If you are planning on coming to the Cotswolds to experience a bit of seasonal cheer, make sure you head south of Cheltenham to visit the Westonbirt Arboretum.

Now in case you didn’t know, an arboretum is a wonderful place to visit at this time of year if you want to take a cheap weekend break.  This is because arboretums are essentially groups of trees.  Sounds a bit disappointing, doesn’t it?

But don’t be fooled.  Just imagine all the autumn colours you’ll see as you head to Westonbirt for the incredible Enchanted Christmas event.  You can enjoy a full day exploring the various parts of the Cotswolds, before heading back to your Cotswolds accommodation to wrap up warm for your visit to Westonbirt.

This is because the arboretum – more magically called the Enchanted Wood – is lit up when the Enchanted Christmas event gets started.  The big day is Friday 27th November, when the festive fun gets underway at the arboretum for the first time this year.

But if you can’t make it right at the start don’t worry.  The event runs right up until the Sunday before Christmas itself, which is the 20th.  So you’ve got plenty of time to book yourself a weekend away in the Cotswolds to visit this magical place.

So what can you expect to find once you arrive?  For starters you will see the woods as they appear only at this time of year.  The trees are lit by many different coloured lights, making them look quite stunning and spookily eerie too in the dark!  But make no mistake this is the perfect excuse for a cosy evening out with your partner.  Just be sure to wrap up warm so you can enjoy the mile long stroll around the beautifully lit arboretum without getting cold.

Even if you are staying in self catering accommodation in the Cotswolds you might not want to cook dinner the night you arrive here.  A better option might be to pre-book a table at the Maples Restaurant on site.  This is always a popular choice and since you’ll be able to tuck into a mouth watering seasonal carvery meal, you can see why booking before you turn up is essential.

To walk the trail through the Enchanted Wood, be sure you turn up close to 5pm.  This is when it opens and you’ll want to have enough time to make the most of it.  Even though it will be dark bring a good camera if you have one – you’ll want to capture the lighting effects whenever you can.

As you can see this idea for a short break in the UK gives you a chance to kick off this Christmas a bit differently from how you may have done before.  The Westonbirt Arboretum is easy enough to find as well – it is located to the south west of Cirencester and only around three miles south west of Tetbury.  Follow the A433 to Westonbirt and you should see the signs from there.

Manor Cottages release new tourism guides

Manor Cottages has added new content to their main website to help drive more visitors, to learn about the Cotswolds and surrounding areas.

With more and more people deciding to holiday in the UK, we feel that it is important to give information regarding the local areas so that the consumer can make an informed decision where to holiday and which area’s will suit their needs. Whether this is a family holiday, romantic break away or a full adventure holiday you will be able to see which areas are right for you.

There are 3 main areas in which Manor Cottages are concentrating on these being Bath, Stratford upon Avon and the Wye Valley. Below is a breakdown of the areas and which information we have already included:

Bath

• Bath Self Catering Holiday Guide
• Days Out in Bath
• Places to Eat
• Shopping in Bath
• Walking Tours in Bath
• Brief History of Bath

Stratford upon Avon

• Guide to Stratford Upon Avon
• Days out in Stratford Upon Avon
• Places to Eat
• Shopping in Stratford
• Walking in Stratford
• Brief History of Stratford

Wye Valley

• Wye Valley Accommodation and Self Catering Cottages
• Days Out in the Wye Valley
• Places to Eat
• Shopping in the Wye Valley
• Walking in the Wye Valley

If you are interested in visiting any of these areas or just want to read more about them visit the links above or our main website at www.manorcottages.co.uk

Can it be nearly that time again already?  It certainly can – Christmas is getting closer by the day and it seems to have taken us by surprise this year for some reason.

But if you have a few spare days available to take a weekend break in the Cotswolds from Friday 4th December onwards, you can really get into the spirit of the season as a result.

That’s because one of the most popular places to grab cheap UK holidays – Bourton on the Water – is holding a late night shopping spectacular to get involved with.  But this isn’t just any kind of late night shopping.  This is themed to hark back to Victorian times, and there is arguably no better way of getting into the spirit of the season than this.

And there is far more than just shopping to help you kick off a nice weekend break too.  If you have the kids with you they will love the opportunity to go and see the big man himself, Father Christmas.  He’ll be there in his grotto, getting ready for the big day that by then will only be 3 weeks away.

You can also enjoy the seasonal cheer brought on by carol singers and even a jazz band.  So if you aren’t quite in the mood for Christmas when you arrive in the Cotswolds, this should soon change!

And of course there are lots of cottages in the Cotswolds you can stay in while you enjoy a nice seasonal weekend of shopping and sightseeing in the area.  Bourton on the Water is home to several of our properties, and even if they are fully booked over that first weekend in December we have plenty of others nearby that you can try as well.

But if you’re still dreaming about doing some Christmas shopping in the Cotswolds, think about what else you can look forward to on the 4th December in Bourton on the Water.  If you’re in town by 6pm you will be able to watch the Christmas tree being lit in readiness for the festive season.  And since the shops stay open until 9pm you’ll have plenty of time to wander around and find all those little gifts and stocking fillers you’re stuck for.

There is no doubt that coming to a place like the Cotswolds totally transforms Christmas shopping.  You’ll be able to shop to the wonderful aromas of the pig roast, and stop to enjoy the Punch and Judy show before moving on to the next few shops on your list.

Here are a few tips if you are planning on coming along to join in the seasonal celebrations in Bourton on the Water.  Make sure you wrap up warm as the long dark evenings will find it quite chilly.  Grab some gloves too and enjoy eating a hot snack as you wander round the unique and always attractive setting of Bourton.

Finally, take a moment or two to appreciate the Christmas tree.  As the lights go on for the first time you can mark that as the beginning of your Christmas this year.

If you are thinking of heading up to the Cotswolds for a weekend break in the near future, you might want to make sure you are in the area on Wednesday 18th November.  That is when the latest farmers market in Witney gets underway.

Witney in the Cotswolds is well known for its Witney blankets, although these ceased to be made in the town some seven years ago.  The town has a long history and the market place – where this monthly farmers market takes place – is a focal point of the town.

Witney itself is easy to find and quite centrally located if you are having a holiday in the UK or you are looking at late hotels in the area.  It is only a short distance east of Burford and west of Oxford, so you have plenty of other places to visit in the area while you are staying in the Cotswolds if you wish.

But let’s go back to the Witney Farmers Market.  Why would you want to visit in the first place?

Finding one reason is quite difficult because there are plenty of reasons for giving it a try!  For starters the sheer range of food that is sold there is amazing.  You can even pick up your Christmas turkey here if you wish.  And if you are looking to take home some Christmas gifts for other people in your family, hunt out the preserves and the wine.  They would be well received by anyone such is the quality of the items you will find at the Witney Farmers Market.

But the main benefit of visiting and taking advantage of buying a few things is that everything is locally made.  Fish, meat, cakes, bread, wine, juices, herbs… and the list gets longer.  Everything you could think of is here so make sure you keep some room in your car to store away everything you buy on your UK weekend break to the Cotswolds.  The Witney Farmers Market has been going for nearly ten years as well, so it is clearly a popular monthly event in the town.

You’ll need to be up early to enjoy the market at its best though.  It gets underway at half past eight in the morning and finishes at half past one, so you should make sure you get there early to get the best chance to browse around all the stalls and buy whatever you need and want.

You might want to grab something to eat for a late lunch once the market has finished.  Or even better than that, why not explore Witney itself for the afternoon?  It has a couple of worthwhile museums to explore, and it isn’t too far from the famous Blenheim Palace either.

So make sure you enjoy the Witney Farmers Market next week, and remember if you cannot attend, the next one will be on the third Wednesday of December.  Just in time to get all you need for Christmas – and enjoy a nice day out as well.

Why indeed?  But in answer to that question, what better place could there be to actually enjoy a round of golf, no matter how good or bad you might be?  Just imagine that beautiful scenery on offer as you make your way around your choice of course.  It almost wouldn’t matter if you lost your ball on the way to the next tee!

As you might imagine there are some great golf courses dotted around the Cotswolds.  But it does pay to do a bit of research before you turn up at any one in particular.  Some of them will welcome anyone to play but others have stricter rules.  For example some will have more particular dress codes, and there is nothing worse than turning up and finding you cannot get in.

Here are three potential courses you might want to consider while you are in the Cotswolds though.

1.    Manor Farm Leisure – as you might be able to tell from the name, this place offers more than just a golf course.  You can also try your hand at fishing if you want to.  But in terms of golf you’ve got two courses to try out at Manor Farm Leisure – a nine hole one and an eighteen hole one.  And if you are wondering whether you will get all your golfing equipment in the car to bring on your UK holiday to the Cotswolds there is no need to worry.  You will be able to hire it all once you arrive.  What could be better than that?  The course itself can be found not far to the north west of Chipping Campden in Harvington, which is near Evesham.

2.    Gold course number two is located in Cleeve Hill and bears the same name.  You’ll find this one near Cheltenham which is further south to the first golf course we mentioned.  This has a good track record for golf too, since people have been playing there for well over a century.  The course itself is an eighteen hole course, and you can enjoy scenic views throughout.  In fact you might find it tricky to complete the course successfully because you’ll be distracted by how wonderful the scenery of the Cotswolds really is.  It does makes for a great UK holiday in the Cotswolds though, no matter how good or bad you are at playing the game itself.

3.    Finally we have another course for you – and this one is the Naunton Downs course.  You’ll find it sitting between Bourton on the Water and Cheltenham.  As with all courses this takes real advantage of its location in the Cotswolds, so be sure to take your camera as well as your golf clubs.  Your Cotswolds holiday could be made even more enjoyable by having a round of golf here.

So there you have it – three great golf courses that you could visit whilst staying in one of the Cotswolds country cottages,  that could change the way you think about golf for life!  They’ll show you different scenes of the Cotswolds and you can enjoy them even if your game isn’t up to par!

A weekend break in Bath has to be one of the most versatile UK weekend breaks you can take.  After all you’ve got the shops to browse round, the Roman Baths to see and the River Avon to go boating on.  And there is a lot more you can do as well.

But aside from all that there has to come a time when you slow down, grab a meal and perhaps spend the evening in a more relaxed manner.  And what better way to do that on your UK weekend break than to see a show?

Bath has plenty of options available to you in this respect.  Here are some that you might want to consider:

1. The Rondo Theatre – this is on St Saviour’s Road, which is slightly outside the main centre of Bath in a north easterly direction.  The shows that appear at the Rondo are many and varied, and they change quite frequently.  This means you might want to see what’s on in advance of your break in Bath, so you can book in advance if need be.  Alternatively leave it until you get there and see what’s on – you might get a pleasant surprise and get tickets for something rather good.  One advantage of the Rondo is that ticket prices are generally inexpensive – particularly when compared to many other theatres.
2. Next up is the Theatre Royal Bath.  Most people have heard of this but if you haven’t actually been you are in for a treat.  You’ve got a choice of three theatres in one here too.  They are the Ustinov, the Egg and the Main Auditorium.  The wonderfully named Egg is aimed at children, and there are lots of great shows on here.  So if you are visiting Bath with the whole family, check out Egg to see if the kids would like to see a show too.
3. Finally there is the Bath Pavilion.  The shows that appear here tend to vary, but you will find some well known pop groups taking the stage from time to time so look to see what is on when you are in town.  This venue has the advantage of offering weekly classes for various indoor keep fit activities though, so you might want to consider that if you don’t actually see a show.

As you can see Bath has great potential when it comes to seeing a show.  And with the Moles Club in George Street to try as well, there are plenty of options no matter what kind of show you’d like to see.

This is one of the reasons why a weekend break in Bath can be perfect in every way.  What better weekend could there be than one which gives you shopping, ancient sights and a show all in one?  And with plenty of restaurants around to visit for a nice meal either before or after the show, there really isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t book that weekend in Bath right now.

Stratford upon Avon is all about Shakespeare, of course.  You can visit his birthplace, you can see his grave, and you can also visit numerous other sites and venues that he is associated with.

But what better way to enjoy Shakespeare and Stratford upon Avon than by seeing one of his plays while you are staying in the area?

The Royal Shakespeare Company has its home in the Courtyard Theatre in Stratford upon Avon.  This can be found alongside the River Avon itself so it has a beautiful setting to enjoy.  This alone is a good reason for going to see the theatre – you get to see a wonderful and very eye catching part of Stratford upon Avon while you are enjoying your UK holiday or weekend break.

But what else is there to enjoy?

Well you will find that the Royal Shakespeare Company – or the RSC for short – is a great home for all kinds of famous faces in the UK.  Stars including Judi Dench, Richard Wilson and James Fleet have all appeared at the RSC, the latter two in the same production of Twelfth Night.

No doubt the famous names help to bring in a big draw to the productions, but of course one of the other advantages to going to see a show here is that you can see Shakespeare up close and live.  This is arguably the true home of Shakespeare, and as such you can expect to see such plays as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and Antony and Cleopatra among others.

The best bet to make sure you get seats to see a production is to book in advance.  As soon as you have planned when you are taking a long weekend in Stratford upon Avon, or you know when your UK holiday is going to be, see what plays are open for booking at the Royal Shakespeare Company.  If you leave things until the last minute you may not get tickets at all.

A lot will depend on who is performing there.  A classic example was the appearance of David Tennant – currently reaching the end of his tenure as Dr Who – as Hamlet.  Needless to say this got a lot of press coverage!

But whenever you happen to be staying in Stratford upon Avon and whoever might be performing at the RSC while you are there, do make sure you book seats to see a show.  It is a wonderful experience and it completes any trip you might book to the area.

It’s also worth knowing that they offer a theatre tour.  This will give you an even better insight into what Shakespeare and this theatre are all about.  So even if you weren’t particularly into Shakespeare at school, don’t miss the chance to amend for that now.  You will see it in a whole new light when you see a production by the RSC – which is famous worldwide for its quality, insight and sheer ability to provide great entertainment.

We all have different ideas about what makes the ideal UK weekend break.  For some people shopping hits the top of the list.  For others it’s the scenery and getting away from it all.  And still more enjoy being able to explore an area they’ve never been to before.

You can get all of this and more if you choose the Forest of Dean as your base for a cheap weekend break.  But the most important thing of all is to think about what will be right for you.

As such it can pay dividends to think about what you’d like to get up to while you are away.  So here are some tips on making sure you have the best possible weekend.

1. What is your purpose for going away?  Your sole aim might be to explore as much of the area as possible.  But if you are going away for a relaxing weekend you will probably want a more laid back approach.  Having the reason for the trip firmly in mind before you go will help you to make your short UK holiday a success.
2. Where are you staying?  Have you decided on a venue in the Forest of Dean yet, or are you still considering several?  It’s hard to plan your weekend if you aren’t sure exactly where you will be staying.  Whittle it down to a shortlist of English country cottages and then pick the one you like the most.
3. What attractions and venues are there locally which might be of interest?  Once you have your location you will be able to get the answers to this question.  Make a list of places you’d like to go to if you have the time.
4. How much can you fit into the time you have?  This is all important – a lot of people have a list of venues they want to visit that they couldn’t fit into a week, let alone a weekend!  List them in order of importance to you and go from there.  You may not be able to see everything but at least you can see the places that matter the most to you.
5. Can you find good weather and bad weather venues?  We’d love to be able to say that the weather will be fantastically good when you visit the Forest of Dean on your weekend break, but we can’t guarantee it.  If you have a list of outdoor places to visit you might want to make some changes if the weather doesn’t hold up.  Having plan B sorted out in advance will save you wasting time trying to decide where to go instead.

If you put these five steps into play you should find your weekend break in the Forest of Dean goes without a hitch.  And if you have some guides and maps to the local area too, you’ll find it even easier to get around and make the most of whatever time you have in the area.

At the moment you might be considering where to go next summer for your annual holiday.  But it’s a long time until the weather starts getting warmer again, which is a good excuse to think about escaping to the Cotswolds during the colder months as well.

When it comes to taking a break from a stressful day to day life, there is no better place to book a weekend away at than the Cotswolds.  No matter where you live in the country it isn’t too far to travel, and when you get there you will find the pace of life is altogether different from what you would expect in a city.

But if you are looking for some reasons to help convince you that you need to de-stress in the Cotswolds, let us help you along the way:

1. Peace and quiet.  This is probably the most attractive part of the whole area.  Wherever you stay and whichever beautiful village you want to stay in, in which ever country cottage,  you’ll find the pace a lot slower than wherever you have travelled from.  This is fantastic if you need a break and you want to de-stress during a holiday in the UK.
2. Exercise.  There is a lot to do here if you want to get some fresh air and grab some much needed exercise while you are away.  Walking and hiking are two big draws for many people – some return every year to explore some new corner of the Cotswolds on their weekend break or holiday.  Others are trying it out for the first time and loving every minute!  But no matter which group you fall into you will find everything you need here to help you relax and enjoy every moment of the scenery.
3. Relaxing evenings.  A meal in a local pub might be in order if you fancy getting out and about, but whatever you do you will find it relaxing to simply put your feet up after a while.  And what better time to do that than in the winter?  Just book a cottage or similar accommodation with access to a log fire and watch the flames as you snuggle down with your loved one to relax and get away from it all.
4. Plenty to see and do.  This is a great benefit to any Cotswolds holiday at any time of the year.  The main thing to remember is that most places are open most of the year – the one thing you will find is that opening times may vary.  If you go armed with some information in this respect you should always be able to see all the places you want to see, along with many others you might stumble over on the way.

In the end it doesn’t matter what time of year you head to the Cotswolds.  You will always feel it having the same effect on you.  Your stress levels will go down almost as soon as you arrive, and you can enjoy having a much more relaxed break while you are here.

Stratford upon Avon is well known as the birthplace of Shakespeare.  And indeed you can go to visit his house and several other properties which were associated with him during his life as well.

But you can also visit properties that were associated with other important people in his life – and arguably the most important one of these would be Anne Hathaway’s cottage.

The wonderfully named village of Shottery is the location of this cottage.  But while it is known as ‘Anne Hathaway’s Cottage’ it is more specifically her family’s cottage, even though she did live there.

But is it worth visiting?  The answer is undoubtedly yes, and here are five reasons why you should pay a visit when you are enjoying a UK holiday staying in a Stratford upon Avon cottage:

1.    It offers wonderfully in depth guided tours.  Some venues leave you to wander around on your own and explore for yourself.  But while this has its advantages you don’t tend to get the depth of knowledge that comes from a guided tour led by an experienced guide.  This is the case with Anne Hathaway’s Cottage.  The guide shows you round and adds in plenty of small details that really bring the cottage to life in front of your eyes.

2.    The gardens are also well worth seeing.  Imagining Anne Hathaway playing in the gardens as a child is quite something.  The cottage garden has paths meandering through it, so you can wander through and appreciate the modern day range of flowers which are present.  Many of these replicate how the garden would have looked in Anne’s time.

3.    You get the feeling of going back in time.  The guided tour takes you right through the cottage – and for cottage, read large farmhouse.  It has had extensions built during its lifetime, but the oldest part dates from the 15th century.  You can see the bedchambers and the kitchen, which have been created to appear as close as possible to how they would have been during Anne’s lifetime.

4.    It is an ideal activity to do during a rainy afternoon.  Even though the gardens won’t be as enjoyable in bad weather, the tour itself takes place inside the farmhouse.  So whatever the British weather happens to throw at you, you can still drink in the atmosphere and find out what life was like back in the 1500s, when Anne was born.  We seem to recall on this tour they told us that baths were only taken once a year!  Now that leaves little to the imagination as to how fragrant the farmhouse must have been!

5.    Anne Hathaway’s Cottage is often regarded as the most beautiful of all the Shakespeare properties.  Even though it is a mile or so from the main part of Stratford upon Avon, the short journey is well worth making.  You can enjoy the walk on a sunny day, or take the car and park up in the nearby car park.  Either way, you will be glad you went.