Get ready for your next adventure… a luxury large group holiday on your very own private island, set in the middle of a water-skiing lake, surrounded by Oxfordshire countryside…
The House
On the ground floor there’s a spacious kitchen with all the features and appliances you need to make catering for your group stay hassle free; next to it is the dining room, leading on to the living room/games room, all light and airy, with doors that open onto the garden and a pool table and table football to play with. Off the long hallway are a second kitchen/utility (great for private chefs), Bedrooms 1-5 and 3 shower rooms. Bedroom 5 is an enormous dorm style room that has room for 6 extra guests, charged per person. Upstairs are Bedrooms 6-8 and a family bathroom; Bedroom 8 opens onto a large balcony with lake views.
The garden and grounds wrap right around the house and include a private jetty and a 20ft zone of the lake immediately around the island (not for swimming). Closer to the house there’s an outdoor kitchen, a pizza oven, outdoor ping-pong, a hot tub, and the quirky Wonky Bar with a juke box and dart board. There’s outdoor dining, loungers and hammocks.
The Area
To stay on Ducky Bird Island is to escape from all the fuss and to-do of the world; here’s where you can relax to the max in your own little world, views of the lake, plenty to keep you smiling. With it comes a 20ft buffer of the water – not for swimming in, but you can sit by the shore with your feet in the water watching the water-skiing action, catching the best of the sunsets.
If you fancy having a splash, zip across the lake to Hardwick Watersports, hire kayaks, SUPs and wakeboards. For something more sedate, go to Waterside Therapy Rooms on the opposite shore and have an indulgent Japanese Head Spa at The Hideaway Clinic.
We totally get it if you don’t feel the need to leave the island, but if a day out is on the cards there’s plenty to choose from. You could spend a day in Oxford seeing the sights – those dreaming spires famous the world over, the glorious Botanic Gardens, and the fascinating collections in the Natural History Museum. Head off for a day discovering just how gorgeous The Cotswolds are, all those pretty villages with golden stone cottages, cosy tea rooms and welcoming pubs. Go time travelling at North Leigh Roman Villa, lord it up at Blenheim Palace; meet the animals at Cotswold Wildlife Park, see some of the worlds biggest reptiles at Crocodiles of the World.
You might just fancy leaving your island home for a leisurely pub lunch; once on the mainland you’ll find some good ones within just a few miles, like The Maybush on the banks of the River Thames at Newbridge, or you might be tempted by Jeremy Clarkson’s proper British pub, The Farmer’s Dog near Burford.
Your holiday, do it your way. What matters is enjoying yourselves – and going home with memories to love.