Cactus in the Cotswolds

Weekend Getaway in the Cotswolds

It’s not every day that someone offers you a car for a weekend and says ‘go have fun with it!’ Well two weekends ago, I was lucky enough to be offered just that – and you could too if you enter a really easy competition as described at the bottom of the post! Armed with an armadillo-like Citroen Cactus (mine looked more like a Barney the dinosaur really) I took to the open road and headed to an area in Blighty that I’d yet to explore.

So what’s the Cotswolds all about? Turns out, lots of quaint quiet streets, sandstone houses, lots of dogs/sheep and cute interiors shops. We stayed in the gorgeous Rectory Hotel, which I had seen reviewed in Stylist magazine a few months previously, and with a bit of further research found it to be the coolest hotel in the area with the right mix of modern and youthful. Go there if only for the stewed rhubarb and the most delicious breakfast tea by Brew Tea Co.

I was determined to discover as much as I could on my weekend so a cheeky detour via Oxford city and Bicester Village was a ‘sensible’ idea really. Here’s what else we discovered on our #LoveC4Cactus jaunt!

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Town: Cirencester

Just 10 minutes drive from our beds lay Cirencester, a town I’d heard of through the grapevine/internets as quintessentially Cotswoldsy plus the regions largest town. Take time to amble the quiet streets as the light fades and you’ll witness stunning amber light reflecting off the church and houses. Go to discover quaint cafes and sleepy streets.

Restaurant: The Potting Shed

Cute name huh? The Potting Shed Pub is the gastronomic brother of The Rectory and definitely worth a visit if you’re staying across the road in the hotel. I was totally hearting the interior; a mix of countryside trad (deers busts on the wall and tapestries hanging) and pop culture with witty illustrations and colourful signs dotted about. The food was lovely and the young staff so posh and polite that we knew we must be miles from London. Award winning and worth booking.

Villages: Slaughter (Upper and Lower)

When Googling ‘typical villages must visit Cotswolds’ and the names Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter come up, you’re going to stop scrolling. We didn’t let the sinister names put us off (nor the hundreds of other couples it seems) and parked up outside the country church of Lower Slaughter. A peaceful and pleasant 1 mile walk up to it’s Upper-wards sister, which features a cute ford and windy lanes, makes for an afternoon tea treat when you get back again. Cute.

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Win your own weekend getaway!

I’m sure there’s loads more of the Cotswolds worth seeing but we just drove around with the wind and stopped when we saw something we liked and you can too by wining your own weekend getaway!

Just pop over to LoveC4Cactus.co.uk and tell us what your weekend wish getaway would be! Maybe it’s a weekend in Bath with your Mum or a maybe it’s driving to a festival to see your favourite band. Just let us know, it’s easy peasy – good luck!

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