Making a marvellous Mother’s Day

From tying your shoelaces before school to comforting you after your first break up, your mum has been there, and she deserves to be celebrated! Forget the supermarket flowers and the chocolates in the slightly crushed box and let’s step the game up. Whether your mum is the crafty type, prefers the finer things in life or you’d like her to feel like a queen for the day, we’ve lined up our top choices to make Mother’s Day marvellous.

Crafternoon
If it’s been a while since you spent some quality time with your mum, a crafternoon is a great way to connect. Learn a new skill while conversation flows and share this experience together!
Larkswold, just outside Stow-on-the-Wold, is a treasure trove of inspiration. Find your inner designer and let your imagination run wild as you share stories with each other. On Mother’s Day choose to make silver jewellery or a ceramic sculpture, both beautiful creations that can become heirlooms, handed down from mother to daughter.
At Lechlade Craft Barn try your hand at something a bit out of the ordinary. With guidance from a local artist you will be shown how to create flowers and foliage using wire. While you’re here, make the most of it and have a meal at one of the local pubs or a lovely walk around one of the lakes of the Cotswold Water Park.

Afternoon Tea
A Cotswold afternoon tea is a stylish affair so dress up to the nines and be ladies who lunch at one of these beautiful spots. Pop the champagne and dine on delights as you have a special moment with your mum, celebrating everything that you’ve achieved.
The Lygon Arms in Broadway is the epitome of class. Set amongst the honey-gold Cotswold buildings the historic Lygon is more than just a beautiful setting. Chef James Martin has designed the afternoon tea giving you tiers of finger sandwiches and sweet treats to indulge on. You can even choose a children’s afternoon tea if you are celebrating generations of mums!
On the High Street in Tetbury, amongst the antique shops, is The Close Hotel. The atmospheric restaurant is a grand setting for an afternoon tea. Be served scones, finger sandwiches and your choice of cakes or savoury bites. Get your pinky fingers ready, it’s tea time!

Feel Like Royalty
Something the Cotswold can always deliver, is a sense of royalty. If it’s good enough for King Charles II then it’s good enough for us! Between April and October each year the gardens at the King’s private residence, Highgrove House, are open to the public.
For Mother’s Day, put yourself in the shoes of Katherine Parr and live a life of royalty at Sudeley Castle. Sweep along ornate hallways, imagine waking up in an enormous four poster bed, and see the finery of Tudor style. The gardens are spectacular, and a visit here will be the crowning glory of an amazing weekend in the Cotswolds. Guests of our Sudeley Castle Cottages get free access to the castle.
Perhaps the grandest house in the Cotswolds, Blenheim Palace is a spectacular choice for Mother’s Day. You’re sure to impress with a walk around the grounds, a stroll around the spectacular rooms and a special Mother’s Day meal at The Orangery Restaurant.

Garden Strolls
Beaming daffodils and waving crocuses are on show in March, creating a meadow of colour across the country for Mother’s Day. Grab a coffee to go and follow meandering paths through magical gardens, letting mum know she’s blooming marvellous.
The magical Rococo Gardens are a beautiful spot for a walk, stopping off at the follies, wandering beneath the sun-dappled trees and absorbing this vivid natural world. You can lose yourselves in these peaceful surroundings, spending quality time together without distractions.
If you have dogs in tow, Westonbirt Arboretum is a fabulous option. Follow the tree top walkway for a leaftop view before letting the dogs off lead in the Silk Wood. As you criss-cross through the woodland you will see some of the tallest trees in Britain adding a sense of wander to your walk. If you’re feeling peckish, head to the Smokehouse or the Kitchen Restaurant for a meal.
Charities to support
We know Mother’s Day can shine a light on missing mums, new mums, bereaved mums and every type of mum in between. If you’re struggling this year there are some fantastic charities that can help you find a way through.
Mums Aid – supporting new mums with counselling, psychotherapy, befriending support and post-natal depression.
Mother’s Matter – helping you navigate mental health challenges during pre-and post-natal journeys.
Gingerbread – fighting for single parents and their children offering expert advice and information.
Lullaby Trust – supporting bereaved families and working to reduce the number of SIDS deaths.
The Fertility Foundation – helping individuals and couples who need financial assistance towards starting a family.