to the honey-coloured, limestone cottages that this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is famous for.
Intrigued and with three children under five to entertain, we jumped at the chance to stay in a sleek, lakeside property on an exclusive, eco-friendly country estate near the village of Somerford Keynes, just four miles from the market town of Cirencester.
The fact that the price included use of the indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa and play area sealed the deal, but we were also impressed by its green credentials and the idea of staying on a vast nature reserve. Designer and TV presenter Kevin McCloud has lauded the development for the way it combines sustainable construction, ecology and design.
Our home for the week was the light and airy Osprey Lodge, which sleeps eight people in four bedrooms (two twins and two doubles) and also boasts a vast, open-plan living area; two en suite bathrooms; a family bathroom and a spacious outdoor sitting area surrounded by a glass balustrade. Acres of glass and two balconies ensure that you can soak up the fabulous views of Clearwater Lake, one of several on the 550-acre Lower Mill Estate, wherever you are in the house.
A network of streams runs through the estate, including the source of the River Thames, a shallow, crystal clear brook at this point. Woodland and wildflower meadows provide habitat for a wealth of birds, insects and mammals, including otters, badgers, kingfishers, barn owls and, surprisingly, beavers released onto the estate in 2006. If you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of them at dusk.
Blessed with warm weather, we relished our daily dips in the heated outdoor pool and a couple of us braved the extremely cold but very beautiful eco-pool for a spot of wild swimming.