My First Airbnb Experience in the Cotswolds, UK.

One of the places hot on my 2019 UK Travel Bucket List was the Cotswolds and has been for years. Early in 2019 we decided to finally plan our road trip there over Easter. The Cotswolds covers a huge area of almost 800 square miles and runs through five counties (Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire). There's so much to explore in the Cotswolds too. You can wander around quintessentially English villages of honey-coloured stone, lively market towns, some of the country's greatest palaces, castles and country houses. You can check out the natural world in acclaimed reserves and at some of the most famous arboretums in Britain. There's also the opportunity to walk-through breathtaking landscapes along historic trails. 

It's a 2hour drive from my location in the Midlands, making it an ideal UK getaway.

For our trip, we decided to book our first Airbnb and there are over 300 homes to choose from within the Cotswolds. The company which was founded in 2008 is a fantastic marketplace for accommodation in the UK and beyond. Some of the accommodations are really unique and affordable, but there's also the opportunity for something more "luxurious" if that's what you are after. I had been meaning to use Airbnb for a while and was not disappointed in using the service - it is definitely something I will be using again after our trip to the Cotswolds.

After crawling through the searches for our specific date we set our heart on this Street Farm Studio accommodation. We were drawn to the cosy vibes presented by the photos and a great location within the Cotswolds. 

The self-contained studio flat is situated in the quaint village of Shipton Moyne. The private room is built into a 17th-century farmhouse and features original oak beams and a log burner. It has a fantastic living space with a TV that has Netflix built into it. The studio flat comes with the comfiest of beds to crash in after a long day exploring what the Cotswolds has to offer. The kitchen space in the flat is small but fully functional to make yourself some dinner and a brew. Next door to that is the bathroom which is small but comfortable too. The entire studio flat has been well thought out by the hosts to create a perfect getaway for a couple to enjoy. 

Photo Credit: Airbnb

Photo Credit: Airbnb

Photo Credit: Airbnb

Photo Credit: Airbnb

The studio flat is situated upon a farm and also has a larger holiday cottage which you can also enjoy a getaway in the Cotswolds. The hosts Beth and Hugo were excellent and were on hand should we need them. The flat felt incredibly peaceful and private. we loved spending the evenings with the log burner on and a film on Netflix. We also enjoyed waking up to the views of adjourning fields and the calm of the Cotswolds. Checking into our accommodation was easy too - Beth greeted us once we arrived and quickly showed us around the flat before leaving us to enjoy our break.

There were some fantastic places to explore and we took advantage of our location. Locally there's the historic town of Tetbury. the Westonbirt Arboretum and the prettiest village in the UK; Castle Combe. All of these places were within a 45minute drive surrounding us and we loved seizing the opportunity to see more of the Cotswolds. Even in the village of Shipton Moyne is a charming English pub, The Cat and Custard Pot Inn.  We enjoyed sampling some local lager and a delicious pub meal there during our stay and the locals were incredibly friendly to us.  I definitely enjoyed petting their pub cat though! 

During our visit we managed to jump in the car and see some of what the Cotswolds had to offer. On the first day we got up and headed to the prettiest village in the UK; Castle Combe. The quaint little village sits in the north-west of Wiltshire and was approximately 45 minutes from our Airbnb location. We parked up quite easily just outside of the village and walked around the gorgeous area. Castle Combe has been used as a film location, including Stardust and War Horse. There's a lot of history to see in such a small location; including the Market Cross and St Andrew's Church which dates from the 13th century.

The church itself houses a faceless clock which is reputed to be one of the oldest working clocks in the country. There's also a couple of pubs (we enjoyed a pint after walking around in the sunshine) and a luxury hotel with a golf course within the village. If you stroll along the village to the bridge not only will you enjoy the views but may be able to purchase homemade cakes, sweets or bunches of flowers from outside the locals' houses. We went during March and only saw one house selling something so be aware that it's not always busy with business here. 

After our short visit around the village, we decided to check out Westonbirt, The National Arboretum that was literally on our way back to the Airbnb and just 10 minutes from our accommodation's front door. The National Arboretum boasts over 15,000 specimens, 2,500 different species from all over the globe, making it the perfect place for people to escape, relax or to have an adventure. We loved walking along the STIHL Tree Top Walkway, walking along a couple of the trails through various species of trees (and learning stuff along the way) and then heading to their on-site restaurant to enjoy a slice of cake and a tea after all of the walking. It was a really relaxing place to check out during our trip!

Upon leaving our Airbnb the next morning we also decided to visit Bath, which is a super great city to check out too! I am already planning a return to the Cotswolds in September for an anniversary and I couldn't be more excited to explore more of the area!

Have you ever visited the Cotswolds? If you have, share your recommendations for places to visit in the area.