Why visit the Cotswolds with Sawday’s?
We’ve always stood for a better way of travelling. We were founded in the 90s by Alastair Sawday, a tour guide turned book publisher who could already see how large-scale homogeneous accommodation was squeezing the people running small hotels and family B&Bs. He set up Sawday’s to give those people a voice and a platform, but also so guests who wanted something more than a blank room for a night – could find it. When you stay with one of our owners, you become a part of that ongoing purpose: to keep the independent spirit of travel alive.
Our collection of holiday cottages in the Cotswolds
Our collection of Cotswold holiday cottages are a mixed bunch and that’s exactly how we like it. We inspect every place we feature, but when we visit, we’re not ticking off a set of criteria, we’re looking for a bit of magic. That means we love everything from a beautiful barn conversion with incredible views of the hills, to an old cottage with wonky roof beams or a grand estate dripping with mahogany and gilt picture frames. As long as it’s got some passion behind it and a distinct character, we’ll consider it for the collection.
What to do in the Cotswolds
In short – walk, eat, and shop. The walking is hilly, but not mountainous, with trails winding through woodlands and past more than the occasional local pub. This is where the eating comes in so spare some time for the markets and delis that also showcase the area’s incredible produce. There’s a famous market at Stroud but ask around and you’ll find one wherever you happen to be, especially at the weekends. The shopping is far from your usual high street fare. Thanks to a long history of craftspeople living and working in the area, antique shops are a big deal in the Cotswolds. Tetbury is often seen as the centre, but as a local expert told us, some of the best ones are out of town, where huge barns are stuffed with all sorts of literal hidden gems.
About the Cotswolds
The official Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers around 800 square miles in a thin band running roughly from Evesham in the north to Bath in the south. It’s the location of the source of the Thames and the much-prized golden stone that characterises its architecture. William Morris kick-started the Arts & Crafts movement in the town of Chipping Camden and the area has had a strong community of artists and artisans ever since. The name comes either from the old English for a hilly sheep enclosure or there’s evidence that it may simply have once been a wold (or weald) that belonged to someone named Cod.
