Pre-Lockdown, I'd not explored all that much of the UK. Sure, I'd done yearly family holidays growing up, to some obscure cottage in the middle of nowhere where my parents would drag me on walks in the rain and I'd mainly stay glued to the TV (we didn't have a TV so it was very exciting when we went somewhere that did). But in recent years the lure of cheap flights to exotic locales - with guaranteed good weather and usually better food - would prevail.
However 2020 has brought with it, amongst other things, the rebirth of the staycation. Us city-dwellers are flocking to the fresh air and relatively covid-free space of the countryside in our droves. The cottage core aesthetic has blossomed. We'd all generally rather be tending to our chickens wearing billowing peasant blouses in our thatched country cottage gardens than stuck in our pokey city flats starved of space.
As such I found myself pining for Autumn in the Cotswolds. An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (yep, that's an official term), the Cotswolds is a rural area of England distinguished by its picturesque villages and small towns made up of equally picture postcard traditional cottages. It's pretty much peak cottage core come to life.
The Cotswolds are charming at any time of year, but I found myself really yearning to see it in full Autumn colours. Cosy neighbourhood pubs disguised in swathes of red ivy, country manors surrounded by rust leaves, misty mornings and bracing walks... It's quintessentially British Autumn, and I wanted in.
As such I packed myself a bag and headed out on a 24 hour whistle stop road trip to explore the area. Only 2 hours drive from London, it's easy enough to get to, but poles apart and a welcome escape from the bleak muddle of concrete and glass of the metropolis.
I wanted to share a few highlights of the trip, including where we stayed and some of the many photogenic villages we passed through. This is by no means a comprehensive Autumn in the Cotswolds guide. However hopefully a small peek into one of the UK's most beautiful regions at it's most charming.
Where to stay in the Cotswolds
Castle Combe and The Manor House Hotel
(press stay)
The village of Castle Combe is probably one of the most well known (and certainly most snapped), particularly at Autumn in the Cotswolds. Tiny though it may be, it attracts flocks of tourists year round thanks to its quaint cottages and vista over the By Brook. There's not much beyond a couple of pubs, but it's nonetheless worth visiting if you're looking for that quintessentially Cotswolds village.
One of the main draws of the village is the The Manor House Hotel, a 14th century luxury hotel known for its golf course. It had been high up on my bucket list for so long, so I knew I had to stay there on this trip. During Autumn The Manor is at its most beautiful as the leaves that crawl up its facade slowly turn red.
The Manor has both rooms within the main house, and a row of mews cottages, all completely unique. We were lucky enough to stay in a cottage, with a spacious sitting room and bedroom spread out over two floors. It had all the charm of a cosy country cottage, but with the modern touches and functionality of a luxury hotel.
For dinner we dined at the Castle Inn, mere yards from our cottage. I was expecting a standard hearty pub fare but the menu was far more ambitious than your usual local village pub. I ate an excellent red wine Herefordshire beef cheek with cabbage and mash, and it far surpassed my expectations. I know it's cliche but the beef was genuinely melt-in-mouth, and the red wine sauce perfectly accentuated its flavour. My guest tried the baked aubergine with chickpea chilli and was equally impressed.
If you're heading to the Cotswolds and looking to spend a night or two, the Manor House Hotel is such a unique slice of English countryside living. It feels like a haven tucked away from the frenzy of real life (2020 in particular!), somewhere to relax, reset, and enjoy the country's bountiful natural beauty.
Bibury
Bibury was easily the busiest village on our stop, positively bustling with tourists snapping pictures of the oh so photogenic houses. And with good reason - it's best known for Arlington Row, a row of charming cottages that have become synonymous with the area. We didn't stop by for long so I can't comment on things to do, but it looked like everyone was just here for photos anyway!
Pub Lunch at The Bull, Fairford
Sadly a lot of local pubs in the smaller villages we drove through were shut due to Covid, so we were pretty starving by the time we found our way to The Bull in Fairford, one of the bigger towns (as in, there's more than one restaurant!). I'm definitely more the advanced planner kind of traveller so rocking up somewhere to eat with no idea what it's like makes me nervous, but at this point anywhere open was a win. However I need not have worried. A Grade II listed coaching inn that serves both as traditional pub and hotel, The Bull had a generous menu of pub classics and solid vegetarian options.
I opted for the fish and chips, which was offered in both a half and full serving. I had the half and honestly it was a perfect portion, enough to fill me up without feeling uncomfortably full. And it was well done, the batter crispy but not greasy with a healthy serving of classic pub chips. We sadly didn't get to dessert but the options looked really good, so try to save space!
Lower and Upper Slaughter
Despite the dubious names (I wonder what came first, the word slaughter or the villages...?), Upper and Lower Slaughter are an idyllic pair of villages in the heart of the Cotswolds. A large part of their charm is owed to their position on the picturesque River Eye. Lower Slaughter also boasts a Mill which is open to the public and attached to a cafe.
They're conveniently positioned next to Bourton-on-the-Water, a bigger and also very photogenic town, if you're doing a walking route. In typical British style, it started raining just as we pulled up into Lower Slaughter, so we didn't spend a huge amount of time exploring the villages sadly. A reason to return!
Southrop
We drove down to Southrop in anticipation of lunch at the well reviewed The Swan pub. Why are all pubs called The Swan, I hear you ask? That I could not tell you, however I can inform you that The Swan is closed till further notice. Alas, Covid strikes again! Nonetheless, the pub boasted one of the most striking displays of Autumn colour we saw on our trip, and offered quite the Instagram backdrop despite the shuttered up windows. If you visit, let me know what the food is like!
Stow-On-The-Wold
A market town, Stow-on-the-Wold is a tad bigger than the majority of villages on this list, but equally worthy of a visit. It's best known (on Instagram, at least!), for the famous door at St Edwards Church (pictured above). Looks like something out of a fantasy tale, doesn't it? Well fun fact, this door is said to have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien’s Doors of Durin. Whether this is simply myth is unknown, but it definitely looks like it would lead to a mystical new world! Again, it started raining just as we arrived in Stow (of course it was dry the entire time we were driving, sod's law) so we didn't get a proper look round the town, but the church alone was deserving of the journey!
I hope this little look into Autumn in the Cotswolds has inspired you to take a trip to visit this beautiful part of the UK. There's so many other towns and villages that contribute to the charm of The Cotswolds and are worthy of featuring, however we just didn't have time to make it through them all on this trip. If you've been to the area, let me know your recommendations in the comments!
What beautiful photographs! I love the Cotswolds, went there back in January this year. x
Zoey | http://www.zoeyolivia.com