When I was a little girl, I used to spend hours flipping through my mom’s art books of the painter Thomas Kincade. His paintings always featured stoned cottages set amongst the trees or luscious green gardens and flowers, the kind of things you’d see in a children’s storybook. That’s how I have always envisioned the Cotswolds prior to me visiting the picturesque destination in England. I pictured thatched roofs on romantic cottages and quaint bridges going across the river. The Cotswolds ended up being like a storybook come to life, as if I somehow magically ended up in the fairytale itself with my very own Prince Charming by my side.
There’s a reason the Cotswolds have been on my bucket list for years – the location is unlike anything this American girl has ever seen before. As someone who very much identifies as an Anglophile, this was one destination in England that I needed to see before I die since it’s one of the most iconic places outside of London. The Cotswolds is full of history, as a majority of the cottages in the villages throughout the region are over a hundred years old. What I was excited to learn was that the Cotswolds is home to plenty of royal history as well, making the idea of these villages feeling like a fairy tale feel even more romantic.



Stow On The Wold
After driving in from Wales, our first stop was the village Stow-on-the-Wold. This quaint little town happens to be the highest village in all of the Cotswolds, being 800m above sea level. We fell in love the minute we arrived.
We also looked for a spot for lunch since we had just driven about 2 hours from the Welsh border. We dined on burrata, chicken, and rosé wine at Old Stocks Inn before exploring more of the beautiful town of Stow-on-the-Wold. The village is filled with art shops, cheese shops, chocolate shops, and some pretty chic hotels.



Stow On The Wold Outfit
RED Valentino top c/o (similar here and here) // Joseph suede leggings (faux version here) // Stuart Weitzman boots // Strathberry bag c/o
Links last updated February 2021
The next morning, we drove 10 minutes down the road for something Tor and I have enjoyed on practically every trip of ours for the last year – horse riding! Being intermediate riders, we no longer need lessons or any assistance when handling horses, which has become beneficial in being able to enjoy our surroundings more as well as go a bit faster. We did our horse riding experience with Bourton Vale, and our ride took us through Upper and Lower Slaughters in the Cotswolds.
Riding a horse in a village in the Cotswolds was never on my bucket list until this trip, and now I believe it’s one of the best ways to tour through a village. Hearing the horses hooves clunk on the cobblestones underneath and riding past stone cottages and picturesque rivers made me feel more than ever that I was in a place I belong. All of my fantasies that I had of the Cotswolds were already coming true on this trip, and it had only been less than 24 hours.






Sudeley Castle
About 20 minutes from Stow-on-the-Wold is probably one of the most underrated Tudor castles – Sudeley Castle. This castle quickly became a favorite of ours. Crowds were small since the castle is only open a few days a year (it’s still a residence) but were also still being enjoyed by mostly locals, who visit the castle like a national park. They also come for the afternoon tea, since who can resist tea and scones inside a former royal residence? Despite calling myself a self-proscribed “scholar” of royal Tudor knowledge, I honestly did not know much about this castle before our visit except that it was once the home of Katherine Parr, King Henry VIII’s sixth and final queen. But before she lived here, I was surprised to find out that it actually once belonged to King Richard III.
His former banqueting hall sits in ruins behind the castle (thanks to Oliver Cromwell who ordered it demolished – you can still see the cannon fire in the remaining walls). After he was defeated in the Battle of Bosworth in the final battle of the Wars of the Roses by Henry VII, the castle was in possession of the new king who passed it to his uncle and then to his son Henry VIII when he became king (similar to the way Cardiff Castle was passed around). As an avid reader on Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s fascinating and doomed second wife, I was excited to hear that Anne Boleyn did visit the castle, although she only visited it once. It was here at Sudeley that she and Henry VIII ordered Thomas Cromwell to dissolve the monasteries in their kingdom as part of the Reformation and break with the Pope.



Sudeley Castle Outfit
Ganni sweater (similar here) // Skirt (similar here, here, and here) // Tory Burch boots (similar here) // Strathberry bag c/o
Links last updated February 2021
Bibury & Barnsley
After we left Stow-on-the-Wold, we headed about 40 min to our next destination – Barnsley. I had been dying to stay at Barnsley House, since it’s a stunning manor house converted into a luxury hotel surrounded by breathtaking gardens. But before we dive into Barnsley and our picturesque hotel, let’s first discuss another scenic village not far away.
Just 5 minutes from Barnsley House is the charming village of Bibury. Visiting this village in the Cotswolds was like bringing my mom’s favorite Thomas Kincaide paintings to life. The famous row houses are seen best from across the river at sunset, when the sun is behind the cottages and giving them this indescribable glow. I can only imagine how breathtaking this village is in the snow (ahem Tor). In summer, recommend visiting Bibury first thing in the morning or after 5 pm when the tour buses depart.



Bibury Outfit
Zara blazer (similar here and here) // Joseph suede leggings (faux version here) // Stuart Weitzman boots // Strathberry bag c/o
Links last updated February 2021






CIRENCESTER, TETBURY, & HIGHGROVE
This was one royal destination in the Cotswolds that I was super excited about. On our last day in the Cotswolds, and after stopping for some fish and chips for lunch at The Fleece Inn in nearby Cirencester, we got to spend our afternoon in Prince Charles’ private gardens at his home at Highgrove. Unfortunately, we could not take any photos or videos during our visit (we couldn’t even bring our cell phones on the property), which is completely understandable since it is a private residence, after all. Since the royal wedding was just two days away at the time of our visit, Prince Charles wasn’t at home, but it was easy to imagine if he was.
I pictured him strolling through his absolutely beautiful gardens around his home, checking flower beds and discussing gardening updates with one of his 11 gardeners. Despite Highgrove sitting on 15 acres, there are only 11 gardeners for the entire property. You can tell each one is as passionate about gardening as Prince Charles is. From different kinds of flowers, trees, and even fruits and vegetables that grow throughout the grounds, the entire property is organic. In fact, the soil at Highgrove is alkaline based, which isn’t particularly common but helps give his gardens a kind of a “boost” that regular soil can’t. The flowers are breathtakingly beautiful, especially the fields filled with stunning blue and pink flowers that our hotel Barnsley House also had in their gardens.