Creative Cotswolds

Stay: Cowley Manor Experimental
Finger-on-the-pulse hoteliers Experimental Group have reimagined this Italianate stone pile in the Churn Valley. Spirited Dorothée Meilichzon interiors and lacquered curves deliver a mood that’s equal parts Cotswolds weekend and Left Bank attitude. Cowley, GL53 9NL

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Provisions: Juniper
Blink and you’ll miss it. This tiny village shop is packed with good stuff: truffle pesto, organic oat milk, home-baked granola, sourdough grilled cheese toasties and excellent coffee, just steps from Painswick’s brooding yew-tree churchyard. Painswick, GL6 6QG

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Wander: Painswick Rococo Garden
The UK’s only surviving Rococo garden is a delightfully frilly 1740s fantasy: fish ponds and gothic alcoves, serpentine paths and statues, a teasing maze and long views over the surrounding hills. Painswick, GL6 6TH

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Posy picking: Saltbox & Co
A roadside honesty stall piled with home-grown and hand-cut flowers, gathered from the Slad Valley smallholding behind it. Bunches shift with the season – meadowy, loose, unfussy. Locals swing by to fill kitchen-table vases fresh from the hedgerow. The Camp, GL6 7EU

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Lunch: Juliet
Stroud’s buzziest tables occupy a former music school turned zipped-up neighbourhood bistro. Start with a Gimlet at the bar, then dive into the Parisian classics: baguette with extremely good butter, oeufs mayonnaise, thick spears of asparagus and a dozen oysters. Stroud, GL5 2AD

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Art: Rattle and Brash
Tap into Stroud’s creative energy at Rattle and Brash’s barn, on the outskirts of town. Piano concerts and gigs fill the residency space by night and the day is turned over to exhibitions of up-and-coming talent. Stroud, GL5 1PH

SEE WHAT’S ON

Shop: Humphries & Begg
Print-mad husband-and-wife team Alice Begg and Robbie Humphries create small batch, brilliantly original clothing, in collaboration with artisans in Jaipur, as well as colour-block homeware and Kilim rugs. Stroud, GL5 1AA

BROWSE

Refuel: Coco Caravan
A cacao bar fully devoted to the culture and craft of chocolate. Think organic, fairtrade beans, turned into vegan bars, thick hot chocolate and a seriously delicious coco affogato – dark chocolate poured over sweet coco ice cream. Stroud, GL5 1AY

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Dinner: The Woolpack
Sculptor Daniel Chadwick took over Laurie Lee’s local more than 25 years ago – and it just keeps getting better. With fires lit, flowing cider and plates of hearty-smart food, it feels like the valley’s dining room. Stay on and you might just hear Stroud band Ordinary Folk striking up. Slad, GL6 7QA

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Nightcap: Experimental Cocktail Club
The Cotswolds outpost of the Experimental Cocktail Club is a moody indigo-and-amber den, where garden herb tinctures find their way into the drinks and DJs soundtrack the late hours of the weekend. Cowley, GL53 9NL

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Coffee: Knead Bakery
At Elkstone Studios’ creative hub, Knead Bakery’s shelves are lined with warm, sugar-crunch brioche doughnuts and rhubarb-custard buns worth driving for. The coffee is excellent, too, and the lavender-filled courtyard is heated on chilly days. Elkstone Studios, GL53 9PQ

FIND OUT MORE

Head to: Bicester Village
Pre-booked parking, Hands-free Shopping, and purchases waiting for you neatly at the end of the day. Bicester Village has seamless shopping down to a fine art. Bicester, OX26 6WD

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Shop: RIXO
Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey’s London label brings vintage-inspired glamour to the Village, with its hand-painted prints and bias-cut silk dresses offering a distinctly retro spirit. RIXO, Bicester Village

VISIT THE BOUTIQUE

Shop: Mulberry
Somerset-born Mulberry has been creating high-luxury leather goods since 1971. Its boutique here is stacked with Bayswater totes, Alexa satchels and beautifully grained wallets - all the classics. Mulberry, Bicester Village

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Lunch: The Double Red Duke
The Village outpost of the much-loved Cotswolds gastropub, helmed by Sam and Georgie Pearman, comes with the same heart and soul and assured cooking – woodfired flatbreads, rotisserie chicken and proper puddings. The Double Red Duke, Bicester Village

MAKE A RESERVATION

Shop: Charlotte Tilbury
The make-up artist’s cult beauty universe has all her bestsellers, Pillow Talk lip kits, glow-boosting highlighters and the famous Magic Cream, plus on-hand experts ready with wizardry and tips. Charlotte Tilbury, Bicester Village

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Shop: Dyson
Like the vacuum cleaner that kickstarted the revolution, it’s hard to go back to the old way of doing things once you’ve tried the Dyson version on your hair. All the latest designs are here: Airwrap I.D.™, Airstrait™ and the Supersonic™ hair dryer. Dyson, Bicester Village

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Refuel: Tease
Adaptogenic lattes, matcha and smoothies from this refined sugar-free wellness bar are a neat pick-me-up for when the espresso has worn off, but you’ve still plenty of shopping to do. Tease, Bicester Village

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Shop: FENDI
The boutique showcases the house’s Mon Tresor bucket bags and Baguette jewellery, plus all the logo-stamped accessories and ready-to-wear favourites. Roman glamour with a playful edge. FENDI, Bicester Village

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