There’s something so special about taking your babies to see the country and the farmlands.  The fresh air, the quiet towns, and all the wildlife are special to see and toddlers just love running around and are amazed at the animals.  But there’s something even more spectacular about the Cotswolds, with its country town vibes meet the quaint English castles of the aristocratic time, its old English pubs, and grand rolling hills make you feel like you’ve truly gone back in time.   The Cotswolds are made up of a number of small towns with sandy yellow stone buildings with their own quaint qualities to see and explore.  

For this trip, we decided to hire a car and travel down from London, as it’s only a short 1.5-hour trip.  You’ll need a car if you plan on day trips around the Cotswolds as the trains and buses aren’t as frequent as in London.  We found it perfect to have our own transportation.  We stayed in a local town called Pangbourne in a very cute airbnb that had been converted to a house and flat from the local pub.   We loved this little town and found some very cute places to eat and explore.  We loved The Swan, a cute local pub/restaurant right on the River Thames capturing the beautiful sunsets on the water. The local cheese shop was glorious for one of our alfresco dinners back at our airbnb, and Baxter’s cafe (Obrien’s Cafe) was perfect for brunch.  

Our time here was spent with a few trips to the famous towns of Boughton-on-the-Water and Stow-on-the-wold.  Two beautiful old English towns, perfect for lunching and exploring.  We stopped first at Boughton-on-the-water and found a cute pub-style restaurant, The Rose Tree Restaurant, on the stunning shallow creek that runs down the centre of the town.  There were so many things to do, including dipping your feet in the water, watching the ducks swim in the creek, and doing a big walk up and down the boutique shops.  We had a fabulous dessert treat at The Chestnut & Tree eatery and Tearoom, their bakery cabinet reminding us of home.   We could have spent a few days here exploring the local petting farm, and the Birdland Park and gardens with a Jurassic dinosaur section with lots of statues.   It was a perfect toddler-friendly town, teeming with people and children living their best summer lives on the water.  We then made our way to see Stow-on-the-wold, a charming town as well, perfect for shopping and restaurant dining.  We spent a pit stop here exploring the artisan bakery, having a fantastic snack and exploring some homeware shops.  It was a stunning town to stay a night and have a fantastic meal all while looking at the sandstone architecture.   

One of the main reasons for coming down south was to visit the Castles in the region, one being Highclere Castle in Hampshire.  We are true Downton Abbey fans, so we’d already booked a castle tour ahead of time and were very excited to see the castle and its grounds.  The Castle was so stunning, and exactly what you see on the show, plus most sets from the series were shot with the already existing furniture in the Castle.  It was an absolute highlight for us.  There was plenty of space for our toddler to run around before the castle tour and almost make it through without crying ;).  But worth it for any Downton fans. The local cafe attached to the castle was great for lunch or you can bring your own picnic in the park. A walk around the grounds is a must, with the absolutely giant castle gorgeous from any direction. 

We also stopped at Windsor Castle on the way home to London. Windsor surprised me as I didn’t realise it was a small town filled with restaurants and shops along the river.  It was very cute to be able to see the late Queen’s favourite castle to reside.  We bought tickets to see Windsor Castle, explore its grounds, and St George’s Chapel, and also to see the set of Coronation Jewels, gowns and photos on display for her 70th year of reign.  We were amazed at the splendour of the castle and all the amazing architecture to admire.  If I had had all day, I would have started my journey into Windsor Castle by approaching the Castle grounds by The Long Walk – or ending it with sunset on The Long Walk.  I can’t describe to you how stunning it was to see by car, but I wished I had on done it on foot.

Things to see near the Cotswolds; 

• Bourton-on-the-water & Stow-in-the-wold. There were so many cute towns to visit in this region, but these two were certainly the best pick for us, as they were so accessible and an easy day out for our toddler. The cute activities along the water and the food options were amazing.  In Stow-in-the-Wold the brunch option of The Hive was perfect for us and the Otis & Belle was amazing for Artisan bakery food.  There seemed to be so many good restaurants here that would be amazing to explore.
• Windsor – with its amazing Windsor Castle, Grounds and St George’s Chapel.  The favourite place to reside for the late Queen, and a stunning village to explore.  It’s a must-see for Royalist toddler parents.  I highly recommend doing The Long Walk, into Windsor Castle for the prettiest picture of the Castle and Grounds.  I wished I had done this on foot.
• Highclere Castle and grounds – This is the most stunning castle I saw on the entire trip.  Its enormous steeple and spires that spanned across this Castle were something to see.  The indoors of the castle were also just as stunning, especially for the Downton Abbey fans who can reminisce on the sets of the show. The grounds were something luscious with green pastures as far as the eye can see.  In summer there is a cafe attached to the Castle with a great lunch option or a picnic to purchase to have on the grounds.
• If you have a multitude of time to kill with your toddler, for some more Cotswold-specific activities I found this blog so helpful.
• Bath – Has to be a destination to see, such a beautiful English town on the river again. Its stunning old architecture is something to admire and amount of cute restaurants/cafes to see.

Our trip here was perfect, driving through the open green pastures, and seeing the sandstone buildings with the massive history-rich castles.  It was the best week for a relaxing getaway to the country and seeing all the amazing sites of the Cotswold area.  I couldn’t recommend it more if you are in London and want to see the stunning southern area of England with your toddler.