Cotswolds and secret don’t often go together; this much-loved county – known for its undulating hills and golden-hued villages – is a jam-packed weekend favourite for those who crave seasonal scenes, hotels to hide out in and pubs so good you wonder why it’s taken so long to get to. But it can require a bit of effort to beat the crowds and find the restaurants where you might, just might, get a more last-minute reservation, or the farm shops where only the regulars do their grocery hauls. So for those looking for the quieter side of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, we’ve put together a helpful round-up of the few (a handful really) spots that manage to fly remarkably under the radar.
Villages
This corner of Gloucestershire feels particularly old-fashioned, with Eastleach’s astonishingly beautiful 18th-century homes becoming more jaw-dropping than the next as you drive through. Sleepy and subtle, you might not think this civil parish has much more going for it than its sheer charm and clambering claim over the River Leach (and not one, but two churches) but looking closer, there’s a real energy of local life at The Victoria Inn pub (the Vicky, to some). The menu is a hit too with dishes including a radicchio with stilton salad and a crab and saffron risotto. Walk it off with a long leg stretch to Southrop and back.
Thinks of Nailsworth as Stroud’s little sister – a town actually going through a bit of its own creative renaissance. This wooded valley spot has an excellent list of lovely things to do; kick things off with a strong brew at Willow & Co., a coffee shop and lifestyle store. Textile admirers and homeware collectors will want to stock up on gingham tea towels, candles of all shapes and colourful glassware at Domestic Science, and good news, last year they opened up a few more floors in their space in a former woollen mill for more pieces to bring home. Over at Hobbs House Bakery, queues start early for just-baked breads and cinnamon rolls to go big on. Two villages over in Briscombe is Felt Cafe, a riverside restaurant that possibly does the best brunch around.
There’s another side to the Cotswolds, over in the more marshy flat farmlands south of the A40. The villages here cling to the dwindling Thames, the landscape William Morris fell so in love with at his home at Kelmscott Manor – it’s worth spending an afternoon there, it was recently refurbished and is a wonderful glimpse into his Arts and Crafts mind. A few minutes drive away is Filkins, a village known for its stonemasonry and attached to a stone makers workshop is Cotswold Woollen Weavers, one of the best shops for thick-cut throws and delicate herringbone upholstery, all made as an ode to the area's successful historic sheep trade. Lunch should be had at The Plough Inn, it’s just been given a lick of paint under the eye of the Oakley brothers, and their fish finger sandwich is of particular note.
Shops
Bruern doubles up as a farm shop and a cafe, the latter of which only opened in 2022. Inside it’s really the best of everything that’s local; shelves are stacked with powdery bags of their own ancient grain flours (they mill on site), eggs from their hens, crunchy bread from Marks Cotswold Bakery and milk from North Cotswolds Dairy Co. It’s hard to know whether to pop into the cafe for breakfast or lunch – the full English is hearty but at lunch, colourful salads rotate on the menu as do their pretty epic toasties of the day.
This charming homewares shop began life in Tetbury, which also happens to be one of the UK's best destinations for antiques shopping. Featured in our list of the 50 best independent shops in the UK last year, it was founded by antiques dealer Libs Lewis in 2013, with the vision of combining good-looking vintage and new utilitarian items. Now spanning three locations, it has lovely goods from coloured glass to enamelware, ceramics, linens and fragrances . The Nailsworth and Tetbury locations also house cafés at the back of the shops, which serve up food and coffees to replenish your energy stores after shopping.
Those who might already be familiar with Louise Markey’s cult-followed colour-block shapes and smart workwear boilersuits of LF Markey will be pleased to know that her sister brand Meadows has a teeny tiny space in the hilltop town of Painswick. Snoop through her signature prairie-style, folklore-inspired pieces with an Allpress coffee in hand. There are also small lifestyle bits and pantry goods to check out too.
Pubs
There are a few pubs now in the ever-growing portfolio from local lads Peter Creed and Tom Noest – The Bell Inn, Langford or Lamb Inn, Shipton-under-Wychwood being two of the more booked-out in advance spots. But The Fox somehow quietly slipped into the fold and quickly became one of the best in the North Cotswold Triangle. Every Thursday it’s chicken night: a golden platter of juicy roasted chicken to share, with a side of triple-cooked chips and lots of aioli.
In a quiet little village near Chipping Norton is this blink-and-you'll-miss-it spot from the Lionhearth Group (also behind the Chequers in Churchill and The Swan in Ascott-under-Wychwood). It’s very small, with only a cluster of tables filled up with hungry folk wanting towering Sunday roast plates and a pint of beer from Hook Norton Brewery. If the Yorkies get to be too much, there’s Salford Cottage, a pretty one-bed hideout to book into for the night.
A notable mention also goes to the Woolpack Inn in the sweeping Slad Valley. Once the stomping ground for poet and cider drinker Laurie Lee, this rickety and cliff-hugging pub balances being an old-school boozer – it’s often locals only in the bar – with London-style plates in the restaurant. One to book and one to feast, especially if a suet crust pie is on the menu, or the rice pudding
