The Cotswolds is the ideal destination for a romantic getaway and longer vacations that matter. Spend a few days in this idyllic region, and you'll be captivated by its timeless beauty. While we don’t expect you to see everything in a few days, we hope this guide will help you get the most out of your visit with us.
DAY 1
Woodstock & Blenheim Palace
Start your day with one of our famous breakfasts before heading into our local town of Woodstock. Often seen as the jumping-off point for Blenheim Palace (once home to Winston Churchill) but we all know that ‘The Killy’ offers a more peaceful country pub vibe to start your day!
Woodstock has Georgian frontages and a plethora of lovely independent shops to explore and you can see the house once occupied by poet Geoffrey Chaucer and visit The Oxfordshire Museum, located in the historic Fletcher’s House.
Head off to explore Blenheim Palace and its vast grounds. Depending on your love of walking, Winston Churchill and Palaces, you could spend a whole day here if you want to but usually, a half-day is enough for most before heading onto Witney which offers many surprises to visitors. Perhaps head to nearby Cogges afterwards, a historic manor house and farmstead with beautiful grounds, open to visitors.
End the day in the village of Bampton, used as one of the main locations for TV drama, Downton Abbey. Or head back to Wootton and do the village circular walk and see the River Glyme. Come back to us for relaxation and a cocktail or three before dinner.
DAY 2
Burford & Wychwood Brewery
The ancient Cotswolds village of Burford has a famous sloping high street that leads down to the river at the foot of the hill. Crowded with grand houses and Tudor cottages, this beautiful medieval town is full of antique shops, chic boutiques and tearooms – perfect for a morning meander.
Learn more about the beautiful village of Burford’s past by booking a walking tour or Ghost Tour. Pop into Burford Garden Centre – most definitely not your average garden centre!
Visit Wychwood Brewery in Witney, famous for its Hobgoblin brand and fantasy-based label artwork, inspired by the myths and legends of the ancient Wychwood Forest.
Have a wander around the famous Rollright Stones and Great Tew village with a pint at the stunning Falkland Arms (and maybe spot a celeb or two) and back for a slap-up dinner. Or maybe book into one of our village pottery sessions and try something new.
DAY 3
Shopping
Well, you might not think it given our countryside village location but we are actually spoilt for choice if you have a love for shopping and you could spend a whole day or more doing it! Perhaps start with a visit to Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat shop for a giggle then head to Daylesford where you can see how the other half do their weekly shop!
Gorgeous lifestyle and wellness products to be had and great for present buying. There’s also the Bamford Wellness Spa if you need to relax after having flexed the credit card… Of course, you could spend the best part of a day at Bicester Village if shopping is your thing – it is perhaps the best place for some of the best designer bargains to be had in the UK.
If you’re serious about Bicester we recommend starting your day there to beat the crowds and hit there after breakfast. For shopping in some of our gorgeous Cotswold villages, Woodstock has some lovely boutiques or head out on a lovely drive to Stow on the Wold and Broadway for a more local independent vibe while taking in their beautiful Market Square and High Streets. If antiques are your thing, we recommend browsing Station Mill Antiques in nearby Chipping Norton. If you’re coming at the end of the year, don’t forget there are a lot of Christmas markets to also build into a festive shopping itinerary!
DAY 4
Gardens
Assuming you’ve already taken us up on using our discounted tickets to Blenheim Palace and have taken in some of the splendid 150 acres in our local Blenheim Palace gardens, we also love nearby Rousham Gardens which is completely unspoilt and uncommercialised.
The house, which has been continuously in the ownership of one family, was built circa 1635 and remodelled by William Kent in the 18th century in a free Gothic style. One of England's most important gardens, Rousham represents the first phase of English landscape design and remains almost as its designer William Kent (1685–1748) left it. Many of the features that delighted its 18th-century visitors are still there for 21st-century visitors to enjoy.
Batsford Arboretum near Moreton in Marsh is also gorgeous for a walk plus the history of the Mitford sisters or head slightly further and see some Hidcote National Trust properties such as Hidcote (near Chipping Campden) or Snowshill Manor (near Broadway).
If you’re into wildlife you could also take in the Cotswold Wildlife Park (a fabulous zoo), Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park (amazing rare breeds) or Birdland Park and Gardens at Bourton on the Water which is also a beautiful village to visit.
Day 5
Historic City
Head to one of Oxford’s most photographed and Instagrammed landmarks, the Radcliffe Camera. The neo-classical 17th-century gem is part of the Bodleian Library and is a stunning centrepiece of the golden-stoned heart of Oxford.
It’s best seen from above, so head up to the rooftop of the Church of St Mary the Virgin for unparalleled sweeping views.
Take the 60-minute Bodleian Library tour which includes Duke Humfrey’s Medieval Library. This is the oldest reading room in the university which was also used as inspiration for the Hogwarts Library in the Harry Potter films. It gets booked up so best to get tickets in advance.
There are lots of guided tours around Oxford and its colleges – by far one of the easiest ways to get acquainted with some of Oxford’s iconic buildings and to find out a little more about the city’s history. Don’t miss the Ashmolean, on Beaumont Street. The oldest museum in the UK, it went under a multi-million-pound redevelopment for its world-class collections of art and archaeology.
We like Little Clarendon Street for a rummage around the vintage shops and down into bohemian Jericho to soak up the laidback atmosphere. At lunchtime, dive into The Covered Market, off Cornmarket Street, and pick up a bag of locally-produced goodies such as fresh bread, Oxford Blue cheese and a tasty pastry from one of the numerous independent food shops within. Take your picnic down to Magdalen Bridge Boathouse and hire a punt – and gondolier – for an hour.
Book YOUR 2024 SUMMER Break
Looking for a place to stay in the Cotswolds? Look no further than The Killingworth Castle. We are perfectly situated for exploring Oxfordshire and the Cotswolds, including one of the country's greatest palaces.