Oct 2023
Autumn Weekend in the Cotswolds | Country Brocante at Thyme along with a two night stay at Daylesford
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At the beginning of Autumn we had the wonderful pleasure of joining our friends and staying with them at Daylesford. We were heading down to visit the Country Brocante, which usually would be held at the grounds at Daylesford. This year the beautiful Thyme hotel hosted the event. Which was a little bonus for me, as I have always wanted to visit Thyme. Here’s what we got up to and some fabulous little spots to visit & stay if your planning a weekend in the Cotswolds.
We popped down Friday morning to Thyme to attend the Country Brocante. The Country Brocante is run by founder Lucy Haywood and her wonderful team in West Sussex. Lucy has grown the shows from small monthly village hall markets into large highly attended and regarded interior shows held at prestigious venues and country estates. I’ve attend a couple now over the years, and it’s so lovely to be inspired by this lovely event. Especially now I maybe able to purchase one or two more things for the house, eventually! Lucy organises two events a year, a Spring and Harvest Fair. This year she held the Brocante at the farm at Thyme. A ‘village within a village’ in the heart of the Cotswolds, Thyme is a family story where a passion for the land, food and entertaining merges with a love of nature, beauty and conservation. As you can imagine, I could not wait to attend! Thyme is a beautiful collection of restored, historic buildings form a peaceful hamlet environment in which you will find a stunning and unique hotel enveloped by formal gardens and winding pathways. Walking round the grounds, I had the opportunity to visit Thyme’s store, Bertioli. A mother and daughter team, Bertioli is the sibling brand of Thyme. Inspired by nature, they design simple, beautiful products for everyday living. They had their printed fabric on display for you to browse and purchase, along with their beautiful signature candle, Water Meadow. Which I couldn't help but purchase!
We then grabbed a spot of lunch at The Fox in lower Oddington. A lovely new spot not long opened and owned by Daylesford. It’s a fabulous little place, decked out as a traditional Cotswolds country pub. An absolute sense that Daylesford is behind it but with a cheeky side. The quote written on the bar “For Fox Sake” and the wildly delicious food and drinks. Never mind the gorgeous striped paroles in the walled garden out the back! It was a beautiful spot and with the Indian summer weather we had, sitting outside under those gorgeous parasols, felt like we were Lunching in the South of France.
Later that afternoon, after feasting like kings and a cheeky cocktail or two, we headed to our last stop for the weekend.
We stayed at the Daylesford cottages in the The Seed Store. As you can imagine it was impeccably finished. The beautiful Cotswold stone and Daylesford signature style, made you feel like you were staying in a scene from the Holiday. A mooch round Daylesford store then wood fire pizza’s for dinner, courtesy of the restaurant on site. With the beautiful fire in the cottage, we took full advantage of getting our real fire fix! It took the edge off the Autumn evenings that were creeping in and the sound of the crackling fire, was the perfect backdrop to snuggle down to and end our first day there.
Next morning we popped to the farmshop and picked up breakfast to enjoy in the cottage. We then headed out to walk the dogs, before we went out. The woods behind the farm are beautiful. With the hedgerows all neatly filled with rose hips and sloes, it created the most beautiful backdrop. Once we got back we popped out to grab some provisions for that evening dinner and trip to the famous Clarkson farm, Diddly squat! One to please the boys and however not on brand for both my friend and I, we secretly loved it! We evening grabbed ourselves a bottle of Cow Juice!
After being a tourist and food bought for that evenings Dinner, we made our way back to the cottage. With a slow Saturday afternoon ahead of us, we lit the fire and set the table up to play Monopoly. It felt like a lovely way for us all to slow down and just enjoy being in a quintessential English cottage. The Aga turned on and a few bits to heat up, we made sure sure Dinner prep wasn’t too taxing. A glass of Red in hand and exasperated adults who had all lost to a 12 year old at Monopoly, was actually a sign of a what a slow Autumnal weekend away in the Cotswolds should be.
My first long weekend stop in the Cotswolds, and Daylesford is somewhere I’d love to stay again. I think my favourite part was the feeling you could switch off, immerse yourself in the English countryside and experience a very luxurious home from home “staycation”. Having the opportunity to pop to Thyme, has definitely confirmed that this is also somewhere I’d love to stay. It’s on my list for when I plan my next getaway to the Cotswolds.
