No matter how many times you visit the Cotswolds, the first sight of the chocolate-box villages makes you feel as though you’ve strayed onto a film set. They’re so pretty they are preposterous.
I’ve been to the region beloved by movie directors, many times, where everything from Downtown Abbey to Bridget Jones’s Diary and The Holiday was filmed in the honey-coloured stone villages. Each time, I question why it is I don’t live there.
Still, the good thing is it’s easily accessible for a mini-break, not least because it’s so big, it covers 800 square miles and runs through five counties. West of Oxford, it’s around 80 miles from London and chock-full of country manor hotels, gastro pubs, tea rooms, and so many celebrities, it’s bascially Chelsea-with-wellies.
Depending on which direction you visit the Cotswolds from, my pick of where to visit begins with market town Burford, known as the Gateway to the Cotswolds. With its pretty cottages, medieval church, cafes and antique shops lining the sloping high street, with window frames and doors painted in the pre-requisite teal and duck egg blue, it’s a great place to stop and wander around.
From there, I like Stow on the Wold, which lays claim to having the oldest inn in England, The Porch House, dating back to 947. And of course, Bourton on the Water, which is one of the most-visited villages in the region. Despite the tourists, it’s such a lovely village, arranged along the River Windrush. The water is so low at some points you could drive through the fjord - although maybe not in a Ford, but rather the regulation Cotswold-owner’s Range Rover. There’s loads of cafes lining the riverbank and the heritage-listed The Model Village. I’ve been to this many times, starting in my childhood and the exact replica of Bourton on the Water built in miniature, out of Cotswold stone, never changes. Opened in 1937, the only details they have to update are the shop names.
Other popular tourist spots are Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill’s birthplace, and my top pick for families - the brilliant Cotswold Wildlife Park. This lovely little wildlife park has everything from monkeys to rhinos and giraffes, arranged around a Costwold manor house. We had a fantastic day here and the sight of rhinos on the lawn of the manor house is something I’ve never forgotten.
But mostly, people head here for the bucolic villages. One of the nicest is higgledy-piggledy Snowshill, famous as the village used for Bridget Jones’ family home. It’s also home to National Trust property Snowshill Manor, which I’ve written about before and is well-worth a visit.
Broadway is one of the most stunning villages in the region and has drawn artists and novelists to it for centuries, including Claude Monet, William Morris, Mark Twain and Henry James. Then there’s Upper and Lower Slaughter, which I always make time to visit, mainly because I love the names. (They come from the Old English word for wet land, as opposed to any Midsomer Murders-type history).
The Slaughters are also home to one of the loveliest hotels in the Cotswolds - Lords of the Manor, which I was lucky enough to stay in. The 17th century manor house was previously owned by the Slaughter family and is now a hotel which specialises in fine-dining. It has two restaurants – the sophisticated Dining Room and the Atrium.
Set in eight acres of lawns and lakes, this high-end boutique hotel is all quirky English interiors with luxury finishes. Each of the 26 rooms is unique, with four poster beds, antique furniture and deluxe bathrooms with roll-top baths and walk-in showers. It’s super-comfortable and full of character.
Although I did travel with my children and they were very welcome - I would say it’s more of an adults’ getaway, for gourmands looking for a special weekend.
The Cotswolds: The Travel List
Where is it: The Cotswolds is around 80 miles west of London, or an hour and a quarter’s drive from Heathrow.
Where to stay: Lords of the Manor is a 26-room boutique hotel in Upper Slaughter. Rooms start at £192. For more information, visit lordsofthemanor.com.
For more information: Visit cotswolds.com
The British Travel List is the sister newsletter to The Royal List. It is a weekly guide to my favourite places to visit and stay around the country. I am an experienced travel and lifestyle journalist who writes for British and Australian newspapers and magazines and I am passionate about British travel. For more of my work, visit kerryparnell.com