Cottages History

Oundle Cottage Breaks is owned and operated by Richard and Christine Simmonds who acquired the properties in 1981. At that time the buildings were mainly derelict and so followed a sympathetic restoration and conversion of the unused brick and limestone outbuildings which were formerly a Coach house, Stables, Groom’s Bothy and Joiners Workshop.

The buildings lie within the curtilage of No’s 30 and 32 Market Place in Oundle and all are close to the centre of the pretty, historic town. The self-contained holiday rental cottages are situated at the rear of the main town house and are in fact very private and secluded being enclosed in a high walled courtyard and gardens.

Records show that there was an ale house called “The Nags Head” on part of the site in 1795. The property appears to have been acquired by a butcher called Arnsby in 1828. It is believed that he was responsible for the demolition and rebuilding of the three storey front of the property to create a more impressive building as befitted his status. It was acquired by an apothecary, Robert Turner, in 1844 and there has been a chemist on the site ever since.

Although the gardens were derelict and have been redesigned there are still traces of the apothecary’s original plant ingredients found in various parts of the garden. Some of the plants used in herbal and plant remedies can be found throughout. Rose, Deadly Nightshade, Aconite, Foxglove, Feverfew, Lilies, Anenome, Ceanothus, St John’s Wort, Chamomile, Crocus, Cyclamen, Daisy, Evening Primrose, Flyagaric, Hellebore, Wild Hops, Hypericum, Jasmine, Lavender, Mint, Nettles, Peony, Rhododendron, Thyme, Rosemary, Witch Hazel, Yew, Liverwort, to name but a few!