I’ve been on a little staycation, and today I’m here to tell you all about it. For the last two years I’ve learnt the power of a Christmas vacay – last year I went on a girly Christmas market trip to Berlin, and the year before that was a November trip to Malta – but this year we’re all obviously a little more limited, thanks to the C-word. During a week where the news was filled with upbeat updates on how we’re all moving forward, it was lovely to get a glimpse of what travelling used to – and sooner than later, could – be like.
When we were planning our little getaway we found a lot of posts on Bourton on the Water, or Castle Combe – which are also on my bucket list anyway – but in the end we decided to go a little more off the map, and we chose a small village called Chedworth. Now, there isn’t a lot to tell you about things to see and do there – it’s probably most known for its Roman Villa, which is closed during the Winter months anyway – but if you’re just looking for somewhere to get away from the mad-rush side of Christmas for a few days, then somewhere like this is ideal.
We booked Shrove Cottage through Air BnB, which was a rustic loft property. It’s studio style with everything in one upper room, then a separate bathroom downstairs with a downstairs entrance hall. In the Summer months there’s also an outdoor pool – but in December that’s not particularly appealing anyway. When we arrived we had a hamper with a homemade loaf of bread, homemade jam and marmalade, croissants, and the essentials in the fridge. Booking in December we also had a cute little Christmas tree in the corner.
On the Saturday, we decided to take a walk – luckily it was the only sunny day of the weekend, so we were fine to wrap up warm and head out to see what we could find. You only have to walk a little way down any of the country roads in Chedworth to find a walkway sign pointing somewhere, but we chose to head towards the Roman Villa, which we also knew was near Chedworth Woods.
In the evening, we took a walk to the local pub, The Seven Tuns, for dinner. We decided, seeing as it was our first holiday away, that we would both go for a steak, and it was a great choice. The pub is homely and follows the countryside theme, and is open and friendly to walkers and dogs. We pre-booked ahead to be safe, and after we’d arrived it did get busy, so it’s something I’d recommend doing before your visit.
This was my first time visitting the Cotswolds, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface!
xx
