The Cotswold Explorer (February 19, 2023) – Cowley Manor is a 30 bedroom contemporary country house hotel and spa located in the glorious Cotswold countryside surrounded by 55 acres of parkland, woods and meadows. The gardens feature natural springs, lakes and Victorian cascades.
The Cotswold Explorer – Quenington is a village in the Cotswolds along the River Coln, near Fairford and Cirencester. The church has two fantastic Norman doorway carvings, some of the best examples of the kind in the whole country.
Natalie Silk and Tom Baker have worked on many projects together, the best known of which is Field Day festival, which they co-founded in 2007. As individuals, Natalie now produces regenerative food and craft events that celebrates links between the city and countryside as part of Village Mentality; Tom runs Eat Your Own Ears, which has been a part of London’s music scene since 2001.
But the couple’s latest project is an altogether quieter and slower-going one: the sensitive renovation and extension of an old cottage in the bucolic hills of East Devon, which you can explore in our latest film.
Located amongst the rolling valleys of Pitchcombe and within walking distance of the pretty village of Painswick, is Weavers Mill: A lovely family home with truly breathtaking gardens that lies on the Painswick stream.
From its heyday as a mill, Weavers Mill, in Pitchcombe, has kept intact its original waterwheel and bucolic setting. It comes with beautiful gardens of about one acre, bordered by a stream, and another eight acres of grazing land with spring-fed pond.
The gardens extend both banks of the stream, interjected by bridges and peaceful corners that can be reached by rowing boat, including a small island flanked by a palm tree, providing the most idyllic setting.
The first floor reception rooms make the most of the delightful views, with the breakfast room and connecting conservatory opening up to the glorious gardens. The house also has a range of outbuildings including two garages, sheds and further storage units towards the far end of the grounds.
The war in Ukraine has hit the supply of grains and vegetable oils, while around 70% of the world’s cod and haddock comes from Russian boats. Global food prices are soaring and some restaurateurs fear a plate of cod and chips could rise to £20. The FT’s Daniel Garrahan and food writer and restaurateur Tim Hayward travel to England’s south west coast to see how two restaurants which source local, sustainable fish are coping with inflationary pressures.
Filmed by Petros Gioumpasis and Richard Topping. Edited by Richard Topping. Produced by Daniel Garrahan and Tim Hayward.
Guiting Power is one of the more famous hidden gems in the Cotswolds, nestling quietly in the English countryside.
The typical Cotswolds village of Guiting Power lies on a tributory of the river Windrush, its russet-coloured houses clustered round a sloping green. The buildings are restored by a self-help housing trust, initially set up for twelve cottages in 1934.
This delightful village is a fascinating example of the unconscious harmony created by Cotswold masons over the centuries. The cottages, shops and inns are all beautifully cared for. The Farmers Arms in the village and the Hollow Bottom Inn on the road leading to Winchcombe form welcome breaks on a number of glorious walks that can be taken in this area – north-westwards to Guiting Woods, south-eastwards down the Windrush Valley to Naunton, or south-westwards to Hawling.
Torquay is a seaside resort town on the English Channel in Devon, south west England. Known for beaches such as Babbacombe and cliffside Oddicombe, its coastline is nicknamed the English Riviera. Torquay Harbour near the town centre offers shops, cafes and a marina. Torre Abbey, a monastery founded in 1196, has art galleries and extensive gardens featuring plants from local writer Agatha Christie’s novels.
The Potting Shed lies in a north Wiltshire village rather than the Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire territories of the Cotswolds, but it’s most definitely worth driving south for. The focus is all things seasonal and local, and the menu changes monthly to reflect this, as well as the produce from the two-acre garden.
The Sunday roasts are some of the best in the area but it’s also worth trying the main menu – highlights might include a black pudding scotch egg with mustard mayonnaise, a fluffy smoked mackerel pate with sourdough toast or the crispiest beer battered fish and chips. Keep an eye on the specials board for the fish of the day too. The charming Rectory hotel (where you’ll find The Potting Shed’s sister restaurant) is just down the road and is worth spending a night or two, so might as well make a long weekend out of it.
The Lamb Inn, Shipton-Under-Wychwood
With the success of The Bell Inn comes this new pub-with-rooms from the same owners. And it might just be one of the biggest Cotswolds openings of 2021, with bedrooms that are as smart as the menu. Peter Creed and Tom Noest are known for working their magic on derelict country inns that are in desperate need of a facelift. Here they’ve redone the space with a proper standing bar, mismatched picture frames and a large garden out back. The menu is similar to its big sister (devilled kidneys on toast, juicy burgers) but this time with a French twist – escargots and crispy frogs’ legs, bavette-steak tartare with game chips, confit duck frites with zingy aioli. Oh, and a must-order tarte tatin for pudding.
Just four miles from Lands’ End, the Minnack is an epic open-air theatre, perched on rugged granite cliffs towering over the Atlantic Ocean. The theatre itself has been carved into the landscape and is set among beautiful sub-tropical gardens. The theatre’s sweeping panoramic views of Porthcurno Bay are astounding.
2. Mevagissey and Fowey
Mevagissey is an idyllic, authentic and traditional Cornish fishing village. Its narrow streets wind past ancient buildings down to the heart of the picturesque old town. Here Mevagissey’s distinctive twin harbour bustles with colourful boats landing their daily catch.
3. Charlestown
Picturesque and pristine, Charlestown is one of Cornwall’s most beautiful and unspoiled historic ports. Originally built in the Georgian period to ship copper, today the Grade II listed 18th-century harbour instead transports visitors back in time. A fleet of breath-taking tall ships which anchor in the harbour conjure images of a bygone era and add to Charlestown’s charm.