Rolling Hills of the Cotswolds

Cotswolds, United Kingdom

August 17-21, 2016

Cotswolds? Never Heard of It.

If you’re like me, you have probably never heard of the Cotswolds (read more here) until now. This 2,000 square kilmoeter area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) is located in south central England. The landscape consists of beautiful rolling hills and farm fields. It is rich with history and beauty, and I can see why it served as the inspiration for many famous symphonies and movies.

For the longest time, I have wanted to attend an authentic British afternoon tea. Tea, or any caffeinated drink, is not really my thing. But, the little triangle sandwiches, scones, and tiny desserts just seemed so proper and cute at the same time. Just when I thought Mr. Jo didn’t pick up on hints, he came up with this idea of going to the Cotswolds in England for our second babymoon. His main selling point was that he would make reservations for afternoon tea for two. Along with the fact that this would be a very relaxing trip for this pregnant mama, I didn’t need any more convincing!

 

 

Cotswolds Itinerary

 

Wednesday August 17, 2016

  • Departure: DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) on American Airlines

Thursday, August 18, 2016

  • Arrival: LHR (London Heathrow Airport) in London, England
  • pick up rental car from Enterprise
    • the English drive on the left side of the road
  • Drive to hotel, Ellenborough Park
    • located in Cheltenham, a town in the Cotswolds region
    • 1 h 51 m (98.2 mi) drive
  • Settle in at hotel
    • order room service
    • swim in the heated pool
    • take a long walk on the property
  • Dinner at The Brasserie at the hotel
    • less fancy than the Beaufort Dining Room at the hotel but the food was excellent!

Friday, August 19, 2016

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Sunday, August 21, 2016

  • Departure: LHR (London Heathrow Airport) on British Airways
    • layover at IAH (Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport)
  • Arrival: DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport) on American Airlines

Cotswolds Trip Details

 

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Driving on the Left Side of the Road

After we got our rental car from Enterprise, we set out on the 2 hour drive to Cheltenham where our hotel was. I would be lying if I said it didn’t make me a little nervous to drive on the left side of the road. Thankfully, Mr. Jo did all of the driving. We also had to get used to the plentiful roundabouts that the English seem to love so much. I guess it’s supposed to be faster since you don’t have to fully stop when you’re changing directions.

Be sure you’re ready to take on left-sided driving because it can be tricky. Most notably, in the small towns outside of England, people park on the street in front of their flats. Thus, it turns a two lane road (one lane in each direction) into a one lane road. We may or may not have hit a parked car and knocked the passenger side mirror off of our rental car. Thankfully, there was no damage to the other vehicle. Also, we rented the car with our Citi Prestige credit card, which had built-in international rental car insurance. We ended up not having to pay anything for the mirror. The Chase Sapphire Reserve, and several other credit cards also have international rental car insurance included. But, you must book the rental car with said credit card.

 

Arriving at Ellenborough Park

Our hotel, Ellenborough Park, is a 15th century country estate turned hotel. It is situated on 90 acres of countryside next to the famous Cheltenham horse track. As soon as we drove onto the massive property, I fell in love with this hotel. Not only is the architecture beautiful, the lawn was impeccably manicured and the air was crisp and clean. It was heaven on earth.

Ellenborough Park, Cotswolds
Ellenborough Park, Cotswolds

After we arrived, we relaxed for a little bit in our room and ordered room service. Though it was a bit chilly outside, we decided to take a dip in the heated pool, which was lovely. After we got cleaned up, we went for an easy hike on the property. On the way, we saw some people setting up a hot air balloon. A little farther along, we spotted a pear tree and picked a couple to try. Not sure if that was allowed, but it was fun.

Hot Air Balloon, Cotswolds
Hot Air Balloon, Cotswolds

 

Pear Tree, Cotswolds
Pear Tree, Cotswolds

We had dinner reservations that night at The Brasserie, the less fancy of the two onsite restaurants. I think Mr. Jo had a gourmet burger and I had some pasta. The food was delicious.

 

Friday, August 19, 2016

Best Breakfast Buffet Ever
We started our day with a delicious and massive breakfast spread at the hotel, all included in our package. We had the choice of ordering from a menu or partaking in the buffet. You can probably guess, we partook of the buffet. England is definitely not known for good food, so I was actually really surprised that all of our meals on this trip were excellent. A waiter came by to take our order of typical English hot breakfast items such as eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, etc. They also offered the very English black pudding, scotch eggs, yorkshire pudding, and haggis. Aside from that, there was a large charcuterie spread of many different meats and cheeses, a large selection of pastries, fresh fruit, and drinks. We ate so much.
Sudeley Castle
After we filled our bellies to the brim, we made our first stop of the day at the Sudeley Castle. Thomas Seymour, brother of the former English queen Jane Seymour, once lived there. We learned that it is also the burial place of Catherine Parr, the 6th wife of King Henry VIII who ultimately married Thomas Seymour after King Henry VIII died. It’s basically a museum now, and there’s lots to learn there about King Henry VIII and his six wives and how each one bit the dust. It’s fascinating.
Sudeley Castle, Cotswolds
Sudeley Castle, Cotswolds
Broadway
Subsequently, we set out to explore the many quaint little towns in the Cotswolds. We drove to the town of Broadway first and walked around browsing the boutique shops. We bought these cute little hot air balloons that hang in Missy Jo’s room now. The hotel had packed a picnic for us as part of our package, so we ate a picnic lunch in the town of Broadway. It comes in a woven picnic basket and everything!
Afternoon Tea!
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel since we had afternoon tea reservations. The tea was everything I had hoped for and more. We both had tea (mine was herbal and non-caffeinated) and properly chowed down on all the yummy finger sandwiches and mini desserts. I can now check that off of my bucket list!
Afternoon Tea at Ellenborough Park, Cotswolds
Afternoon Tea at Ellenborough Park, Cotswolds
Cleeve Hill
Since the weather was perfect, we walked to Cleeve Hill near our hotel. It’s actually a large hilly area with hiking trails and a golf course! We took a long walk and got some much needed exercise. Mr. Jo was fascinated by how many sheep there were and how close we could get to them. You can take the boy out of the city but you can’t take the city out of the boy I guess.
Cleve Hill, Cotwolds
Cleve Hill, Cotwolds
Dinner at Beaufort Dining Room
We returned to the hotel for dinner at the Beaufort Dining Room, where we had reservations. It’s the fanciest restaurant on the property. We enjoyed several delicious courses before retiring back to our hotel room.

Friday, August 20, 2016

Quaint Little Towns of the Cotswolds
English Telephone Booth!
English Telephone Booth!

 

Our day began with another amazing breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards, we drove to a few more towns in the Cotswolds, exploring each one. The first was Chipping Camdpen, then Moreton-in-Marsh. We poked our heads in many of the boutiques and found some treasures at a craft fair. Mr. Jo bought a handmade Arsenal coaster in Moreton.
Then, we stopped in Stow-on-the-Wold. This was the largest town we visited with a bustling central square. We did a little more walking and window shopping and stopped at Lucy’s Tearoom for lunch. They offered afternoon tea, but we didn’t have enough time, so we had sandwiches, salad, and a piece of cake… delicious!
Also known as the Venice of the Cotswolds, Bourton-on-the-Water was our next stop. It was also one of the larger towns we visited. The town’s central square is built around the river that runs through it, hence the name. We purchased an original watercolor of the town and visited the Cotswold Motoring Museum where we got Jo Jr. some Thomas the Train gear.
Town of Bath
As a last minute detour, we decided to stop in the town of Bath on our way back to London. On the way there, we passed by the Cotswold Airport and stopped to admire all of planes from airlines all over the world. Mr. Jo is a total airplane geek, so this was pretty cool for him. In Bath, we walked around and saw the Bath abbey, the Royal Crescent, the Circus, Pulteney Bridge, and Royal Victoria Park. Then, we ate a quick dinner and did a night tour of the Roman Baths. It’s spectacular to see the Roman Baths at night, and they make for a very unique photo. Even though it was raining cats and dogs, I’m glad we made the trip to Bath.
Roman Baths
Roman Baths, England
Sadly, we drove back to Heathrow Airport and returned the rental car. We checked in for one night at the hotel airport and flew home the next morning.

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Home Sweet Home

Mr. Jo booked us business class tickets with miles on British Airways to Houston, and then we connected to Dallas on American. The trip was just what we needed for a little rest and relaxation. I was energized and ready to pop little Missy Jo out in a few months.

 

Check out our other Romantic Getaways:

Prague, Czech Republic

Chiang Mai and Koh Samui, Thailand

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