The Cotswolds is one of those magical places I never tire of. My husband and I take ourselves there 4 to 5 times a year, sometimes for a mini break, sometimes just for the day. It’s only a stone’s throw away, but it always feels like an escape.
And when I go to the Cotswolds, I want Cotswolds. Give me wonky stone cottages, blazing fires, low ceilings, antique shops, the best pub lunches and somewhere cosy for the night.
Unsurprisingly, this means I have very strong opinions on where you should stay, eat and spend your time. When someone tells me they’re visiting for the first time, I immediately feel personally responsible for them having a brilliant trip, and will forcefully send over my MUST DO list.
Below is a collection of the places I’ve stayed and loved, the restaurants I’d go back to again and again, and the shops I never skip. Alongside a handful I haven’t made it to yet, but that are firmly on my list.
I could give you 20 hotels, so consider this a very edited handful: a few I’ve stayed in and loved, and a few I’m dying to try.
Mollies, Faringdon · £
I have such a soft spot for Mollie’s. My husband and I have stayed here every 23rd December for the last 5 years, so it’s somehow become the official start of Christmas for us. A modern take on the classic American roadside motel, simple well-designed rooms, lovely walks on the doorstep and delicious naughty food. Nothing fancy, just fun and very affordable.
The Double Red Duke, Clanfield · £
This is exactly what I want from a Cotswolds pub with rooms. Cosy, eccentric, a little bit sexy and very British. Think patterned fabrics, old furniture, roaring fires and lots of colour. Def come for dinner even if you don’t stay
The Wild Duck, Ewen · £
Very much in the same world as the Double Red Duke. It opened earlier this year and I’m already planning my trip back for the winter. It’s dark, cosy, characterful, with yet again, sensational food. Try and go on a Friday for Lobster and fries night.
Alcoves Cabins, Broadway · ££
Two beautifully designed cabins hidden away on a working dairy farm. Reclaimed timber, log burners, good art, an outdoor bath and a sauna overlooking the fields. It feels simple, secluded and completely at home in its surroundings.
Bull, Burford · ££
Right in the middle of Burford High Street and probably the best option if you want to be able to step outside and immediately start mooching. It’s a Grade II-listed 16th-century inn, but the interiors are chefs kiss limewashed walls, natural fabrics, imperfect finishes and a gorgeous art collection.
Hyll, Chipping Campden · ££
Hyll is for doing very little, very well. A beautiful old manor but much calmer and more pared-back than your traditional country-house hotel. Warm, earthy, understated interiors and the sort of place to book when all you want to do is completely switch off.
Cowley Manor Experimental, Cheltenham · ££
Probably the most playful of the bunch. A grand old manor that Experimental Group has given a much cooler, more colourful identity. There’s still all the Cotswolds grandeur and beautiful grounds, but the interiors have a bit of fun with it rather than taking the country-house thing too seriously. Plus, a very good spa!
Estelle Manor, Eynsham Park · £££
The blow-the-budget one. It has gained a slight reputation for attracting a certain kinda someone, but ignore a few people for the weekend, and you can’t deny how bloody lovely it is. The interiors, rooms and service are all exceptional, and the Roman-inspired spa is worth going for alone. Expensive? Very. Beautiful? 100%
Soho Farmhouse, Chipping Norton · £££
Cabins, bikes, Cowshed, wellies, milk float, good people-watching and somehow an entire world hidden in the Oxfordshire countryside. It’s been copied endlessly since it opened, but it still does what it does incredibly well. (Members only to stay)
And if hotels aren’t your thing, the Airbnb game is very strong. I’ve got a wild number of cottages and converted barns saved.
Every hotel above has a genuinely brilliant restaurant, so even if you’re staying elsewhere, take a trip to any of the above for some good grub.
European small plates cooked over fire, from the KNEAD and Jesse Smith team. New and very good!
Apparently one of the coolest restaurants in the Cotswolds and near-impossible to book, so plan ahead.
A Cotswolds pop-up from the cult-followed Notting Hill Italian. If you know, you know.
A 17th-century coaching inn reborn, all wood-fired Italian.
Farm-to-fork done properly on a working farm. Exceptional ingredients in a superb setting.
A mouth watering bakery and café, and my pick for a Sunday brunch.
As we know the Cotwold is a notorious for its incredible Farmshops, it allwasy has some very nice homeware shops. A few I’d never skip:
Restoration Hardware’s UK showroom, set inside the historic Aynho Park. Even if the prices aren’t quite in the budget, go for the architecture and the sheer fantasy of it all. Every room styled to perfection, you can spend hours just wandering around. They also have a handful of lovely restaurants there, if you find yourself spending a little bit too long dreaming.
The household name, and for good reason. A bit like going into Harrods or Selfridges if you don’t get to London often, part novelty, part joy. Just make sure you empty your savings account first.
One of my favourite Farm shops in the Cotswolds. We have watched this one grow over the years. There’s a drive-through so get yourself some KFP (Kentucky Fried Pheasant). A brilliant shop, their own ice cream, and enough going on that I’d happily file it under lunch spots too.
Beautiful handwoven baskets and homeware, ethically made with artisan weavers.
Antiques Shops
Lorfords Antiques, Tetbury
The Malthouse Collective, Stroud
Original House, Cirencester
And once you’ve had your fill of shops, The best of the Cotswolds is just wandering.
Burford
Give yourself an afternoon on Burford high street. Antiques, homeware, independents, and one of the loveliest streets in the country.
Upper & Lower Slaughter
Park up and wander between the two. They’re almost offensively pretty, and doing it as a walk means you actually get to enjoy the countryside, rather than spending the whole day hopping in and out of the car.
Snowshill
One for when you want peak English countryside. Wander the tiny village, and if you fancy making an afternoon of it, Snowshill Manor and its Arts & Crafts garden are wonderfully eccentric, and far more interesting, design-wise, than another tourist attraction.
And if you want to sneak a garden in, Kiftsgate, near Chipping Campden, is a beauty.
That’s it! Save it, Steal it, and if I’ve missed somewhere brilliant, tell me! And if you’re heading there for the first time, please know I will take your itinerary personally.
Lydia x
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