Cotswolds at Christmas

 Enjoy a sleighcation in the Cotswolds

The Cotswolds is a fantastic location for a winter break – or a sleighcation as it’s now affectionately called, even if you never make it onto a sleigh! Why would you choose to stay in the Cotswolds during the festive period over any other place in the world? The answer – though we might be a bit biased – is that it has just about everything you can think of that makes Christmas, well Christmassy. Think snowflakes falling on festive village scenes, cosy toes warming in front of a roaring fire, a warming mulled drink in a snug and inviting pub… it’s practically a living Christmas card here in the Cotswolds!

Taking the sleighcation a little more literally, the Cotswolds has some fabulous hills to take your sleigh or sledge to. Leckhampton Hill, Crickley Hill or Cleeve Hill near Cheltenham are three great examples. Or try Painswick Beacon looking down the Painswick Valley and beyond where you’ll find every available ‘sledge’ in use, so don’t worry if you haven’t got a Santa-style one – an old tray or even a compost bag will work just fine. Alternatively, if you simply want to put your snow boots on and enjoy a walk through the snowy silence of snow-covered fields, take a look at our walking guides – we have a huge collection of them, some circular, others linear, some without stiles (great for dogs and little ones) and all through stunning Cotswold scenery.

As well as snowy scenes, the Cotswolds is lucky to have some of the best Christmas markets in the UK. You’ll be able to wow your friends and family with some unique gifts gathered up during your sleighcation. Our favourite festive markets are Daylesford Christmas Fayre, Tetbury Christmas Craft Fayre, Moreton-in-Marsh and Cirencester Christmas Market. Don’t despair if you can’t make it to a market, at Christmas time all our favourite Cotswold independent shops and boutiques are bursting with unique and gorgeous Christmas crafts and presents.

Now picture yourself curled up on a comfy sofa toasting your toes in front of a log fire in a cosy Cotswold cottage, sipping a glass of mulled wine – sounds heavenly, doesn’t it? Or perhaps you can see yourself standing with a group of friends, drink in hand beside a roaring open fire in one of our favourite Cotswold country pubs? Either way, the mental picture makes us feel like the stress is melting away already, but hopefully not the snow too!

And if it doesn’t snow during your stay, don’t despair. You can still get that Christmassy feeling by visiting one of the area’s twinkling Christmas light shows at the Westonbirt National Arboretum, Blenheim Palace, Adam Henson’s Cotswold Farm Park or Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe.

We hope you agree that the Cotswolds is the perfect sleighcation destination where you can surround yourself in all things festive and Christmassy.