QUINTESSENTIAL COTSWOLDS
SIX NIGHT ITINERARY
You’ve chosen to visit the Cotswolds, the biggest of all thirty-eight Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England and Wales. It’s super-stunning and we’re here to make sure you see the very best of it in all its glory.
We have handpicked our itinerary to include a diverse range of excursions to suit all interests, all the way from Roman history to modern day life in the countryside. From castles and museums, to Polo matches and antique shopping – our Classic Itinerary has proved extremely popular with all our past guests.
If something special is taking place we’ll add that into the itinerary. Naturally, if there is something you particularly want to see we’ll include it. And if there’s anything you happen to have seen already we can find a suitable substitute.
SUNDAY
Sundays are always the same – no matter where you are staying we’ll meet you in London early afternoon and take a private transfer of around two hours to your chosen property.
We’ll greet you with a champagne reception, introduce you to our team then show you to your room and let you settle in before inviting you down to the terrace for cocktails overlooking the gardens and landscape.
This evening chef will prepare a five-course welcome dinner – bring your appetite!
MONDAY
Monday we will visit Shakespeare’s birthplace Stratford-upon-Avon driving through some lovely countryside that is known as ‘The Heart of England’. It’s a wonderful old town – after all Shakespeare lived here between 1564 and 1616.
Take a walking tour to see the houses connected to Shakespeare and his family such as The Birthplace, New Place where he died and Hall’s Croft, the home of Shakespeare’s daughter.
The medieval town is lined with 15th century timber-framed buildings bursting with British history. Conclude your visit with some free time to roam the town’s boutique shopping, before returning home for lunch and a leisurely afternoon before pre dinner cocktails and another wonderful evening meal prepared by your private chef.
TUESDAY
Every Tuesday Moreton in Marsh, said by many to be the most stunning market location in England, hosts an open-air street market in the Cotswolds.
Your chef will accompany you as you peruse the food market and pick some local produce to be included in your upcoming gourmet meals. Continue to experience the quaint independent boutique shopping for which the Cotswolds is famed.
After returning for lunch we head out again for the short drive to the Cotswolds Gin & Whiskey Distillery, where you will enjoy a tour and tasting of one of the country’s finest boutique gins and whiskeys. Suitably refreshed, we return for cocktails and a superb four course dinner.
WEDNESDAY
Today we will visit Cirencester, one of Britain’s oldest cities. We take a guided stroll through the town, visiting its architectural landmarks which span over several centuries, then visit the award winning Corinium Museum, home to one of the largest collections of Romano-British antiquities.
We make sure you have some free time to roam Cirencester’s antique & craft market before indulging in a wonderful lunch at one of our favourite country pubs – because no trip to the Cotswolds would be complete without it!
This afternoon we continue on to Cotswolds Woollen Weavers where you will learn the heritage of textiles in this area and how they became the source of the wonderful wealth of the Cotswolds, and of course there will be plenty of choice for some traditional souvenirs to take home.
THURSDAY
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a relaxing morning, before joining your chef in the kitchen for a cooking demonstration, showcasing some of his culinary secrets as he prepares lunch.
After indulging in your co-created feast, depart for an afternoon visit of Chipping Campden – a rich wool trading centre of the Middle Ages, and a quintessential Cotswolds village. The highstreet is lined with honey-coloured limestone buildings, built from the mellow locally quarried oolitic limestone.
In the early 20th century the town became known as a centre for the Cotswolds Arts & Crafts movement. You will first visit the Court Barn Museum where you’ll be given the history of the Craftsmen, see some of their work and then take a guided stroll through the centre of town and told stories of the local life in Chipping Campden.
FRIDAY
On your last full day we like to show you Medieval English history and royalty at its finest with a visit to the famous Sudeley Castle & Gardens. This fifteenth century fortification in North Cotswolds is one of the few castles in England which is still a residence.
Uniquely it is also the only private castle in England to have a Queen buried within the grounds as Katherine Parr, the last of Henry VIII’s six wives, is interred here!
Inside the castle contains many fascinating treasures from ancient Roman times to the present day. Outside you’ll find award-winning gardens in a breath-taking 1,200-acre estate.
Lunch is taken back at home and the afternoon is at leisure with time to relax before challenging your fellow guests and your staff to a game of croquet on the lawn! Enjoy your final evening’s cocktails and a magnificent and memorable six course gala dinner.
SATURDAY
Enjoy your last breakfast before we say goodbye and return you to London or your onward destination.
