Thyme Hotel
The Cotswolds

Thyme Hotel is a beautifully stylish boutique retreat, nestled in the most picture-perfect part of the Cotswolds. Thyme includes of a collection of honey-coloured stone cottages, a farmhouse, The Swan pub across the road and a cookery school, neatly scattered across the Southrop Manor estate. This is where to come for a truly classic English countryside break on the doorstep of the Leach Valley.

The charming accommodation, combining cosy rustic interiors and Aurelia bath products, includes the farmhouse, with eight generously sized bedrooms, some with roll-top baths or wood burning stoves, and three separate cottages-cum-suites split over two floors. Tallet cottage, with four bedrooms and a separate dining area, is ideal for groups (note that teenagers are welcome but not children under 12).

Dining at Thyme is inspired by their kitchen garden and abundant farm produce; the menus are essentially based on what is ripe and in season. Breakfast is served in the beautifully converted medieval Tithe Barn, and lunch and dinner is across the country lane at The Swan, a stylish gastro pub championing local and home-farmed ingredients. Their new restaurant, The Ox Barn, is managed under the talented head chef, Charlie Hibbert. Guests can retreat to The Baa bar which muddles an impressive cocktail list, mixing home-made marmalade and herbs from the garden into the mix, or at teatime for a slice of freshly baked cake with a tea infusion. The state of the art cookery school offers perfect prepping for future Michelin-star types, with seasonal programmes such as tastings, talks, garden tours and classes throughout the year. The beautiful Meadow spa and heated outdoor pool provide the perfect spot to relax.

The area is a honeypot for A-listers (Kate Moss famously married Jamie Hince here in 2011) so this quaint village has a stylish draw to it; we recommend you pack your Barbour and Hunter wellies for the daytime and a smarter ensemble for the evening. The property has been spearheaded by the estate’s owner, Caryn Hibbert, who’s passion and enthusiasm exudes throughout the hotel. Both Thyme and Caryn are certainly ones to watch – we are excited to see what comes next!

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson