JOURNAL #18 - A WEEKENDER IN THE COTSWOLDS
For weekenders wanting a quintessential English experience, try The Cotswolds. From traditional Cotswold stone villages and quirky accommodation to surprising areas of natural beauty it has it all. It is a large area covering multiple counties and too much to see and do in one weekend, so pick your highlights and plan your visit.
We were travelling with both dogs at the weekend who are still quite young and excitable, so we have some restrictions but still managed to find lots to see with plenty of dog-friendly places to eat.
What to do
There’s something for everyone with its scenic walks, picturesque villages and loads of history. We started with a morning in Moreton-in-Marsh. It was just as well we had the dogs with us, otherwise I’d have spent the rest of the morning checking out all the independent shops and boutiques. We had a walk around the Minster Lovell Hall ruins near Witney. In our family it’s what we call a ‘ruined castle’, definitely not liveable in or just needing some refurbishment. It is free to visit during the day but not advised after dark, either because it’s not safe to wander round or the ghosts of a lost groom and knight on horseback that have been seen.
The afternoon was spent exploring Evenley Wood Garden which had lots of trails, woodlands, plenty of parking and they allow dogs on leads. We had a late lunch there sitting outside under their tented gazebos.
On Sunday morning we took it a bit slower and took an extended walk around Naunton before heading back home.
Where to eat
There’s so much on offer from tea-rooms to pubs to fine dining with farm shops for those in self-catering or wanting to buy a picnic lunch. We’d recommend Rixy’s Cotswold Tearoom in Moreton-in-Marsh for coffee and Evenley Wood for lunch. We also visited the infamous Daylesford Farmshop to pick up dinner for that night and breakfast the following morning – it was quite busy on a Saturday afternoon which was probably a good thing for my wallet.
Where to stay
We stayed in a tiny, but cosy cottage in Naunton. It had 2 bedrooms and was spread over 3 floors, still with the original fireplace. The owner had done a marvellous job restoring it and we felt very much at home. We did wonder though how people in times gone by brought up large families in such a modest cottage. We enjoy self-catering and have found it works well when travelling with dogs. Have a look at our Dog Packing List for ideas of what to pack. We found taking the dog blankets especially useful as the cottage had the original flagstone floors, so the dogs had somewhere warm to lie when not in their beds. Straight out the front door there were plenty of short and longer walks to go on.
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