Once Upon a Time in the Cotswolds
With its cosy, hearth-warmed nooks, fragrant gardens and a deep embrace of heritage, Thyme is a retreat for all seasons.
I grew up weekending under the mystical gaze of the Uffington White Horse, the prehistoric hill figure which presides over Oxfordshire’s sprawling vale. On lazy Sundays, we’d explore the valley’s byways by car, foot or pony. One of my favourite sorties would be when we nudged over from Oxfordshire into Gloucestershire, the winding Thames in Lechlade and the buttermilk stone villages signalling the foray into “Cotswolds proper” – all slightly more uniform and postcard-pretty than our mishmash settlements over the border.
Southrop lies less than five kilometres from Lechlade and is one of the loveliest villages in the Cotswolds. At the heart of the picturesque hamlet is Southrop Manor and its surrounding land – an estate dating back to the Norman Conquest. After various guises as a monastery and as the property of Oxford’s Wadham College, it was acquired in 2002 by the Hibbert family, who transformed the estate into , a 31-key retreat with a restaurant and botanical spa.
I have visited Thyme across all its seasons. When a light dusting of snow turned the immaculately topiaried box into giant snowballs. In spring, where carpets of indigo crocuses form under a 400-year-old cedar of Lebanon, the ancient arboreal centrepiece keeping command over the estate’s well-tended herbaceous borders.
(Photo: Rachael Smith)
On my most recent visit, leaves form a resplendent ochre tapestry over dry-stone walls, and the grass is crisp underfoot with late-autumn frost. I am disorientated – the entrance has shifted around the back of the village; a sign, in the house script etched with the hotel’s herb motif, welcomes visitors. The long drive passes contented clans of black Welsh mountain sheep munching on emerald sprigs into a grand entrance. And no grand English manor house-turned-hotel would be complete without a welcome shepherd’s hut (here’s looking at you, The Newt), and almost as if by magic, suited staff whisk bags away through the Bunny Guinness-designed garden.
It is a hotel firmly rooted to its terroir – the menus are decorated in exquisite paintings of the estate’s flowers by owner Caryn Hibbert, and on the reception desk are artful piles of gourds and squashes alongside sprays of pussy willow. For this stay, I am in the main house, where boot-worn flagstones and brimming vases of garden blooms welcome us. I am in one of the “Exquisite Rooms”, the pretty-in-pink English Rose, where Edward Bulmer Cuisse de Nymphe Emue walls and elegant folds of Benison blinds make for a glorious abode. As it’s autumn, a well-used basket holds neat stacks of logs by a limestone fireplace, watched over by inquisitive silver pheasants. There’s a welcome trug of the property’s own sloe gin, brown-sugar cookies and bottles of its signature Bertioli toiletries dotted beside the shower, sink and vast freestanding bath. The minibar tray offers Sapling vodka, Cotswolds Gin and Spirit of Ilmington apple brandy.
The sentiment here is old-school – you won’t find snazzy rows of Technogym equipment; instead, residents are encouraged to use “nature’s gym” (although there is a tennis court and swimming pool for warmer months), so we borrow some Hunters and trek off over ancient stone stiles for the charming loop walk (but beware: in wetter times, the river can flood). A smart battalion of green Pashley bikes is also available for leisurely pootles to Lechlade and surrounding sites. Our walk is rewarded with a trencherman’s bite in The Swan, the village inn owned by the Hibberts. A bellini muddled with fresh rhubarb alongside a flickering fire kicks off the lunch, and we share an umami-rich braised beer and anchovy pie cloaked in crisp pastry with nasturtium-flecked salad leaves. Walkers with dogs file in and rub hands next to the hearth, sharing pints of local ale.
(Photo: Rachael Smith)
Time slows down here. A rainy early evening is spent leafing through the weekend papers in the Baa Bar (a nod to the old wool-making industry of the region), enjoying a refreshing Thyme martini from the comfort of signature ovine sheep seats designed by the owners themselves. We retreat to the Ox Barn for dinner, with a warming hearth, above which the now-familiar Chris Levine lenticular portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (is it even a Cotswold hotel without one?) watches over more sheep seats and vertical stacks of firewood. The week’s bounty from the estate is chalked up in cursive: honey, viola, borage, pumpkin – like the roll call of a girls’ preparatory school.
I feast on an Italian-influenced menu – tapenade and green tomato, beef tagliata with borlotti and sauce vierge, and stracciatella. A hot-water bottle greets me on my return to bed, and I fall into a deep slumber buoyed by nature’s silence.
At breakfast, it is encouraging – in the era of the wellness stay – that the first listing on the menu is Pol Roger brut, although I seek out more virtuous fare: a hearty courgette fritter, trout, poached egg and chilli jam. Fully sated, I depart, somewhat reluctantly – though armed with bottles of fragrant potions – to relive the memories at home.
© Thyme
More Tempting Cotswolds Stays
© Mandarin Oriental Exceptional Homes
With total privacy in mind, Mandarin Oriental’s exclusive Cotswolds manor is buyout-only. A former monastery set in its own 809ha estate, it is one of the region’s most popular rentals for unholy blow-out parties and celebrations – yet you might also see Varley-clad tribes downward-dogging on yoga retreats. It houses a 16m heated pool, hot tub, tennis court, gym and BBQ terrace, comfortably sleeping 24 guests.
(Photo: Jake Eastham)
The first port of call for any owner of a slightly tired heritage hotel is power couple Robin and Judy Hutson. The noted hoteliers have applied their wizardry – apparently for the last time – to this 17th-century property, where the brand’s familiar botanical wallpaper, hearth-cosy nooks and garden-sourced produce have put Cirencester and its surrounds, a previously slightly under-the-radar part of the Cotswolds, firmly on the map. Its little sibling, The Village Pub, offers hearty fare and cosy, more budget-conscious rooms.
(Photo: John Carey)
Cotswolds Chatter
With sweeping views of five counties, Hyll will mark the latest hostelry to open in the Cotswolds this summer. Its name is a nod to the old English word for an elevated position, the property will boast a total of 26 rooms as well as a snug restaurant and bar. Not far from Thyme, but catering to the opposite end of the spectrum (Thyme is for over-12s only), the popular Lakes by Yoo is launching a family-focused members’ club for non-residents this year, giving access to its 11 lakes as well as its sailing, paddleboarding, F&B and wellness offerings. Farther south, near genteel Bath (look out for Austen fans celebrating the scribe’s 250th anniversary this year), Lucknam Park is adding two two-bedroom cottages and has newly partnered with fêted skincare brand 111 Skin. Stroud, better known for its jester-hatted jugglers or tweedy locals, has upped its game with Juliet, a French-inspired brasserie from the owners of the eternally popular Woolpack pub in nearby Slad (the very un-Stroud Noel Gallagher has already been spotted here). To work it all off, the sprawling new Grain Store gym at Calcot & Spa is the best in the shire.
(Photo: Jake Eastham)
Header photo by Rachael Smith
