Cotswolds

Drive Six Supercars in One Day Across the UK

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos

Luxury concierge service Pure Conciergerie is offering a spectacular supercar driving day experience in the UK's picturesque Cotswolds.You don't drive just one but six different supercars during the day-long jaunt through some of the most stunning and famous landscapes in the country - an Aston Martin DBS, Audi R8, Lamborghini Gallardo LP-560, Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari F430 and Porsche 911 Turbo - each with a unique character and distinct driving style. The journey starts with a light breakfast followed by brief training from a driving instructor. Each participant then spends about an hour of wheel time in each of their selected cars (other automotive options are available) for a total driving time of around six hours. The price is $2,500 per person, or $1,500 each if two people elect to share the same cars, not including accommodations.

Gallery: UK Supercar Tour

Tags: Aston Martin, Bentley, car trip, concierge, Cotswolds, driving tour, england, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, supercar, UK

Hold A House Party at Temple Guiting Manor in the Cotswolds

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Design

Maybe you can't afford to buy a Luxist Estate of the Day, however you may enjoy living in in similar splendor for a week. In fact why not invite your friends and family to share a totally planned fun filled vacation, otherwise known as a House Party.

Sophie Conran, the daughter of the renowned British design guru Terrance Conran, has teamed up with Temple Guiting Manor to help visitors plan a bespoke country house party. A perfect way to celebrate a holiday, special occasion or just enjoy time away with family and friends, a house party allows for a quieter more relaxing level of conspicuous consumption. Ideally, even though you may be the host or hostess, that role exists for you in name only. Renting a manor house somewhere in the British Isles is a stress free way to entertain as if you were in your own luxury home but with none of the ensuing hassles.

Temple Guiting Manor, which has been privately owned since the 15th century, has been restored to the highest standards. Architectural historian Nikolaus Pevsner stated that it is "one of the finest, if not the very best of the small Cotswold Tudor houses." While the house which sleeps 10 is available on a self-catering basis why not let Sophie and her team cater to your every whim for a true break. Not only do they provide you with all the normal amenities of a fine hotel but there are countless experts in every category imaginable to inspire you and your guests. Sophie's philosophy is "If you want to make something, then learn it from the best".

Examples include:

Executive chef Alan Bird, of the ever popular celebrity frequented The Ivy, will hold a master class.
Jim Murray proclaimed by the BBC as the "world guru of whiskey" will educate you on the process of making whiskey.
Knitting and crochet lessons from Clare Ward and Sarah Coates
Flower design workshop with talked about florist Nikki Tibbles whose clients include Gucci, Chanel and Ralph Lauren
Simon Stocken a former national bridge and poker player will teach you all the tricks you need to excel at the games

Favorite country pursuits such as golf, gliding, fishing, clay pigeon game shooting are also available.

The bespoke house party tradition has been updated for the modern lifestyle, and it is a unique experience to be able to relax in a rural retreat in a spectacular setting where every whim and need is accommodated by the most talented in the business.

Gallery: Temple Guiting Manor

Tags: Cotswolds, England, estate of the day, EstateOfTheDay, house party, HouseParty, Sophie Conran, SophieConran, Temple Guiting Manor, TempleGuitingManor, Terrance Conran, TerranceConran, travel, wintertravel, wintertravel-pedia

Messy Divorce Leads To Listing Of Kiddington Hall

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

A bad divorce has forced another gorgeous property on the market. Maurice Robson says that his acrimonious divorce has led to the listing of Kiddington Hall in Oxfordshire, England. The Grade-II listed mansion in the Cotswolds is on the market for £42 million. The home was built in 1673 but it has only been in Robson's family for around 60 years (Robson is 65).

The Daily Mail reports that the home is on a 2,000-acre site with gardens designed by Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, the 18th century architect. The potential purchaser also gets a small village in the deal. Nether Kiddington has 18 homes and a kindergarten. Robson inherited the property in 1982 from his father, Sir Lawrence Robson, a founder of the accountants Robson Rhodes & Co. And how's this for a real estate deal, Sir Lawrence bought the house for just under £115,000 in 1950. It borders several other grand estates.

Maurice Robson was married to his wife for 24 years and they have two teenage children. According to the article, she accuses her ex-husband of a certain level of divorce melodrama saying that the home would have been sold anyway. Robson has already sold a 19,000-acre deer-hunting estate in Scotland but also owns a 17th century castle in the Scottish Highlands. It used to be when a man felt particularly aggrieved by his divorce settlement he might discreetly complain to a few friends over a good whisky. These days in some ways it almost seems like a battle scar to declare that the wife has taken off with everything.

The question is whether or not there is a buyer with deep enough pockets to take on Kiddington Hall. This isn't the ideal time to hoist this type of impressive listing onto the market even though it is reportedly an excellent property. The usual crowd of Russian and Middle Eastern billionaires will likely be trotted through the property over the next few months but that price would give even the most corpulent of fat cats pause.

Source

Tags: cotswolds, divorce, kiddington hall, KiddingtonHall, maurice robson, MauriceRobson, oxfordshire

The Lakes by Yoo

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Philippe Starck's modern Yoo designs are ending up in a rather traditional place, England's Cotswolds lakes. the popular countryside vacation destination. The Lakes by Yoo homes have Jade Jagger-designed interiors and modern angular glass and wood exteriors. Plans call for a series of 48 four-bedroom houses to be built on six lakes near Lechlande, in the Cotswolds. Homes will have lakeside views, outdoor kitchen barbeque areas, saunas, hot tubs, and exterior fireplaces. The homes are designed to be second homes and so there will be a an onsite concierge and hotel-service housekeeping. The long-range plan calls ofr 160 second homes and a hotel and spa. Houses start at £725,000.

Yoo projects dot the globe, for a small sample, check out the gallery below.

[via Country Life]

Gallery: The World of Yoo