Visiting the Cotswolds has been on my to-do list since I first visited London in 2017. The Cotswolds is an area of South Central England, filled with woodlands and countryside. Scattered with market towns, quintessentially English villages, palaces and castles. No wonder its an area of outstanding beauty! Enjoy local food, spas, British pubs, bed and breakfasts and more.
*I had to modify this itinerary a bit due to visiting friends on day-three and a lunch reservation on day one in Stow on the Wold. You may notice that we have to backtrack a bit.
Heading off from London Paddington team Flourish-ious.com headed to Oxford to pick up our rental car. From Oxford we drove to Stow on the Wold by way of Burford. We stopped for lunch at The Porch House for a delightful British fare in one of the oldest inns in England! Read more about that here
Stow on The Wold
Recommendations in the area:
Market Square
Views from the Cricket Club
St Edwards Church on Sheep Street
Note: Parking is limited especially on the weekend. We were only able to get a 2-hour parking spot on a busy bank holiday Saturday
Our next stop was Moreton in Marsh to Chastleton House which is a historical Jacobean country house and garden which really gave me Downton Abbey vibes.
Chastleton House
We were unable to fully enjoy Chipping Campden at it’s finest, as it was pouring down rain. We did a tour around Hidcote Manor Garden and stopped at the Dover’s Hill viewpoint.
Recommendations in the area:
Badger’s Tea Room (we recommend the Sweet Platter £7)
St. James’ Church
Guild of Handicrafts
Kiftsgate Court Gardens
Food:
Redesdale Arms Hotel – Good ice cream
Yellow Brick Café – better for lunch “everything under a tenner”
Broadway
We loved the picturesque Broadway Tower! The ground was really muddy so I quickly switched to my wellies that I had stored in the trunk.
Recommendations in the area:
Cotswold Lavender
Sudeley Castle
Tisane’s Tea Room
As a result of the rain, we did a drive through the following towns: Slaughters and Bourton on the water.
We ended day one in the Cotswolds capital of Cirencester where we enjoyed the best fish and chips at the Malt & Anchor which is conveniently located in Cirencester Market Place. The Malt & Anchor recently won the best fish and chips newcomer award, and it is easy to see why.
We had a wonderful seafood starter of panko coated calamari with sweet chilli and mayo dip. Our mains were the British classic, sausage mash and onion gravy, and of course, some fish and chips. The gravy was perfectly thick, and the batter was delightful for the fish. The manager Dan and his staff were very friendly and provided great service. The decor is also extremely stylish and well thought out, from the sea-themed colour scheme, and the rope ceiling. We can’t recommend it enough. Craft beer enthusiasts will be pleased to know that there is a beer available exclusively to the Malt & Anchor!
Things to Do:
Bretforton/Fleece Inn
Cirencester Park
Cirencester Amphitheatre
Abbey House Gardens
Tiny Black Jack Street
Day Two
Our first stop was Burford where we decided to venture into a busy Huffkins which is a must try if you are in the Cotswolds. The service in Huffkins was excellent, considering how busy it was, with a queue forming out of the door in the rain! The scones were some of the best we have had… and we have tried plenty! They were incredibly light and fluffy in texture and fresh in taste.
Also Recommended:
Food: The Lamb Inn
Wild Thyme
Swan Inn
Following an afternoon tea and the best scones in the Cotswolds, we headed to Bibury’s Arlington Row and drove by the Downton Abbey Village.
The town of Painswick was the coolest town of the day with its old narrow streets! Especially Bisley Street
Things to do:
Rococo Gardens
Food:
Woolpack Inn
Stroud was pretty unadventurous but driving to the top of the hill was worth the views before heading to Malmesbury.
Malmesbury
We Checked in early at The Old Bell Hotel which is England’s Oldest Hotel! We did some perusing around Malmesbury at the Abbey and the high street before relaxing before my birthday dinner.
Related: Ten Things to See & Do In Malmesbury
We chose Grey’s Brasserie at Whatley Manor for dinner as they are a Michelin rated restaurant 5 mins drive from Malmesbury.
We had the pleasure of dining at Grey’s Brasserie for my birthday. The restaurant is one of a small selection at the 5* spa and hotel, Whatley Manor. As would be expected, the service and food were outstanding. The beautiful grounds were so impressive, and the restaurant oozes class. Zoltan, our waiter for the evening, looked after us so well. We loved the birthday champagne and cheesecake!
Day Three
We headed off to visit our friends at The Fox Inn in the historical town of Hawkesbury Upton. The Fox Inn is a new inn and pub on the high street with fantastic eats curated by our wonderful friend, Stuart Link. Their curry’s and tacos are proving to be popular! Stop in for a pint and a friendly chat with Stuart, Catriona and Tony. The winter menu will be available from mid-late September, and we can’t wait to try it out!
Tetbury
Another cute little town in the Cotswolds that luckily isn’t another tourist trap but is filled with loads of shops and charm.
Things to Do:
Chipping Steps
Market House
Highgrove Shop
Westonbirt Arboretum
Westonbirt Village
Food:
The Royal Oak Tetbury
Calcot
The Wild Duck Inn Ewen
Castlecombe
Our 3 day trip to the Cotswolds was amazing and we are very much looking forward to going back! If you’d like to follow our intended route see our itinerary below 🙂
3 Day Itinerary
Day One:
- Chipping Campden
- Snowshill
- Broadway
- Moreton-In Marsh
- Stow on the Wold
- Slaughter
- Bourton on the Water
Day Two
- Cirencester
- Blenheim Palace?
- Burford
- Bibury
- Painswick
- Malmesbury
Day Three:
- Malmesbury
- Tetbury
- Castlecombe
- Lacock
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Fitness, Lifestyle,Traveling and Living Abroad.
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