You know a place is special when the peacock-shaped garden ornament turns out to be an actual peacock. At first I think I’m seeing things, but on second glance I realize this is not a hallucination. There is actually a peacock sitting in the garden of my hotel in the Cotswolds.
Kingham, Cotswolds
Don’t get me wrong. There are also garden gnomes and overgrown wooden mushrooms. I’m not sure what the peacock makes of them, but I think they’re wonderfully lighthearted and otherworldly.
The same goes for all of Kingham, the Cotswolds village near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire that I’m calling home for the night.
The little streets and quiet lanes are full of the loveliest houses, their Cotswold stone facades all glowing golden in the spring sunshine.
Some have thatched roofs straight out of Ye Olde England, while others are obscured by larger-than-life hedges. It’s all a bit Alice in Wonderland.
The Wild Rabbit
And no adventure in Wonderland would be complete without a rabbit. In my case it’s The Wild Rabbit, a hotel in Kingham that has invited me to stay for a night in the Cotswolds.
In addition to the aforementioned peacock, The Wild Rabbit is also home to an award-winning pub, an accoladed restaurant, and a sweet little outdoor terrace complete with a topiary bunny. I can imagine a Mad Hatter’s tea party without even trying.
My room is a cozy little space just off the garden that comes complete with luxurious linens, exposed wooden beams, and homemade cookies. Apart from walls that let some noise in, it’s lovely.
As a bonus, the bathroom is stocked with Bamford toiletries in a nod to The Wild Rabbit’s neighbor, Daylesford Organic Farm.
Daylesford Organic Farm
Daylesford has been a slight obsession of mine since I moved to London. I discovered their shop on Pimlico Road when I first arrived, and went for cream tea on an embarrassingly frequent basis thereafter.
This was partly because I loved their scones and partly because I couldn’t get over the idea that no excuse was needed to indulge in these things in the middle of the afternoon.
Since then I’ve seen Daylesford expand in the capital and learned of their farm out in Gloucestershire.
Said farm happens to be a lovely country walk from The Wild Rabbit, and in less than 30 minutes I find myself immersed in vegetable fields and surrounded by sheep. And we all know how much I love sheep.
Sheep properly appreciated, I spend some time exploring the farm and its sweet little farm shop. There are also restaurants, boutiques, and a spa on the premises, and it’s all so lovely I’m temped to stay for the rest of the day.
But back through the fields I go, passing by the most liberated of free-range chickens as I walk.
Dinner in the Cotswolds
When I return to The Wild Rabbit I get a taste of said poultry for dinner. Daylesford’s produce graces the table here, and my grilled chicken breast with pearl barley and charred onions might just be the most hyperlocal thing I’ve ever eaten.
Walk in Kingham
The next morning I’m up early to take another walk in Kingham before traveling by train back to London.
Kingham conveniently has a mainline train station with direct services to London Paddington, making it a great place to visit in the Cotswolds without a car. You can see more in my Cotswolds itinerary for 3 days.
I take in the pink magnolias and budding wisteria, amazed at how lovely the Cotswolds are in the springtime. This area is definitely one of the best places to visit in the UK in spring.
I pass by the church and its wide cemetery, and eventually end up at a pasture full of the best thing about spring in England: lambs.
I watch them trot and totter, staying close to their mothers as they take in the new world around them.
They seem as in awe of the Cotswolds as I am, and rightfully so. This place deserves its designation as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
When it’s time to leave, I say good-bye to the peacock, wondering whether it will turn back into a garden ornament when I go.
Regardless, its presence and those of the gnomes and mushrooms remind me how magical this place is, and I’m glad I’ve had a night in the Cotswolds to prove it.
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42 Comments on Lady’s Country Escape in the Cotswolds Guide
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What a lovely post! I love your writing 🙂 You know how some people dream with exotic adventures and faraway locations? Well, I’ve always dreamt about the Cotswolds. I swear. And that peackock is enough exotic for me!
xx,
E.
Thanks! Yeah, the Cotswolds are definitely worthy of dreams!
I love the Cotswolds and its proximity to London. Every visitor to London gets directed there immediately. And honestly it’s a pretty spread out area, so you can go from tiny town to tiny town and rarely stumble on the same one twice. Lovely!
Yeah, it’s such a great area!
Ohhh the Cotswolds are so dreamy, and your photos make me want to pack up and run away for a little R’nR! x
Thanks!
So pretty! I do miss the Cotswolds, I used to live right on the northern edge of them and we’d often pootle about for a day out, on the hunt for cake or ice cream, dreaming of living in a honey-coloured cottage.
Wow, that’s great!
It is SO Alice in Wonderland! The Cotswolds are so pretty and otherworldly. The hotel and restaurant sound and look so peaceful…especially with sleep next door!
Yeah!
Lovely photos! I’m hoping to visit Cotswold on my next UK trip
I hope you get to!
I was saying, the walls are made of honey-rock..,and so delectable are they it’s a wonder you didn’t run into Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin somewhere along the path..,in your dreamtime ramble….,
Haha!
Lovely pictures. We live in the Cotswolds – having moved from London last year – and feel blessed to be here every day. There’s a view over the Golden Valley from our garden, at the moment there are bluebells in the woods and the sound of the village cockerel wakes us up every morning. It’s the perfect place to bring up a little one. Lucky us!
That’s great!
The English Countryside is so beautiful! I never cease to be amazed at its wonders!
Same here!
That is the cutest place! I will try and go this summer. The dinner looks amazing. I absolutely love the Cotswolds.
Yeah, it’s great!
I’ve heard such great things about the Wild Rabbit and I’m a big fan of Bamford and Daylesford Organic. We lived in Broadway, a very cute Cotswold villages when I was a child but I’ve never been to Kingham
Suze
That’s great!
I’ve always wanted to visit the Cotswolds! Your photographs really capture how charming it is.
Thanks Laura! I hope you get a chance to visit someday!
I absolutely love your introductory first sentence Julie – the thing about the peacock really made me giggle ? I really liked DaylesFord organic cafe when I first went. I wish I had known about the Wild Rabbit when I visited the Cotswolds in February – the food sounds amazing!
Thanks! Yeah, it’s a really great place.
What a sweet little place to spend a weekend! Sheep AND peacocks? Sold!
Yeah, I loved them both!
Cotswolds is high up on our list of places to visit! Do you need a car to enjoy the area, or could you get by exploring some villages by foot and taking public transportation?
That’s great! You can do it either way.
I’ve heard such great things about the Cotswolds, and now I want to visit even more. Especially if I can see little lambs as adorable as that in the spring.
Yeah, the lambs are so cute!
The Cotswolds have been on my wish list for a while and I’m finally visiting this summer – your post has really got me excited!
That’s great! Have fun!
A weekend in The Cotswolds is the next trip on my bucket list – fantastic post!
That’s great! I hope you enjoy it!
Lovely photography. It’s been too long since I last visited the Cotswolds; the area around Kingham is beautiful but one of my favourite spots is Minster Lovell and the River Windrush. There’s a wild peacock living near me too; sometimes I hear it call like a cockerel in the mornings.
Thanks! That’s great that you have a local peacock, too!
This post has inspired me to want a night or 2 in Cotswolds when we come to the UK this September. My husband and I are coming for our anniversary but have never been. A friend guided us to a cute Airbnb on Notting Hill and I really wanted to then go to the Wild Rabbit for 2 nights but alas they are all booked 🙁 Can you recommend anywhere else in the area that we should check out? Many Thanks.
That’s great! I recently stayed in Chipping Campden and had a great time there.
I ended up getting into The Wild Rabbit after stalking the site hour by hour they must have had a cancellation. One last question, would you recommend the train out there or to drive. We want to be able to see the sites and not sure how many we can get to by bike.
That’s great! I recommend driving, but it depends how far you want to go.