One of the UK's greatest gifts is its seasonality. While it may not always feel like it (I'm looking at you, January and February), variety is the spice of life, and our changing seasons – whether winter's frost-clad branches or summer's sunlit, peridot stems – bring a richness to the calendar year not every country can boast.
When planning your UK staycation, it's worth tailoring your itinerary to the time of year. From seasonal activities to the place you stay, choosing experiences that are at their best during your visit can make all the difference.
The Cotswolds, with its rolling green pastures and postcard-perfect villages, offers something special in every season. To help you make the most of your trip, we've selected some of our favourite Cotswolds stays and matched them to the season when they are at their most beautiful – celebrating spring blossom, summer gardens, autumn colour and cosy winter firesides.
Summer
“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” – L.M. Montgomery
Whatley Manor, Malmesbury
With two restaurants on site – one of which holds a Michelin star – it's no surprise that Whatley Manor in Wiltshire is proud of its kitchen garden, which is particularly glorious at the height of summer.
After your meal, take a stroll through the chef's garden before reaching their beautiful landscaped gardens, where sculptures, fountains and lighting enhance the natural splendours on display.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT WHATLEY MANOR
The Fish Hotel, Farncombe
A country hotel with a collection of kooky treehouses and back-to-nature boltholes, The Fish Hotel is snuggled into the hillside of a 500-acre private estate. A range of thrilling outdoor activities is on offer throughout summer, from axe-throwing and archery to falconry and yoga beneath the sun.
A nod to its name, The Fish's restaurant, Hook, boasts a seafood menu serving oysters, picked crab, cockles, clams and seaweed fries. Enjoy them inside or, on sunny evenings, outdoors on its feasting deck beneath the trees.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT THE FISH HOTEL
Autumn
“Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.” – Emily Brontë
The Bell, Charlbury
With its glossy, burgundy panelling and dried leaf artwork, this 17th-century pub is top of our list for autumn, when the rich, russet of the trees outside reflects the rusted tones chosen indoors.
Working closely with Daylesford Organic – who supplies the pub with best-in-class ingredients for its seasonal menus – the farm's autumnal calendar can be booked by guests. Guests can explore a host of Daylesford events celebrating the season of harvest: supper clubs, floristry workshops, spa days and more. Top it off with a glass of wine in The Bell's expansive orchard garden afterwards.
Thyme, Lechlade
Thyme is a particularly lovely autumn choice, when the surrounding countryside turns shades of amber and gold and the estate's kitchen gardens are heavy with the season's glut. Set across a collection of beautifully restored historic buildings, the hotel encourages guests to reconnect with nature through its gardens, meadows and farm-to-table dining.
Autumn is also when Thyme's seasonal philosophy comes into its own, with menus showcasing freshly picked produce like quince, arrangements of dahlias from the cutting garden, cosy evenings beside crackling fires and a calendar of workshops that offer landscape deep-dives from floristry to foraging. Book a deep tissue massage at their Meadow Spa to limber up your limbs as the cold outside begins to set in.
Winter
“Thus having prepared their buds for a sure winter, the wise trees stand sleeping in the cold.” – William Carlos Williams
Bull, Burford
The most relaxing winter staycations allow you to retreat, out of the cold and into a good book by the fire. Just as cooling paint colours can calm your home during a heatwave, in the colder months, warming tones and nubbly textures create a cosy feeling that's good for the soul.
This intimate, 16th-century inn in Burford has nailed a warming, winter-chic style, with cavernous bedrooms loaded with slubby linens, raw-stone walls and chalky terracotta and charcoal schemes.
Dormy House Hotel, Broadway
A slice of alpine luxury in the picturesque village of Broadway, this converted farmhouse is locally renowned for its award-winning spa, which specialises in hot-to-cold therapy. With a state-of-the-art thermal room, a hydrotherapy hot tub and a suite of treatments, spa days here will bring guests back to life in winter when it can be difficult to exercise outdoors. Fire and ice not your thing? Its generous indoor pool is lovely all year round.
Better still, Dormy House Hotel is proudly open for business throughout the festive period, with all-out decoration and stay packages for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT DORMY HOUSE HOTEL
Spring
“Come the spring with all its splendour, all its birds, and all its blossoms!” – Christina Rossetti
Lucknam Park, Colerne
A 5-star country house hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant (open Wednesday to Saturday) and an equestrian park, Lucknam Park is particularly divine in spring, when its dramatic, beech tree-lined driveway and manicured gardens are first in bloom. Inside, chinoiserie wallpaper and floral textiles are a fine tribute to spring.
Throughout these months, it runs its Walled Garden Menu – which features Wye Valley asparagus and tender Wiltshire lamb – alongside Easter activities and afternoon teas for children and grown-ups alike. Equine fans can also book countryside hacks and experiences, just as the world is waking up.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT LUCKNAM PARK
The Hidden Dovecote, Bilbury
The ultimate romantic stay, this dreamy, Grade II-listed dovecote in Bilbury allows its guests to truly hide away with trees and spring birdsong for company.
The beautiful magnolia tree outside – which is virtually the same height as the dovecote – will bloom between March and May, so plan your visit for the spring when it's in its fullest flush and have a drink in the back garden beneath the petals before taking a stroll along the river.
BOOK YOUR STAY AT THE HIDDEN DOVECOTE
Staycation Essentials
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Hayley & co Jungle Print Weekend Duffle Print Bag in Peach
Maddy is the Homes Writer at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she can be found writing about the latest interiors news and collating inspiring trend edits. She has previously worked for Good Housekeeping, Prima and Red, and has an MA in Classics and Ancient History from the University of Manchester and a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.
