Nestled in a lush green Cotswolds valley flanked by nature reserves, you will find the Daneway Inn: a much-loved local pub that has been sympathetically restored and given a new lease of life by Emma and Pete Bradshaw and their young family. It’s the perfect spot for a rural ramble followed by a scrumptious lunch from the all-day walkers menu. The food is simple, seasonal, and beautifully presented, with bowls of hearty chilli; homemade chunky chips served in enamel mugs; and the infamous pea hummus, which even my small reluctant vegetable-eaters devour with gusto!

Before taking over the pub, Emma and Pete spent many years working for Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, including managing the nature reserves that surround the Daneway. They can point you in the direction of the best local walks (we loved exploring through the meadow and alongside the disused canal), and can even tell you where to spot the rare Large Blue butterfly.

Families are welcome, as are dogs: there’s a kennel in the garden, and a jar of dog biscuits on the bar. If you find that you love it so much that you want to sleep there, you’ll soon be able to! The Bradshaw family will shortly be re-opening the Daneway’s small campsite on the banks of the River Frome and also have plans for a shepherds hut. On the August bank holiday, they’re launching an annual Cotswold cider and snail racing festival: the Daneway is certainly one to watch! It’s a gem of a place; set amidst a pastoral idyll, this is a modern pub with old-fashioned values, inspired by passion, and full of heart.

The Daneway Inn, Daneway, Sapperton, Gloucestershire, GL7 6LN
Images by Laura Pashby

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GO & STAY

It was dark when we arrived at Bryn Eglur; the silent, pitch-black dark of the coun-tryside. Tumbling out of the car, we were guided by the bright glow of a window and when we opened the door of Bryn Eglur, we stepped not in, but back. Back, to a simpler, quieter time. Back to lime-washed walls and elegant wooden furniture, to Welsh blankets and Welshcakes, to a small parlour warmed by a fire.

Inside Bryn Eglur, the past and the present are easy companions. The cottage has been painstakingly restored by owner Dorian Bowen: tradition and comfort co-exist here in per-fect harmony. We found freshly-picked flowers from the cutting garden on the table, a cherry-red Rayburn and blankets to match, wooden stick-backed chairs made by Dorian’s own hand.

Awakening there on our first morning – the children in the traditional wooden box bed, us under a tumble of soft, white linen – the dawn light glowed outside. The boys and I tiptoed out into the dewy garden to watch the sun come up over the adjacent field.

I fell head-over-heels for the house, not least for its utterly perfect light, which streamed through each window. As I sat at the kitchen table, coffee in hand, listening to the chil-dren’s voices echo across the lawn, I felt more peaceful than I have for far too long.

SEE & DO

Tearing ourselves away from the house wasn’t easy, but the siren call of the sea drew us to the coast for a beach adventure at Barafundle Bay. This wild and secret cove is reached by a ramble along the cliff top where the coconut scent of golden gorse drifts. The children clattered down the long flight of steps to the sand, running headlong into the breeze.

At the end of the day, windswept and happy, we drove along the coast to the pretty walled town of Tenby. On Castle Beach, overlooking the iconic fort on St. Catherine’s Island, we ate fish and chips and watched the sun dip below the water.

Inspired by the stunning Welsh blankets that adorn Bryn Eglur, we also took a trip to the National Wool Museum in Drefach Felindre. Housed in a beautiful old stone mill, the mu-seum was heaven for this fibre-loving knitter while the rest of the family were well occupied by the fascinating looms and great kids’ trail. There’s a cafe, and a shop that’s filled with temptation, including blankets, scarves and cushions made at the adjoining Melin Teifi. The discerning blanket collector may also wish to visit Jane Beck, who boasts the largest collection of Welsh blankets anywhere in the world, housed near Tregaron in a character-ful shop made from tin.

On our final day, we visited Laugharne, home to the poet Dylan Thomas. As an utter bib-liophile, I felt pangs of heart-skippy anticipation, and I wasn’t disappointed. Laugharne is a misty, mystical spot, with its compelling literary connection and a castle on the edge of the sea. We made our pilgrimage to the white Boathouse perched on the cliff edge, which was once Dylan Thomas’s home, but it was his writing shed that I truly fell for; preserved as if he had just stepped out for a moment, teacup on the desk, crumpled paper on the floor, complete with gorgeous sea views.

As a Toast devotee, I was slightly aghast that time ran away with us before I could man-age a trip to the outlet store in Llandeilo. Just one of the many reasons why we will assur-edly be returning to this corner of Wales.

EAT & DRINK

The lovely town of Narbeth is a little foodie haven. Here we stocked up on treats from Ul-tracomida, the Spanish delicatessen, filled bags with fruit from Wisebuys the greengrocers (both on the High Street) and headed to the ruined Narbeth Castle for a picnic. It’s free to enter, and my husband and I spread a blanket on a high vantage point, settling down to lunch whilst the children enacted battles and explored the ruins.

The fish and chips from Fecci’s on Lower Frog Street in Tenby were delicious, while Wrights Emporium was the perfect place to stop for lunch on the way home from Laugharne. This welcoming cafe is elegantly furnished, with a well-priced menu of classics with a twist. We also loved the adjoining shop, and stocked up on wine and cider, char-cuterie and cheeses, to see us through the days of post-holiday blues.

Images by Laura Pashby

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On an early summer’s day, when the soft warm air is heavy with the scent of roses and lavender, and the gentle breeze carries the audible buzzing of happy bees, there can be few places in the world that are lovelier than an English garden.

Cerney House Garden is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful that I have seen. A secret walled garden, brimming with gorgeous blooms, pretty vistas and hidden nooks, it is the archetypal English garden.

It’s a sweet, charming spot, with rambling roses, old brick walls and an elegant greenhouse. Walking amongst beds overflowing with romantic colour, I felt as if I were stepping into a poem, or perhaps a midsummer dream.

This is a quiet and comparatively undiscovered spot, where entrance and teas are paid for via an honesty box, and the garden is yours to explore. Over the wall in the orchard, Gloucester Old Spot pigs snuffle and forage, to the delight of my children.

Having swooned over its summer charms, I shall hold its magic close until the springtime, when I have promised myself that I must return to this secret garden and see the bulbs in flower.

Images by Laura Pashby

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Tucked down a pretty back street, behind Bath’s iconic Royal Crescent, is the cavern of endless delights which is The Foodie Bugle shop and cafe. The shelves of this charming shop are packed with a perfectly curated selection of  kitchenalia. Understated and elegant homewares, thoughtfully sourced, intermingle with one-of-a-kind vintage gems, from linens to glassware. Every corner contains a delightful treasure.

Foodie by name, foodie by nature, the shop’s owner is the effervescently warm and welcoming Silvana de Soissons, a talented food writer and professional cook. In the cafe’s bijoux kitchen, she prepares incomparably delicious meals, cooking with the seasons, and according to the local produce available to her.

Silvana also stocks a bounteous selection of artisan food and drink, from fresh vegetables to store cupboard staples, and with all manner of treats to tempt and delight. After a cup of coffee, a slice of sublime chocolate cake and a potter around the shop,  I can’t resist taking home a hand-tied posy of flowers from local florist Polly Nicholson.

If I find that I’ve forgotten something, The Foodie Bugle has an extensive online shop, so there’s always the possibility of having a little taste of it delivered directly to my door.

Images by Laura Pashby and Silvana de Soissons

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Sudeley Castle is a place where the very walls are steeped in adventure and history, not to mention bloodshed; it’s replete with tales of kings, queens, intrigue and betrayal. My children were enchanted by the story of Brock, a pet badger who lived as part of the family within the castle walls.

In celebration of the castle’s badger connection, Sudeley has collaborated with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to create a living willow maze, with a Wind in the Willows theme. A huge sculpted badger, a mole, and a native water vole; characters from a favourite story suddenly larger than life.

Alongside the castle, there is a playground in the form of a huge wooden fort: the stuff of childhood dreams. Having spent their precious pocket money on swords from the extensive wooden armoury in the gift shop, my boys whiled away the morning running through its corridors, re-enacting battles with their friends. As I sat in the sunshine and watched them, it felt as if we had escaped the present for a moment, suspended in time by some special Sudeley magic.

Images by Laura Pashby

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In the early autumn, when the leaves are just beginning to turn ochre, the hedgerows are full of edible treasure; jewel-bright scarlet rosehips, dusky purple sloes, sharp green crabapples, and clusters of deep red haws.

When we head out on walks, we always take a bag or a basket, in readiness for foraging. A favourite ramble meanders through the fields just below Uley Millennium Green, in the Uley valley. The children splash along in the shallow stream, lined with blackthorn bushes. Here we picked this year’s sloes, now marinating as a batch of sloe gin.

In the hedgerow is a gnarled, ancient crabapple tree groaning with small, hard fruits, which are perfect as a natural source of pectin for Bramble Jam or Hedgerow Jelly. On this occasion, we brave the thorns and fill a basket with handfuls of cheerful, plump rosehips, picked from the bushes above the stile.

Upon returning home, the rosehips are stripped of their seeds and boiled up with sugar, to make bottles of luminous Rosehip Syrup, or jars of sticky Rosehip Jam. A sweet reminder of an autumnal Sunday, to be spooned over our breakfast porridge in the dark mornings ahead.

Images by Laura Pashby: Laura has a regular blog series called Grow, Forage, Cook, in which she posts seasonal recipes, foraging adventures, and ideas for bringing the outside into the kitchen. You can get involved by sharing your own foraging finds using #growforagecook on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

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For those who love the outdoor life but seek something more luxurious than nights under canvas, Wriggly Tin Huts is the ideal weekend getaway. We stayed in Boundary, a large green shepherd’s hut spacious enough to accommodate a family. It is cleverly designed with a double feather bed at one end, bunks at the other and a sweet kitchen area in the centre, equipped with a wood-burning stove and an enviable collection of enamelware. Situated in the midst of an ancient bluebell wood in the South Downs, the hut is cheerfully painted and impeccably presented, with clever vintage touches.

After some peaceful, late-night stargazing, we awakened to the sound of birdsong and the scent of woodsmoke. For our morning cuppa we boiled a kettle on the stove, then cooked our breakfast over an open fire. Rabbits hopped around the edges of the meadow and the grass sparkled in the dew. The magic of the wilds, the charm of the rustic and the comforts of home. For us, it was the perfect combination for a dreamy weekend away.

Wriggly Tin Huts is open until the end of October, then opens again in March.

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My children have long been fond of the beautiful picture book, the Mousehole Cat. It’s based upon the legend of fisherman Tom Bawcock, who ended a famine by braving a storm and catching enough fish to feed everyone in his village. In reality, the Cornish village of Mousehole is every bit as charming as its storybook counterpart: pretty granite cottages clustered around a small harbour, with a distinctive ‘mousehole’ gap between the breakwaters. During our stay there, we took daily walks, at high tide studying the colourful bobbing boats, and at low tide gathering sea glass, in jewel bright weathered shards.

The children bought bags of shells from one of the houses flanking the harbour, posting their money into the well-worn honesty-box slot in a wooden door. For lunch, we devoured amazing homemade Cornish pasties from Jessie’s Dairy, served to us on Cornishware plates. A short walk from the harbour, we explored rock pools, catching crabs and a star fish in the tidal rock swimming pool. The appropriately named Rock Pool cafe, perched up above, provided locally made Moomaid ice cream and glorious sea views.

Images by Laura Pashby

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If you’d like to learn the secrets of patisserie, there is no sweeter dream than a day spent with pastry chef Sasha Jenner at Hobbs House Cookery School. Choux buns, delicate fruit tarts and pastels del nata are delicacies which I had always associated with only the very fanciest of professional kitchens. Sasha taught me how to make all of these, and more.

Situated in a beautiful house above the bakery, the cookery school is calm, elegant and welcoming. There is a light, well-equipped kitchen, with an enviable collection of shiny Kitchenaid mixers and a friendly ‘Kitchen Fairy’, who spirits away the washing up and rustles up endless pots of coffee, and a delicious lunch.

Through a mixture of demonstrations and hands-on experience, we discovered how to make perfect pastry and how to conquer custard. Before long, with Sasha’s encouraging guidance, we were filling our choux buns with creme patisserie, and piping chocolate swirls onto glossy salted caramel tarts.

At the end of the day, I came away with a sheaf of recipes and a box of delectable patisserie made by my own fair hands. I left on an absolute high (and not just because of the inevitable sugar rush), vowing to return for one of their Christmas baking courses. In the meantime though, I might have to get my Hobbs fix by ordering their delicious cakes online!

Images by Laura Pashby

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When it comes to baked goods, Hobbs House are the gold standard. These independent Cotswold bakeries are run by the Herbert family, who have been baking for five generations. Hobbs House supply their award-winning organic bread to a growing number of independent shops in the region, but if you get the chance, a trip to a Hobbs House shop is an unmissable pleasure.

There are four bakeries, in Chipping Sodbury, Cirencester, Nailsworth and Tetbury, each one a cornucopia of loaves and irresistible confectionary. A trip to the Nailsworth shop is a favourite treat for my husband and I on a rare quiet morning.

Housed beside a babbling stream, it boasts a wood-fired oven in the open-plan kitchen. Downstairs is the bakery, lined with shelves of bread, and platters of sweet temptations. Upstairs is a cheerful little cafe, serving food and drinks, through from breakfast to afternoon tea. The coffee is excellent and the cakes are, naturally, perfection. We love the friendly staff who are imperturbable, kind, and knowledgeable. Passing back through the bakery on the way out, we are incapable of leaving empty-handed!

Images by Laura Pashby

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On a sunny day in late winter, the snowdrops are calling.  The sight of these delicate flowers, illuminated by the sunlight, is a welcome reminder that spring should now be just around the corner. We get our fix of the little white beauties at the Rococo Gardens in Painswick, where the banks are draped with flowers and the woods are swathed in a carpet of white.

There is plenty to explore, including a number of follies, a maze, ponds, lawns and woodland. The gardens are set in a hidden Cotswold valley, with fabulous views. Our children particularly love the woods, which are full of hidden surprises such as natural sculptures, carved seats, and a tic-tac-toe game hewn from a fallen tree.

After our ramble, we headed to the cafe for a well-earned drink and slice of homemade cake. If you fancy planting some snowdrops of your own, you can buy many varieties in the plant shop. The gardens are open from January – October, and you can check the times on their website.

Images by Laura Pashby

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Tucked away in an unprepossessing corner of Nailsworth is an absolute gem: Domestic Science home  store and its attached cafe The Canteen. Their combined charms make for a spot in which to happily while away an afternoon.

The store is an eclectic muddle of vintage treasures and carefully selected temptations, all jumbled together in a maze of rooms. You will find gorgeous piles of quilts and eiderdowns, quirky old-school stationery, perfectly worn antique linens, and stylish kitchenalia to name but a few. A mixture of the inspirational, the aspirational and the irresistible.

Through an archway is the Canteen cafe, to which I am always happy to retire, shopping bag in hand. Its interior is furnished with all manner of re-claimed pieces and it has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, sofas that I could lose many hours in, as well as a box of toys for my small companions. I can recommend the crepes, cooked freshly on demand and the selection of baked goods is superlative. We found the cherry bakewell cookies impossible to resist!

Images by Laura Pashby 

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