scdreamer

Finally we are ready to make summer plans! We were waiting for the birth of our fifth grandchild - first boy! - because his older sister born two years ago had some severe issues at birth (major surgery and the passage of time have alleviated them, thank god) and we wanted to be sure this new baby would be okay before planning to leave our daughter and her husband behind.

Baby James arrived on April 24 - fit as a fiddle - and now we are making our getaway plans!

As part of our summer sojourn, we want to rent a cottage in the Cotswolds for nine days in mid July. There are so many villages - so many possibilities - and I know little about the area.

We are Californians, both in our mid 60s, experienced travelers who enjoy walking, historic sites, local food and drink, museums. We are not "shoppers." I think we would like to be in a village where we could walk to pubs and enjoy the town atmosphere, rather than in a cottage way out in the countryside. We would not like anything too modern or suburban - we're hoping for the "step back 300 years" atmosphere.

We will be arriving at Heathrow, will have a rented car, so we can drive from place to place for country walks or to visit other villages, but would certainly like to be somewhere that allows us to walk out the front door and find a pub or grocer nearby.

So far, we have found two cottages that look promising - one in Blockley (seems a bit out-of-the-way, though) and another in Chipping Campden (which might be closer to what we are hoping for).

Anyone have a Cotswold favorite location? Any other ideas or suggestions for places to see and things to do will be welcome!

janisj

Stupid site wouldn't let me post so I'll try again.

>>Baby James arrived on April 24 - fit as a fiddle - <<

Congratulations!

Chipping Campden is a good base with several pubs and restaurants. More a town than a 'village'.

Blockley is smaller but still has a couple of pubs and cafes. Either would make a fine base (as would many other towns/villages)

Between the two, I'd maybe choose more based on which property looks nicer.

(there was more but it is lost in the ether )

flanneruk

What do you think Blockley is out of the way of that Chipping Campden isn't?

Apart from a modestly intensive bus network (and you've got a car anyway) I can't think of a single thing.

By the way: don't even dream of flying overnight from California, then driving straight here.

Get the bus to Oxford, stay there overnight and collect a car the following morning.

You may not care if you kill yourselves driving on the wrong side after 12 sleepless hours in a cigar tube. And frankly neither do I.

But don't you dare risk my life, and my neighbours', through your self-centred stupidity. If you really want to kill people: stay at home and kill a few Americans.

Fools aren't welcome here.

scdreamer

Are you having a bad day, flanneruk?

Actually, we are flying business class - with lie-flat beds.

And ... we're on Aer Lingus, with a two-day stopover in Dublin before we arrive at Heathrow.

Way to jump to a conclusion.

If you tell me the general area where you live, I will be happy to give it wide berth.

(And I was asking about locations, as I don't know the Cotswolds area at all. Thought that was made clear.)

janisj

To be fair you didn't say you were stopping over -- In the part of my post that evaporated I mentioned the very same thing. It sounded very much like you were flying from CA to LHR. And Business/lie flats really don't make driving a better idea.

So -- you won't have jet lag so driving straight out will be OK. (sure hope you aren't driving when you land at DUB )

>>What do you think Blockley is out of the way of that Chipping Campden isn't?<<

Is a legit question since Blockley and CC are less than 4 miles from each other - If you are happy w/ one location you'd be happy w/ the other.

pavot

I hope Blockley is okay; I'm staying in a cottage there for a week at the end of June....

One question I might have -- which you have probably sorted out already -- is whether or not you are able to book a cottage for nine days. During the summer, a lot of places seem to do only full weeks.

I'll be interested in seeing in seeing Hidcote and Sezincote, and I hope to get to Kelmscott. The Daylesford Organic Farm shop looks very tempting -- my family stayed near Ludlow for two weeks last year, and only discovered the Ludlow Food Centre on the last day. Sad!

janisj

If a cottage is only available for 7 days (which is often the case in the middle of summer because most rentals are for a week and do book up, so there are no 'left over' days available) . . . then one can always stay in a B&B for the extra two days in another part of the Cotswolds. Say in the SW parts so you can see other parts of the region w/o having such long drives.

That would result in an extra packing/unpacking but only twice in 9 days isn't bad.

pavot

That's just what we are doing; there are always "extra" days when I book cheap or award-ticket flights.

So we are starting off with a couple of nights in Tetbury. I hope Highgrove will live up to expectations....

scdreamer

Yes, I noticed that the blocks of time seem to be divided into seven-day segments, some seemingly regardless of the start or end date.

Good idea, janisj. I am thinking we will probably take the Blockley cottage and then head southeast after our dates are up.

Regardless of the manner in which renting a car in Oxford was suggested, I think it is a good plan. We can take the bus to Oxford once we have arrived at Heathrow and then spend a night there before picking up the car and heading to Blockley.

After the Costwolds, we are embarking on a cruise out of Southampton to visit the fjords of Norway, so we could drop the car back in Oxford, and make our way to the port.

(And, nope, not driving in Dublin at all. Meeting friends who are picking us up for a short visit at their flat.)

pavot

Sounds like a wonderful trip, sc.

And congratulations on your grandson!

janisj

>>We can take the bus to Oxford once we have arrived at Heathrow and then spend a night there before picking up the car and heading to Blockley. <<

Excellent idea. I took the express coach from LHR to Oxford just early last month and it could not have been easier.

>>so we could drop the car back in Oxford, and make our way to the port.<<

That is easy because there are direct (no changes) trains from Oxford to Southampton. OR -- if there are sites you want to see en route you could always drive and drop the car at Southampton.

Nigel_UK

For Cotswolds look at Stow on the Wold which is fairly central and has amenities. You must do the walk between Bourton on the water (touristy, but nice) and the Slaughters.

Staying in Oxford for a day or so is a great idea. The frequent express bus from Heathrow is good and drops off at several stops in Oxford, it should only take just over 1 hour. If you are interested I can post a link. Cottages typically only rent one week at a time as you have found out.

Call in Blenheim palace in Woodstock, on the way to the Cotswolds.

There is also a nice heritage steam railway between Toddington and near Cheltenham.

You could consider Stratford upon Avon too as it is not far for Shakespeare attractions. Warwick Castle is not much further too!

janisj

Just noticed >>and then head southeast after our dates are up. <<

If you mean to explore more of the Cotswolds that would have to be south<B>west . . .

janisj

. . . actually south or southwest.

scdreamer

Yes - it will be southwest.

Our plans are firming up - we have decided to stay in Chipping Campden, as we want to be within walking distance of pubs and shops.

Decided to have a car service take us from LHR to our hotel in Oxford - it was at a reasonable price through the hotel, and we will have luggage with us.

We'll rent a car in Oxford the following day, drive to our Chipping Campden cottage - after our week there, we will drive south for an overnight in Bath, then on to Southampton, where we can drop the car.

Thanks for the info and advice - we are really looking forward to the trip.