The Cotswolds Building survey, The Cotswolds House survey, Property defect survey, Building disputes survey,
The Cotswolds are an area of hills in England covering Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and parts of Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and Somerset. 1st Associated carry out residential building surveys and commercial building surveys in all of these areas. Call us on free phone 0800 298 5424 to get advice from an independent surveyor.
A: Antiques
The Cotswolds are well known for their antiques and people travel for miles to towns and villages such as Stow on the Wold, Broadway and Burford. Our Surveyors have enjoyed browsing in these areas after carrying out building surveys.
B: Beautiful landscape
The Cotswolds boast some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain, with rolling hills and historic villages.
C: Cheese rolling
This annual event is held at Coopers Hill in Gloucestershire every Spring bank holiday. Competitors roll a Double Gloucester cheese down the hill and then race down the hill after it. The event is said to date back at least 200 years and is not without controversy. Due to modern day health and safety rules, fears of injuries from falling down the hill or being hit by a rolling cheese have put a threat to this annual event but locals hope this annual event will continue for a long time to come.
D: Dog walkers
Whether it's a quick stroll or a long walk there are plenty of places for you to walk your dog in the Cotswolds.
E: England 's gem
The Cotswolds are an English gem. Covering the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and parts of Somerset, with miles and miles of unspoilt countryside, quaint villages, bustling towns and vibrant cities.
F: Flying kites
What a wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon – flying a kite upon the many hills of the Cotswolds, in places such as Cleeve Common near Cheltenham.
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G: Good food
There are cafes, bars, bistros and restaurants aplenty in the Cotswolds. So whether you're after a quick coffee, or drink with friends, or a more leisurely meal then you will be spoilt for choice in the Cotswolds. Our independent surveyors often enjoy a coffee after carrying out a building survey.
H: Hot air ballooning
Why not try travelling in a hot air balloon over the Cotswolds to really enjoy the spectacular scenery it has to offer. A local ballooning company offers a champagne ride of a lifetime over Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire so go on, treat yourself.
I: Independent surveyors
If you are looking to move to the Cotswolds then we would recommend you have a building survey carried out by an independent surveyors, such as ourselves at 1stAssociated.co.uk. We are independent because we are not affiliated to any banks or building societies and therefore can offer you an unbiased service, offering you an action required for any problems we may find and an approximate cost for any works.
J: Jazz festival
Every year at the beginning of summer the town of Cheltenham hosts a jazz festival. It has been running since the 1990's and draws in well known artists such as Jools Holland, Jamie Cullum, Courtney Pine and the BBC Big Band, to name but a few. If jazz is your thing then you would be foolish to miss out on this wonderful festival ….. great!
K: Kenilworth
A historic town in Warwickshire, which boasts a stunning castle built around the 1100's and now owned by English Heritage.
L: Location, location, location
It's all about the location. If you are looking to buy a property then we would definitely recommend the Cotswolds. As independent surveyors we have carried out both residential and commercial building surveys in and around the Cotswolds.
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M: Mini-breaks
Why not have a mini-break in the Cotswolds and enjoy the peace and tranquillity it has to offer. How about staying in one of the many bed and breakfasts in the villages or if you fancy something more cultural how about staying in a hotel in Stratford upon Avon and enjoying a night of Shakespeare at the RSC – Royal Shakespeare Company. Restaurants often offer a theatre meal, where you can have a pre-dinner drink / starter and then come back after the play to enjoy a relaxing dinner.
N: Nature
Why not visit some of the many nature reserves and wildlife places in the Cotswolds, such as Salmonsbury Meadows near Bourton on the Water, Swifts Hill near Slad, Chedworth Nature Reserve, Crickley Hill Country Park or Bathampton Meadows, to name but a few.
O: Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is just one of the counties that make up the area known as the Cotswolds; along with Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset , Worcestershire and Warwickshire.
P : People of the Cotswolds
The Cotswolds would not be so popular without the people who live and work there. Without their warm, welcoming personalities there would be no tourist industry.
Q: Queens Head Public House
The Queens Head at Longford is just one of the many public houses scattered across the cities, towns and villages that make up the Cotswolds. Many of the pubs offer a bed and breakfast service and occasionally if far from home our building surveyors have used these facilities after carrying out a residential building survey on a nearby house or a schedule of condition or property report on a commercial building.
R: Royalty
The Cotswolds have a long history with the British royal family. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, live in Highgrove House near Tetbury in Gloucestershire. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, lives with her husband Tim Lawrence at Gatcombe Park , situated between the villages of Avening and Michinhampton in Gloucestershire. The house was brought for her by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in 1976.
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S: Steam trains
For the steam train enthusiast why not visit Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWR) which runs for 10.5 miles between Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse.
T: Tourism
The Cotswolds draw in visitors from all over the world, from countries as far flung as Japan and United States of America, to name but a few, and many come specifically to feel that “gone back in time” atmosphere that the Cotswolds offer; with stunning stone built villages and breathtaking scenery, not to mention the art galleries and antiques that are well known in the area.
U: Understated
The Cotswolds certainly have an understated beauty that will appeal to everybody and you cannot fail to be mesmerised when you visit.
V: Villages
As surveyors we have often carried out residential building surveys in the villages of the Cotswolds. We especially enjoy surveying old character properties built in the traditional Cotswold stone, which is a yellow Jurassic limestone, in villages such as Bledington, Mickleton, Broad Campden and Shipton under Wychwood, to name but a few.
W: Walking
If you are a keen walker then the Cotswolds are a must and cater for every level of walker, whether you just fancy a stroll or a more strenuous hike over the hills then we recommend the Cotswolds. There are walks that incorporate a stop to a local public house along the way and walks for dog walkers. The National Trail magazine offers circular walks along the Cotswold Way.
X: Xmas events
A host of Christmas activities occur in the Cotswolds every year, be it Christmas market stalls in Cirencester, or Victorian shopping evenings in Bourton on the Water, or meeting Father Christmas in Broadway, Bledington, Siddington to name but a few, or Christmas tree festival in the church of St Edwards in Stow on the Wold, or carol concerts in churches throughout the Cotswolds from the grandeur of Tewkesbury Abbey to the tiny church of St Andrews in Chedworth, the Cotswolds have something for everybody, young and old, during the festive period.
Y: Year round attractions
There is something for everybody all year round in the Cotswolds, whether it's walking in the beautiful countryside, or visiting the many antique shops and art galleries, or the lovely historic buildings, or maybe just enjoying a quiet meal in one of the many cafes, pubs and restaurants.
Z: Zoo
Cotswolds Wildlife Park in Burford, Oxfordshire on the A361; a fun day out for all the family.
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Homebuyers report or structural survey
how do older propreties keep dry without a damp proof course?
Flat roofs, problems, improvements and insulation
The Cotswold area developed around the industries of wool and weaving of cloth, for example Bibury and Stroud. Antiques are famous in Stow on the Wold, with art galleries in Broadway.
Famous people who have resided in the Cotswolds include:
William Morris who lived in the Cotswolds during the 1800's– founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement. – studied at Oxford University and spent his last years living in Cotswolds.
William Shakespeare – born and lived in Stratford Upon Avon and is buried in The Holy Trinity Church.
Jane Austin – famed for Northanger Abbey amongst others, lived for a while in Bath .
J M Barrie – wrote Peter Pan, spent his summers in Stanway House, Stanway, North Cotswolds during the 1920's and early 1930's.
J B Priestley – writer - An Inspector Calls is still studied by many school pupils today. He lived in Alveston near Stratford Upon Avon for much of his married life (third marriage) until his death in 1984.
John Betjeman – Poet Laureate – spent his student years staying in Bourton on the Water whilst studying at Oxford University.
Edward Jenner – born at Berkeley in 1700's and spent much of his career living there as the local doctor, but famed for his discovery of a vaccine for Smallpox – which has now been eradicated.
Laurie Lee – poet who famously wrote Cider with Rosie – lived in Slad Valley near Stroud.
Edward Elgar composer born during Victorian era. Famous for patriotic song Land of Hope and Glory, synonymous with last night at the Proms
Gustav Holst – composer of The Planets born in Cheltenham towards the end of 1800's.
Winston Churchill – famous Prime Minster during WWII – born in Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
David Cameron the current Prime Minister lives in Dean, a small Hamlet, which is located 3 miles from Chipping Norton which is in Oxfordshire.
We survey buildings in West The Cotswolds. Our independent surveyors are experienced and qualified and produce high quality surveys including Structural, surveys Building surveys and valuations on both residential and commercial properties. We use surveyors who are experienced with old properties, many having direct hands on experience of working on listed buildings. Equally we understand newer construction, it may look the same to the untrained eye but performs very differently and we would say is built to a price not a quality standard. We also survey buildings that have been altered and extended both with and without planning permission and building regulations. We solve and deal with building disputes and can also help you with your extension and alteration design work.
For anyone that has not been to The Cotswolds, look out for the very decorative village signposts throughout The Cotswolds.
If you book a building survey in The Cotswolds with 1st Associated surveyors you will find that we take great pride in the quality of our building survey and produce a very detailed building survey report, whether it be for a residential property or a commercial property. We use plain English in our building surveys to explain any problems with the property to ensure that you understand the problems and how to resolve them.
1st Associated Building Surveyors cover the whole of the UK including all towns and villages in The Cotswolds for example:
In Oxfordshire in:Bicester, with its designer outlet shopping centre, Goring, in a beautiful setting, a delight to travel to as a surveyor, Kidlington, one of the largest villages in England where we have carried out many residential building surveys, Woodstock, with the impressive Blenheim Palace, and Yarnton on the A44 north of Oxford.
In Gloucestershire in: Bourton on the Water, located on the A429 between Cirencester and Stow on the Wold, Cheltenham famous for its racecourse and notably the National Hunt Festival held in March each year with the Gold Cup Race, Gloucester where Gloucester Cathedral is the burial place of King Edward II and parts of the Harry Potter films have been filmed in the cloisters of the Cathedral; Stow-on-the-Wold, a market town full of history, and Tewkesbury with its beautiful black and white buildings and narrow alleyways.
In Warwickshire in: Bedworth, with the charming Tudor style Nicholas Chamberlaine Almhouses in All Saints Square notable buildings in the centre of town, a fascinating place to carry out residential and commercial building surveys in, Kenilworth, with its immense medieval castle and extravagant Elizabethan garden,to carry out structural building surveys, Royal Leamington Spa , with its famous Royal Pump Rooms and Bath it is a delightful, elegant town with Georgian and Victorian architecture to admire, a treat to visit as a Surveyor, Shipston-on-Stour, once well known for its sheep markets and wool trade, Stratford-upon-Avon, synonymous with William Shakespeare who was born in Henley St and a delightful place to walk by the river and enjoy the stunning architecture of the town when visiting to carry out building surveys, and, Warwick with its historic castle and renowned University.
In Wiltshire in: Avebury, with it's magnificent stone circule, which although not as well known as Stonehenge is believed to be the biggest in the world, Chippenham Tourist Information Centre is situated in the beautiful 15th century Yelde Hall, Marlborough which holds a market twice a week, Tisbury with the magnificent Old Wardour Castle, Westbury which has a huge hillside chalk carving known as the Westbury White Horse and Royal W ootton Bassett a stunning market town, conveniently located two miles from Junction 16 of the M4, with strong links to the British Army.
In Worcestershire in: Bromsgrove, known in the past as the centre for nail making and has the 19th century established Bromsgrove Guild in the town notorious for making Buckingham Palace's main gates, Evesham , contained by the loop of the River Avon which once had a great Abbey with only the Abbot Lichfield 16 th century Bell Tower remaining, Droitwich, the Spa town with a very high content of salt in its water, Malvern , another Spa town with many wells in the Malvern hillside, which we often visit to carry out structural surveys, Hamley Swan, the picturesque village on the B4209 inbetween Malvern and Upton-upon-Severn, Pershore, with its stunning Abbey and College renowned for its horticulture, landscaping and gardening courses, another place we often visit to conduct structural surveys and Tenbury Wells a small market town steeped in history, popular with Queen Victoria.
In Somerset in: Bath a beautiful city which of course is famous for the Roman Baths but as property specialists we adore Bath because it has some of the finest architecture in Europe including the Crescent and Pulteney Bridge, Bishop Sutton, Castle Cary a pretty market town with high quality shops, Cheddar famous for Cheddar Cheese; you must visit Cheddar Gorge where you can marvel at the wonderous site of the limestone gorge carved into the southern slopes of the Mendip hills, Wells where you can have a great family day out at Wookey Hole Caves or visit the Cathedral and Yeovil. a town mentioned in the Domesday Book.
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We are independent surveyors who carry out building surveys in The Cotswolds. We are independent of any lender or bank or mortgage company. When we are surveying a property we are working for you, not them. This means we are working towards your best interests. We want to ensure that your property investment is sound and that you are receiving value for money.
We are independent building surveyors that operate throughout the UK. As building surveyors we are often asked to work on not only a residential building survey but also a boundary walls dispute survey or a specific defects survey if you have a problem with dampness or cracking in your property for example.
We are also commercial building surveyors - still operating The Cotswolds, we can provide schedule of condition survey, property report, dilapidations report and a commercial building survey - our independent building surveyors have the skills and experience to save you money on your commercial building purchase.
We have a wealth of experience in providing Building Surveys to make sure you are buying the right property and providing market Valuations to ensure that you are buying the property at the right price. If you have any particular property problems we can carry out a Specific Defects Report.
Call us today on free phone 0800 298 5424 to discuss the services we offer. We are more than happy to talk about what the Building Surveys involve, these are also sometimes known as Structural Surveys or Engineers Reports.
References
Whilst most of this is written from local knowledge of the area, here are some websites that we think may interest you in the The Cotswolds area, some of which we have used for information and we would like to give them credit for this. We are only human so if there are any amendments or additions or updates we would be pleased to receive your feedback so we can keep our website up to date.
cotswolds.info.co.uk; cotswolds.info/cotswolds-heritage.shtml; poetsgraves.co.uk/shakespeare.htm; william-morris.co.uk; victorianweb.org/authors/morris/wmbio.htmll; pemberley.com/janeinfo/janeinfo.html; cotswolds.info/maps.shtml; cotswolds.info/places/bibury.shtml; bourtoninfo.com; cotswolds-antiques-art.com; cotswolds.info/arts-crafts-antiques/antiques.shtml; cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk; stowonthewold.info/cotswold_christmas_events.php; nationaltrail.co.uk/cotswold/text.asp; gwsr.com; escapetothecotswolds.org.uk/things-to-see/placestovisit/attractions/nature-reserves-and-country-parks; ballooninginthecotswolds.co.uk