My next stop was to revisit some of the places that I used to go as a child. I grew up in the south west of England, in a town called Cheltenham, famous for its Regency architecture, (think Bridgerton sets), and for holding the Gold Cup horse race. Like most children, I didn’t really appreciate the place very much, I never really felt as if I fitted in very well, moving to Yorkshire definitely felt more ‘me’.

However the area is very beautiful, and as the Cotswolds kept coming up on my Instagram feed, I decided to spend my camping time there, before coming back to Spain. I was very lucky with the weather, the week was mostly very sunny, so much so that I got sunburnt, and I was able to visit some stunning places. The Cotswolds have a lot of natural beauty, quintessentially English with rolling hills and lots of farmland.

However, the area is also famous for the beautiful houses built of the local stone, which is a gorgeous honey colour. There are so many cute villages here, it was hard to chose where to visit. The Trust has so many properties in the area, and I tried to see as many as I could in the week.

My first stop was Hidcote, famous for its garden more than the house.

Lawrence Johnston, who created it in the early 1900s, was a passionate gardener and plant collector, who travelled widely to collect specimens. There are only a few rooms open in the house, but it looks like a gorgeous place to sit and plan your travels, aided by your map of the world, complete with the Empire in red!

It was such a brilliant day to visit, the garden looked stunning, and I just loved all the delicate rhododendrons and lilacs everywhere.

Even though I love living in Spain, one of the things I do miss are the seasonal plants you get in England. We have the most wonderful cactuses, and bougainvillea year round, but there is something very special about spring plants that only have a short life.

Like many gardens, Hidcote has a series of different areas, with gorgeous walls, gates and architectural features.

I was especially lucky, as there was a stunning exhibition on by an embroidery artist, Olga Prinku, that was a complete surprise. I usually try to find a special textile treasure at each house I visit, and her work is just amazing. She embroiders on tulle, using found materials and dried flowers. I have never seen anything like this, so beautiful and original.

I especially love these ‘dandelion clocks’.

She had also done some work specifically inspired by the Hidcote garden, one of the box hedges.

I camped at Chipping Norton, just on the border between Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, and the campsite was lovely as always, such nice clean facilities and welcoming staff. I love sitting watching new people arrive every day, and admiring all the different sorts of vans, and this visit I had some neighbours who had a very cute little pod caravan.

My second Trust visit was to the village of Bibury. The village is the location of a Trout Farm, and I remember visiting that, and paddling in the stream as a child. It was full of Japanese tourists, as apparently the Emperor of Japan visited once and loved it, so it has become very popular.

As well as there being many beautiful houses in the village, the Trust looks after a place called Arlington Row, a 17th century terrace of weavers’ cottages near the river, as well as Rack Isle, between the Arlington stream and the main river.

Again there were so many lovely spring flowers, ever the weeds are pretty here.

As it was quite hot, I spent more time at the campsite that week than travelling. I was quite happy after all my long days of driving through France to just sit and read my book and watch life on the camp.

There were a couple more visits later in the week, which I will tell you about in the next post, but it was a lovely relaxing time, and I am so glad I went back to the area. I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for a location that offers some of the very best of the southern English countryside. Until next time, have fun, take care, stay safe and thanks for visiting.