Cotswolds

The country villages and rolling farmland of the Cotswolds are just a two-hour drive from central London or a two-hour train ride from Paddington Station. The area’s upmarket mix of designer boutiques, quaint cottages, and exceptional restaurants attracts weekenders who want an easy-to-reach rural retreat.

From Cheltenham to Bledington

Day 1 The Cotswolds region is small enough to make any town your base, but because trains arrive in Cheltenham every half-hour, it’s the perfect starting point. (Buy your train ticket online at nationalrail.co.uk before arriving in England, and pay $72 less for your trip north. Keep in mind the deal is invalid if you pick the ticket up at the station, so be sure to arrange to have it sent to your hotel.) Style-conscious urbanites will love the Big Sleep, an alternative to pricier spots like the Cotswold House and Cowley Manor. The rooms have whimsical accents such as Panton chairs and Orla Kiely patterned wallpaper. Take the afternoon to drive west, past the pretty village of Bibury, to check out the Village Pub, a B&B that doubles as a gastropub and is adorned with a mishmash of old wooden chairs and large Oriental rugs. It’s laid-back and understated, except for the food: expect imaginative dishes such as grilled John Dory with braised octopus, chickpeas, tomato, and oregano.

Days 2–3 Head southwest to the market town of Tetbury and check into the family-friendly Priory Inn, with modern touches, like simple American black walnut desks, in its 14 mocha-hued rooms. A few steps away, Michael and Sarah Bedford run the no-frills Chef’s Table. From its open kitchen come classic dishes such as moules marinières and pork belly with mustard mashed potatoes; stock up for a picnic at the restaurant’s ground-floor deli, known for its vegetables from Duchy Home Farm, house-made sourdough bread, and fresh pastas. In Tetbury, don’t miss Long Street, unofficially considered Antiques Alley: there’s Sharland & Lewis, a cheerful shop brimming with 19th-century quilts, distressed wooden chests, enamelware, vintage French and English ticking, and reupholstered linen chairs from the 1940’s. At Lorfords Antiques, stone garden statues are showcased outside, while English wing chairs and blue-and-white porcelain plates and crockery fill the shop. For a change of pace, there’s the town’s 600-acre Westonbirt Arboretum, started by the Holford family in the 1820’s and now home to more than 3,000 types of trees, including maples, magnolias, and oaks.

Days 4–5 Farther north, overlooking the Bledington village green, the Kings Head Inn has 12 eclectic rooms in green, gold, or silver with beds that are plumped to perfection. Downstairs, the cozy bar and restaurant are a tribute to Cotswolds style: chunky wooden tables on a flagstone floor surround a log fire, and chef Charlie Loader serves Aberdeen Angus beef, from cattle raised on the landlord’s family farm, and apple crumble. Nearby are the glorious northern Cotswolds villages of Chipping Campden, Stow-on-the-Wold, and Moreton-in-Marsh—just follow the walking maps you’ll find in your room or ask a staff member at the front desk about the Cotswold Way, a 100-mile trail that stretches from the northern border of the region to Bath. Nature lovers and history buffs will want to spend an afternoon at the 15th-century Sudeley Castle. The 14-acre grounds include an English rose garden. For foodies, a trip to Daylesford Organic is a must-do. It’s one of the poshest farm shops in the world, selling artisanal organic cheese and meat products from its herd of free-roaming cattle, deer, and chickens. A horticulture store, spa, and organic café are housed in a series of restored barns, where shoppers snack on Eccles cakes—Britain’s traditional puff pastry—paired with an afternoon cup of tea.—Alison Tyler