Weekend in The Cotswolds
I've always wanted to visit the Cotswolds but for some reason I never made the time to visit, I suppose that's the problem when the U.K offers so many beautiful places. One by one I'm trying to tick certain areas off my holiday list and I'm so glad that I recently got the opportunity to finally spend some time in the Cotswolds.
The Lords of The Manor very kindly invited Simon and I to stay in their beautiful boutique hotel in the heart of the countryside in the village of Upper Slaughter. Lords of the Manor dates back to around 1649 which is clear to see in the architecture of the house. The Slaughter family (originally Sclostre meaning “a slough or muddy place”), purchased the Manor from Henry VIII. The hotel was stunning and felt so welcoming and cosy, it was such a lovely building to relax in after a walk through the nearby woods and moor covered hills.
After we unpacked and settled in to our room I enjoyed a cup of tea and gazed out of the original stone window into the wintery garden. The room was traditional and very homey, I particularly liked that our amazing bathroom was down a set of stairs. I managed to squeeze in a long pamper session in the large bath before dinner. After all you can't stay in a hotel and not have a bath!
Before getting ready for dinner Simon and I decided to explore the garden and village, we knew it would be getting dark soon so we donned our walking shoes and quickly headed out into the cold. I've always loved gardens in Winter, the colours of the fruit trees, grasses and berries are so pretty. Lords of the Manor had lots of apple trees growing and if you scroll up to the first photo you'll see how pretty all the rusty planting looked.
We were invited down to enjoy canapés and an aperitif before dinner was served. All the rooms of the hotel feel incredibly welcoming and I felt so at home exploring the various rooms. My favourite space was a small study that had plenty of books and games to keep us entertained, it felt just like a friend's house.
Dinner was the five course tasting menu in their Michelin star restaurant which was delicious. Unfortunately the dining room was much too dark for me to take any photos of our meal but you can see images of the food on the website here. The course that really stood out for me was a slow cooked beef dish that was one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten. Head chef Richard Picard-Edwards searches the local area to find producers and farms that produce the highest quality ingredients.
The next morning we grabbed our umbrellas and headed out to walk from Upper Slaughter to Lower Slaughter. It was great to be able to see some traditional Cotswold villages and despite the rain we had a lovely slow ramble through the countryside. We ended our day with an afternoon tea and ploughman's lunch at The Cotswold Tearoom in Moreton-in-Marsh before getting our train back to London.
A huge thank you to the Lords of the Manor hotel, Simon and I had a wonderful few days and an escape from London was just what we needed!
