The Cotswolds is hands down one of my favourite locations in the UK. It’s idillic, has that classic English countryside feel and has so much character and charm. Plus any excuse to visit my favourite farm shop!
My little family and I have been coming to the Cotswolds yearly for the past seven or so years. However this year we have a new little addition to adventure with, our baby girl.
I do tend to enjoy coming to the Cotswolds in the colder, cosy Winter season, however, towards the end of March this year, Joe, my mum, Alessia and I decided to have a little Spring break. It was still rather cold and cosy but less busy, which was perfect. And Alessia was nine months old, which was a great age to travel with.
It’s worth noting we did have to be extra careful around the cottage with her crawling around.
Anywho, we found a gorgeous cottage on Air bnb. It was all warm and cosy inside. The stairs were so hard to get up and down with a baby and dog in our arms, however, it was really lovely to stay there. We bought our travel cot and all the amenities with us such as bottles, formula, soft foods, nappies, travel changing mat, baby carrier and so forth.
We tested the waters with a few other trips when our little one was younger, so we felt like mum and dad professional packers by this point.
Although I will say every baby is different. And each month brings a new set of challenges.
When babies are on the move, the seasons of traveling are more exhausting and harder compared to the younger months. Prior to the crawling and standing stages, our little one would lay still on a bed. Not anymore! Now I have to watch her like a hawk incase she tumbles over.
Any who, I’ll chat about what we did as a small family as some may find it somewhat helpful.
Day one was all about settling in and planning for the next few days ahead of us.
We enjoyed staying in at the cottage with a Chinese take-away whilst watching last one laughing on TV. We had a reasonably early night as the next 48 hours were going to busy exploring with a baby and dog attached to us.
We were so lucky to have my mum join us on the stay. Alessia doesn’t settle with anyone apart from Joe, my mum and me. So it can be tough at times to have much separation from our little one, but at the same time we love spending every second with her.
She’s so precious and they are only this young once! But it’s lovely to have my mum nearby to give our arms a break or make something to eat. Or even have a bath uninterrupted! Little luxuries, eh!
Back to the Cotswolds chat. Day two started with a slow morning, a cuppa and greek yogurt and berries. I opted for a comfy casual outfit. Feeling my inner sporty spice. Alessia wore a cute Easter outfit.
We drove to Bourton-on-the-water. A super pretty village that I’ve been to a bunch of times. And ate at Bakery on the Water, which was nice but not my favourite meal of the trip. The viccy sponge looked really tempting!
Then we drove a short distance to ‘The Slaughters’ area. Strolled thirty minutes or so to a lovely looking pub for a crispy refreshing coke. Joe and I were feeling pretty shattered, so we were glad to sit down for a few hours before walking back to the car. Oh and I hugged a tree. Gotta love nature!
Joe took some really nice photo’s of my mum and I walking and talking.
After ‘The Slaughters’ browse, we drove to my favourite farm shop and spent a small fortune. The eggs, IYKYK.
Had some cuddles, ate fresh pesto pasta and a chocolate and cashew cookie then called it an early night.
The following day we headed to Bicester Village.
Joe took some photo’s of my mum and I at lunch as I don’t have loads of photos together. And it’s very rare to even have a holiday with her, so wanted to document.
After Bicester, my mum decided to head home. Joe, Alessia and I stayed one more night at the cottage before heading back to Hertfordshire the following day.
Overall it was a lovely break away, but it went incredibly fast. I blinked and it was time to head home or so it felt.
In hindsight I wish we had stayed for longer.
When you’re traveling with a baby and dog, the days literally fly by. So an extra two days or more would have been the perfect amount of time to explore more bits of the Cotswolds, but also have the option to have a “lazy day” to recover from all the adventuring while keeping a baby happy.
When you’re on your foot, you prioritize how your baby is feeling. And need to schedule in her feeds, weaning meals, nappy changes and so forth.
Organization is key. And slower days are needed. I can no longer fit in 4 different locations in my schedule when I travel. I adapt, adjust and go slow with my little one.
It’s so crucial to go at your own pace.
We will be back to the Cotswolds next year as it’s tradition! Alessia will most likely be walking and running around next time!
If you’re interested in my other baby friendly travel guides, I wrote about our stay in Whitstable here, a trip to Mallorca here and a weekend away in Brighton with our little one and dog. I’m a bit behind with my other traveling blog posts, but any moments I have spare I will type them up.
If there is something in particular you would like me to discuss when it comes to traveling with a little one under 14 months, please do let me know!
Hope you’re having a lovely day or evening! And do let me know of any baby friendly locations you’ve been to or are thinking about!
Ciao, ciao.
The air bnb looks beautiful! xx
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It was so cosy and lovely. xx