Month: January 2019

For our last official trip in England, we wanted to get all our friends together in a really great place and have a big party to say goodbye to everyone. We decided on a Landmark Trust property in the Cotswolds as it was close enough that people could stop by for the day, or make a weekend of it and stay with us.

STAY

West Banqueting House | This pair of banqueting houses and almonry are all that remain of the Old Campden House built in 1613. We chose to stay in the west house as it is still set up for holding banquets and had room to accommodate a couple more people in the almonry. Jacobean banquet houses would have been used to host a dessert and wine course after a large meal, so that is exactly what we had planned for our weekend stay here.

We kept the fire going almost the entire weekend, because if I’m being totally honest, it was super cold inside. It is probably fine most of the time, but we were here on one of the coldest weekends of the year and really the only time snow stuck to the ground all winter. The worst part was the drafty door in the bedroom upstairs, but it is such a beautiful room otherwise and the master bath is really grand and luxurious feeling.

The little almonry next door was the perfect size for two with a double bed and bath up the spiral stairs and cute seating area on the ground floor.

Saturday morning we all had fun exploring the snow-covered town of Chipping Campden. We stopped into a few shops and saw a couple of historic landmarks around town.

SEE

Almshouses | This row of houses opposite our Landmark cottage were built in 1612 by the same man who commissioned the Old Campden House, Sir Baptist Hicks, to provide homes for the poor. Today, they are still private residences and are much unchanged aside from the addition of modern kitchens and bathrooms.

Market Hall | An iconic Cotswolds market hall, built in 1627 out of the traditional honey colored stone seen all over the region. Today, some outdoor markets are still held under partial cover of the hall.

EAT & DRINK

Bantam Tea Rooms | Truthfully, we only chose this tea room because we had been walking around town all morning and the big fireplace looked very appealing from the window. Good cup of tea, but none of us got any food other than scones.

Daylesford Farm | This place is amazing and I really wish I had known about it sooner. It has an incredible farm shop complete with cheese room and bakery, a light and airy café style restaurant–it even has self-catering cottages available for hire complete with spa services. If you live in the UK or have plans to visit the Cotswolds, it is a must-stop.

For our weekend adventure, Daylesford was the perfect group outing on a snowy day. We shopped, we ate a delicious organic lunch, and we picked up some necessities for our cheese and wine banquet later that evening.

Sadly, I didn’t get any group shots of our lovely meal together (having too good a time enjoying the night I guess). But this was the set up before everyone arrived!

We spent the rest of the night just drinking wine and enjoying our last evening all together. It was the perfect send off and end to our time in the UK. We both miss it more than you can imagine!

About this time last year, George and I stayed in our first Landmark Trust property on the coast in Cornwall. In the summer, most of the properties are completely out of our budget, but they really lower the prices in winter making it an ideal time for us to visit. Check out their website to learn more about the charity that rescues historic buildings and to book your stay in one!

STAY

Ford Cottage | While staying in any Landmark property is fun and worthwhile, I love it even more when we can stay in a really great place near fun things to do. That’s one of the reasons Ford Cottage is so good: it’s on the coast, meaning there is plenty of opportunity for walking, but also very close to attractions like Clovelly and Tintagel Castle.

We loved all the little details that made our stay so special. Fresh flowers in every room, tea set out upon arrival, plenty of firewood available and the most amazing towels I’ve ever used on a holiday. I found it so refreshing not to have wifi or phone signal to focus on spending time together, making meals, sitting in front of the fire. It was really nice to have a true break from the world!

DO

Duckpool Bay | Just a short walk or drive from the cottage, we found this interesting bay–perfect for watching the sun set and the tide come in. But with so many jagged rocks and dangerous looking currents, it’s definitely not for swimming.

Clovelly | After spending Friday evening in our cosy cottage, we set out Saturday morning to explore the small fishing village of Clovelly (about a 25 minute drive) and found it delightfully empty of tourists. We almost had the entire village to ourselves, which was a bit weird but also fun. There isn’t much going on in winter, but we did manage to visit the Fisherman’s Cottage museum and walked out to the waterfall on the beach. The whole village was picturesque, but I imagine it’s even more so in summer.

EAT

Pattard Kitchen | On our way back to the cottage that afternoon, we stopped for dinner at a place I heard about and researched beforehand. I wasn’t feeling in the mood to take photos when we ate here, but I really should have because the food was amazing. The atmosphere was more modern than traditional pub-like, but regardless, the reason to visit is the michelin star quality food!

SEE

Tintagel Castle | From the Legend of King Arthur to Tristan and Isolde, this castle is associated with some of England’s most famous and mysterious stories. Historically, it was a prosperous and important trade center from about 450 AD with some periods of abandonment until the late middle ages when it was completely deserted. Either way, the atmosphere of this place is pretty magical. This was by far my favorite castle we visited in England!

Merlin’s Cave | The cave above is rumored to be Merlin’s Cave, so I definitely recommend going all the way down to the beach to check it out.

After leaving the windy clifftops of the castle, we went into the small village to explore some of its sights including this medieval manor house turned post office.

We picked up a few supplies to make dinner for ourselves in the cottage and debated spending one more night (the minimum booking for Landmarks is three nights) even though George needed to be back for work in the morning. We eventually decided just to get the drive over with on Sunday night and said goodbye to our little cottage. But we were so inspired by the trip that we made a point from then on to first check for available Landmark properties when planning a trip.

OTHER IDEAS

Some things we didn’t get to on this trip, but are all very close to Ford Cottage.

Blackchurch Rock | You could actually walk to this interesting rock formation from Clovelly, if you were feeling up to it! It’s about 2 miles down the coast.

Speke’s Mill Mouth | Also located near Clovelly in Devon, this is just a nice waterfall and walk along the South West Coast Path.

St. Nectans Glen | A pretty spectacular looking waterfall that I really wanted to visit but decided we didn’t have the time. It seems to have a kind of weird atmosphere as whoever owns the land allows guests to hang ribbons and fairy shrines in the trees around. A bit of a shame, but it does still look amazing.

Independent Charters | Lastly, if you are visiting for more than a couple days, definitely make your way out to Lundy Island. Although there are easier and cheaper ways to get there, one fun option is to charter a private boat from Clovelly and have them take you seal spotting or snorkeling. Check out our post about Lundy here.