I didn’t think we could top our summer staycation in Pembrokeshire this year but we did! My family and I spent five glorious days at the Roundhill bungalow, in Chipping Warden, Northamptonshire. Hubby found it via Cottagesdotcom website early in 2018 and spent several months paying off for our Christmas break. The bungalow was everything we could have hoped for and more. Our Christmas in Northamptonshire was bliss.
Roundhill
The Roundhill was a detached bungalow on a farm. Set against hills, we had total privacy with panoramic view of grasslands. There was the added bonus of seeing horses, pheasants and partridges roaming free which thrilled the kids. It was truly idyllic.
The bungalow had all the mod cons, with three bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, washroom, one bathroom and toilet along, one toilet on its own and a garage/shed. The Christmas themed decor was touch and made us feel at home.
The grounds were gorgeous and served up stunning insta worth photo ops, as you may have seen if you follow me there.
Attractions
Normally, we go exploring when on staycation, but we didn’t venture out as much on this occasion. We were so happy and cosy at Roundhill. Also, we didn’t want to get tied up in the last minute Christmas madness. The nearest town was Banbury, the historic market town and just outside the town there was Banbury Cross Retail Park and Gateway Retail Park. Our first sightseeing trip was the ancient Rollright Stones, on Christmas Eve.
I thought the trip would be an excellent introduction to Angelo’s spring term topic, the Bronze Age. The stones are on the Border of Warwickshire and Oxfordshire. They date back to over 5000 years. There were three sets of stones to see: The King’s Men stones, The Whispering Knights and The Kings Stone. The Rollright Stones is surrounded with superstition and mystery centred; to this day it’s a place where Druids gather. Legend has it if you manage to count all The King’s Men stones three times and get the same number, you’ll not live.
The site is believed to have healing powers. Now, I didn’t know all of that before I visited. I thought there were Bronze Age stones and it would be cool to show the kids. We turned up at the site and noticed ribbons on trees and money and food offerings on the Whispering Knights. I still have a level of Caribbean superciliousness left in me. So, I was well spooked. Nonetheless it was an interesting ‘field trip’. I took the opportunity to touch on respecting other religions.
I had hoped to do the Arbington Park Walk which I found in Cheryl Joyce’s book, Walks for all Ages: 19 Circular Walks in Northamptonshire. Sadly, for me, Hubby and the kids were not up for it. We did go hit the Boxing Day sales in Castle Quay, before returning to Roundhill to relax in front of a roaring fire.
Other attractions nearby include, Althorp House, the birthplace of Princess Diana (home to the Spencer family since 1508), Blenheim Place, birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill, as well as Bicester Village and Shakespeare’s Stratford upon Avon.
Conclusion
I’ll always treasure the memories of the time we spent at Roundhill. It was just was we needed to wind down a manic year, nothing but space, nature views and fresh air, with a spot of shopping of course. I posted loads of photos on my Insta and Facebook, including images of the house, why not pop over and check them out. Alternatively search hashtag #tttonstaycation to see our staycation destinations.
Chipping Warden, Northamptonshire is a destination that will allow visitors a variety of experiences be it retail therapy, country retreat or English heritage site-seeing. Sunshine? Well, that’s anyone’s guess.
How did you spend your Christmas? What did you get up to? Comment below, I’d love to hear from you.
