Cotswolds for William Morris - a weekend in high Summer
A friend and I visited Kelmscott Manor in The Cotswolds. Where else we stayed and ate.
Itinerary At A Glance
2 day independent itinerary for Kelmscott Manor and surrounds, based on driving from Leeds, in early June
Highlights include a visit to William Morris’ summer home, Kelmscott Manor, a country walk to Lechlade, and dinner at Thyme
Based on a pair of friends travelling, with a focus on leisurely outdoor and cultural activities, interspersed with time to just relax and soak up the atmosphere
Why here?
Visiting the Cotswolds? Pioneering.
William Morris? Would never have thought……….
Everyone knows the Cotswolds — it’s one of the UK’s most sought-after destinations. But that popularity can be a double-edged sword: high-season prices, packed villages, and the risk of a trip that feels more generic than special. I wanted to see if it was possible to experience the Cotswolds differently.
The idea started with Kelmscott. I’d never thought much about William Morris, but a friend mentioned it, and it piqued my interest. I began to dig into the area’s links to traditional English craft and design, and it felt like a good fit for a short, thoughtful trip.
I planned a two-night stay with a simple itinerary: Kelmscott, a countryside walk, and dinner — all easy to do without a car. We stayed at a pub with a restaurant, which made the logistics smooth and gave us a cosy base. I skipped the more obvious hotspots and Instagram-famous villages, aiming instead for a quieter, more grounded experience about English heritage.
Honest verdict
Did I enjoy the holiday? Does the place live up to expectations?
When it comes to these kinds of places, I think, there can be a hefty dose of disappointment when you get there as it is thronged to the rafters with tourists and you had to pay through the nose to stay there in high summer. Thankfully, this wasn’t our experience on this trip. We found Kelmscott to be alive with activity but not crowded, and there was nothing at all that we had to queue for. Thyme, similarly, wasn’t overdone nor packed with people trying to fill an Instagram reel.
If you have any interest at all in traditional England, and perhaps learning a little more about one of our most important and beloved artists, thinkers and businessmen, I can highly recommend a trip to Kelmscott.
Did the itinerary work for the trip?
Absolutely. We travelled as a pair of friends, and the three booked activties on Saturday - Kelmscott, walk, then dinner - was a perfect day of memories that we have regularly reminisced about since.
I think it would work equally well to stay a little further out and take a circular bike ride with Kelmscott as the destination.
Also, staying with the pub, with the benefit of a restaurant for dinner on the day of arrival and breakfast on the day of departure, made a 2 night stay very easy indeed.
Would I make another visit?
I would certainly visit Cotswolds again, though would focus on another area.
WHEN
Early June
Probably the most beautiful month to visit England, in my view. Spectacular blue skies and warm sunshine.
TRAVEL MEANS
Car
Drive from Leeds takes about 2.5 hours
ACCOMMODATION
The Plough Inn, Pub with Rooms
literally a short walk to Kelmscott Manor
well suited for a pair of friends
slightly tricky parking
a touch noisy due to it being a pub
Kennet, 1883, By William Morris - Photo by Birmingham Museums Trust on Unsplash
SCHEDULE
Day 1 - Friday
Drive in the evening, arrive and settle in
Dinner: at The Plough Inn
Day 2 - Saturday
Kelmscott Manor & Gardens: Seeing up close and personal, the spot where William Morris (and his wife and some other artist hangers-on) would spend summer. The house is filled with remnants of his artistry, as well as that of his wife, Jane, and their life of collecting and making of beautiful things. The garden is also an absolute delight.
Walk: Walking loop from Kelmscott to Lechlade and back, 10km
Dinner & Art: Thyme - couldn’t recommend this place highly enough. The food was superb, as was the service, and the open dining room-kitchen-lounge area, which I believe was a converted barn, contributed greatly to the experience. Thoroughly modern and luxurious. We were also allowed a private view of the art exhibition that was on in the neighbouring space.
Day 3 - Sunday
Breakfast at The Plough Inn
Drive home
Sewing & Wearing
Other Short UK Itineraries
Donostia–San Sebastián - a Spring itinerary for fashion and food
Balenciaga, pintxos and bar crawls. My itinerary journal for a long rainy weekend spent in San Sebastian, Basque Country, with a friend.
Itinerary At A Glance
4 night independent itinerary for Donostia–San Sebastián and surrounds, based on flying from Manchester, in May
Highlights include pintxos food tour, dance theatre performance, the Balenciaga museum in Getaria and dinner at 1 Michelin star restaurant, Alameda.
Based on a two friends travelling, with a focus on leisurely outdoor and cultural activities, interspersed with time to just relax and soak up the atmosphere
Honest verdict
Does it live up to hype or expectations?
I would say I did have high expectations. There is a lot of hype around Donostia–San Sebastián. A major resort city and formerly the summer residence of the Spanish royal court; to say that this is a place under the radar would be false.
Luckily though, it hasn’t succumbed to too much tourism and maintains an authenticity, with a resident population who genuinely live and work here. We could tell that we were eating in pintxos bars alongside locals. The tours we took were thoughtful and warm, and the food was simply outstanding - again, in line with expectations of this being a ‘foodie’ destination.
From start to finish, the city is thoroughly recommended.
One area that did disappoint though, was the hotel. Basic, shabby, and trading off the view - not a place I would recommend.
Does the itinerary work for the trip?
Perfectly.
4 nights is a great way to enjoy San Sebastian, with plenty of time for wandering and pintxos. Having a mixture of pre-booked cultural activities with time to just wander makes the most of a long weekend. The car allowed us to make trips to places closeby to give us more options.
I would recommend staying in the city centre though (rather than on the outskirts as we did) and note that we had a lot of rain when we visited in May. It may not be immediately obvious that Spain might be quite wet, but this part of Northern Spain is so, and it did rather put a ‘dampener’ on the trip, so to speak. Perhaps better to visit summer or autumn for a chance at better weather.
Would I make another visit?
I would certainly visit the Basque Country again, though, I feel I have now seen enough of San Sebastián. My next trip to the Basque Country would be either as part of a tour of all the Northern Spanish regions, or as a tour across the Greater Basque Region including France and the Pyrenees.
WHEN
May
LIGHT & WEATHER
Moderate daylight. Wet. Cool. Overcast.
Sunrise: 07:01am - 06:31am
Sunset: 21:10pm - 21:41pm
17 hours of daylight
TRAVEL MEANS
Flight & Car hire
Fly Manchester into Bilbao (BIO), which is about 100km or 1 hr driving from San Sebastian
SCHEDULE
Day 1
Fly in the morning, collect car, arrive and settle in
Day 2
Tour: Pintxos Lunch Tour with San Sebastian Food
Evening show: dance performance at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre
Day 3
Breakfast: found somewhere in the city - plenty of delicious coffee and cake places
Museum: Drove to Getaria to visit Museo Cristóbal Balenciaga (the Balenciaga museum), about 25km, 30 mins driving. Worth it.
Dinner: Pintxos bar crawl through the city
Day 4
Relax: breakfast, spend the morning chilling out
Wander the city: Small and compact, with a city beach - spent an hour or two wandering and soaking up the atmosphere
Dinner: at 1 Michelin Star Alameda - absolutely superb. Advance booking essential
Day 5
Travel home
Ideas for another visit
Take in San Sebastian as part of a tour of the Greater Basque Region, including Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Biarritz, Bilbao and the Pyrenees.
Visit Añana Salt Valley in Álava province. Visitors can take guided tours to find out about the traditional salt-making process and enjoy halotherapy treatments in the salt foot baths.
Take bike rides to see megalithic monument Sorginetxe, "House of Witches" , in Arrizala, Agurain, Cromlech Mendiluze and Dolmen de la Chabola de la Hechicera
Take in San Sebastian as part of a tour of all four of Spain’s northern coastal regions - Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias and Galicia
Sewing projects for a Spring itinerary
