To Summer In The Cotswolds

A Very Curious Summer

To Summer In The Cotswolds

Well, it seems Summer is here, and like the good ol’ days it’s accompanied by hour after glorious hour of sunshine. For those of us locked away in high-rise offices the promise of the Summer is simple and irresistible: to feel the tingle of the sun on your shoulders and to let your eyes gaze out over the beauty of the countryside and to feel free.

This, alongside the riotous colours and bustle of festivals, outdoor cinemas, fetes & barbecues is what creates those most wonderful postcard-memories of a Summer well-spent. And fleeting as we know it can be, there’s no time to delay in capturing some of the essence of Summer for yourself.

We bring you this guide from our rather special vantage point on the terrace (south-facing of course) of Cowley Manor – our Cotswold pile with contemporary style. Looking out over our bucolic gardens it’s safe to say that we can rightly claim this to the be the best place to base yourself for your Summer staycation. With 55 acres of gardens said to have inspired the adventures of Alice in Wonderland and proclaimed by the Telegraph as the ‘most spectacular’ they have ever seen, it’s a pretty good starting point.

To make the most of your sunshine-dappled days in the countryside though we know you need a little more; a little more to see, do and explore (and if you’re bringing your little curious adventurers, more to tire them out!), and so we have prepared a guide of what’s happening here at the Manor and also around us in Cheltenham, Stow, Stroud, Cirencester and more.

If you’re bringing your little ones you might like…

AT THE MANOR

Children will have the time of their lives at Cowley this Summer, with an adventure pack ready and waiting to go for every child staying with us, as well as scavenger hunts in the grounds, splashing around at C-Side in the morning and afternoon and children’s films screened in the Library when the heat of the day gets a little too much.

For older little ones (and adults!) we see the return of our popular ‘Theatre Under the Stars’ with a performance of The Scarlet Pimpernel on the top lawn at 7pm on the 31st of July.
Tickets & more information

Don’t forget, we have a delicious and healthy Kid’s Menu available along with child-friendly afternoon teas and picnics to make lunch and dinner time fun too.

 

OUT & ABOUT

Holst Museum – The birthplace of the famous composer, the Holst Museum is a Victorian Tardis letting little ones see what it was like to grow up in the 19th Century. There are craft sessions, Victorian games and much more.
Visit for more information.

Summer Jam at the Brewery Quarter (2nd – 4th August) – A mini-festival taking place in Cheltenham just 15 minutes from Cowley, with lots of live music, family fun, craft and art stalls.
Visit for more information.

Cotswold Club House (Weekdays through the holidays) – Located in the pretty town of Bourton-on-the-Water (the Venice of the Cotswolds no less!) is the Cotswold Club House, who run super Kid’s Camps each day. Perfect if they want to have a day of play and if you want to take some time to peruse the shops and cafes of Bourton.
Visit to book.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea at Newark Park (Until 1st September) – Celebrating 50 years since The Tiger Who Came to Tea was published, the Kids can play in the interactive kitchen and enjoy the storytelling, craft sessions and themed garden trail all in the National Trust estate of Newark Park – and not forgetting the life-size model tiger!
Visit to book.

Knight School at Sudeley Castle (Until 1st September) – Quite literally as it sounds, your little ones can learn all about being a Knight of Court as we as enjoy storytelling and crafts.
Visit for more information.

Cotswold Farm Park at Guiting Power – Open daily, the Cotswold Farm Park is a beautiful day out with the kids. They’ll hand feed the lambs, chickens, ducks and more as well as enjoy the zip wires and mazes and even learn to drive a tractor!
Visit for more information.

If you’re coming with your better half, you might enjoy…

AT THE MANOR

Being a playground for grown-ups as much as little ones it’s hard to pick out our highlights for couples at Cowley this Summer, but if we had to choose:

  • Picnicking in the Grounds: what could be more romantic? Read the full article here, and we strongly recommend booking as a surprise for your partner for extra brownie points.
  • A Couple’s Treatment at C-Side: A gorgeous shared experience in our couple’s treatment suite at C-Side. There’s something special about sharing this experience together and letting your stresses float away. Recommended to book at the start of your stay.
  • We’re still ‘peachy keen, jellybean’ for our Al Fresco cinema screenings (including Grease) on the Top Lawn or poolside at C-Side.
  • For the green-fingered among us too, lunch & a tour of the Garden with Head Gardener David Masters is not to be missed.

 

FURTHER AFIELD

Without needing the car, the perfect walk (with the dog too) is around the perimeter of our Gardens, past the Cowley Cricket Club and onto Elkstone, which boasts a beautiful church and stunning views. On the way back to Cowley you’ll see the charming Green Dragon which is worth popping into for a local ale.

Heading the other way towards Coberley, we have the Star Golf Course (which takes day players if you fancy a spin on the clubs) and Crickley Hill with the famed Devil’s Chimney and sweeping views across Cheltenham – well worth the exertion (and a perfect spot to take a Cowley picnic out and about).

Regency Cheltenham, our closest town, is a period masterpiece with one beautiful building after the next, and you’ll find the town bustling with boutiques, parks, bars and bistros. It’s always worth keeping an eye on the listings at the Everyman Theatre which plays host to the travelling national shows and is in itself a marvel to behold.

 

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

If all of this sounds utterly delightful but a little headache inducing to arrange worry not – our reservations coordinator Gregor will be delighted to connect the dots for you and map out your itinerary so you can eek out every last drop of Summer sunshine from your stay.

 

CAN’T GET OUT OF TOWN?

If you can’t make it to the countryside (or if you fancy an urban break in sunshine) you may want to look at our city destinations of Paris, Amsterdam & London. Throughout the Summer, all our locations play host to a dazzling array of festivals and shows, and all boast pop-up beaches and beach clubs, so you can get the sand beneath your toes and still grab an uber.