June 1, 2020

The Costwolds Starter Itinerary

Looking for UK travel ideas? 🧐👩🏼‍💻🗺 You’ve found some! This weeks trip tips come from somewhere not so coastal (trying to be less obsessed with the sea!

The Enjoy Eco Box blog is designed to inspire you with places to go, scenic walks, and beautiful photo opportunities to take those Eco Box sustainable gifts to the great outdoors.

😅) 🖼 The Cotswolds Part 1 🖼

Not just a stuffy old place, the Cotswolds is actually a very accessible part of the UK, and scenic whichever part you choose. If you like beautiful villages, easy walking and plenty of pubs & ice cream, look no further 🤩 I’m going to let you know my top three spots (for different reasons), in this blog.

Favourite of them all is Winchcombe. Even though there’s lots of places to go in the huge Cotswolds area, we’ve been back here more than once for the same walk - it must be good! Blossom covered churches, rolling field views and a great high street for finding refreshments, we love it here. Google ‘The Winchcombe Way’ for a walk which has all these, and a bonus castle thrown in (Sudeley Castle, so ancient, Henry VIII’s wife of ‘surviving fame 😳 is buried in the chapel)

Part 2🖼 Tewkesbury - right on the west edge of the Cotswolds, it rarely gets the glory, but it is a charming town which benefits from being VERY handy for the motorway, as well as being a gateway to the rest of the ‘Wolds. We discovered it as a stopover to and from Devon from ‘Oop North’. Much better than a motorway hotel! 🤢 In fact this would be my tip - after one too many G.R.I.M. motorway stopovers, I now look for towns and villages close by the motorway when stopping on the way to somewhere. This usually means cheaper AND nicer accommodation and much MUCH better pub food! The town has lots of history, and you can pick up a little walking guide to finding it at Tourist Information. Of course it has a stunning Abbey - a great place to sit in the serene grounds (and eat your fish & chips ☺️) Take a stroll around the Severn Ham, an unusual river island right next to the town to wake up after breakfast. For a longer walk, but as easy as they come, head north up the river to Twyning village, where you can sit and while away the hours imagining what kind of lottery win would let you live here forever.....

Part 3 🖼 Snowshill - come for the movie star church, stay for the ultra quirky manor, not to mention the views. Both one of the most ‘quintessential’ Cotswold villages and most unusual, it’s a great place to explore. The church is famous for being in Bridget Jones 🎬, representing the home of Bridget’s, ahem, ‘interestingly British’ parents. As well as walking around the village and surrounding footpaths, a not to be missed National Trust property is here (honestly, you won’t regret a membership!). Snowshill Manor is filled with vast collections of, well, collections 🤷‍♀️. So much so, the owner of said collections actually lived in a small barn next to the manor. It really puts your household’s hoarders (naming no names 👀) into perspective - at least your top floor isn’t wall-to-wall penny farthings!

The grounds are also suitably full of charming oddities - scroll for some highlights. If have any questions, let me know ☺️ . . . until then, where to on your next trip?