I’m a big fan of countryside views and being outdoors, and I’m partial to an inglenook fireplace, so visiting the Cotswolds has always been high on my list. You might have even read ‘Why We’re Desperate To Explore The Cotswolds’ published last October on my blog. That’s why I was so excited when we were invited to Lion Inn and the Kings Arms in the Cotswolds for a long weekend with our dog.
We’ve really been embracing staycations recently, with little trips to London, Wales, and even just around Cornwall. Last year we did a lot of travelling and we were crazy busy with planning the wedding, running the business etc. So it’s nice sometimes to just get away and relax without the need to travel too far. It also means we can bring our dog, Alfie, and it’s a good excuse to drive my lovely new Range Rover Evoque.
To get the most out of our long weekend, we set off bright and early. We drove 4 hours from our home in Cornwall to the small town of Winchcombe.
Arriving at the Cotswolds
Located a short 3-minute drive from Sudeley Castle, we checked into the Lion Inn, nestled in the heart of the majestic Cotswolds countryside. Renovated in 2011, the 15th-century coaching inn oozes character and charm. The staff were so friendly when we arrived and they even offered a spare bed for little Alfie.
We flopped on our luxurious Feather and Black mattresses and curled up in the fluffy duvet for a quick power nap before freshening up for dinner in the restaurant.
We were taken back by how incredible the food was in the Lion Inn restaurant. I had salmon for starter, followed by the apricot nut roast, washed down with Garden Seedlip and Fever-Tree tonic.
Sam ordered the T-bone and I regretted being veggie (for about 10 seconds) before I took a mouthful of my meal. We were too full for dessert but the menu looked delish! I’d highly recommend this place if you’re a foodie. The menu was really interesting but also everything just tasted amazing.
Exploring North of the Cotswolds
We made our way to the gorgeous Upper Slaughter, a village 4 miles south-west of Stow-on-the-Wold, before heading to the Lower Slaughter. These little villages are exactly what you imagine when you conjure up an image of the Cotswolds: beautiful honey-stone houses on the river with a backdrop of rolling hills.
Once we’d finished marvelling at the beauty of the smaller villages, we made our way to Bourton on the Water. Bourton on the Water is a charming English village, known as the Venice of the Cotwolds. Situated on the River Windrush with picture-perfect shops decorating the streets, there’s a little bit more to see here.
Finally, we moved onto the delightful market town, Tetbury. In my opinion, my quite as beautiful as the smaller villages above but there were a few more shops and cafes. It was nice to have a good mix of things to see and do throughout the day.
Exploring South of the Cotswolds
The had just gone down when we arrived at our next hotel, the Kings Arms located within the village of Didmarton. We were shown to our room, which had dark wooden beams, vaulted ceiling, and country-views.
The claw-foot bathtub with vegan and environmentally friendly bath & body products was a lovely touch (especially after wandering around in the cold!). We then headed across the court-yard for dinner in the pub.
Similarly to the Lion Inn, the game served in the pub comes direct from the neighbouring country estates, meaning all the produce is of the freshest quality. Once again, this wasn’t your typical pub food, it was exceptional! We were told that all of the food served was homemade and locally sourced.
Once we got back to the room we passed out on the big comfy bed. Sam woke up realising we hadn’t let Alfie out for a wee before bed (it’s a weird sixth sense you get when you have a dog 😂).
I was woken up to Sam calling for me to come outside because it was snowing! I didn’t believe him, so I ran down the stairs half asleep, only to see Alfie running around in snow settled in the ground and still continuing to fall! We almost never get snow in Cornwall, so it was nice to see a bit of white whilst we were on our trip.
We marvelled at the snow for a little but then we went back to sleep. In the morning it’d stopped snowing but there was still a blanket of snow on the roads and the buildings. We had breakfast, which again, was fantastic!
Finally, we rounded off our trip with one of the prettiest villages in the UK, Castle Combe. Located in Wiltshire, about 5 miles northwest of the town of Chippenham, this Instagram-worthy village is both serene and beautiful. Every house we walked past looked like something out of an interiors styling magazine.
It was so quiet. We even spotted the sweetest cake stand with a donation box, all done on honesty.
We had a great time and we’re really excited to go back and explore different areas a little bit more, as we barely touched the surface! Fancy a trip to the Cotswolds, too?
Take advantage of the Wellbeing Escape Package from just £96, which is running until March 31st.
The package includes a healthy breakfast, luxurious Noble Isle bath & body products, a bottle of Kombucha, a glass of fizz or non-alcoholic cocktail, a premium cotton bathrobe, 10% off a future stay and a late, 12pm checkout for a much-needed lie-in. Tell me, can you resist this breakfast!? 👇
