For our son, a professional jazz musician, Christmas 2014 was a busy period, with gigs up and down the country. As a result, he could not make it home to the Isle of Wight from his house in Leeds. We therefore decided to celebrate a 'delayed Christmas' in mid-January and, in order to share the travelling, we agreed to meet at Polesworth, which lies about half way between the two. We rented the Gatehouse Croft for the weekend and had the most wonderful stay.
The house is probably the best-equipped rental accommodation in which we have ever stayed and we lacked for nothing. With its mixture of Mediaeval structure and modern facilities, it was extremely comfortable and, indeed, on the coldest night of the year [minus 4 C], we were as warm as toast, thanks to the log fire and the under-floor central heating. The whole place was spotless and beautifully presented and we received the friendliest of welcomes from the custodian, Father Philip, who gave excellent guidance on shopping, sightseeing and walks for out two Golden Retrievers: Sherlock and Mycroft.
The village itself has a good range of shops, including a small Co-op supermarket and a superb 'old-fashioned' butcher's shop, selling first class local produce. There is a good fish and chip shop near by but the real find was the American Diner, just down the road, whose burgers and milkshakes were first class.
We will certainly visit again!