What to do in the Cotswolds while house and pet sitting

Straddling several counties in south-central England, the Cotswolds is an area of rolling green hills and stunningly beautiful villages. There are grand and imposing stately homes to explore here, like Blenheim Palace and Sudeley Castle, as well as winding trails and an embarrassment of award-winning restaurants. If you’re heading this way for house and pet sitting, read on to find our pick of the very best things to do in the Cotswolds.

Cotswolds attractions

1. Blenheim Palace: Located in the far eastern point of the Cotswolds AONB (Area of Natural Beauty), Blenheim Palace is a wonderfully extravagant country house which has been the seat of the Dukes of Marlborough since the early 1700s – and was the birthplace of Winston Churchill in 1874. The palace is astonishingly big, with 187 rooms and grounds stretching across some 2,000 acres (8.5 million square metres). And there’s even a miniature train to take visitors between the palace and the beautiful gardens, which were laid out by gardening superstar Capability Brown.

2. Sudeley Castle: Just outside Winchcombe lies Sudeley Castle, a building that dates back to the mid-15th century, although a manor house existed on the same spot for at least several centuries before that. The castle has a fascinating history, being visited by a succession of monarchs (Elizabeth I held a party here to celebrate the defeat of the Spanish Armada), and it’s the final resting place of Catherine Parr, the last of Henry VIII’s six wives. There are ten extraordinary gardens to explore while you’re here, including the Knot Garden: an intricate design made from 1,200 box hedges.

3. Coaley Peak: Coaley Peak is the perfect place to stop for a picnic while you’re out exploring the Cotswolds. The hill provides fantastic views of the Severn Vale and the Forest of Dean, and the reclaimed farmland around the area has been turned into a wild flower meadow. There’s also an excavated neolithic burial site nearby called Nympsfield Long Barrow, showing the importance of the area over the past several thousand years.

Free things to do in the Cotswolds

1. The Cotswold Way: If you’re up for some serious hiking, the 164-kilometre-long Cotswold Way is one of the prettiest walking routes in England, threading its way through green pastures and picturesque villages. Walking the full route between Chipping Campden and Bath would take around ten days, but you can easily just pick a section of the walk to complete if you only have a day or two. The route is well signposted, and passes through towns like Wotton-under-Edge, Stroud and Cheltenham.

2. Cheltenham: Cheltenham rose to fame as a spa town in the 18th century, and it’s home to some absolutely stunning Regency buildings, particularly in the well-to-do Montpellier District. Look out for the Montpellier Arcade, one of the UK’s oldest shopping centres, as well as the beautiful tree-lined Promenade, where you’ll find all sorts of upmarket shops and cafés. Another highlight is Pittville Park with its wonderfully ornate Pittville Pump Room, which was built in the 1820s as a place to sample the area’s soothing waters.

3. Bourton-on-the-Water: Right in the heart of the Cotswolds AONB, Bourton-on-the-Water is like a picture postcard come to life. The tinkling waters of the River Windrush wind their way through the centre of town, slipping beneath tiny bridges while honey-coloured cottages and idyllic tea rooms stand sentry on the banks. It’s gorgeous. While you’re there, take a peek at the enjoyable Cotswold Motoring Museum and Toy Collection, as well as the utterly charming Model Railway Exhibition.

Fun things to do in the Cotswolds

1. The House of the Tailor of Gloucester: In College Court, right in the shadow of Gloucester Cathedral, you’ll find something straight out of a storybook. The building here served as the inspiration for the Tailor’s shop in Beatrix Potter’s story The Tailor of Gloucester, but now it functions as a museum and shop. Downstairs you’ll find all sorts of beautiful Potter memorabilia as well as a kitchen made to resemble the one in the book, while upstairs you can learn about the life of John Pritchard, the real-life tailor who inspired the tale.

2. Find Harry Potter: The Harry Potter movies used all sorts of filming locations around the Cotswolds, so you can have fun recognising scenes from the screen. Gloucester Cathedral stood in as various parts of Hogwarts in the first two films – that corridor with the troll being one of them – while the village of Lacock and its abbey also had a starring role in the initial two movies. In particular, look out for the room in the abbey where Professor Quirrell taught Defence Against the Dark Arts.  

3. Cotswold Farm Park: Countryfile presenter Adam Henson runs this interactive farming experience, where visitors can learn all about British farming – as well as meet a whole host of adorable creatures, including goats, piglets, guinea pigs and rabbits. If you can tear yourself away from the petting area, there are various trails to explore, as well as indoor and outdoor play parks and regular events.

What to do in the Cotswolds with pets?

1. Broadway Tower: This charming folly was dreamt up by 18th-century gardener Capability Brown, and its hilltop position offers a commanding view of the rolling countryside below. The architecture is a wonderfully eccentric mix of styles, and inside there’s an exhibition where you can learn the story of how it all came to be. Dogs are very welcome, and there’s a circular walk as well as some dog agility obstacles to enjoy, but bear in mind that dogs need to be on a lead at all times to avoid spooking the local deer.

2. Batsford Arboretum: Batsford Arboretum has a spectacular collection of around 1,300 different trees, shrubs and bamboo, with a particular emphasis on species from the Far East. In particular it has an impressive collection of cherry trees, making it an ideal spot for a spring visit to admire the blossoms. Dogs on a lead are welcome in the grounds, and well-behaved dogs can also enter the main building and café.

3. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway: Admire the Malvern Hills from the majesty of a fully restored steam train as it chugs along the 45 kilometre round trip between Broadway in the north and Cheltenham Racecourse in the south. Dogs are welcome on board provided they are on a lead – although first class compartments and the restaurant car are forbidden to canines!

Best restaurants in the Cotswolds

1. The Chequers, Churchill: Not too far from Chipping Norton in the village of Churchill lies this spectacular gastropub, with its flagstone floors, leather-backed seats and sublime menu. Choose from hearty dishes like hot smoked salmon with Cornish potatoes, rare-breed pork chop with slow-cooked cabbage or flat-iron steak with triple-cooked chips, and take a moment to sample the excellent selection of local ales.

2. Ox Barn at Thyme, Southrop: In the picturesque village of Southrop, just north of Lechlade-on-Thames, you’ll find the luxury spa hotel Thyme and its dramatic Ox Barn restaurant. As the name implies, it was once a barn for oxen, and beneath the sturdy wooden ceiling beams now lies a state-of-the-art open kitchen producing delights such as confit guinea fowl with pancetta and olives, and sea bream with mussels and fennel broth.

3. The Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach: Northleach, right in the middle of the Cotswolds, hides this 17th-century coaching inn, which was named the best pub in the south west at the 2021 National Pub and Bar Awards. The delicious food menu includes game and pie dishes that change daily, along with meals like skate wing and clams with samphire and caper butter, or wild mushrooms and black truffle pappardelle.

Wherever you end up exploring in the Cotswolds, we hope that you have a fantastic time!

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