First, I need to thank a friend for pointing out a horrible error I made in my last post (in several places). I like grammar and I like proper spelling and when it's wrong I would rather know than a) be oblivious, or b) be annoyed when told I'm in the wrong. So thank you, Mrs P!
The Cotswolds were lovely. I had images in my head of what to expect: posh houses, greenery, Kate Moss hanging around. Two out of three isn't bad, right?!
I mentioned in my previous entry that Brighton was our original destination. We changed direction to the Cotswolds after we realised that Brighton was having some sort of technology conference, and Bridport (where Broadchurch was partially filmed) was too far away and likely to be a hard sell to people who had not heard of, let alone watched, Broadchurch. Cottage hires were plentiful but finding one in the right area for the right price was interesting. A few places I contacted wanted well over £1000 for 2 nights! I know it's a posh area and all, but seriously? A 3 bed house behind a hotel for £1000? No thanks.
We found Maisons de Meecham through a holiday lettings site. Fantastic price, beautiful house...could anything be wrong with it? Nope! 4 bedrooms, 2 with en-suites (perfect for the 2 adult couples), massive kitchen, dining room and lounge. Throw in the beautiful garden, with a big play-sturcture for the kids and BBQ (and outside dining)...it was perfect. The adults wound up at the pub across the street on the Friday night, only to find new management sorting our their new menu and the woman who managed the property happy to make conversation as we waited to be seated. I would go back in a heartbeat, and would book their house in France if in the area as well.
On the Saturday, my dad, step-mom, Josh, the baby and I head off on a self-guided tour. Lonely Planet England had a Cotswolds tour to follow so we figured it was worth it. It wasn't until our 3rd or 4th stop that I noticed it was a walking tour over two days. Oh well, we still followed it. Our first stop was Stanton. Tiny village with a couple of beautiful houses and a war memorial. We then drove past Upper and Lower Swell as we made our way Upper Slaughter. We parked our car in Upper Slaughter at Lords of the Manor, which was full for lunch and far more posh than any of us were dressed for. We chose to walk to Lower Slaughter, about 3/4 of a mile. The scenery was gorgeous. So worth the walk!
After lunch at the Slaughters Country Inn, we continued our drive (Josh had to run in the rain to get the car, thank you sweetie!!). In Stow-On-Wold my step-mom and I grabbed some breakfast items for Father's Day breakfast. We didn't stray too far from the town centre. Next was Moreton-On-Marsh, where we got a fantastic parking spot and picked up cheese, crackers, bread and wine for dinner. From there we drove past Bourton-On-The-Hill and found ourselves on the road toward Broadway and not Chipping Campden. Possibly a good choice? Broadway was beautiful. Picturesque and lovely.
We then turned toward Snowshill and hoped to see the home of Bridget Jones' parents, which is in Snowshill, but we didn't find it. I will admit, we didn't look hard. (I should mention here that Josh and I have walked past Bridget Jones' London flat many a time!) At that point, the baby needed to not be in a car seat and we needed to get back to the kids. Lonely Planet said that the tiny village of Stanton was not to be missed so we decided it was worth it to go and see. Worth it? Oh yes. If you have a picture of the Cotswolds in your mind, Stanton should be it.
After Stanton we headed back to Haresfield and returned to 2 happy kids and a happy teenager. Dinner and dessert followed. We made plans for the next day...Oxford.
The Cotswolds were lovely. I had images in my head of what to expect: posh houses, greenery, Kate Moss hanging around. Two out of three isn't bad, right?!
 |
| Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter. |
I mentioned in my previous entry that Brighton was our original destination. We changed direction to the Cotswolds after we realised that Brighton was having some sort of technology conference, and Bridport (where Broadchurch was partially filmed) was too far away and likely to be a hard sell to people who had not heard of, let alone watched, Broadchurch. Cottage hires were plentiful but finding one in the right area for the right price was interesting. A few places I contacted wanted well over £1000 for 2 nights! I know it's a posh area and all, but seriously? A 3 bed house behind a hotel for £1000? No thanks.
We found Maisons de Meecham through a holiday lettings site. Fantastic price, beautiful house...could anything be wrong with it? Nope! 4 bedrooms, 2 with en-suites (perfect for the 2 adult couples), massive kitchen, dining room and lounge. Throw in the beautiful garden, with a big play-sturcture for the kids and BBQ (and outside dining)...it was perfect. The adults wound up at the pub across the street on the Friday night, only to find new management sorting our their new menu and the woman who managed the property happy to make conversation as we waited to be seated. I would go back in a heartbeat, and would book their house in France if in the area as well.
On the Saturday, my dad, step-mom, Josh, the baby and I head off on a self-guided tour. Lonely Planet England had a Cotswolds tour to follow so we figured it was worth it. It wasn't until our 3rd or 4th stop that I noticed it was a walking tour over two days. Oh well, we still followed it. Our first stop was Stanton. Tiny village with a couple of beautiful houses and a war memorial. We then drove past Upper and Lower Swell as we made our way Upper Slaughter. We parked our car in Upper Slaughter at Lords of the Manor, which was full for lunch and far more posh than any of us were dressed for. We chose to walk to Lower Slaughter, about 3/4 of a mile. The scenery was gorgeous. So worth the walk!
 |
| Between Upper and Lower Slaughter. |
After lunch at the Slaughters Country Inn, we continued our drive (Josh had to run in the rain to get the car, thank you sweetie!!). In Stow-On-Wold my step-mom and I grabbed some breakfast items for Father's Day breakfast. We didn't stray too far from the town centre. Next was Moreton-On-Marsh, where we got a fantastic parking spot and picked up cheese, crackers, bread and wine for dinner. From there we drove past Bourton-On-The-Hill and found ourselves on the road toward Broadway and not Chipping Campden. Possibly a good choice? Broadway was beautiful. Picturesque and lovely.
 |
| Stow-On-Wold. |
We then turned toward Snowshill and hoped to see the home of Bridget Jones' parents, which is in Snowshill, but we didn't find it. I will admit, we didn't look hard. (I should mention here that Josh and I have walked past Bridget Jones' London flat many a time!) At that point, the baby needed to not be in a car seat and we needed to get back to the kids. Lonely Planet said that the tiny village of Stanton was not to be missed so we decided it was worth it to go and see. Worth it? Oh yes. If you have a picture of the Cotswolds in your mind, Stanton should be it.
After Stanton we headed back to Haresfield and returned to 2 happy kids and a happy teenager. Dinner and dessert followed. We made plans for the next day...Oxford.
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