The Temple is a Grade I folly, set on the edge of the beautiful Cotswolds, in Gloucestershire. Steeped in history, Jess and Dom took a well deserved break there this month. This is her story....

Finally I was taking that drive through Stancombe Park, Gloucestershire, that I have longed to do. We take the track through a break in the tall trees, which adds to the mystery of what is to come. The Temple - our temporary home and beautiful folly for 2. 

Dom and I have created and run QuirkyAccom for 9 years now and have been working phenomenally hard to keep it evolving and bringing you the very best of unique stays out there. As much as it has been good for bonding us as a couple, work - as well as children - can take their toll on your relationship. We spend most of our time together and are super busy, but of course that makes it more important than ever to get away and appreciate each other outside of all that. So this planned visit to The Temple, which is hard to beat on the romance stakes, is just what we needed.

 

 

 

 

If you are thinking of a place for a special occasion - honeymoon, proposal, anniversary or some time to reconnect - then The Temple will not disappoint. It was once voted the most romantic stay in England!

We swung open the door to find a long, welcoming room in warm yellow and red. The eye is lead to twin seating at the end - with double bed (guarded by pillars and sweeping curtains no less!), shower and loo and kitchen branching off. We settled in quickly - feeling independent of the outside world.

 

The lake and exterior of this folly would have to wait until morning. The unique interior with interesting artwork and eastern artefacts was all we needed for now. What a lovely surprise to find it well stocked, even with a bottle of champagne, to see us through our first evening. Nic, our generous host, really had thought of everything to give us a special and romantic break away to store in the memory bank.

 

 

 

Come morning we were keen to explore the well-kept gardens and view our property from across the lake. Despite our mid winter stay, and bare trees, we were lucky with a still day allowing for a wonderful mirror image of the temple in the lake. We took the narrow pathways, passing shell shrines and surprising courtyards and cubbyholes - and a diving deck. A statue of a hog overlooks the scene and real ducks decorate the water with their ripple trails.

 

Descend the dramatic steps from The Temple to the water's edge and find a shelter housing a rowing boat. Outside of winter we would surely have ventured in or on to the water!

We walked through the tall neighbouring forest rousing the deer to action, and admired the main house across the fields. But we didn't venture far from our peaceful Temple home, which kept calling us back for more.