Back in Autumn 2009 we took on an old walled kitchen garden and cottage in Fulbeck which sits in the heart of the village and our farmland.  Husband, Andrew, had an idea to either plant an apple orchard (to make cider) or grapevines (to make wine from) within the walled garden and a neighbouring field - but which to plant?  He was welcomed most by the UK Vineyard Association and so that was that! - 4000 grape vines were planted by the family in April 2010.

And what would we do with the cottage?  Staff already had their houses, our children were still at school and it is such a pretty cottage with plenty of history (it was the Head Gardener's Cottage for the adjacent Walled Garden belonging to the famous Fulbeck Hall).  Local gardener, Pete, remembers his father being the gardener there in the Second World War and 4 lasses coming down from Manchester and sharing the back bedroom, working to produce food in the walled garden, as part of the "Women's Land Army" movement. Decisions, decisions!

I came up with the idea of running it as a holiday cottage for a year or two, until the children had finished their education and perhaps it might be of interest to one of them if they stayed local for work.  So a complete refurbishment was done on the house, decorating and furnishing it beautifully, but in-keeping with its country style and history.  We were graded Four Star in January 2010 and our first guests were a group of lovely young Welsh men, who still regularly book with us.  I've priced the cottage fairly and there are no hidden extra costs - so all the heating/lighting are included in the price, so too is all the linens and towels and we also provide you with all your kitchen sundries, loo rolls and pop in complimentary natural soaps made by local business www.virginiasartisansoap.co.uk

Well that was 7 year's ago and we are still as busy as ever! We got our first GOLD award a year in and have remained a GOLD award cottage ever since!  We love to see our guests return year after year and still finding the cottage as clean and warm and as comfortable as ever.  I like to think I've thought of everything in the cottage, but keep putting some new bits and bobs suggested by guests.  Families, couples, friends meeting up for a reunion, local residents wanting to put up their family and friends; visitors from abroad - they've have all enjoyed our hospitality and love to see what I've put in their "Complimentary Welcome Hamper", all made up of local produce.  We now offer a choice of "Lincolnshire Breakfast Hamper", (example: Lincolnshire sausage/bacon/eggs/bread/jam/granola) "Lincolnshire Sweets & Treats Hamper" (example: Pipers Crisps/Lincolnshire plum bread/jam/Grantham Gingerbread/craft beer)- all hand selected for our guests) or the indulgent "Lincolnshire Cakes & Brownies Box" (from www.didsomeonesaycake.com).  Guests can choose their personalised hamper when making their booking.

The cottage is detached, is situated down a country lane and there's plenty of parking and lawns (one fully enclosed to keep the kiddies safe!).  In the part-covered courtyard at the rear of the cottage, we've put in a hot-tub so that guests can relax after a day out sight-seeing - mind you some guests come for a weekend of pure rest and relaxation and never want to leave the cottage!

You can find lots of gorgeous photos and tons of information on our dedicated cottage website www.fulbeckgardenscottage.com. but here's just some basic information on the cottage:-  Three bedrooms (1 x kingsize bedstead; 1 x kingsize plus an additional single bedstead; and 1 x double bedstead with ensuite wc/sink).  Kitchen diner plus separate dining room; lounge with 3 leather sofas; utility room and downstairs wc; and a good sized family bathroom  You can book direct with us (Email: ownsworthsmail@gmail.com) and you'll also find us on Holiday Lettings and our cottage identification number is: 6571641

There's loads to do locally and further afield and I've put a variety of information files in the cottage: Family Days Out; Aviation Heritage; Country Houses & History; Farmers Markets & Shopping; Restaurants & Eating Out etc.  The cottage is on a direct route into the historic city of Lincoln a mere 15/20 minutes away.

We took the decision to not accept pets - we know there are lots of pet lovers out there - we've got dogs too! but we felt that there wasn't another cottage locally providing a pet-free cottage and as I set myself such high standards of cleanliness and lovely decor, we didn't want our GOLD award standards to slip

So now you know a little more about one of our diversification enterprises on the farm, but do take a look at our dedicated cottage website for the full information, availability and pricing www.fulbeckgardenscottage.com