Blenheim PalaceFred van Wijk / Alamy Stock Photo
5. Peek inside a country pile
In the 13th and 14th centuries, the Cotswolds became affluent due to the money made from the wool trade. The result was the construction of stately manors, churches and palaces which still stand today. Now, many are open to the public or have been turned into grand dame Cotswolds hotels. Berkeley Castle was built in the 12th century – a Norman fortress with an enclosing wall. Stanway Castle, meanwhile, is a Jacobean manor house with a very pretty garden. The show stealer is Blenheim Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only non-royal country house in England to have the title of palace which was the birthplace and ancestral home of Winston Churchill.
6. Go antique shopping
The Cotswolds is well loved for shopping – for organic produce, homewares and antiques. At Blighty Antiques in Twigworth, where you’ll discover quirky country house pieces from beautiful mirrors and furniture to lighting. Tetbury is dotted with antique stores – Amy Perry Antiques has hand-dyed linens, glass vases and distressed chests of drawers, while Lorfords Antiques is a blow-the-budget showroom.
Thyme, Cotswolds
7. Relax at a world-class spa
It makes sense that the Cotswolds – with its beautiful views and serene, slower pace of life – is home to a smattering of smart spas. At Thyme, a village-like hotel, the Meadow Spa has a gorgeous outdoor swimming pool and a curated list of probiotic treatments in partnership with Aurelia London. Calcot Spa, meanwhile, offers Elemis facials, massages and reflexology.
8. Go to a festival
All that green, open space is ripe for the picking when it comes to festival season. There are splashy music festivals such as Wilderness to bag tickets to (the 2024 line up is yet to be announced). Food and drink festivals include the Cotswold Beer Festival and The Big Feastival (where globally renowned chefs such as James Cochran and Clare Smyth can often be spotted wandering the grounds). And there are more niche festivals to get stuck into, too – Barn on the Farm spotlights folk music, for example.
9. Go on a hot air balloon
One of the most enticing things to do when visiting the Cotswolds is soaking up the region’s glorious vistas by hiking across rolling hills and sweeping valleys. The best way to get the lay of the land? From above – by way of a hot air balloon. Wake up early to catch the sunrise as you rise above the towns and villages, and golden light bathes the patchwork of lush green fields and gorgeous Cotswolds stone buildings. Virgin Balloons offer flights from various locations, including Evesham, Shipston-on-Stour, Evesham, Tewkesbury and Prestbury, taking guests on tours across some of the Cotswolds’ most iconic villages.
