The Old Rectory at Whitewell

The Old Rectory wraps you in timeless comfort of a bygone era, yet has every modern touch. Built in 1886 by Architect John Douglas, William Morris interiors throughout, 2 kitchens with Aga, range and wood burners, 2 living rooms, dining room, 8 curated bedrooms with sumptuous king-sized beds, 9 bathrooms, 17m pool (heated Easter to September - available out of season for a supplement) hot tub, breeze house, outdoor bar, BBQ, table tennis and games room. Modest daytime events considered. The space This stunning and welcoming Arts and Crafts family home is incredibly thoughtfully curated with its 16+ guests in mind, from dining to relaxing, with playing areas indoors and outside. We are located in the hamlet of Whitewell, on the Shropshire, Cheshire and Welsh borders between Shrewsbury, Chester and Wrexham, and just 10 minutes from Whitchurch railway station. A gated driveway with ample safe parking leads to the front door. The impressive hallway with galleried landing greets you and leads through to the other areas of the house. The main kitchen has a large breakfast area and an informal dining area, ideal for breakfast or light meals, as well as a large breakfast bar with bar stools. This space is ideal to chat over nibbles while preparing meals on the Aga or to feed children. This leads through to the open plan lounge and dining area which has all you need to relax, chat, eat, watch TV and enjoy meals together in one space. This lounge then flows out through double doors into a gated area, overlooking the garden, swimming pool and hot tub. For evening dining or more formal meals, there is a grand dining room seating 16+ guests, served by an additional well-equipped catering kitchen. This kitchen is also well placed for serving the pool area or as a second overflow kitchen with additional fridges and ovens. It is also the perfect set up for a private chef. We can provide a list of excellent recommendations for experienced private chefs or caterers who can be arranged to drop off, prepare or serve meals during your stay. All 8 bedrooms are different and unique. Each has either king or super-king sized beds (some of these are zip-and-link and can be turned into twins), with sumptuous top-of-the-range mattresses, duvets and pillows. Each bedroom has its own bathroom and the two deluxe shepherds huts share their own large bathroom in a separate private garden area. The pool and hot tub area has a heated breeze house (with TV and wifi), as well as a covered outdoor area to dine alfresco in the summer months. The 17m long pool sits within a gated, walled garden. It has a deep end with diving board (8ft), as well as a shallow end (3ft) and a fully automated cover for safety. The hot tub also sits within this area. The pool is available for use all year round, however it is only heated from Easter to September, to a temperature of to 26°C. Outside of these times, it may be available as a cold plunge (by prior arrangement) or can be heated for a supplement. Please see 'Other details to note' for pricing. Please note: during the cooler months, our nightly rates are significantly reduced to reflect the fact that the pool is not heated. Due to the rise in oil and heating costs, and with bookings becoming quieter later in the season, it is sadly not viable for us to keep the pool heated continuously at this time of year. In another area of the garden, there is a stretch tented garden bar area with mood lighting, table tennis and outdoor games. It is the perfect place to spend the afternoons after a few lengths of the pool or a game of croquet, or more energetically playing table tennis, or even more energetically enjoying a session of being a child again on the top-of-the-range Acon Air Sport HD trampoline! There are also a wide range of activities to enjoy throughout your stay: from the pool table to the hot tub, swimming pool, piano, trampoline and table tennis, fire pits under the stars, as well as beautiful countryside walks directly from the front door. There really is something for everybody. After a day of fun in the pool, hot tub, on the huge trampoline, playing table tennis and hanging out in the garden bar, our guests can retire to their private rooms, dress for dinner and meet downstairs or on the patio for a glass of pre-dinner bubbles, before wandering through to the dining room to enjoy an evening being spoiled. A private chef can prepare a bespoke menu and serve you all in style in the elegant dining room, or out by the pool if the evening is mild, and a host can keep your glasses topped up. Please enquire for our list of recommended suppliers. You can retire to the outdoor pool house after supper for coffee or a nightcap by the open outdoor fire or indoor wood burner. Enjoy a game of pool or cards in the games room, a good film in the TV room, or maybe a sing-song around the piano (which can also play itself!). We work with an excellent team of suppliers that can be booked at good rates: private chefs, pilates/yoga teachers, trusted babysitters, sound bath, a pool lifeguard, beauty therapists who bring their deluxe treatments and massage therapy to your room by appointment. We can even provide your own croupier to deal blackjack, roulette and poker to create your very own fun casino evening. You are welcome to come and view The Old Rectory if you are in the area - it is a unique and luxuriously comfortable home. We are an Airbnb Superhost and pride ourselves on our excellent reputation and high level of customer service. Every effort will be made to ensure that you and your guests have an unforgettable stay. The Old Rectory at Whitewell has been such a happy home to our family for over 20 years and we are now overjoyed to be sharing it's magic with everyone else. More info can be found via Holt Accommodation Solutions. Guest access Access to all areas of the main house and garden. One of our team will usually be on site (discreetly) in the cottage/laundry at the bottom of the drive. They will not disturb you during your stay. Please keep the parking space in front of the gate into the field free for their parking. Other things to note Interaction with Guests We will greet you on arrival and give you a quick tour. Gardener: our gardener comes on a Friday morning at 7am. To protect your peace, he will only work on the bottom of the garden and work his way up later on in the morning. Maintenance: in the unlikely event of any issues during your stay, please alert us. Dave (maintenance) or Mark (owner) will call you back/attend as required. Hot tub: For stays of 5 nights or more, Dave or Mark will need brief access to the hot tub area during your stay to carry out the legally required water-quality checks, cleaning and maintenance. We will always provide advance notice and aim to arrange this at the least disruptive time possible, as agreed with you. Pool Heating The pool is heated to 26°C from around Easter to some point in September (weather and outside temperature dependent). Please note: during the cooler months, our nightly rates are substantially reduced to reflect the fact that the pool is not heated. Due to the significant rise in oil and heating costs, and with bookings becoming quieter later in the season, it is sadly not viable for us to keep the pool heated continuously at this time of year. Costs vary depending on factors such as outside temperature, wind chill, oil prices, and the energy required to maintain the pool temperature in colder months. Once the pool is unheated, we reduce the cost of a weekend by around 20%. Weekdays are also reduced to reflect the change. During these times, with plenty of notice the pool can be reheated for a supplement. During shoulder season (Sep-Oct, Mar-Apr) the pool can be heated on request for a cost of £1,200 per weekend. During off-peak season (Nov-Feb) it can be heated for a weekend at a cost of £1,800 per weekend. This may seem expensive, however it reflects the actual cost of heating and maintaining a large, deep, outdoor pool measuring 17m x 5m. If the pool isn't heated, it may be able to used as a cold plunge on request. Sundays We drastically reduce the cost of Sunday nights for guests who prefer to extend their weekend. Our recommended private chefs/caterers can provide an excellent two course Sunday roast dinner with all the trimmings and clean up afterwards! Late Check-Out If you’re joining us for the weekend, why not make the most of your Sunday with a little extra time to relax? If you fancy a lazy breakfast and a morning swim on checkout day, it’s a lovely way to enjoy a slower, more relaxed morning before you head off. Late check-out is available for a fee of £200, allowing you to stay until 1pm on departure day, or £400 until 5pm. Alternatively, most of our Sunday nights are priced at almost half the price of a weekend night if you'd like to stay later, or until the next morning! Please note that this is subject to availability, depending on cleaning and incoming guests. If you’d like to request this, please let us know in advance and we’ll be able to confirm if we're able to facilitate this around a month ahead of your stay. Additional Guests Two extra overnight guests (over the 16 included) can be accommodated in the house, or in the summer months up to six in the bell tent, but this must be arranged in advance. All additional guests, including children over 18 months, are charged at £50 per person per night. We provide all bedding and towels for additional guests. We can also provide 2x travel cots and 2x highchairs but please bring your own cot bedding. Day Visitors Any day visitors must be pre-booked, named in advance, and are only permitted during daytime hours (until 6pm) for insurance purposes. A £25 fee applies per day guest up to a maximum of 6-8 people. Events/Weddings Modest, daytime-only events may be considered. A maximum of 60 guests applies, and all day guests must depart by 6pm due to nearby noise restrictions. For insurance purposes, a member of staff per 30 guests must be on site throughout the event at a cost of £20 per hour. They will be available as an on-site point of contact and can help with practical support during the day, such as keeping fires lit, clearing glasses from shared areas, loading dishwashers. Guests remain responsible for their group, any suppliers, and ensuring the property is left in a respectful condition. All plans must be disclosed in advance and agreed upon with the owners. Please note: we do not have a wedding licence. Additional Services Private dining, housekeeper, baby-sitting, beauty treatments, yoga/Pilates, lifeguard, photography, murder mystery evenings, wine tasting and much more can all be arranged during your stay. Please enquire for further details on our list of recommended suppliers. Safety & Use of Facilities Waivers must be signed prior to arrival for use of the pool, hot tub and trampoline. Guests must take extreme care when using these facilities and are responsible for ensuring they are used safely throughout their stay. The pool is set within a gated, walled garden and has a shallow end (3ft), a deep end (8ft) with diving board, and a fully automated safety cover. The hot tub is also located within this gated pool area and is for use by guests aged 18 and over only. Children must be supervised by a responsible adult at all times when using the pool and trampoline. The pool cover must be fully open before swimming and fully closed after use, and guests must never walk or stand on the cover. For everyone’s safety, no glass is permitted in the pool or hot tub area. We provide plastic wine glasses and tumblers for use outside. Accessibility Please note the property is an older building with period features, so may not be suitable for guests requiring full wheelchair accessibility, but it may work for those with limited mobility depending on individual needs. Unfortunately there is no downstairs bedroom or shower, although there is a downstairs WC. We are however able to offer the shepherds huts as a more accessible alternative. The 2x huts are top of the range, insulated and heated, complete with fast wifi and are located approximately 50 metres from the main house. They have their own parking outside. Each hut has just one step in and out, and the large shared adjacent bathroom for both the huts is step-free, with a large walk-in shower. Both the huts and the bathroom are fitted with handrails for additional support. In the main house, handrails are also provided in all main bedroom bathrooms but guests are required to climb stairs to get to these. There are two staircases in the house, one gentle, one steep, both with 20+ steps and banister rails.