Cotswold Cool: Bamford Country
What is this “Bamford Country” we speak of? That would be the namesake of Lady Carol Bamford, the force behind sublime properties the Wild Rabbit in Kingham and Daylesford Organic in blink-and-you-miss-it Daylesford. Stay in one of the Wild Rabbit’s stylish 12 bedrooms named after woodland animals (and spacious enough to invite several of them in). See how your worries melt away when you’re tucked under freshly-ironed Volga linens with a duck-egg throw at your tippie toes, surrounded by bleached wood, original beams, and Daylesford treats beckoning from the bathroom. There’s not a design flaw in sight. Worries? What worries? Dine at their delicious, cozy restaurant where the Bamford’s former private chef Adam Caisley is now behind the stove. Or relax with a pint in the pub-style bar.
A two minute drive away is the Haybarn Spa at Daylesford, my holistic home away from home. Whether it’s a deeply centering yoga session, invigorating Pilates class or a deep-tissue massage, it’s all good here. My pug is partial to the meandering footpath behind the spa, passing sleepy sheep and grassy fields.
For a change of scenery and a bit of shameless name-dropping, drive about half an hour further to lunch at the Swan Inn in Swinbrook, home to the Mitfords and where David Cameron and Francois Hollande had lunch not too long ago. The Dogs On the Leash, Ducks On the Loose Inn is owned by the last remaining Mitford sister, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire. She owns a lot of property in Swinbrook, and her three sisters are buried side by side in the village’s tiny and ancient little church, where, among other things, Piers Morgan got married. Finally, dine at the Feathered Nest in Nether Westcote, rumored to be Michelin Star material.
