A Few Days in the Cotswolds
I always enjoy checking out a good Dicken’s Village at Christmas time. My imagination transports me back to a time where things were just simple and beautiful. Maybe hundreds of years ago? Well, I was shocked to learn that these villages still exist (in reality) today, and you don’t need a time machine to get there. Brilliant.
If you don’t live in London, you probably don’t think about the Cotswolds very often. But you should. An inexpensive redeye to Heathrow, combined with the courage to rent and drive a car in England, will put you right in the heart of the Cotswolds by 10:30 a.m. the next morning. Lovely. So we decided to try it.
You have to be careful. As remote as the Cotswolds may seem to you, there are two groups of visitors you will want to avoid. The first group arrives via Range Rover, Porsche or Bentley and will be found staying in places like the Soho (Farm)House. The second group arrives via tour bus and covers the popular tourist towns (Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Burford) like ants at a picnic. These are charming towns, but if you are there in high season, try not to visit them at peak times. Thanks to the obsessive and capable planning of my wonderful wife (and some great suggestions from friends), we managed to find all the beauty without the people.
One thing: You really must rent a car to get the independence you need to explore. And prepare yourself for left side driving. It takes a little while to get used to, but then it’s easy. Rent a smallish car as the roads can be quite narrow (especially the “single track” versions). And always trust your passenger when she tells you that you are too close to the left side of the road (or curb, or wall, or ditch).
Another thing: if you are up for walking, you can walk everywhere. There are footpaths on every open field and every piece of private property. I would recommend downloading a great app called Komoot to help you find and navigate these paths.
Where to Stay
There are so many places to consider. The eastern side is a bit different from the western, and both are nothing like the north. Many of the gastropubs have really cool inns. You can’t go wrong. We tried a couple places and loved them both.
The Double Red Duke: located in Clanfield (east), this restored pub and inn is chock full of rustic charm, so much so that you may want to just move in forever. The rooms are cool (and affordable), the staff is amazing, the bar is perfect, and the restaurant delivers fresh, delicious food at all times.
The Cowley Manor: over on the west side, in Cowley, you will find this stunning, recently renovated manor house with a great spa, impeccable grounds and gardens, a cocktail culture, friendly staff, and excellent food.
We considered a couple other spots: The Thyme, No. 131, The Daylesford Cottages, and Estelle Manor. There are so many awesome spots.
Ride a Bike
Wait? Is Schrohe telling me to ride bike? Is the world ending? Well, I suggest an e-bike (since the term Cotswold literally means Sheep Hills). We took an all-day tour which allowed us to visit some of the smallest, remote towns, churches and pubs. We did a private tour with a guide and there is no better place to use for this than getting Alasdair or Nadine from Cotswold Bike Tours to curate the perfect experience. You will see charming villages, Roman ruins, ancient churches, and rolling countryside…with a delicious pub lunch about halfway through.
Off the Beaten Path
If you choose to stay away from the large, touristy towns, here are a few ideas:
Dover Hill (photo below): park at the top of the hill, and follow the footpath down to Chipping Campden
Stow-on-the-Wold: a lot of charm, a few good pubs, and some great stores
Painswick: hilly little village worth visiting to see the trees in the churchyard
There are so many other things to consider, from fly-fishing, to shooting, to visiting gin distilleries. I wish I had time to do all of this stuff…
Feasting
The food is rich. Fresh. And save room for the “pudding”. Start your day with a traditional English breakfast, followed by a pub lunch, followed by a great dinner. Fresh eggs, black pudding, wild partridge, wild mushrooms (grilled, in sauces, with eggs), thrice cooked chips, venison pies, braised lamb and beef, sticky toffee pudding, local cheddar, stilton…these are just a few of the treats you will find. The places we enjoyed:
Double Red Duke: tried it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and was never disappointed (Clanfield)
The Bell: while many order the pizzas, I’d opt for the wild game (Langford)
The Swan: Amazing gastropub in a tiny little village (Swinbrook)
The Trough at Daylesford Organic: this place is a whole lot more than a restaurant; you can spend an afternoon here…and you should!
Cowley Manor: the cocktail bar is tremendous and then try the food; everything straight from local farms
Just a few of the food photos to end the posting:
