Our extended family spent the Thanksgiving holiday in London this year which was super fun.  At the height we were 12 strong, including our 5-week old great nephew who is the best traveler of us all, not to mention beyond adorable and snuggly.

On the front end of the trip, my husband and I spent a few extra nights on our own in the Cotswolds, an area of England that is located northwest of London, to experience some beautiful countryside. This was my husband’s second trip to the Cotswolds, but my first.  I’ve long heard of this area from a few different sources and was eager to visit myself.  To help us narrow down where we were going to stay, I relied on one of my besties, Dale who enjoyed an extended stay in the area a few years ago. Rolling hills, thatched roofs, sheep and pheasant abound.  The scenery is spectacular, even at the end of November when thankfully the crowds were gone.  If you like long, extended walks and spending time outdoors, this is a place to explore.

Fortuitously, a London-based blogger I follow happened to have just been in the exact location we were traveling to, so our lunch spots came directly from her top-notch suggestions.  It was meant to be!  I decided to blog the trip while it was still fresh in my mind, although I keep trip activities in my moleskine lined notebooks to remember as many of the details as possible.

Because the weather was expected to be cool, but not cold, rainy but not all the time, and probably windy, I wanted to be as prepared as possible and not overpack which I have a tendency to do.  So for the first time, I actually created outfits for day and night, wrote them up, printed it out, packed accordingly and kept mostly to my plan.  I threw in a couple of extra really light-weight tops just in case.  Not sure why this is the first time I did this, but it won’t be my last as it took all the guesswork out.  Also, I bought my new favorite coat, this ultra light, packable Uniqulo number that was perfect over my favorite Patagonia Down Vest and under my LLBean long rain shell.  I found this cross-body bag from Tumi that worked out perfectly as well.  Held everything I needed!

Spoiler – there are lots of photos in this post so grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage to scroll.  I kept many of the photos in their original form, not editing too much so you could get the feel of the weather as well…

We landed at Heathrow and rented a car to drive the two hours to Chipping Campden, a quintessential village and home to the Arts & Crafts movement founded by William Morris at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th century.  Buildings built with the yellow toned limestone are found on every street…

Our dinner spot for night two…

We stayed at the Eight Bells Inn, a small bed and breakfast that has a wonderful pub that was bustling throughout the afternoon and evening!  Located just a stone’s throw from the town’s main street, it was perfect for us.  Walls are a little thin, but our room was nicely appointed and the shower was hot!  The inn is just a few steps from St. Mary’s church and its tower bells were once stored in the Inn, thus the name…

It was too early to check into our hotel so we took a little walk around the town to get acquainted, stopped at the visitors’ center for some advice and maps, and then jumped into the car to start our adventure.  Our first stop was in the next village of Ebrington, the location of our first pub lunch at the Ebrington Arms…

The pub was beautiful with many, separate rooms for dining, filled with eclectic furnishings and fixtures and a few fireplaces.  The perfect place for a cozy lunch on a cloudy day.  They brew a few of their own beers and we shared a small flight between the two of us.

The menu was just delightful and throughout our stay, I was impressed with how many restaurants provide vegetarian and even some vegan options for diners.  Since this was our first meal, we indulged in a traditional pork roll with some brown sauce.  Fresh pork wrapped in flaky pastry.  Brown sauce is reminiscent of Worcestershire or a steak sauce…

My husband had a lovely smoked salmon open faced sandwich and I had this scrumptious salad that was prepared with seasonal ingredients of roasted carrots, fennel, squash, broccoli, some quinoa and a chive dressing.  It was spectacular…

After lunch, we hopped in our car and toured around to the villages of Buckley and Stanton and finished with a visit to the lovely Buckland Manor where we had originally hoped to stay, but they were sold out for a special event.  Next time!

Lots of these little villages do not have much commerce so you are just discovering their beauty.  Chipping Campden is an excellent base camp as you can shop and dine, all within walking distance of your hotel. Thinking we would be pretty tired by day’s end, we reserved to have dinner in the Eight Bells dining room that first evening.

After a starter of potato & celeriac soup, we enjoyed a four hour braised lamb shank…

And a Hungarian style Beef Goulash…

Both served with lots of veg.  I haven’t had a simple steamed carrot in forever and they were so fresh and delicious.  No salt, pepper or olive oil to distract from its sweet and earthy character.  And celeriac, one of my favorite root vegetables was on lots of menus to my delight…

For dessert, we enjoyed a 3 cheese plate that included a locally made variety named Rollright that was a washed rind soft cow’s milk cheese that is banded in spruce bark.  I’m determined to find it here (or ask if my local cheesemonger can get it!).

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On our second day after a lovely breakfast at the Inn, we set out to discover more of the area.  On our itinerary were the Broadway Tower, the second highest point in the Cotwolds and a great place for viewing, and Hidcote Garden owned by the National Trust.  But first, we took a short walk around town and explored the property of the local church up the street from our inn…

From there, we headed to Broadway Tower near the village of Broadway.  The morning was so foggy that we kept driving by the tower and couldn’t see it from the road!  Our GPS said we had arrived, but you could have fooled us.  We eventually figured it out and took a short walk around the grounds to find our destination, revealing itself as we approached…

The tower was built in 1798 and served multiple purposes, initially as a folly and later a lookout for the Royal Observer Corps.  The tower has 3 floors with exhibits on its history, leading to a top deck that supposedly looks out onto 16 counties.  Here was our view on this foggy day…

Oh well!  On to the next stop, Hidcote Manor Garden near Chipping Campden.  Both these stops were recommended to us by the lovely people we spoke with at the town’s information center.  Hidcote is a gorgeous property now owned by the National Trust.  Parts of the property date back to the 15th century with its manor home being built in the 17th century.  An American named Lawrence Johnston purchased the property on behalf of his mother in 1907 and was responsible for developing its extensive garden rooms and other architectural features.

We had a lovely walk around and could only imagine what it might look like during peak season.  We were happy to be there when it wasn’t crowded.  Trade-offs…

After this taxing morning (!), we decided it was time for lunch at The Churchill Arms located in Paxford.

Another absolutely adorable and cosy space to enjoy a lunch.  While we were waiting for our meal, we were brought these cauliflower-curry arancini to sample.  Possibly the best bite of the weekend.  I wouldn’t have thought to put the curry flavor into arancini but you can best believe I will be giving this a try sometime during the holidays…

Fish and chips with mushy peas for him…

Cornish cod with a curry artichoke veloute for me…

Hand cut “chips” and homemade tartar sauce that were crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside…

After lunch, we headed down to Sudeley Castle, a private home that has been opened up to the public, sneaking in just before it closed.  The property is also home to a pheasantry, one of the largest public collections of rare and endangered species of pheasants from around the world.  This is St. Mary’s church, on the property…

Our last stops were in the towns of Upper and Lower Slaughter, the latter of which was particularly cute! On our ride home, we saw tons of pheasants which we believe were being fed, more beautiful landscapes and of course lots of sheep.

Our last evening meal of the weekend was at Huxley’s, back in Chipping Campden that I shared a picture of above.  Located in a 500 year old building in the center of the town, Huxley’s shares traditional English style with Italian inspired cuisine.  The perfect little place for an intimate dinner.

While our meal was delightful (mushroom risotto and a lemon sole), it was the Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert that completely stole the show.  It was unimaginably scrumptious and I am determined to make something like this for Christmas.  It’s essentially a date cake that is soaked in a caramel sauce.  There is nothing wrong with it at all – completely decadent and worth every bite!

On departure morning, we went to church up the street, visited the local Arts & Crafts cooperative store and started our journey towards London to meet up with the rest of the family.  On the way, we had to stop and take a picture of this sign which will bring a smile to many of you…

Last stop, Woodstock where we attempted to visit Bleinheim Palace but it was sold out as it was the first day it opened decorated for Christmas.  We were able to walk around outside where they were holding a holiday market which was fun to browse…

A last glimpse at the architecture…

A great few days in the Cotswolds!  Until next time…

One Year Ago:  Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts

Two Years Ago:  Southwest King Ranch Casserole

Three Years Ago:  Salmon with Orange Marmalade & Thyme

Four Years Ago:  Homemade Salt Scrubs

Five Years Ago:  Review of Dumpling Daughter in Weston, Massachusetts