Culture Trip’s Guide to the Cotswolds

A refined aesthetic with millennial pink walls and plenty of blonde wood makes the Barrel Store look more like a Scandinavian retreat (replete with hygge-style throws) rather than a family-friendly hostel. Plonked in the pastel market town of Cirencester, this sprawling hostel ensures a comfortable visit within easy reach of everything the arts and crafts village has to offer. The New Brewery Arts Café next door gives 10 percent off to the Barrel Store’s guests, making those chunky chocolate brownies even more irresistible.

Terence and Gemma have been running the Angel for almost a decade, and in that time, they’ve perfected low-key comfort, the kind that oozes a British sensibility, such as kicking off your wellies after a long woodland walk. Low-slung ceilings and plush, pillow-loaded beds beg you to hop in and relax, which is what you should do – but not before a hearty meal in the downstairs pub. The baked gnocchi sprinkled with herby breadcrumbs and creamy basil pesto is highly recommended, and it’s light enough that you’ll be able to enjoy a seasonal crumble after.

The description “storybook settings” is often bandied around, but few places truly deserve that moniker. However, with twirling wildflowers, picturesque gardens and a sanctuary spa, Barnsley House does. A host of quintessentially British sports, such as polo and clay pigeon shooting, take place in and around the picture-perfect country pile, which has also become a popular venue for fairytale weddings.

With all the comfort of a guided tour and the benefit of being with family and friends, this unique self-directed trip is ideal for those who’d rather not join a group at random. Move at your own pace, and brag to your mates about how you didn’t even need a guide with this clear map and trail pack. It even comes with anecdotes and information – just like a real-life tour guide.

Who said fun and phantoms had to be mutually exclusive? Step into the past and unknown with Becki, your local guide and chaperone, as you walk the streets of Gloucester with the spirits that still lurk at every corner – even if those buildings of bygone eras have since morphed into the local Argos.

Ideal for weekenders, this day-long cycling tour covers a broad area of the Cotswolds you might otherwise miss, and with bikes included, you needn’t worry about lugging your own if you’re coming via train. Cycling through picturesque Ebrington and onto Chipping Camden, you’ll pass criss-crossed cottages, quaint country homesteads and the rolling countryside the Cotswolds is best known for.

On an archetypal Cotswold road, complete with caramel-coloured bricks, a wood-panelled exterior and window muntins, the Hive resembles something plucked from Pinterest – smashed avocados, vintage tea sets and all. The layered cakes are topped with strawberries, which adds to the typically English tweeness.

A warming colour palette of oatmeal awaits you at the Kingham Plough, a rustic country pub where you’ll find beamed ceilings and tables that look like cotton wheels. Yet despite a muted interior – and matching butter-hued Cotswold stone exterior – the plates burst into full colour. Vibrant, seasonal produce such as Smokin’ Brothers’ salmon and chicken liver parfait from Paddock Farm come together to create classically British dishes with Mediterranean flourishes.

Like much of the Cotswolds, this 16th-century Grade II-listed inn is cast from biscuit-toned Cotswold stone and is a celebration of classic country style. Fail-safe pub dishes are revitalised with interesting and locally sourced ingredients, such as saffron-infused bread and sea bass with scorched pak choi.