Recommendations
Eating Out
Swan At Southrop
Gorgeous village pub just a five minute walk from our door. Some walk in tables available, but best to book ahead. Lovely to arrive on a Friday night and go for supper. tel. 01367 850174
Victoria Inn, Eastleach
Lovely pub in the next village with great food, friendly people and a good atmosphere. A 1 mile walk, either by footpath along the pretty River Leach, or if via a quiet country road. Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays. tel. 01367 850277
Thyme, Southrop
In the village is the restaurant at the Thyme Hotel. Don’t follow the signs - head through the village to the Church and the back entrance is next to the church on the right. Worth it if you fancy some high end fun a short walk away. Book well in advance. There is also a spa - details are on the website. tel. 01367 850174
The Bell Inn, Langford GL7 3LF
A 10 min drive, great food and a pizza oven.
tel. 01367 860249
The Wheatsheaf Inn, Northleach, GL54 3EZ
Further afield (a 25min drive), this is a great place with lovely food - everything you’d want a country pub to be. Book to be seated inside.
tel. 01451 860244
Local Shopping
At Southrop Village Hall on Wednesday mornings there is a community shop and post office run by villagers. Tea & homemade cakes available.
We are three miles from the market towns of Lechlade and Fairford. Here there are bakeries, shops, post office, Spars, chemists, surgery and pubs. Fairford comes alive on Wednesday mornings with a market in the square.
Burford, 5 miles away, is great for delis, cafes, art and antiques. Park on one of the roads off the main thoroughfare.
Lynwoods for lovely bread, pastries, unhomogenised milk & excellent fresh readymade meals - branches in Fairford, Lechlade and Burford. Open til 3pm
Upton Smokery Shop - near Burford, has fresh veg and a lovely range of smoked produce.
Daylesford Farm Shop is further away but worth a trip as it’s like a supermarket made in heaven, and also has a cafe.
For clothes and antiques, visit Stow In The Wold or Moreton In Marsh.
The village of Southrop is in the Domesday book, and lies in a conservation area on the Gloucestershire/Oxfordshire borders, midway between Cirencester and Burford. There are good walks from the cottage, and maps are provided.
A short drive away, there is a wonderful walk from Swinbrook, passing the small church of St Oswald’s that stands isolated in a field, and another church where the Mitford sisters are buried.
Walks
Local Attractions
William Morris' Kelmscott Manor is just a short drive away. Described as a ‘Heaven on Earth’ by Morris, he loved the Manor house and adjoining farm buildings as a work of true craftmanship, totally unspoilt and unaltered, and in harmony with the surrounding countryside. Open Thursdays to Saturdays from 1st April to the end of October.
Buscot Park is nearby with wonderful house, art collection and gardens.
Cotswolds Wildlife Park, a 3 mile drive, offers exotic animals in the grounds of a stately home.
Cotswolds Canoe Hire
Kayak hire on the Thames in Lechlade.
Buscot Weir
Outdoor swimming spot on the Thames
Curated Cotswolds
If you would like help to make the most of your time in this quintessential English region, Roanna Stromberg-Smith lives not far from our cottage, and offers amazing tailored days out for visitors. With the assistance of her little black book, you will find the best shopping, culture and heritage the area has to offer, as she shares her insider knowledge to offer you “a backstage pass to the Cotswolds.” How cool is that? Wish I could go myself - perhaps if I recommend her enough, she may be persuaded to let me! Get in touch with Roanna to find out more via the link above.