A Guide to The Cotswolds
A Guide to the Cotswolds…
Two weeks ago, my husband and I finally went on a trip. A UK staycation, the first holiday in three years. After a year of being stuck in the same county, Lee and I packed up the car and went on a road trip down south. Four hours later and we were in the Cotswolds, an area of outstanding natural beauty. I follow many influencers that live in this area in the country and it’s always looked so magical. So with a couple of days to spare, I figured escaping to a different countryside would be perfect. And boy did it not disappoint.
A quick spoiler alert on my guide to the Cotswolds, My husband had to force me back into the car to go home. I loved it here. So much so, I’m planning on spending a few days later on in the year when we hopefully head to the seaside later on in the year. The area itself is huge and there is so much more for us to explore.
The Cotswolds is the most magical place I’ve been to and I would recommend everyone visiting it at least once in their life. I’m certainly going to be doing more specific posts, but here is a quick overview of my guide to the Cotswolds…
HOW TO GET AROUND.
First, let’s cover how to get to the Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is vast, so I would recommend having a car to get around. If you’re sticking to maybe one village to visit, then you can travel down by train. But I would highly recommend hiring or bringing your car. From Yorkshire, it’s about a three-hour drive, but mainly on the M1 so it’s a fair easy drive.
As to where to stay, you’re spoilt for choice. From gorgeous hotels to charming cottages, you can really live up to your best country life. For our mini stay, we chose the charming village of Great Tew. Our little cottage was perfect, in the middle of nowhere, secure and just perfect.
When we come again, I’d love to check out one of these hotels. There’s the Thyme, which is like a miniature village. And, of course, there’s the firm social favourite of The Painswick.
WHERE TO EAT.
This will be one of the many separate posts that I will be doing on the Cotswolds, but it’s safe to say you’ll be sorted for food on your trip. Expect gorgeous restaurants, cosy pubs and a lot of deli’s that you can grab bites from. Now when it comes to coffee, independent cafes are few and far. However, if you head to the main towns, my husband and I can say with confidence that the coffee you will find is excellent.
We honestly had so much fun dining. Even with us having to eat outside and getting a little rained on at times, each place we hit was excellent. By far, my favourite was The Wild Rabbit. Nestled in the village of Kingham (which is to die for with cuteness), the food was amazing and the cocktails were even better. Plus, you’ll fall in love with the decor. It sprang so many ideas for the garden and how I want to style it. It will pretty much be a copy of their outdoor dining space.
WHERE TO EXPLORE.
The better question would be where isn’t there to explore? There are so many amazing villages to discover in the Cotswolds, you’ll certainly get your 10,000 steps in walking about and exploring! I will also say, they do antique shops right in the Cotswolds. Some eye watering prices on some pieces, but there is a bargain or two to have if you look hard enough.
Again, I’ll go into more detail about each of the villages that you need to add to your must-visit list, but some to shout out about now are Stow-on-the-Wold, The Slaughters, Kingham and Bilbury. Take your time, snap all the photos in the world and refresh at the local watering holes.
If you’re a member, the Soho Farmhouse is nearby to visit and explore. Failing that, you’ll find some luxury at Bicester Village. We didn’t visit (mainly cause I wouldn’t have been able to afford anything) but certainly next time, I’ll make a visit and pick myself up a designer bargain.
Finally, I cannot recommend Daylesford enough. When we pulled up, my husband said if there was a place that was me it was Daylesford! They have a fabulous food hall filled with delicious goodies, a home store, a new garden centre, along an indoor restaurant and outdoor dining. There’s even a spa, which we didn’t try it out but sign me up another day. This was somewhere where I knew I was going to want to spend my money and I did. We brought some delicious treats home and a fabulous market bag that I’m obsessed with and use all the time.
SEE YOU IN THE COUNTRYSIDE!
I do hope you found this guide useful and you go visit the Cotswolds. Do let me know where you visit or if you find any other gems that you think people will love also.