Best Bed & Breakfasts of Victoria

Wintercott Country House

Wintercott Country House is modelled on an English Country manor house. The guest rooms are comfortable bed-sitting rooms with four poster beds overlooking the extensive gardens and forest.

The Sweet Pea room has a four poster rice queen bed from South Carolina. The Lily of the Valley room has a 1920's version of a four poster queen bed. The Pineapple room has two single four poster beds dating from 1820 (brought around the horn from Jamaica in 1860) with carved pineapples on each post. All beds have modern comfortable mattresses. The Pineapple room is very popular for guests requiring separate beds. The queen rooms are named for their Laura Ashley fabrics.

Each room is equipped with the amenities expected of a comfortable country house - electric fireplace, two comfortable chairs, television, VCR/DVD player, clock radio, telephone, magazines, books; duvets, extra pillows, blankets, robes, hair dryer, iron and ironing board. Each room has it's own private bathroom. Free laundry is available by arrangement.

A comfortable atrium links the guest rooms with the house. This offers a place to relax: to play chess, card games, Backgammon, Rummikub, etc. WiFi avaiable.  From the atruim the west deck leads to a private garden for guests. There are two places to relax - a gazebo with comfortable chairs and on the deck, an umbrellla covered table and garden chairs conveniently close to the kitchen.

The full English breakfast is set out in the house dining room. Each day there will be choices of cereal and a bowl of freshly cut fruit; tea, coffee, milk and juice; a cooked breakfast including an egg dish, Ayrshire bacon and prize winning beef sausages from a specialist local butcher; mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, etc. completes the plate; croissants, muffins, danish, etc. completes the offering. We have not had a complaint yet. Indeed many returnees especially come for the English breakfast. Should there be special requests because of diets, etc., this should be communicated to us upon arrival. Breakfast is served at 8:00am. Earlier meals can be arranged easily for guests departing on early ferries or planes.

Children of all ages are welcome. A country house always welcomes dogs accompanied by their owners.

Wintercott is centrally located on the Saanich Peninsula west of Highway 17 with easy access to Oldfield Road. Our property is a very quiet side road called Nicholas with a sign on the corner of Oldfield and Nicholas Road. We are on acreage surrounded by farms and roadside fruit and vegetable stalls. There are many stables where one can hire horses for a good ride in the countryside, if one so wishes. We are truly in the heart of the country, yet, with easy access to Butchart Gardens and Butterfly Gardens.

Arriving on Vancouver Island by air, it is only 20 minutes from the airport to Wintercott. Arrriving by ferry from Vancouver, we are only 30 minutes from Swartz Bay to Wintercott; 20 minutes from Sidney if coming from Anacortes in the USA; 20 minutes from Victoria's Inner Harbor if coming from Port Angeles.

We are surrounded by wineries and one cidery, some of recent establishment. Many are open for visitors.

The Peninsula is famous for it's many golf courses. Many guests bring clubs and enjoy the year round golfing. Everyone wants to see whales close up and personal and Victoria and/or Sidney are the places to come. There are also many hiking and bicycle trails on the peninsula. The local beaches offer water sports such as swimming, boating including kayaking and canoeing. Rentals are available. Fishing charters are also available.

The City of Victoria has much to offer. It was the main Hudson Bay Company port during the 1700's. It is now the capital city of the Province of British Columbia. The Provincial Museum, the Parliament Buildings, and the Maritime Museum tell a fascinating story from early fort to financial center and now the legislative center for the enormous province of British Columbia. Like many American states, where the legislative capital is separate from the finalncial and economic center, our parliament was kept in Victoria and not removed to Vancouver's commercial hub.

Shopping, shopping seems to be a great attraction for all visitors to the island and Victoria is the place to be.

There are no strangers here ... only friends we have not met!