August Cotswolds Staycation

Recently I took a little staycation to the Cotswolds. Less than 2 hours away from London, it seemed like the perfect trip to explore one of Britain’s ‘Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ and enjoy my passion of photography along the way!

W H E R E W E S T A Y E D

I chose to stay in the village of Bourton-on-the-Water and hired the cosy 150-year old ‘Peartree Cottage’ for the week. Bourton is a great central base to visit other, more rural villages.

On the first night I went for a peaceful walk around the village after the tourists had left, especially liking the Venice-style bridges over the River Windrush.

V I L L A G E S & T O W N S

I always knew the villages were going to be pretty, but it’s only while I was there I realised quite how well looked after and immaculately preserved these historic places are. In particular I was blown away by residents’ front gardens and the level of attention that goes into making them look so picture-perfect.

T H E S L A U G H T E R S

Upper and Lower Slaughter had such tranquillity about them. Perhaps it was because no new buildings have been built there for over a century, but there was a distinct sense of calm as you walked around.

S N O W S H I L L

Snowshill had a lovely rural communal feel to it with its idyllic cottages circling the church. Even on a rainy day, it was stunning! You may recognise the village from the Bridget Jones’s Diary movies.

B I B U R Y

Having done my research beforehand, I knew the chance of Bibury being busy in the daytime was high due to the much-photographed Arlington Row – a line of 14th century cottages and arguably the most photographed place in the Cotswolds. With this in mind, I arrived at dusk and this revealed itself to be an excellent decision. Not only was I able to find a parking space without any trouble, there were absolutely no other people outside Arlington Row. From a photographer’s point of view, this really was peak happiness and I was pleased with the images I took.

S T O W - O N - T H E - W O L D

Stow-on-the-Wold is a market town known for its artisan and antique shops and home to The Porch House, the oldest inn in Britain dating back to c.947AD. However, I was most keen to visit St. Edward’s Church and its famous doorway flanked by two Yew trees, which allegedly inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Gate to Moria in The Lord of the Rings.

B R O A D W A Y

Though I didn’t stop in the village of Broadway itself, I did visit Broadway Tower and enjoyed the glorious countryside views and very many thatched cottages between Broadway and Chipping Campden along the way.

O T H E R H I G H L I G H T S

D A Y L E S F O R D O R G A N I C

I had been recommended Daylesford by a number of people and after a quick glance at their Instagram page, I knew fairly confidently it would be my kind of place!

They have departments for groceries, living and garden and it was difficult not to buy everything in sight! But I did come away with a new watering can for myself and some edible treats for family. They also have a spa there and if I came back I would be quite tempted to book in for an afternoon treat!

H I D C O T E M A N O R G A R D E N

I couldn’t visit the Cotswolds without seeing what gardens were in the area, and Hidcote Manor Garden owned by the National Trust was high up on the agenda. Hidcote is in the Arts and Crafts style and best-known for its different garden ‘rooms’, separated by hedges, trees and shrubs - I loved it!

To read a full blog post on Hidcote Manor Garden click here.

F O O D H I G H L I G H T S

As I was in a self-catered cottage I had the choice to stay in or go out to eat, but these are a few places I did get food that I would recommend.

T H E O L D S T O C K S I N N

Stow-on-the-Wold

I had a brilliant dinner at The Old Stocks Inn in more modern décor than most pubs and inns we had seen. I had the Duck Confit starter, mains of Sea Bream with potatoes, cauliflower and samphire and Cotswolds Lamb with pearl barley risotto, and a dessert of strawberries and vanilla panna cotta which were all cooked to perfection. The only downside was the main courses were on the small side for quite a steep price.

T H E B E L L I N N

Langford

This was my foodie favourite of the week. The Bell Inn, awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, serves pub food to the highest quality at a reasonable price. I enjoyed a generous portion of Chicken Milanese - my mouth is watering just thinking of it! I would without a doubt recommend eating here, even if you’re not in the area, it’s worth a detour!

T H E O L D S P O T

Daylesford Organic Farm

Though I had to queue for 30 minutes for a table outside on their patio for lunch, I am pleased to say the food at The Old Spot was well worth the wait. As expected, all produce is organic and you could actually taste how fresh the ingredients were; it really is a case of farm-to-table here. I had the Caesar salad – delicious!

I enjoyed my visit to the Cotswolds enormously and would go again in a heartbeat. There was so much more I didn’t get time to do, so I am sure it won’t be too long before I go back!