Things to do this Spring in the Cotswolds

I’m sure you’ll agree when I say that Spring couldn’t come soon enough!  After a tough long winter, what better way to nurture your soul than to immerse yourself into the heavenly landscape of the beautiful Cotswolds. 

We have pulled together a list that we hope will inspire you to visit this beautiful region  this coming Spring:

1. Visit the stunning gardens: The Cotswolds is home to many beautiful gardens that come alive in spring with colourful blooms and fragrances. Some of our favourite gardens to visit include Hidcote Manor Garden, Kiftsgate Court Gardens, and Painswick Rococo Garden.

2. Walk the Cotswold Way: The Cotswold Way is a 102-mile walking trail that runs from Chipping Campden to Bath. Spring is a great time to explore the trail as the countryside is in full bloom and the weather is mild.  Our gorgeous cottage, Honey Pot is located here and The Cotswold Way also passes through Winchcombe where the beautiful Bolt Hole is located.  Both cottages with their luxurious beds and roll top baths provide the perfect base after a day’s walking!

3. Cheltenham Jazz Festival: The Cotswolds is known for its many Spring festivals, including the Cheltenham Jazz Festival, 26th April - 1st May.  For more info including the line up visit cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz

4. Historic landmarks: The Cotswolds is rich in history, and there are many historic landmarks to explore.  Sudeley Castle is an easy 15 minute stroll from The Bolt Hole, and Tewkesbury Abbey, just a 20 min drive away.

5. Sample the local cuisine: The Cotswolds offers some of the most fabulous food in the UK and we have sampled many of its wonderful pubs and restaurants!  A few of our favourites (all dog friendly) include The Mousetrap Inn, Bourton-on-the-water,  and just down the road from here are stunning Hideaway cottage and Little Gem cottage, both beautifully refurbished to the highest standards.  Also definitely worth a visit are The Corner Cupboard Inn in Winchcombe and The Sheep in Stow-on-the-Wold.

6. Visit the Cotswold Falconry Centre: A must-visit attraction for bird lovers and thrill-seekers alike. Set in 12 acres of stunning Cotswold countryside, the Cotswold Falconry Centre is home to over 150 birds of prey, including eagles, hawks, owls and falcons. Visitors can watch daily flying displays, handle the birds and even try their hand at falconry.

7. Take a gin-making course: Cotswolds Distillery offers gin-making courses where you can learn the art of distilling and create your own bottle of gin to take home.  During the course, you’ll have the chance to explore the different botanicals used in gin and experiment with your own combinations to create a bespoke recipe

8. Visit the Rollright Stones: The Rollright Stones are a mysterious ancient monument consisting of a circle of standing stones and a nearby dolmen. Legend has it that if you count the stones three times and get the same number each time, you will be granted a wish. The stones are just a 10 min drive from our beautiful, Cotswold stone apartment The Loft.

   Rollright Road, Little Rollright, Chipping Norton OX7 5QB

9. Take a hot air balloon ride: The Cotswolds is a stunning region to explore from the air, and a hot air balloon ride offers a unique and unforgettable experience.  There are several ballooning companies in the Cotswolds including Ballooning in the Cotswolds with launch sites at Cheltenham racecourse and also Shipston-on-Stour which is close to two of our gorgeous luxury cottages, Little Gem and Hideaway Cottage.

10. Try a traditional Cotswold sport: The Cotswolds is home to several traditional (and unusual!) sports, including shin-kicking which happens during the Cotswold Olimpick Games and involves two competitors kicking each other's shins until one falls over!  Or the famous cheese-rolling at Brockworth, where competitors race down a very steep hill chasing a rolling cheese. (Warning - not for the faint-hearted, injuries do regularly occur at these events!)

    Cotswold Olimpick Games:  Friday, June 2nd 2023, 4pm at Dover’s Hill, Weston Subedge, Chipping Campden.

    Cheese rolling at Coopers Hill:  Monday, May 29, 2023,  Brockworth, Gloucestershire

10 EXCITING THINGS TO DO IN THE BEAUTIFUL COTSWOLDS IN AUTUMN 2022

Autumn is nearly upon us, so are you wondering how to tune in to take in the colours, feast on the harvests, get wellies on and walk some of the most stunning countryside the UK has to offer? 

Then hunker down with your favourite people and pets in a cosy pub with a real fire and a top notch roast?

And perhaps how to add some culture to the mix and lose yourself in some classical music or a literature festival?

If this sounds tempting read on for some fabulous things to do and visit this season in the beautiful Cotswolds…

1. Westonbirt Arboretum or Batsford Arboretum

Westonbirt arboretum near Tetbury is staggeringly beautiful in Autumn as the leaves give the most beautiful display of golds and reds.  It will depend on the weather as to when the colours will be at their peak so it is worth checking their website and social media for updates.

Batsford arboretum is offering photography workshops from the 23rd - 30th October and is just a short drive from Honey Pot, The Loft, The Bolt Hole and Little Gem.

2. Royal Gardens at Highgrove or a visit to Sudeley Castle

The Royal Gardens at Highgrove so you can catch both of these in a day visit if you wish.  These stunning gardens are open to the public for guided tours on selected dates between April and October.  If you want something a bit special you can book one of their Champagne Tea & Garden Tours.

Sudeley Castle, nicknamed ‘The hidden gem of the Cotswolds’ is just a stone’s throw from The Bolt Hole.  This Autumn Sudeley is offering archeological dig experiences, searching for the remains of a long-lost Tudor garden built for Katherine Parr.

3. Enjoy Sunday lunch in one of the best dog friendly pubs with an open fire.  The cotswolds offers some of the best eateries in the UK, two of which are on the doorstep of our luxurious dog friendly cottages.

• Winchcombe - The Corner Cupboard Inn  This 15th Century Inn located in Gloucester Street, Winchcombe is definitely worth a visit!   It has charm aplenty with roaring fires, oak beams and all the character that its age suggests.  A real ale bar and a comprehensive wine list excites the connoisseur. Ingredients are sought locally and food served daily.

• Stow on the Wold - The Stag @ Stow (formerly The White Hart) 

A 'boutique' style Inn, which has been refurbished throughout. The Inn has two cosy bars, open fires and an atmospheric dining room. Hearty food is served during the day, with finer dining in the evening. All food is sourced locally and prepared on site.

• Bourton-on-the-Water - The Mousetrap Inn

This beautiful, cosy and quirky freehouse pub welcomes you and your four legged friends.  Cosy up round the fire and order something wonderful from the fantastic menu.  “Our small team of talented chefs create delicious dishes, with a focus on working with local suppliers to source sustainable produce and reducing food wastage while doing justice to the brilliance of the Cotswold larder.”

• Chipping Campden - The Ebrington Arms

This beautiful 17th century pub is “widely acclaimed as being one of the country’s finest inns, being at the centre of The Cotswolds, and in a hidden idyllic village”.  The Ebrington has won the CAMRA North Cotswold’s Pub of the Year Award four times over, and as soon as you visit you’ll know why!  A truly special place serving award winning homemade food that has held two AA rosettes and a Bib Gourmand for the past seven years running. They also feature in the Good Food Guide, Michelin Guide and Good Pub Guide, and were awarded 'Escape of the Year 2016'.

4. Classical music in Northleach and Cheltenham

Northleach’s Church of St Peter and St Paul, only a 10 minute drive from Little Gem, is hosting a Neopolitan Night concert on 4 November for the Cotswold Festival of Music.  

On the 24th September the Cheltenham Chamber Orchestra are performing the ever-popular Mozart Overture to The Magic Flute, followed by Adam Heron (BBC Young Musician piano finalist 2018) performing Mozart’s piano concerto No 20 in D minor.  The concert will be held on the 24th September at Cheltenham Town Hall, just a 20 minute drive from The Bolt Hole https://guide2.co.uk/gloucestershire/events/cheltenham-town-hall-events-1/ 

5. Cheltenham Literature Festival

Cheltenham is the world’s first literature festival and with more than 1000 authors from the worlds of fiction, poetry, film and TV, sport, food, travel and politics it really is a feast for any bookworm of any age.  Stephen King, Stanley Tucci, Jamie Oliver and a whole host of famous names will be at the festival which runs from 7-16 October.  Cheltenham is an easy drive from The Bolt Hole or why not take the train?

6. Burford Literary Festival

If you prefer a smaller event then Burford Lit Fest may be just your thing.  It has been described as "the real literary festival" and the organisers say “many of our events are bijou and this enables the events to feel more like a conversation than a presentation”.  Burford Lit Fest runs 22nd - 25th September 2022.

7. Autumn Classic Historic Race Day At Castle Combe

If you love classic cars this is not to be missed!  The event will be “celebrating the first Porsche driving in the UK at Castle Combe 70 years ago on the 4th October 1952, by Claude Bannister in a Porsche 356!” 

The Classic Historic Race Day will take place on the 24th September.  It is a little bit further to travel but well worth the visit if you are an enthusiast.  Our closest cottage is Little Gem in Bourton-on-the-Water.

8. Heritage Open Days

England’s largest festival of history and culture is nearly upon us and this is your chance to explore hidden places and try out new experiences.  The festival allows visitors free access to historical landmarks that are either not usually open to the public or would normally charge an entrance fee.  Heritage Open Days runs from 9th - 18th September https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/ 

9. Tour & Tasting At The Cotswolds Distillery

The Cotswold Distillery produces spirits of an exceptional quality.  Visit for a gin or whisky blending masterclass or one of their award-winning Tour & Tastings - and if you fancy indulging they also offer a Tour & Tasting with lunch!

Why not book a taxi from The Loft in Stow on the Wold or Honey Pot in Chipping Campden, just 15 minutes away.

10. Say Cheers To Cheltenham Wine Festival

If wine is more your thing the The Pittville Pump Room hosts The Cheltenham Wine Festival, on Saturday 29th October 2022. With a choice of over 250 exciting wines, this is your chance to taste, discover and learn about different wine styles, grape varieties and the people and special places behind them. 

And they call it puppy love….

As many of you will know by now, all of our luxury cottages are dog friendly as we know your doggies want to enjoy a holiday too! The Cotswolds has lots to offer our four-legged friends, including long countryside walks and a swim in a river along the way! However, there are many other attractions and eateries who are also dog friendly and where you might want to visit during your stay. 

Here is a list of some of our favourites! 

Attractions:

1.     Sudely Castle welcome dogs in their visitor centre and café.

2.     Bird Land, Bourton-on-the-Water, welcome dogs on leads and provide water bowls in the park by the café to keep your doggies hydrated. 

3.     Batsford Arboretum allow dogs in the Arboretum and café as long as they are on a lead. Its a delightful place to wander and there are lots of sniffs and smells for the dogs too. 

4.     The Broadway Tower welcomes dogs to enjoy the new circular walk around the Tower and the dog agility obstacles, however in order to safeguard the deer and other visitors they ask for dogs to be on their leads. There are dog friendly seating areas at both the Morris and Brown Café and the Espresso Bar at the Tower Barn. 

Eateries:

1.     Tea Set Tea Rooms, Broadway and Chipping Norton, allow dogs inside the tearoom as well as out, so they can come along even when it is wet and cold! The tearoom also offers free dog biscuits and unlimited water for the peckish and parched doggies. 

2.     Angel Pub, Burford, welcome dogs everywhere on the premises including in the snug, the bar and the cosy restaurant, as well as the large beer garden behind the pub. 

3.     Daylesford Organic Farm, Gloucestershire, allow dogs in the Old Spot Courtyard and inside the Old Spot, the Legbar and the Daylesford Café courtyard.

4.     The Lion Inn, Winchcombe, welcome dogs into the snug, bar and garden of the pub