Cotwolds 2026

On Monday 29th June, 45 hardy trip-goers gathered at Llantwit train station, ready to board the coach and head off to the Cotswolds. Our accommodation for the week was the Warners hotel, Heythrop Park, which is situated near Chipping Norton. The hotel is set in 440 acres of glorious parkland overlooking formal Italian-styled gardens and a large terrace, where guests can relax and enjoy views of the estate. Facilities include a luxurious spa with an indoor heated swimming pool, sauna and steam room.

On the way to the hotel, we visited Cerney House gardens in Cirencester, a secret Cotswold garden set high above the Churn Valley. This garden was truly a very special and friendly place. We were welcomed by the owner Nick, who gave us an introductory talk about the history of the house and garden, and then we were free to wander around and admire the old-fashioned roses, the herb garden and the working kitchen garden. The colourful borders in the walled garden were beautiful, and there were places to sit and take it all in. We enjoyed tea/coffee and delicious homemade cakes before boarding the coach and heading to the hotel.

Once we were settled in to our rooms, we headed down to the Market Kitchen to enjoy a 3 course dinner with a wide variety of choices available. Entertainment is provided by the Warner Theatre Company each evening, featuring singers performing Essentially Elton (a celebration of Elton John) and hits by Debby Harry, Carly Simon, Stevie Nicks and Alanis Morissette.

The following morning, we headed off to Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The Palace State rooms hold priceless collections of tapestries, paintings and furniture, and we discovered the stories from below stairs – the hidden world of Blenheim Palace`s servants. There was also a fascinating Winston Churchill Exhibition. The gardens range from the naturalistic sweeping lawns, trees and lakes designed by `Capability` Brown in the 1700s, to the contrasting formal style of the majestic water terraces and the Duke`s private Italian garden. We hopped onto a miniature railway to visit the Walled Garden which included a butterfly house and an exhibition of the tools used in the gardens many years ago.

Our first destination on Wednesday was Chippy Flower Farm, a short distance from the hotel, which grows exquisite seasonal cut flowers for DIY weddings and events, bouquets and for home arranging. The flowers are sown, planted and harvested by hand, in their natural season. Tif, the owner, gave us a tour of the flower fields which are a haven for pollinators, birds and insects, and she is clearly very passionate about what she has created with her small team. This is indeed a very special and beautiful place.

We then headed off to Hidcote Manor, a world famous arts and crafts inspired garden. Covering 10.5 acres, it takes visitors on a journey through intimate formal areas revealing a different atmosphere or new vista at every turn, to more naturalistic areas, and a kitchen garden. Many of us enjoyed a light lunch in the tearooms, and probably a piece of cake later on too! The plant centre was full of beautiful plants and garden products, and the gift shop stocked a wide selection of souvenirs, homeware, books and local produce. A very enjoyable place to spend an afternoon.

Thursday was a very special day as one of our party, Mary, was celebrating her 90th birthday! The coach was decorated with bunting and a few banners, and a round of applause was in order for the birthday girl.

Our first port of call today was Cotswold Lavender, near Broadway, where we could wander through rows of fragrant lavender, drift amongst swathes of wildflowers, or explore the traditional meadows. We visited the distillery to see where the lavender oil is extracted so that it can be used in a range of products available to buy in the lavender fields cabin. We then drove the short distance to Broadway where we had time to wander around the pretty High Street with its independent shops and galleries, and have a spot of lunch.

The next stop was the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Steam Railway, to enjoy a relaxing and scenic 14 mile journey to Cheltenham, through lovely countryside and over the striking Stanway Viaduct. The guide on the journey wandered through the carriages telling us all about the railway, pointing out things of interest to see as we travelled, and generally keeping us entertained with his wealth of knowledge. Dave, our coach driver, met us at Cheltenham racecourse at the end of our journey to take us back to the hotel.

Friday was the last day of our holiday and after a hearty breakfast we checked out of the hotel and boarded the coach to head home. To break up the journey we visited Rodmarton Manor in Cirencester and I think we all agreed that this was an amazing place. Rodmarton is a supreme example of a house built, and all its furniture made, according to Arts and Crafts ideals, and was one of the last country houses to be built and furnished in the old traditional style when everything was done by hand using local stone, timber and craftsmen. We were treated to a tour of the manor and both guides that took us around were so interesting to listen to, and gave us so much information on the Arts and Crafts movement, that we all came away having learnt so much. The 8 acre garden was designed as a series of outdoor rooms, with a wide selection of planting, and superb vistas and views. There were also plenty of places to sit and enjoy the gardens. And, of course, no garden visit is complete without tea/coffee and homemade cake!

Before we boarded the coach one last time, we gathered together for a group photo. It was a busy week (these trips are more like an endurance test than a holiday!) but an enjoyable one, and we were blessed with temperatures that didn`t make us all run for the shade.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in the Cotswolds, to Pencoed Travel who take us everywhere, and especially to Dave, our driver, who also takes us everywhere! Our trips secretary, Elizabeth, is already planning for next year. Watch this space!