September 2018
We visit the UK with some frequency, and since we’re more city mice than country mice, we rarely stray from central London. But on this trip, we decided to change it up a bit. It was fall, and we thought the English countryside would be nice. Being only a short drive from Heathrow, and since neither of us had been there before, we settled on the Cotswolds for a three-night sojourn. But where in the Cotswolds? We wanted something fairly central since we planned to check out as much of the area as time would permit. Here’s a tip of the hat to The Telegraph travel section for providing excellent initial research–we’re rarely led astray by their travel writers. And their excellent advice led us to the village of Tetbury and to Oak House No. 1.
To B&B or not to B&B?
From the review in The Telegraph, we were under the impression that our chosen lodging place was a boutique hotel, which is typically our preference. Had we known that Oak House No. 1 in Tetbury was really more of an upscale boutique B&B, we might have looked elsewhere. Fortunately we didn’t, as Oak House No. 1 turned out to be fabulous.
Anyone who has enjoyed the hospitality of Oak House No. 1 surely will attest to the hospitality of the proprietors and hosts Nicola and Gary. The property is infused with their vivid personalities, and what personalities! Their life experiences and love of art are evident throughout the property. And any conversation with the two is a work of art in itself. It must be said that Nicola often carries the conversation as Gary can be a bit reticent and shy. All in all Oak House No. 1 was the perfect home base for a weekend exploring the Cotswolds.
Since this was our first visit to the Cotswolds, we relied on our proprietors’ advice for an itinerary, and here again Gary and Nic were spot on. They provided a bespoke list of villages to see with restaurants and a few country pubs added in for good measure. With our sporty rental car, we were able to visit some of the most picturesque villages in England while enjoying the beautiful countryside in between. And upon returning to our temporary home, Nic and Gary listened with interest while we regaled them with our adventures. And there are worse ways to close out a day than enjoying a glass of complimentary Scotch in the wonderfully decorated sitting room at Oak House No. 1.
Stay details
- Oak House No. 1
- Location: Tetbury, The Cotswolds
- Our stay: 3 nights, September 21-24, 2018
- Room: One-bedroom suite with garden view
What we saw, what we ate
- Tour de Cotswolds (caution: quaintness overload possible)
- Cirencester and The Bathurst Estate
- Bibury
- Burford (lunch at The Highway Inn)
- Stow-on-the-Wold
- Highbury Lowton under-the-sea
- The Royal Oak pub in Tetbury (our village pub)
- The Potting Shed Pub, Crudwell
- Chedworth Roman Villa
- Daylesford Organic Farm, Gloucestershire
- Broadway Tower
hotelling.org 
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