If you are looking for self catering accommodation in the centre of Winchester suitable for your family, then do take a look at the gorgeous duplex apartments available within Two Bare Feet. Nestled in a back street, but only a stones throw from the centre of the town, this set of rooms is in an ideal location to explore the city with minimum fuss.
The property is beautifully decorated, and has an air of mystery too, and my children see keen to explore it as soon as we got there. Though, do be prepared for the slightly tight parking at the property. Take the advice on the information provided beforehand about how to park, otherwise you might end up in somewhat of a pickle…. There are long stay car parks nearby at St Peters, which is £15 for the day, so if you are worried about your reversing prowess, you’ve got a great alternative there.
What does Two Bare Feet Winchester provide?
The property is near Hannah’s Bed & Breakfast, and has three duplex rooms in a modern loft style, with the white interior very reminiscent of Spain. A welcome reminder of the sunshine!
The property used to be a Scout Hut, and takes its name from the coffee shop that used to be in the courtyard in the 1960s.
There is a kitchen in the centre of the property, with three self-contained rooms around it, each with their own decoration, and unique feel. Room 101 (£95 per night), Little House (£75 per night) and Waiting Room (£115 per night) all come with eggs, tea, bread, and butter. You can also choose a few additional breakfast items from the honestly tray, so you are perfectly able to make your own breakfast if you should choose to do so.
The house rules are proudly displayed in the kitchen, so do make sure if you stay you tidy up after yourself, and make noise, but not so much you annoy your neighbours.
There are some traditional family games in the kitchen too, which you are welcome to borrow, and went down a treat with our children. There is nothing quite like a evening of Pick up Sticks to liven up the kids before going out for a meal! Good for the maths prowess too 😉
What are the rooms like in Two Bare Feet Winchester?
We stayed in The Waiting Room; a delightfully presented room, with a sofa bed, and a duplex double bedroom.
The bedroom is located at the top of some gorgeous wooden stairs, which make you feel like you’ve just stepped into a fairytale tower. Kids will love the magic of having to sneak up those stairs to the mezzanine level. It’s little details like that which can make a short weekend break all the more special for a child. Memories of exploring new places linger more if they start so mysteriously, wouldn’t you agree?
The other two rooms, we were lucky enough to explore as well, The bedroom in Little House has been decorated with twinkling lights, and this creates a gentle light which is also rather enigmatic. The kids were very disappointed they couldn’t stay there too!
Room 101 is just as individual; with an almost cottage feel to it.
The three rooms would be great for a larger party, but were also a lovely base for us as a family. The Waiting Room was a good size for a family of four. It does mean that you need to go to bed at the same time as the kids, but after all the activities during the day, that’s not necessarily a bad thing at all!
Is Two Bare Feet Winchester a good base to explore the town?
We wanted to make sure we were central, and Two Bare Feet is perfect for this, with most sights in the town walkable, including the Cathedral, the Great Hall and the Abbey Gardens.
The restaurants are also within walking distance, including two great places for breakfast, The Corner House and Forte Kitchen. If you do decide you want to treat yourself to a breakfast, you don’t need to work about going too far. In addition, there is a rather fantastic looking pie shop; Piecaramba on Parchment Street. A place that a comic loving family couldn’t walk past without a double-take. Pies alongside superheroes; not something that you see that often after all.
Overall 9/10
We thoroughly recommend Two Bare Feet Winchester as a base for your travels in the city. It’s impeccably decorated, and so central even kids that never walk anywhere will be able to get into the centre of town without too much complaining.
Even the bathroom is presented with a certain Morrocan flair!
The owner, Hannah, is extremely welcoming, and always happy to help with advice on the city too – an added bonus.
We’d whole-hearted recommend a stay here – and a breakfast up the road at The Forte Kitchen of pancakes and maple syrup. A perfect way to start any weekend exploring the city.
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine! Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time. KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania. Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on. Get in touch TODAY!