Number 40 is a delightful historic townhouse set in the centre of Malmesbury and within 100 yards of all local amenities including restaurants, café's, coffee shops, a variety of interesting local shops and a selection of traditional English pubs. The property is set on three floors with two bedrooms, bathroom with shower over bath, a comfortable sitting room and a fully fitted kitchen looking out onto a small courtyard at the back where you can sit out on sunny days. (It was not easy to describe this accurately using the standard descriptions available on this site, but see the pictures) Number 40, which we think of as a cottage, has been recently renovated to a very high standard for the comfort of our guests, with free Wi-Fi and TV plus facilities for subscription services if you bring your own login. The attic bedroom enjoys excellent views over the town towards the Town Hall and the Abbey to the front, and over the river valley at the back. The attic contains a very comfortable king size double bed, dressing table, chest of drawers and clothing rails. It also contains a 5 foot child (toddler) bed, and a self-inflating air bed for an older child. The sitting room contains two comfortable sofas and dining area. We have also provided a dog bed and bowls. Dogs are very welcome but we have a strict rule that they should be kept downstairs. Please read the Welcome Pack on arrival which will tell you all you need to know about the cottage. The cottage was built around 1800, and we have framed the oldest existing deed dated 1899 which is displayed in the dining area. It was used as our accountancy office for 30 years from 1974, and you will see a small watercolour of the property painted by Sharon Wardlow around 1992 who unfortunately died of leukaemia at the age of 21 – we keep the painting there in her memory. We have retained the original wall safe in the first floor bedroom which you are welcome to use on request as we will have to provide the combination.

We are delighted that you have chosen us for your stay! We hope you will make our cottage your home from home whilst you’re here. This is our only holiday let property and as such it receives our special attention to ensure it is perfect for our guests, and since we started taking guests in April 2024 we have recevied very favourable feedback. We are unlikely to meet in person as we live a few miles away, but we have family and friends in Malmesbury where we lived for many years, and we have links with good local tradesmen who can be called in if any difficulties arise. Please read the Welcome Pack on arrival, which will tell you all you need to know about Number 40 plus places to visit and emergency contact details. If you are staying for an extended period of time, you may wish to access additional cleaning or laundry services from our local cleaner who is available for a small additional charge, but the cottage does have a washing machine and ironing facilities if needed. Our aim is to make you as comfortable as possible during your stay, and we hope you will respect this effort and leave the cottage as you fiind it. Initial access is by key which you will obtain from the key safe by the front door, but when you leave we just ask you to post the key back through the letterbox.

The cottage is located right in the middle of Malmesbury town looking across the square to the Town Hall, Tourist Centre and the Athelstan Museum which is named after England's first Anglo Saxon king who ruled from 924 AD and had a local residence. Walking past the Town Hall you will see the ancient Market Cross and beyond that Malmesbury Abbey which bears the scars of the civil war in the seventeenth century but still serves the local population to this day. Nestled next to the Abbey is The Old Bell Hotel where you can find some fine dining and where your hosts enjoyed their wedding reception some 40 years ago !! Within a short walk from the cottage you will find a good selection of restaurants, shops, coffee houses and traditional English Pubs, plus supermarkets where you can buy food to cook in the cottage if you fancy a night in. Historic Tetbury with it's royal connections is just down the road and a visit to the National Arboretum at Westonbirt is always a good day out. There are many other towns, villages and places of interest within easy reach that we have listed in the Welcome Pack plus other information for the Tourist Centre to make the most of your stay in the Cotswolds. The town of Swindon is a short drive away, and one regular visitor is a business man who likes to use Number 40 as a comfortable retreat when he is working at his Swindon Head Office, together with his wife and dog. [fortunately he is not a politician so nobody complains about the cost of accommodating the dog !!] The cottage is an excellent base for visiting the many attractive stone-built towns and villages in the Cotswolds, whilst Bristol and Stonehenge are within easy driving range.