A Cosy Weekend In The Cotswolds: Where To Stay, Eat & Explore
Last updated on May 14th, 2026
There’s something really special about The Cotswolds that’s hard to explain until you visit for yourself.
From beautiful cottages and cosy countryside pubs to farm shops, independent businesses, and picturesque villages, it genuinely feels like stepping into another world.
What surprised us most was just how big The Cotswolds actually is. Spanning over six counties, it’s the largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in England and Wales, with so many charming towns, hidden gems, countryside hotels, and beautiful places to explore.
Whether you’re visiting for a relaxing weekend, countryside walks, boutique hotels, or simply to slow down for a few days, The Cotswolds is one of those places that leaves you wanting to come back again and again.
Here’s how we spent our cosy weekend in The Cotswolds!
Don’t have time to read?
Here are my top recommended hotels in the Cotswolds
The Trout at Tadpole Bridge ★★★★
The Swan Hotel ★★★★
The Highway Hotel ★★★★
The Plough Inn ★★★
Mollie’s Oxford ★★★
Day 1: A Cosy Hotel Stay, Exploring Stow-on-the-Wold & Comfort Food
When researching hotels to stay in the Cotswolds, the Trout at Tadpole Bridge immediately caught my eye and I am so happy we stayed there.
The hotel is absolutely beautiful and honestly feels more like a cosy countryside home than a hotel. There are only six rooms onsite which creates such a peaceful and intimate atmosphere. Three of the rooms are dog friendly too which is perfect if you’re travelling with your dog, and this comes at an additional cost of £20 per night!
We booked the Classic Double Room which was the Shakespeare room and loved every part of our stay. The room had a huge king-size bed, ensuite bathroom and shower, a large TV, and complimentary cookies (which were delicious) waiting for us which was such a lovely touch.
Everything about the room felt cosy and thoughtfully designed, and after spending the day outside in the cold it was the perfect place to come back to and relax.
Other Hotel Options In The Cotswolds
If you’re looking for other places to stay in the Cotswolds, I would recommend these beautiful options that I found whilst researching for the best places to stay:
Exploring Stow-on-the-Wold
After checking in, we headed to Stow-on-the-Wold which quickly became one of our favourite places we visited during the trip.
The village is filled with independent shops, cosy cafes, bakeries, homeware stores, and beautiful coloured buildings everywhere you look.
One of my favourite spots was Talbot Court which is a a small courtyard tucked away with lovely independent businesses and cafes. It was so quiet when we went but during high season you can expect large crowds there!
We popped into the Curated Store which is one of those places where you could easily spend ages wandering around. It spans over two floors and is filled with homeware, artwork, jewellery, candles, clothing and stationary. They do rotate their products every month too!
There is a lovely bakery there called Otis & Belle which I would highly recommend. We tried the cruffin (croissant and muffin) and white chocolate chip brownie and honestly they were incredible.
The cruffin flavours change often as we had salted caramel, so you can ask what flavour they have available on the day. The pastries felt indulgent without being overly sweet and were genuinely some of the best bakery treats we’ve had in a long time.
I would honestly go back to The Cotswolds just for those pastries alone!
There’s also a really cute pet shop and groomers called The Stylish Hound filled with adorable dog toys, treats, accessories, and clothing for your fluffy friend!
Visiting The Famous Tolkien Door
Just a few minutes walk away from Talbot Court, we visited the famous Tolkien Door at St Edward’s Church.
The doorway is rumoured to have inspired the Doors of Durin from The Lord of the Rings and honestly it really does look like something straight out of a fantasy book.
It’s definitely a popular attraction and there were lots of people gathered around taking photos in front of it.
What surprised us though was how many people took a photo and immediately left afterwards!
We decided to wander inside the church itself and it ended up being one of the most peaceful moments of the whole trip. The stained glass windows were beautiful and despite how busy it was outside, inside felt completely silent and calm.
The Oldest Inn In England?
While wandering around the village we also passed The Porch House which is believed to be one of the oldest inns in England.
You can stay overnight at the Porch House or simply stop by for a drink while exploring the village.
Stow-on-the-Wold is honestly such a lovely place to wander around slowly. There are charity shops, clothing boutiques including Holland Cooper, cosy cafes, pubs, and little hidden corners everywhere you look.
Dinner At The Trout At Tadpole Bridge
For dinner we ate at The Trout at Tadpole Bridge which was conveniently just a minute walk away from our room.
The restaurant has such a cosy countryside pub atmosphere with warm lighting, wooden interiors, and such a calming ambience even though it was quite busy.
We ordered the beef burger and sea bass for mains and the sticky toffee pudding and berry crumble and it was delicious. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, comforting and so full of flavour.
Day 2: Farm Shops & Cosy Villages
The next morning we headed to the famous Daylesford Organic which is known as one of the most luxurious farm shops in the UK and honestly… it was huge.
Inside you’ll find everything from organic fruit and vegetables, wines, homeware, kitchen accessories, dog accessories, custom hampers and even natural cleaning products! Everything is so beautifully presented and you can really tell the quality of items are great too.
I bought my mum a bottle of rosé from there and she absolutely loved it.
You could genuinely spend hours wandering around here because there’s so much to see and you’ll probably leave with some goodies too!
Diddly Squat Farm Shop
We originally planned to visit Diddly Squat Farm Shop owned by Jeremy Clarkson from Clarkson’s Farm.
Unfortunately, we visited on a Monday and didn’t realise it’s closed on Mondays :(. It’s open every other day from 9:30am – 4:30pm so I would highly recommend the visit.
A Hidden Gem We Accidentally Found
Instead, we accidentally stumbled upon Todenham Manor Farm which is a lovely small farm shop with a restaurant right next door. Outside there was a stall selling fresh organic fruit and vegetables, and inside you can find fresh bread, eggs, organic produce, a butcher counter, ready meals and so much more! Everything looked so fresh and high quality.
Right next door we found The Herd Farm Shop & Kitchen which has a really cosy atmosphere as it’s so warm and cosy inside with fluffy chairs and intimate seating areas. They have seasonal menus so you will expect different items throughout the year. They also serve a delicious roast dinner throughout the year!
The Best Sunday Roast We Had
One of the highlights of the trip was accidentally discovering The Plough Inn while searching for a Sunday roast and wow.. this was honestly the best roast dinner I have had!
This picture says it all…
The portions were huge, everything was so fresh and still so warm even though we came just before closing time. The best part was that it was only £21 for a roast dinner and for that size it is incredible value for money.
I loved how the atmosphere felt so cosy and really local as so many people walking in were greeting one another. You really felt a sense of community which is lovely coming from a busy city like London. It felt like time slowed down for a while, surrounded by families laughing and catching up over comforting food.
Exploring Chipping Norton
On the way back we stopped at Chipping Norton which is around a 20-minute drive from Stow-on-the-Wold. It’s another beautiful town filled with cafes, restaurants, independent businesses and various charity shops to have a look around.
Our favourite shop was Hyde & Home and if you visit you will understand why. The shop is packed from floor to ceiling with unique pieces including plants, homeware, clothing, gifts. decorative pieces and items so unique you won’t find them anywhere else!
We also had a chat with the owner who told us he doesn’t have an online shop and prefers to keep it as a physical only shop as he loves seeing people discovering items in person rather than endlessly scrolling online. The entire shop changes themes every few months too which makes it even more fun to go and explore.
The Best Sausage Roll
Before making our way back to London, we stopped at MOR Bakery which is on the high street and had one of the best sausage rolls we’ve ever tasted (no exaggeration). Our original aim was to buy some fresh bread but the lovely lady told us their bread sells out first thing in the morning so keep that in mind.
Everything in MOR is freshly made in-house using quality ingredients and honestly you can really taste the difference. You honestly want to try everything that they have!
Random side note but they gave us a sachet of Stokes ketchup with our sausage roll and it may genuinely be the best ketchup I have tasted.
Final Thoughts
Well, that sums up our beautiful weekend in The Cotswolds!
What I loved most about this trip was how peaceful and cosy everything felt. Even though we went during the colder months, there’s still so many things to do and explore. So, if you are looking for a UK countryside getaway to unwind for a few days that’s filled with beautiful villages, incredible food, countryside pubs, great farm shops, then I would absolutely recommend visiting The Cotswolds.
FAQs
When is the best time to visit The Cotswolds?
The Cotswolds is beautiful all year round, but it depends on what you’re looking for.
During the winter months (December-February) especially December you will find it is very busy especially the lead up to Christmas. The Cotswolds is a beautiful place to visit during Christmas as there are markets and you can find unique gifts for friends and family. January and February are much quieter, colder and more peaceful. You will also find that hotels are much cheaper and have great deals during these months.
Spring time which is March-May is perfect for countryside walks, outdoor pubs and exploring. The weather does get warmer but in the UK it is still unpredictable so you may have cold, wet days too!
Summer is the busiest season in the Cotswolds (June-August) so expect larger crowds, queues at popular spots and considerably higher hotel prices. The atmosphere is incredible during the summer so it’s worth going just for that!
Autumn is when the season begins to quieten down (September-November) so you’ll find fewer crowds, cosy atmospheres and lovely weather for a countryside adventure.
Do you need a car in The Cotswolds?
Yes, I would highly recommend having a car when visiting The Cotswolds.
Many villages, countryside hotels, pubs, and farm shops are spread out, and public transport between smaller villages can be limited. Driving also allows you to discover hidden gems and explore at your own pace.
How many days do you need in The Cotswolds?
A weekend is perfect for seeing a few villages, enjoying countryside pubs, and exploring farm shops.
However, if you really want to experience multiple villages at a slower pace, I would say 3–5 days would be ideal. If you can, I would also recommend visiting during Christmas and Summer too.
Is The Cotswolds expensive?
The Cotswolds can be expensive depending on where you stay and eat, especially during summer and festive periods. However, there are also affordable pubs, budget-friendly stays, beautiful villages to explore for free, and cosy local cafes, so it can absolutely be enjoyed on different budgets.
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