Baecation in Castle Combe, Cotswolds
The funny thing about my “type” of travel is that it is always a baecation. I mean, we always travel together as travel is a huge part of our marriage. So for our next adventure, it was a baecation in Castle Combe, Cotswolds. We were lucky to stay in one of the most historic hotels in the country, The Manor House which is a 14th century property. Our stay in the Manor House was quite epic and it is one I will never forget.
Castle Combe is beautiful but you already know that. It has been tagged “the prettiest village in England” but if we are honest, most of Cotswolds is just as pretty. One thing I will say is that Castle Combe is one of those villages that looks lovely regardless of weather or season. The last time we visited was in autumn last year, just at sunset and it was stunning. This time, it rained throughout our stay but the fact that we spent 2 nights there gave us the chance to explore early in the mornings and late into the evenings.
Some popular movies have been filmed in Castle Combe. The most famous would be the 1967 version of Dr Dolittle. War Horse and Stardust were also filmed in the village.
Cottage Living
The first rule of baecations is to find the perfect accommodation. The more intimate, the more perfect. We stayed in one of the suites in the Cottage Mews and it does not get more intimate than that. From the beautiful room with dark wooden Georgian paneling to the ensuite bathroom of dreams, our suite had the most romantic feel. We ordered room service for breakfast, slept in, had long soaks in the bath and just had the loveliest time.
The fact that it rained meant that we spent so much more time in our room so that was cutie cutie!
Related: The Manor House, Castle Combe
Food Dates
The thing about baecations is that every breakfast, lunch and dinner is a date. We had breakfast in the Bybrook and dinner in the Castle Inn. We loved both locations. Bybrook was a classic drawing room and Castle Inn was typical countryside pub vibes.
We also had a casual dinner in the more casual dining room of The Manor House. We really enjoyed our food dates; the romantic and more casual ones were just perfect.
Romantic Walks on the Bridge
Baecation in Castle Combe, Cotswolds would not be complete without a romantic walk on that bridge. We went just after dinner and it was so beautiful. The street was quiet; the lights from the cottages shined on it and gave it a spooky feel. Spooky, in a good way though. You know there is bad spooky and there is romantic spooky. Or is this another thing I have made up in my head? Anyway it was cute to walk on the bridge at night. That is why I totally recommend an overnight stay in Castle Combe or the Cotswolds in general.
Picnic for Two
Before the heavens opened and the rains poured down, we actually had a few hours of sunshine. We sat in the front garden; just by the beautiful pergola and enjoyed the views. As it started to rain, we sheltered under the pergola and imagined it was our vow renewal haha! The Manor House has lots of cute green areas for a romantic picnic. Now, I’m not sure if non-guests are allowed to picnic on its grounds. However, if you are staying in the manor house, I’m sure they can make exceptions.
Exploring Castle Combe
We had a mooch around the Italian Gardens which was so romantic. We ran through it in the rain and took lots of photos, which shall not see the light of day haha! The gardens are the prettiest in spring and it is quite common to see people photographing its different corners. However on both occasions we wandered there, we had it to ourselves.
We also wandered towards the Golf course because Mr E wanted to see what it was about. As his lovely wife, I went with him lol. Golf, to me, is so boring but Mr E will watch any sport whatsoever.
Stepping out of the Manor House grounds, there is the medieval market cross monument which houses one of the oldest working clocks in Britain, the Faceless Clock. Further along is the Dower House, which was Doctor Dolittle’s house in the 1967 version.
We stopped by Ellen’s Cottage, which is the most beautiful little cottage shop. The rule is to pick whatever you’d like and put the money through the hole in the door. Entirely based on trust. It was fascinating to me but I was quite pleased that we still have honest people in the world.
Our final stop for the day was St Andrew’s Church, which was originally founded in the 13th century. The nave was added in the 14th century and the tower was completed in the 16th century. Just walking around the church felt so special and I kept thinking of all those who had walked the same grounds hundreds of years ago.
Baecation in Castle Combe, Cotswolds: To go? Not to go?
Castle Combe is one of the most romantic locations I have been to. It was so beautiful and quiet and serene that it gave me the most romantic feels ever. Castle Combe is also quite popular for families with young children as there is so much free space to run around. I thought that the rain made it more romantic, like you see in the movies. Those ones where the location is medieval and the hero finds his bride and they kiss under the rain. I know, stay with me here and just imagine it.
To be quite frank, there is not much to do if you plan to stay solely in Castle Combe. And that is why it is perfect for a downtime if that is what one is after. However if you are after more of an adventure, a day to Castle Combe is more than enough. Whatever you choose will depend on the sort of trip you want. Other Cotswolds villages I found romantic were Lower Slaughter and Bibury. However, they come with an entirely different charm.
Castle Combe is Castle Combe and no matter when or with whom you go, visit Castle Combe.
Bisous, ‘Bugo x
