Tuesday 21 March 2017

Gardeners Hotels in the Cotswolds

Gardens in the Cotswolds are a delight especially through the Spring to Autumn main season and it’s true that with some Hotels in the Cotswolds a garden break begins even before you leave your accommodation thanks to some impressive settings. Leading the pack is Barnsley House, which was the home of Rosemary Verey, the celebrated garden designer. The gardens are maintained and are the most beautiful amongst Hotels in the Cotswolds.

Hotels in the CotswoldsThere are honourable mentions too for Charingworth Manor, on it’s hilltop location and Cotswold House which has drawn inspiration from the amazing gardens (such as Hidcote and Kiftsgate) nearby to create a unique hotel garden in a village centre setting. The Manor House in Moreton in Marsh in a surprise garden, step into the hotel from the busy High Street to discover a surprisingly quiet garden at the rear. It’s a lovely space and in demand for weddings. Lords of the Manor has just planted a new herb garden, a nice addition to the classic walled garden at the rear of this most idyllic of Hotels in the Cotswolds. Meanwhile, a stay at Thyme gives the feel of living in an entire Cotswold village, with the walk to the church by the river Leach a haven for wildflowers.
The view from your hotel is also a key part of the pleasure. At Lords of the Manor you can look out over a private 8 acre Cotswold garden, complete with meadow, lake and island. Barnsley House has the distinct advantage of its Rosemary Verey designed garden, unique amongst Cotswold hotels. Step out of the Dial House and you are immediately amongst the hustle and bustle of the Cotswolds’ busiest village. 

Gardens near Hotels in the Cotswolds

The visitor season for Cotswolds gardens really runs from Easter to October, although two arboreta (Westonbirt and Batsford) are certainly worth visiting on any day of the year. Hotels in the Cotswolds benefit from perhaps 20 nationally important gardens within the Cotswolds area.

Hotels in the CotswoldsHidcote Manor is the National Trust flagship, a sequence of ‘rooms’ that draws visitors from the around the world. Kiftsgate Court offers one of the most spectacular sights in any garden, the Kiftsgate rose which grows 25m high up into a nearby tree. Bourton House Garden is popular, featuring herbaceous borders and topiary. Sudeley Castle holds a popular June Rose Week and Painswick Rococo is literally a ‘must see’ if you want to experience a Rococo period garden: it's the only one in the country. Further south in the area, Hotels in the Cotswolds have being relishing the chance to introduce guests to Prince Charles’ Highgrove Garden near Tetbury. It’s become easier to get a ticket recently but you’ll still need to book. The Hare and Hounds hotel offers packages.

We need to make special mention of Autumn in Cotswolds. The Beech tree is the Cotswold tree, often lining the roads and lanes leading to Hotels in the Cotswolds and producing the most fantastic display of copper colours every Autumn.

Tuesday 7 March 2017

Cotswold hotels - the weird and the wonderful.

Cotswold hotels come in various shapes and sizes - one of the joys of a visit here is that standardisation is not an issue.  For example, at Three Ways House hotel, you can stay in a Chocolate Suite, a room dedicated to the subject. chocolate. At Russell’s in Broadway you can sleep surrounded by Gordon Russell furniture and at The Manor House in Moreton in Marsh, options include Apple Cottage, a self-contained retreat for two people complete with its own garden and a hot tub.

Debate continues over which is the quirkiest bedroom amongst Cotswold hotels - at The Painswick you can bathe whilst overlooking an entire Cotswold Valley. The funky bedrooms at Foxhill Manor have been used by members of Take That and Lady Gaga (not at the same time) and if you simply prefer a bit of heritage to provide atmosphere where you sleep, it’s hard to beat The Old Bell at Malmesbury, Britain’s oldest purpose built hotel. 
Cotswolds hotelsThe view from your hotel is also a key part of the pleasure. At Lords of the Manor you can look out over a private 8 acre Cotswold garden, complete with meadow, lake and island. Barnsley House has the distinct advantage of its Rosemary Verey designed garden, unique amongst Cotswold hotels. Step out of the Dial House and you are immediately amongst the hustle and bustle of the Cotswolds’ busiest village. 

Entertainment at Cotswold hotels

The variety on offer isn’t limited to nice bedrooms, the best Cotswold hotels are usually at the centre of village life and often have quirky bars and restaurants to add a little extra to a stay. 

At The Feathers in Woodstock you’ll find the first bar to get into the Guinness Book of Records for the greatest number of gins available on the planet. Today, there are over 400 available, with Gin Experience menus to help you find your way around. 

Cotswolds hotelsThe Pudding Club is based at the Three Ways House hotel in Mickleton. Regular meetings, where puddings are celebrated, are open to all. Foxhill  Manor or Dormy House can arrange a Segway Safari for you, Russell’s in Broadway happens to also run a very fine fish and chip restaurant whilst the team at Lords of the Manor are always happy to show you the ancient wine cellars. Cotswold hotels don’t come much more ‘Cotswold’
than the Swan at Bibury, with its views over Rack Island to Arlington Row, one of the most photographed places in England.  Thyme, a gem of property in Southrop offers an in-house CookerySchool.  A stay in one of these Cotswold hotels offers a little more. 

Cotswold hotels can be hard to leave, but relax. You could always plan your return visit to a Cotswolds Finest hotel on your way home.