QUICK SUMMER GETAWAY TO THE COTSWOLDS

I absolutely adore road trips, and so do the kids. I love being able to pack anything without stressing over what liquids I can bring in my handbag, especially with George who still enjoys his milk bottles, or Romy who insists on hauling all her “skincare” and “Make UP.” Also, it’s great that we can all dress comfortably and not worry about getting odd looks, except perhaps at the service station, haha!

And my goodness, we all love a good service station; we can indulge in whatever food and naughty snacks we want for the road, or swing by a fast-food drive-thru, which is fun for everyone! And the most fun part! Taking turns doing! Although Romy is hard at letting others play music so thankfully she has good taste!

We had a better idea of Tim’s schedule and learned he was performing at a festival in the Cotswolds right after school finished. We decided to take the opportunity to go together and turn it into a small holiday trip, which turned out to be so much fun! I was thrilled to take George to his first music festival. Tim was performing at Minety, a small, kid-friendly festival, which was perfect for the kids. We also decided to stay a few more days in the area.

For those unfamiliar, the Cotswolds is a bit like what the Hamptons are to New York, minus the gorgeous beaches, but also a bit more down to earth, less flashy, and not as pricey.

If you are like me, and looking for an easy escape not too far of a drive from London, here is a little guide to our Country Side Getaway.

We were lucky to stay at Arc Stay in the Village of Painswick, an English country house suitable for both large and small groups. It’s designed to provide guests with the full charm of the Cotswolds, blending rural coziness with modern comfort and retaining many original features in a sophisticated manner.

The house is located in the charming village of Painswick, often referred to as ‘The Queen of the Cotswolds’. This village is renowned for its well-preserved Cotswold architecture and its scenic surroundings. While I didn’t have much knowledge about this village initially, the large number of people taking pictures around our future home definitely caught my attention. Arc Painswick, a Grade II listed building, has been beautifully renovated by Parti Architects. It’s situated just opposite St. Mary’s churchyard, which is truly stunning.

The layout of the house centers around an internal courtyard, where we all enjoyed making and eating s’mores on our final evening thanks to the fire pit. The 7 living spaces are all connected in a row. Additionally, the first floor features 9 rooms, allowing the house to accommodate up to 30 guests. (Although in the end, we all ended up sleeping in the same room! Our room had a charming bed built into a window, perfect for a cozy reading nook. Romy insisted on sleeping there, and George ended up sleeping in our bed!)

The ground floor boasts a spacious kitchen with a 7-meter island. It’s fully equipped for a chef, and Arc Stay offers a concierge service for booking different chefs with various specialties. Or, if you’re like us, it’s perfect for making pancakes every morning and just having some fun. Additionally, the house includes a home cinema with a projector, a self-serve pub, and another courtyard with a heated pool, a large outdoor dining table, a BBQ, and a Pizza oven.

The kids had a blast playing in the pool while I enjoyed doing some yoga on the side. (Yes, there are yoga mats for your workout sessions available, and you can also book a yoga class via their concierge service.) On our last night, we used the concierge service to have a DIY Pizza kit delivered. We all made our own pizzas and watched the Euro Semi Final in the large lounge.

Amongst all these fantastic amenities, the house even has a washer-dryer, and as a mom, let me tell you, that’s a HUGE deal!

Arc Painswick was such a perfect home away from home, where we all really were able to sit back and relax and have some quality family time.

And if you’re more into being near the costs, Arc has another property in Padstow.

I tried to pack light for my trip, but it’s challenging with a toddler, especially one prone to car sickness. I was relieved to know there would be a washer and dryer at our destination, so I didn’t overpack.

For my son George, I packed a variety of clothes including jeans, t-shirts, sweatpants, sweatshirts, sneakers, and some waterproof boots, as the weather wasn’t very summery. I chose easy-to-wash, comfortable clothes for him. I also packed two swimsuits and a rash guard for George and an inflatable pirate boat for extra fun in the pool. It’s great to be able to bring extra toys and things when travelling by car! I also packed a few toys like puzzles and some books. Puzzles are always a great way to keep him busy while I am trying to do something else!

Romy now packs on her own and she likes to do it quickly. She also likes to be comfortable so she took a few sweatshirts, sweatpants, and some jean shorts.

As for me, I managed to keep it simple and minimal but packed something for every occasion: music festival, lounging, country walks, and two-night outs with friends. I had fun putting together a “Cotswolds” look. I packed a pair of jeans (love my ripped baggy ones from DL 1961), my new favourite Bermuda shorts from, a few black and white t-shirts from Cos (my favourite), my plastic Birkenstocks for the pool but also as slippers, some cosy sweatpants and sweatshirts (I love my new ones from Sporty and Rich), a jumper (my favourite one from the Frankie shop), a pair of mini wellies from Barbour, my favourite New Balance sneakers, and a pair of black lace-up boots a bit more dressed up for our night out. And, of course, I packed my swimsuit, my all-time favourite one, solid and striped. In the end, I was mostly wearing my denim shorts with the Arc Stay sweatshirt; it was my day-to-night lazy but perfect outfit!

To be honest, I was looking for a minimal plan for a few days. Life has been so hectic lately, and I find nothing more relaxing than having absolutely no schedule, no plan, no set hours to be somewhere, and just going with the flow. Even with the children.. They were both on our schedule; we would wake up with them, go to bed at the same time, and nap with George when we could. The village of Painswick also had so much to offer right at our feet. Not having to drive or be in a car for a few days was the best. Just across the street from our location was The Meadows Boutique and coffee shop, which was the perfect little spot to get my morning coffee, followed by a coffee walk to St. Mary’s churchyard, which is one of the most beautiful and peaceful resting places I have ever seen. On the other side, there’s the Oak Pub, which is exactly how you would picture the pub in “The Holidays”. Charming and welcoming, with an amazing menu we unfortunately didn’t have a chance to try. Next time I hope!

And just down the road, a little convenience store open 7 am to 8 pm that has everything you might need last minute!

Our first night and day were very relaxed, with a simple home-cooked meal and a movie night. The following day was equally leisurely, starting with a coffee walk, followed by a seafood platter lunch delivered by the Arc Stay concierge service. We then took a dip in the pool, had an afternoon bath, and later took a trip to Bath, which is just an hour away (I know, more driving but worth it). We had dinner at our friend’s restaurant “Corkage,” which we hadn’t visited in a few years and really missed.

Our second day started with a laid-back morning and pleasant walks. We enjoyed a light sandwich lunch at the Rococo Garden, just a 15-minute walk from our house, and then had more pool time before hosting a pizza night for the Euro semi-final. The rest of our time was spent just relaxing and chilling out.

Unfortunately our trip was quite short but we did manage to get some great family time and it did feel like a vacation. The kids were happy, we were happy!