The Cotswolds | Unpack an Adventure
Unpack an Adventure | The Cotswolds
Adventure doesn’t always have to mean scaling mountains or crossing oceans. Just getting outside into nature, that’s the important bit. Exploring a little corner of the world near you can make such a huge difference. It certainly makes me happy.
This time of year in the Cotswolds is hard to beat, so we packed our bags full of delicious food from Fortnum’s – a prerequisite for all the best adventures – and set out on a hike to the lake. In the Cotswolds, you’re never far from an incredible view bursting with nature and wildlife. It’s rolling hills and colourful wildflowers, gentle rivers and gorgeous woodland as far as the eye can see.
And so it was today: with the warm summer sun at our back, our hike through bluebell woods and golden rape seed fields, all soundtracked by nature stirring around us. You don’t have to stay here for long to realise that owls, hares, hedgehogs, deer and birds of prey are daily occurrences around here.
We arrived at the lake – a real favourite local spot for us – and not even the anticipation of the picnic to come could stop us from jumping in. And so, shoes kicked off and outer layers removed, we leapt into the inviting waters.
No matter how cold it is, that feeling of plunging into the water is like no other. I’d go as far as saying that you never regret a fresh water swim. If it was up to me, every adventure would culminate in a wild swim of some sort.
But before too long, the call of the hamper, the lure of the picnic rug – the siren song of the Scotch Eggs and the cheese and the crisp bottle of wine in the Cool Bag – was too much to resist. We swam our way to dry land, towelled off, and prepared to dive into the feast.
By now, the sun was beginning to set. Golden hour was approaching, and we took our places on our Fortnum’s picnic rug to eat dinner by the waterside. We polished off the lot in next to no time.
These are the days, and the sort of joyful expeditions, that remind me why we moved here.
Having spent a good decade in London during my twenties, the arrival of our son was all the impetus we needed to come back to The Cotswolds, back to the place where I spent my childhood — and where my love of adventure began.
There are countless beautiful villages to explore and the Thames source starts here, too. There are lots of spots along the river where you can jump in and take a dip. And if the weather's good, there's nothing like visiting Broadway Tower, the highest castle in the Cotswolds. If the weather's clear and fine then on a good day you can see views across 16 counties and for 62 miles in all directions.
If there’s a more perfect spot to devour a Scotch Egg, then I’d love to see it…
