Solo travel escapes to the Cotswolds
Are you someone who craves the peace and solitude of their own company? In search of a place where you can explore at your own pace? Or are you simply looking for a little time out for yourself? Our range of solo travel escapes to the Cotswolds means you can do just that.
This welcoming Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers the perfect blend of history, stunning scenery and local experiences. Criss-crossed with walking trails that cover everything from the must-do Cotswold Way to riverside rambles, circular trails and hill climb challenges, with views that make all the effort worthwhile. The Cotswolds is where you can blow the cobwebs away and take a moment to reset. Intersperse your rural experiences with gorgeous market towns crammed with antique shops and delightful tearooms to refuel in, farmers’ markets to browse and vineyards to sample, you’ll find much to enjoy travelling solo.
That garden you wanted to wander, the footsteps of the past you want to follow in that historical home. That glass of wine you want to savour in the sun, that dawn hike and sunset stroll. With no demands on your time, the only person you need to please is you. You can explore at your own pace and see where the road takes you.
Shepherds Huts and Cabins
Embrace the romance of the wild with a stay in your own shepherd’s hut, with everything you need (this is not a roughing-it experience). Light the log burner and cosy up as dusk falls, or book a stay at Outbak Shepherds Hut, and you’ll have your own hot tub to stargaze from. If you fancy a digital detox, Christie’s Cabin on the beautiful Euridge Estate is a great option. This unique timber-clad igloo has walks from the door, is dog-friendly and there’s not a flicker of Wi-Fi in sight.
Historical Hideaways
The Cotswolds is awash with history and if your solo travels mean you want to stay somewhere with a connection to the past, look no further. Charles I and Prince Rupert are holiday apartments within the Sudeley Castle Estate. With royal connections spanning more than 1,000 years, Sudeley is a fascinating place to explore. For a real treat, Castle Gatehouse offers the unique opportunity to stay in one of the original castle gatehouses. Book a Sudeley Castle cottage with Bolthole Retreats and we’ll give you complimentary access to the castle and gardens*. Alternatively, Arrow Lodge is a bijou hideaway, heralding the entrance to the beautiful Ragley Estate.
Cotswold Charmers
Some of our smallest boltholes for solo travellers in the Cotswolds are also among our most charming. Take the Bothy, for example. This delightful 17th-century Bothy, once used to shelter cattle, is now a contemporary hideaway. And it sits in Bibury, home to Arlington Row, regarded as one of the prettiest rows of cottages in the country. Hope Cottage is an utterly gorgeous Cotswold stone cottage in a quiet village. You are more likely to encounter horse riders than cars, and it’s a walkers’ paradise with the Windrush Way and Warden’s Way on the doorstep. Vine Cottage, and Apple Store Cottage can be found in the vibrant market town of Charlbury. Everything you might need is within an easy stroll and with a direct rail link to London, you can leave the car behind.
Fairytale Thatches
Who can resist the lure of a thatched cottage? Lovely Lily Cottage is tucked into a row of equally beguiling abodes. It is the quintessential storybook cottage with roses around the door and a view over the Great Tew Estate that hasn’t changed for centuries. Who knows, once you step inside and set a match to the huge log burner, you might be inspired to hunker down and write your own tale of lore. Old Fox is another of our fairytale thatches. With a fox skulking across the roofline, cream walls and duck-egg blue paintwork, this cottage is pretty as a picture. The National Trust-owned Fleece Inn is just steps away. Renowned for its folk nights and an array of events and festivals throughout the year, this is a great spot to mingle with the locals.
*Entrance to the castle is during the open season (usually mid-March to October).
Read more: Hidden gems in the Cotswolds