In March 2024, Carl and I took our first staycation with our puppy and visited the Cotswolds. I’d never been before but was aware of how beautiful it is. Carl had been a few times as a kid so it was nice for him to go back and spend some proper time there as well, especially as it was our first trip away with Amber, our puppy. I wanted to share some things to do in the Cotwolds that we loved!
We stayed in Bourton-on-the-Water, one of the most picturesque villages, with a gorgeous little river running straight through the middle of it. Light stone cottages, sweet little shops and an array of great restaurants and cafes line the streets.
It really is somewhere you can spend a long and lazy afternoon just wandering and watching the world go by.
We didn’t actually do much which was outside of Bourton-on-the-Water. As villages go, there is a LOT to do there, so a lot of recommendations in this list will be based in Bourton.
But of course, the Cotswolds span much further afield and we only saw a teeny tiny smidge of it during our stay. So this is by no means and exhaustive list but perfect if you’re in the Cotswolds for a long weekend and especially if you’re staying in or near Bourton-on-the-Water.
Before we get onto the list, here are some things I’d recommend thinking about before a trip to the Cotwolds:
- Try and avoid peak times, school holidays, middle of Summer. It will be super busy in these small quaint villages and probably not the most pleasant experience for those wanting a relaxing holiday.
- Almost everywhere is dog friendly. If you have a dog, great. You won’t have to worry too much about where you can / can’t take them. If you don’t like dogs, something to keep in mind.
- Book a table where you want to eat. In a small village like Bourton-on-the-Water, even we couldn’t get into a couple of places on the Friday night, as we hadn’t booked and they were full.
- Parking can be tricky in these small villages. If you’re venturing out to another village, try and leave early so you can get parked up somewhere convenient.
So that said, here are 8 things to do in the Cotwolds during a long weekend:
Cotswolds Wildlife Park and Gardens
The Cotswolds Wildlife Park and Gardens was one of the rare things we actually ventured out of Bourton for but I’m so glad we did. I’d had it on my agenda to go because it’s the only zoo I know of which is dog-friendly! Amber wasn’t allowed in the indoor enclosures but there was so much to see otherwise that it didn’t really matter.
This wildlife park and gardens is absolutely massive, with ample space, large fields, gardens and huge enclosures for the animals as well. You could easily spend all day here, wandering around, having a picnic, getting coffee, taking photos and having a bloody lovely day. The weather really showed up for us on the day we went here – thankfully!
Birdland Park and Gardens
Another dog-friendly animal attraction which I didn’t actually know about until we got there and saw it but Birdland Park and Gardens is another must-visit. It’s home to over 500 birds, including various species of flamingo, penguins, owls, cranes and much more. They have animal feeds and talks throughout the day to enjoy as well.
The space is big, so you’ll get a good walk in visiting Birdland. It also has a cafe which is a good stopping point for a coffee or some lunch. Birdland is in Bourton-on-the-Water itself, so easy enough to walk to from the village centre.
Cotswolds Motoring Museum
The Motoring Museum is a sweet little museum situated in Bourton right on the river and any Millenial should recognize little Brum featured in the above photo! The Motoring Museum is the original home of Brum, the vintage 1920’s Austin Chummy Convertible who, every week would break out of his garage and explore.
I remember watching Brum as a kid so this was super nostalgic to see in real life! For some reason, I didn’t expect him to be so small! The museum is also home to a huge selection of old fashioned toys and games, which are really interesting to see as well.
Diddly Squat Farm Shop
Anyone familiar with Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon prime will know about the Diddly Squat Farm Shop. If you’re a fan, it’s worth a visit but it will get EXTREMELY busy during weekends and holidays, so if you can avoid those times, I would.
The farm shop sells an array of fresh produce. We bought some cheese, some chilli oil, sausages and a pork pie and everything was absolutely delicious. So a nice stopping point for some ingredients if you’re going to be cooking your own dinner.
Breakfast in The Cornish Bakery
The Cornish Bakery in Bourton-on-the-Water was one of our favourite places to stop. The staff are really lovely and it’s dog friendly. Everyone we met in there was up for a long chat and a cuddle with Amber so it’s definitely a friendly place to visit for a morning coffee.
And speaking of coffee, their coffee is absolutely delicious and they sell an array of pastries, cakes and pasties. The pasties, as the name suggests, come straight from Cornwall and they were absolutely delicious.
Try the local restaurants
We ate a lot of amazing food in Bourton-on-the-Water including the following restaurants:
- Smiths of Bourton: From the outside, you wouldn’t expect Smiths of Bourton to be a burger and cocktail bar. The burgers were some of the best we’ve had and the cocktail menu had a really interesting mix of unique twists on some classic favourites. Super friendly and allowed dogs.
- Venezia Ristorante: Venezia Ristorante was the stand out meal of the trip. Everything was divine, the service was great and the restaurant itself was small and intimate, so perfect for a date night. The scallops I had for starter were sensational but we couldn’t fault a single thing.
- Chester House Hotel: Another Italian but this one is definitely more chill and a better place to take children as it’s also the Chester House Hotel. We had pizza here which was nice but they also offer an Italian tapas menu, which looked delicious.
- The Rose Tree Restaurant: The Rose Tree is a gorgeous little restaurant with some excellent food. Situated next to the motor museum, an ideal location for lunch and also dog friendly. We only had a few small plates here but if the flavours were anything to go by, their whole menu is set to be delish.
Have a mooch around the cute shops
There are tons of small, independent and cute shops in Bourton-on-the-Water to have a mooch around. You could definitely spend a long and lazy afternoon with a nice coffee and having a look around the shops at the homeware, confectionery and gifts.
The Little Nook is a gorgeous shop with beautiful homeware – I’m surprised I only came out with one thing! There’s also a toy shop, owned by a magician, who might show you a card trick or two and you definitely don’t want to miss the sweet shop!
The Model Village
And finally, a trip to the sweet model village shouldn’t go amiss either. This should only take you around 20 minutes, so a good thing to do before you head home but it’s so cute that it’s well worth seeing.
It is the only Model Village in the UK that represents it’s own home in 1/9th scale and recognised in 2013 by English Heritage as qualifying for Grade II Listed status – giving the attraction protection from any changes as the village accurately reflects life as it was in the 1930’s when it was first built.
I love a staycation and I’m glad I’ve been able to cross another place off my list of destinations I wanted to see.
The Cotswolds is vast, with plenty of villages to explore, walks to go on, shops to discover and much more. Castle Coombe might be awarded prettiest village but definitely cast your net a bit wider as there’s much more to see!
I hope this post has given you some ideas of things to do in the Cotwolds, the next time you’re there!