On the last weekend of April we went on a fabulous 6-hour road trip in the Cotswolds. The sun was shining and it felt like summer, we had such a great time exploring the Cotswolds.

Northleach ~ Bluebells in Yanworth ~ Bibury ~ The Cotswold Outpost ~  Winchcombe ~ The Lion Inn.

 

^^ Driving through Winchcombe on this gorgeous, sunny day in late April. This is not us or our car (we wish it was), this was a just a lucky photo opportunity as we walked through the town. ^^ 

 

Northleach

We took off at 11am without a plan. We just went in the car and decided to go just drive and see where we ended up. As we passed The Old Prison on the Fosse Way in Northleach, we decided to take a left turn and go into the village to stretch our legs, walk Maisie (the dog), and find a coffee and a piece of cake.

The Ox House in the village square was open, there were tables and chairs outside, and the sun was shining down on them. Perfect. We sat down and ordered coffee and After Eight-cake (yes, you read that right… and yes, it was as delicious as it sounds), it was a lovely start to our day.

When we had enjoyed the coffee and cake, we went for a walk around the village and around the church. Northleach is a very pretty little Cotswold village… see for yourself here:

 

 

Bluebells in Yanworth

April is the time to see bluebells in the Cotswolds, and they are everywhere. For the best, biggest and most beautiful blankets of these lovely blue flowers, you need to visit woodlands or forests, and luckily for us, we have that in abundance in the Cotswolds.

On our drive from Northleach to Bibury, we took a little detour to Yanworth to see if parts of Chedworth Roman Villa was open to visitors. It wasn’t yet, but our detour was not waste, because we passed a bit of woodland where it was possible to park safely, so we ventured out of the car and into the wooded area to enjoy this:

 

Bibury

Arlington Row in Bibury is one of the most famous places in the Cotswolds. It is the epitome of picture-perfection, and for that reason, visitors and tourists from all over the World flock to Bibury every single year, throughout the year.

But (and this a big ‘but’) it’s super crowded, so you don’t ever get that perfect unspoiled view… and it’s not exactly a relaxed trip out in the Cotswolds when you have to share a small village with hundreds of people. See the pictures below – it took us so long to get those pictures without people and crowds in them. 

It was our first time in Bibury and we’re glad we went, but we will not be coming back again any time soon… there are so many other villages and places in the Cotswolds that are equally beautiful but lesser known and therefore a lot less busy.

 

The Cotswold Outpost

From Bibury, we decided to drive to Winchcombe. On the way, we stopped at The Cotswold Outpost, a great shop and cafe conveniently located on the A40 between Burford and the Fosse Way (A429). We’ve been many times before for both breakfast and lunch, and the food here is fantastic. But on this day, we just came for coffee and cake, which we had outside while enjoying the stunning views of the Cotswold countryside below.

 

Winchcombe

So the final leg of our road trip in the Cotswolds on this fine April day, was Wonderful Winchcombe. We’ve been to Winchcombe many times before, and will go back again and again, as it’s a truly lovely little town in the Cotswolds for shopping and for a stroll. Shopping is great in Winchcombe, there are some super antiques shops, home wares and gift shops, florists, and lots more.

 

The Lion Inn

At the end of the day we wanted to enjoy the last of the warm sunshine and nowhere better in Winchcombe to do that, than the beer garden at The Lion Inn. We ordered a couple of cold bottles of beer, a bowl of chips and a bowl of onion rings, and it was the perfect way to end a perfect road trip in the Cotswolds.

 

Summer of 2021 Staycation in the Cotswolds

“This year we’re staying safe and supporting our local area by going on Staycation in the Cotswolds. We have some of the very best attractions, restaurants, museums, pubs, cafes, galleries, and places of historic interest in the UK, right here in the Cotswolds… and we’re staying home this summer so we can experience all that“, Mette ♡

Book and get inspired for your STAYCATION IN THE COTSWOLDS today. 

This was our first road trip of our Summer Staycation of 2021. On our second, we went to Painswick, Minchinhampton, and Stroud. Read all about our Road Trip in the Cotswolds Part Two.