A winter guide to the Cotswolds

Places

A winter guide to the Cotswolds

It gets even more magical at this time of year with snowglobe villages, frosty walks, must-seek-out shops and cosy corners to warm up in — here's how to enjoy the Cotswolds in winter

Emma Spedding

BY Emma Spedding10 January 2023

The villages in the Cotswolds are like stepping into one of Richard Curtis’s daydreams; rows of charming cottages, historic pubs, the ideal escape from city life. And while the Cotswolds certainly puts on a good show in the summer, when climbing flowers and blooming cottage gardens add even more charm and vibrancy to the iconic golden stone buildings, there is something equally special about spending a cosy weekend here in winter or early spring.

Not only is this the quietest time of the year to visit, but with potential snow, mist and moody skies, the landscape becomes even more dramatic and beautiful. Whether it’s a hot toddy in front of a roaring fire or having a steaming alfresco aromatherapy bath, this is a place to bunker down, indulge and explore — and these are some of the best places to visit in the Cotswolds in winter.

Since it spans five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire) and 800 square miles, we could list endless restaurants and villages to visit. But if you only have 48 hours in the Cotswolds, here is a slightly more manageable selection of places we recommend…

EAT AND DRINK

The Swan at Thyme

The Swan at Thyme | Mr & Mrs Smith

Given this list is all about cosy winter destinations, we have naturally decided to focus on pubs that serve hearty classics. After all, what is a brisk walk without the promise of roast potatoes at the end?

The Swan is in the beautiful village of Southrop (where Kate Moss got married) and first opened in 1606 as a bakehouse serving bread and ale. The inn has been renovated under the same project as the Thyme hotel, and is relaxed and homely, with well-loved wooden furniture, floral arm chairs, low beams and baskets filled with wood for the roaring fires.

Before you ask, of course it serves a fantastic Sunday roast every week — we recommend leaving room for the apple crumble or sticky toffee pudding. 

Cowley Manor Experimental

The Cotswolds classic Cowley Manor has been rebranded by the chic French brand Experimental, and reopened after a slick makeover with a new restaurant by star British chef Jackson Boxer at the helm. Boxer has also recently turned his considerable talents to sister stay Henrietta Hotel in Covent Garden, where his classic French bistro Henri serves perfectly executed Gallic favourites to hotel guests and discerning Londoners alike.

From a spot overlooking the (hopefully iced-over and glistening) lake at the Cotswolds manor, enjoy an unpretentious menu of oysters, côte de boeuf to share or roasted cod with fennel butter and smoked tomatoes. The meal starts on a positive note, with Gloucestershire Old Spot croquettes and Stinking Bishop gougères available as snacks to accompany your expertly mixed cocktail.

The Pig in the Cotswolds

Old favourite Barnsley House, of original-boutique-hotel and Rosemary Verey-gardens fame, has just been acquired by the Pig group to form the Pig in the Cotswolds, in the village of Barnsley, just outside of Cirencester. Helpfully, the listed 17th-century manor house already has a village pub attached, so you won’t be far from the Pig’s famously locally sourced menu. Ready for a scenic post-dinner stroll are the original arts and crafts-style gardens. Inside, the house has all the nooks and crannies that the Pig brand has come to specialise in — no-one quite does higgledy-piggledy this well.

The Wild Rabbit at Kingham

This ancient inn has been lovingly restored by Lady Carole Bamford, the mastermind of the Daylesford empire. It’s an idyllic and stylised take on a country pub — there are even topiaried rabbits either side of the entrance and, yes, lots of Farrow and Ball is involved.

It’s not all about aesthetics at the Wild Rabbit, however: the menu is comfort food at its finest, with seasonal produce sourced from the Daylesford estate, which is a short walk away. We recommend working off your lunch with a stroll through postcard-cute Kingham, and playing a game of ‘which cottage will I move to one day’. 

The Cotswolds Distillery

If you want to learn something while you drink, try the gin-blending masterclass at the Cotswolds Distillery, where you will learn all about the history of this spirit while sipping on a G&T.

You’ll have a tour of the distillery before blending your own gin with a range of botanicals and finish the evening making a martini with your bespoke blend. 

The Double Red Duke

Though it’s also rather dreamy in the summer — when its beer garden springs to life with red and white striped parasols, frozen margs and perfectly topped flatbreads — the Double Red Duke in the Oxfordshire village of Clanfield at the edge of the Cotswolds is a warm, welcoming place to while away a bleak midwinter day. You can feast on woodfired aubergine and miso dip, and rotisserie chicken with lemon aioli by a log fire, before retiring to one of its guestrooms, many of which favour the bath tub as centrepiece: one has a red and white freestanding tub in its own alcove, another a super-deep copper soaker.

SHOP

Sasha Wilkins: Found Studio Barn

Fashion writer Sasha Wilkins (also known as Liberty London Girl) has moved to the Cotswolds and is focusing on her growing passion for antiques. She has an amazing eye for vintage china, framed maps and colourful glassware, among other things, and has a studio barn on the Miserden Estate where you can rummage through her finds.

This is a small operation, so you can either order items directly on her Instagram account or send a message to book an appointment to visit the studio. 

Daylesford Organic

Daylesford Organic is now an institution in the Cotswolds and a place you simply must visit if you’re nearby. This sustainable farm near Kingham was founded by the aforementioned Lady Carole Bamford two decades ago and has now expanded to be a remarkable success story and a brand loved for its beautiful organic produce and refined countryside aesthetic.

It has a farm-to-table philosophy — fruit and vegetables are harvested from the market garden on-site, cheese is produced in the creamery and beautiful breads are made in the bakery.

There is so much to do at Daylesford, from cooking courses, to wreath-making classes, to browsing the homeware shop. There are also three restaurants next to the shop, so you don’t need to wait to get home to see how special the produce is.

Antiques hunting in Stow-on-the-Wold 

There’s nothing like rummaging through antiques shops on a Saturday afternoon, and Stow-on-the-Wold has a reputation for being one of the best places for furniture and art galleries.

Grab a cup of tea and have a meander through this beautiful hilltop town keeping your eyes peeled for treasures.

EXPLORE

Blenheim Palace

Many of the houses and gardens in the Cotswolds are closed to visitors in the winter, but Blenheim Palace is a special place to visit at any time of the year. This is one of the largest homes in England, given to the 1st Duke of Malborough in 1704. Later, it was the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.

It’s as grand as you’d expect, and we recommend you prioritise seeing the formal gardens and the state rooms.

Bicester Village

You’ll have heard of Bicester Village — the designer outlet centre on the edge of the Cotswolds — and it can make for the perfect addition to a weekend in the countryside.

There is a huge selection of designer brands, such as Prada, Gucci and Burberry, along with homeware and beauty brands, such as Soho Home, the White Company and Jo Malone. If your tolerance for crowds/shopping is pretty low, though, you can also relax at Soho House-sprung eateries Cecconi’s and Farmshop.

Arlington Row in Bibury

Arlington Row in Bibury goes by another name — either ‘the prettiest street in the Cotswolds’ or ‘the most photographed street in the country.’

It’s simply a cluster of quaint stone cottages with slate roofs, so if you’re in the area it is worth wandering through the village and fantasising about a cottage-based future. (Fun fact: this street is a popular filming location and was used for Bridget Jones’s Diary.)

A foraging walk 

The Cotswolds have the most beautiful landscape for long hikes and there are so many popular trails to explore, but we also recommend trying a foraging walk, where you can get out in nature while also learning more about the plants you are strolling among.

The Cotswolds Forager offers private two-and-a-half-hour walks for up to four people, from £150 (more on weekends and holidays). In this time, you’ll learn about how you can use foraged food in your cooking and the health benefits of these plants. And, for an extra charge, he can even arrange a private chef to cook you a special meal afterwards, using the spoils from your walk. 

UNWIND

Eynsham Baths at Estelle Manor

One of the most buzzed-about openings in the Cotswolds in recent years has been Estelle Manor, brought to you by the founder of the Mayfair members’ club Maison Estelle — whose earlier career saw him start the Ennismore brand, responsible for the Hoxton hotels. The Oxfordshire manor has much to be pleased about, but it’s the spectacular spa, modelled on traditional Roman baths (yes, there are columns), that make it perfect for a Cotswolds winter break.

At the edge of an ancient forest, the 3,000-square-metre sanctuary has all the pilasters, stone columns and warm waters you’d hope for — the neoclassical architecture was inspired by the ruins of a Roman villa discovered close to the estate. The thermal journey is a must to remove any winter chills. You’ll take in the frigidarium, caldarium, tepidarium and hay sauna, and leave feeling toasty, whatever the outside air temperature.

The Meadow Spa at Thyme

Thyme is one of the most special places to stay in the Cotswolds; a boutique hotel designed to be a ‘village within a village’. Prior to opening, a large-scale restoration project of the manor house, farm buildings and cottages on the magical Southrop Manor Estate took place, with the most thoughtful attention to detail.

The Meadow Spa is one of the most beautiful (and photographed) spas in the UK — it has a beautiful homely feel, with exquisite sage-green tiles and vintage-style chairs, an aesthetic that makes you instantly relax. We recommend indulging in the Botanical Bothy Signature Ritual: a 90-minute treatment of breathwork and techniques to release tension and restore calm.

There are two beautiful outdoor tuba where you finish the treatment with a herbal bath in front of a roaring fire on a private veranda. What a way to soak in the countryside.

Try sound-healing or yoga at Bamford Spa

Daylesford is not just a place for browsing organic groceries and high-end homeware. The Bamford Spa has a full timetable of classes, from sound-healing with alchemy crystal singing bowls in the afternoon to early-morning vitality yoga.

For more inspiration on where to stay in the area, see our boutique hotels in the Cotswolds