My Cotswolds Guide
Willow Crossley's guide to the AONB
Happy Friday! I hope you’ve had a lovely week and managed to stay dry. While it’s good for the garden, it’s not that great for the soul, is it?! Fear not, the sunshine is returning and we might just have a summery rest-of-June after all.
This weekend, I have not one but two 50th birthday parties, a house full of guests and sartorial indecision over what to wear due to this weather! All first world problems, I am very aware… Next week I’m off to Italy to flower for a high summer event so I look forward to sharing all when back next week.
This week - something a little different - my much requested Cotswolds Guide! It’s mega (I may have got a little carried away) and I hope you love it and can add in the comments places you’ve been and would recommend… We’ve categorised into where to stay, visit, eat, shop and wind down.
I hope you enjoy and wishing you a very happy (and hopefully, sunny!) weekend.
Wx
My Mega Cotswolds Guide
I have lived in The Cotswolds for over 15 years with my husband Charlie and our three boys - the youngest two were born here and so it has become very much our family base, from which we’ve grown roots.
Established in 1966, The Cotswolds is the largest ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ (AONB) in the UK, covering 790 square miles across five counties from Warwickshire to Bath. Renowned for its Jurassic limestone, honey-coloured stone villages, and rolling hills, it features extensive wildflower meadows, ancient beech woods, and the steep Cotswold Escarpment.
The views are far-reaching and the villages are mostly tiny, the seasons gentle and increasingly, there is good coffee and food aplenty. Our home is in the north of the Cotswolds between Oxford and Burford (stay tuned for my friend’s Oxford Insider guide coming soon!) but I find myself driving all around the countryside - throughout Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire mainly, and sometimes further afield into Wiltshire too; and every single day I am struck by the surrounding beauty in one way or another.
I grew up in a very rural part of Wales so I am very much drawn to nature and the countryside, it’s a very strong part of me. Prior to moving to The Cotswolds, we lived in London and in the south of France, so The Cotswolds was not somewhere I knew very well apart from occasional weekends spent with friends. When we moved, it became a new playground for my boys and I to discover and develop the feeling of ‘home’. As a popular tourist destination and weekender idyll, fads in The Cotswolds come and go but the really special places stand the test of time.
Here I share my favourite haunts, rate the obvious gems and share a few of my secret places…
To Stay
I’m always being asked about where to stay and there really is something for everyone with new places popping up all the time. Whether it’s a pub stay, something more all-inclusive, with family or as a couple - or simply to treat yourself with, here are my top picks:
Soho Farmhouse, Chipping Norton
Although part of the Soho House members franchise, Soho Farmhouse feels like an entity all of its own and at the heart of the North Cotswolds golden triangle. It’s got wonderful places all around - from Chippy Flower Farm to The Old Coal Yard and plenty of options in itself for coffee, food, beauty and wellness, great fitness classes, a pool, tennis and padel and a space to work if one needs. Plus a fantastic shop curated by Alex Eagle, it’s definitely a must to visit. It feels low key and familiar with consistently good food. Pen Yen the Japanese restaurant is a must and a rare Asian food delight in these parts.
Estelle Manor, Eynsham
Part of a larger group, Estelle is like a luxurious oasis in the middle of the countryside. It feels very glamorous and spoily - the grounds and the interiors are breathtaking. There is a fab outdoor pool but Enysham spa and baths are my absolute highlight. A plethora of food choices. My go-to for working and coffees is the more casual Potting Shed, which is in the veg garden and next to the gym which does brilliant classes - I love Island Jam on a Tuesday. Also, there is a small but wonderfully curated shop called The Muse which is the my go-to for present buying.
Double Red Duke, Clanfield
If you want a much more low-key pub-style overnight stay, the red-and-white-striped Double Red Duke in Clanfield ticks the boxes with chic rooms, excellent elevated pub food, plenty of walks, a sunny garden to linger in over the summer, and cosy fireside feels in winter.
Thyme, Southrop
Described as ‘a botanical breather, away from life’s bustle’, Thyme feels like a rather quiet, luxurious respite with beautiful rooms and delicious food. Close enough to be able to visit all the favourite haunts but also a little removed and therefore, relaxing too.
Fairgreen Farm Guesthouse
If looking for a non-hotel option, Fairgreen Farm Guesthouse, owned and decorated by the uber stylist Cotswold resident, Amanda Brookes would be my choice. A brilliant position quite near Stow-on-the-wold, it will feel like you’re a Cotswold resident in the know.
Daylesford Stays
Rooted in the rolling hills and valleys surrounding Daylesford, Daylesford Stays offers connected, collected experiences as well as lots of room choices - from their cottages on site at Daylesford to surrounding, quintessentially Cotswolds and British village pubs - The While Rabbit, Kingham, The Fox, Oddington, The Bell, Charlbury and The Three Horseshoes, Asthall.
Other special mentions go to Cowley Manor (for old-school hotel service and consistently great experience), Bull Bar & Hotel, Burford (to experience the charm of Burford and get buzz of somewhere everyone talks about), Hyll Hotel, Chipping Camden (a newbie on the scene I haven’t visited but hear great things about), The Rectory (for old school charm and comfort), The Pig for quintessentially honey-coloured Cotswolds charm with a modern twist near Cirencester) and for something very different, Canopy & Stars (a selection of charming glamping escapes).
Other favourites are Belmond Le Manoir, The Bull, Charlbury, Cotswold Farm Hideaway and Armada Cottage in Charlbury.
Where else have you stayed, would you recommend or what is on your wishlist?
To Visit
There is so much to see here in The Cotswolds and depending on who you’re visiting with and what season you’re in, you may tip the balance more to gardens and boating or pub fires and bracing walks. Here are some of the best (from A-Z as can't rank by favourites! ) - some well-known and others worth a visit in my opinion…
Aston Pottery & Gardens is a one of those places I drove past every day but never took the time to stop and visit. But now whenever I need a quick immersion into colour and nature, I stop! It’s a small ceramics studio and cafe but what I love are the flowers in the garden adjacent, particularly in dahlia season! Stop for a look and a cup of tea, just outside the lovely village of Bampton.
Blenheim Palace is very near me and a wonderful place to take visitors, to take advantage of their brilliant events - I’m going to watch Alanis Morisette play next weekend - Christmas lights, Giffords Circus, pretty picnic spots and best of all, walking for miles. Nearby Woodstock is a pretty village with great coffee and excellent antique shops.
Burford Garden Co is a one of my favourite local hang outs and a great place to meet a girlfriend for lunch. It sells much more than just plants; Brilliant for man presents, foodie presents, books - I while away hours in their bookshop, seeds, bulbs, dahlia tubers, roses, gifts, ready meals… And lots of easy parking unlike in the town of Burford itself which is two minutes away.
