Cotswolds

GOT the January blues? That’s nothing a cosy cottage can’t fix.

And if you book right now, you can bag a top bargain, as UK holiday sites are slashing their prices for not just January, but the rest of the year too.

Here, Sophie Swietochowski shares her best deals for staycation rentals, from country homes close to pubs with roaring fireplaces to timber-beamed properties with rural walks right on your doorstep.

FLORENCE SPRINGS LAKESIDE LODGES, Tenby

HOSEASONS currently has up to 30 per cent off on more than 50,000 breaks, including dates in the summer.

Those on a budget will be spoilt for choice, with more than 130,000 properties available for under £250 per break.

Each of the sleek lodges comes with a modern kitchen/living room complete with fireplace and overlooks a grand lake, bordered by reeds that attract wildlife.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

The site even has three friendly alpacas.

Private verandas are kitted out with hot tubs – perfect for cosy nights in.

GO: A seven-night self-catered stay, sleeping up to four guests, is £399, down from £509.

See hoseasons.co.uk.

WEAVER’S COTTAGE Yorkshire Dales

AVID ramblers should look no further than Weaver’s Cottage, a small but charming holiday home right on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales.

Right now, you can bag 30 per cent off all stays booked before February 2, with up to £300 off the total on cottages.com.

Split across three levels and with a cosy log burner, the two-bedroom property is ideal for hunkering down during winter, while the enclosed garden’s furniture is perfect for soaking up the sun in summer.

On top of scenic walking trails, there’s horse riding and great fishing sites nearby.

GO: Seven nights’ self-catering is from £465, reduced from £705, sleeping up to four.

See cottages.com.

BARLEY COTTAGE Axminster, Devon

LOOKING to whizz off straight away?

Sykes Cottages has some corking deals for January, with almost £500 off some properties.

The South West is gorgeous at this time of year, with fewer crowds and more space to roam.

Check into the six-person Barley Cottage in Axminster, a 15-minute drive from the coast.

The home features three snug bedrooms and an outdoor barbecue hut with a firepit that will keep you toasty throughout the winter nights.

If you don’t fancy cooking, there are several pubs just over a mile away, including the Castle Inn, which has weekly deals such as a burger, chips and a drink for a tenner or curry night which will set you back £12.99.

GO: Seven nights’ self-catering is from £824, reduced from £909, for arrival on January 16.

See sykescottages.co.uk.

ROBIN COTTAGE Bourton-on-the-water, Cotswolds

FEWER UK spots say cosy staycation quite like the Cotswolds.

Luckily for you, Cotswold Cottages is slashing the price of all 2026 stays by 20 per cent, with dates available in the school holidays too.

Just make sure you book by January 31.

Robin Cottage is tucked away in the rural village of Bourton-on-the-Water, which straddles the River Windrush.

It has exposed brick walls, an open fire and great views of the water.

It’s well suited to couples, with just one bedroom, and the delights of the village are all within walking distance, including the Cotswolds Motoring Museum, where you can delve into the history of 20th-century vehicles.

GO: Three nights’ self-catering is from £442.55, down from £590.

See boundless.co.uk.

ASHLEA POOL LODGES Craven Arms, Shropshire

FOR those wanting to reconnect with nature, Ashlea Pool Lodges has it all.

Buried in the rolling hills of Shropshire, this Hoseasons site has lodges overlooking a tranquil lake, thick woodland for roaming and wildlife in every direction you turn.

The activities are abundant, too, with walking trails, cycling routes and fishing spots all nearby.

The holiday park is included in Hoseasons 30-per-cent-off deal, so you can bag yourself a decent price as long as you book before February 2.

Each of the lodges blends seamlessly with its surroundings, thanks to wooden panelling on the walls and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over leafy trees.

There’s an onsite cafe selling homemade scones, tempting cakes and creamy milkshakes, as well as a pizzeria.

GO: Seven nights’ self-catering in a six-person lodge is from £399, down from £499.

See hoseasons.co.uk.

AN expert has revealed how you can plan a Cotswolds staycation without breaking the bank.

More than 23million tourists visit the Cotswolds every year, so its no surprise that includes a few celebrities along the way.

Beyonce, Kourtney Kardashian and even Kamala Harris have all been spotted in recent months, while the Beckhams are known for having a house there.

But despite this, there is still a way to do it on a budget as well as away from the crowds.

Local Amanda Stecker, who founded Unique Cotswold Cottages, explained: “There’s a perception that the Cotswolds is reserved for the wealthy.

“But you can stay in charming self-catering cottages or friendly B&Bs for a fraction of the cost of high-end hotels, and still enjoy the villages, countryside, and experiences that make the area so special.

Read more on the Cotswolds

CHECKING IN

Village called ‘a Cotswolds dream’ that’s home to two of UK’s best hotels 

HIDDEN GEM

Strange attraction is UK’s ‘most photographed door’ in a Cotswolds village

“Even smaller towns and lesser-known attractions have a charm all of their own, and often a story you’ll remember far longer than the postcard-perfect spots.”

Here are some of her top tips.

Stay in less well-known villages

She explained that while Bibury and Bourton-on-the-Water are the popular spots, there are nearby villages that are just as beautiful but far more affordable.

Amanda said: “Look at towns such as Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, or Chipping Campden.

“These locations still offer charm and convenience but at much lower rates.”

Not only did she say this could save as much as £300 for a three-night stay, but cottages mean you can head to the nearby deli for some groceries and cook yourself, saving you even more.

Visit during shoulder season

If you try and visit the Cotswolds during the summer holidays, expect huge crowds.

The same is during school half terms as well, especially in the spring and autumn.

But the villages are just as beautiful off season, usually November, January and February.

Not only is accommodation cheaper but you won’t be stuck in queues at the car park or the cafe.

Make the most of the free attractions

Just walking through many of the villages and towns feel like they are from a postcard, which is a great free activity.

Not only that, but heritage trails and even attractions like Broadway Tower are free to visit.

The Oxford Museum, Witney Museum and Swinford Museum are just some that are free too.

Amanda advises checking some of the local stately homes which can be affordable especially with a National Trust or English Heritage membership.

Otherwise there are often farmers markets or fairs which you can explore without spending a penny.

According to Amanda, this could save as much as £50 per person during a long weekend.

Check the local transport

Many of the small villages have train stations so you can hop between many of them.

For example, try the Cotswolds Line, which runs from Oxford to Kingham, with stops in Hanborough, Finstock, Charlbury and Shipton along the way.

Otherwise bus routes connect many of them as well, saving you on expensive car parking.

Amanda suggests this could save as much a £30 a day.

Here are some of the Cotswolds pubs where you might bump into a celebrity.

And here are some other places to go away from the crowds.

AMERICAN stars Beyoncé and Jay-Z are set to use a “rich person” planning loophole to build a huge rural estate in the UK. 

The couple are said to have bought a 58-acre plot in the Cotswolds for their mansion. 

On the land is a derelict shack near an algae-filled lake. 

Permission has been granted for a spectacular seven-bed property. 

Development is allowed under a special exemption clause in the Government’s National Planning Policy Framework. It gives permission for new homes in rural locations where planning would typically be refused. 

To qualify the design must be of “exceptional quality . . . truly outstanding, reflecting the highest standards in architecture”. 

FACE OF GLOOM

Adam Peaty’s parents look devastated as they break cover after wedding snub

SAD TIMES

Heartbreaking moment Harvey Price bursts into tears over accident at home

It has been dubbed the “rich person clause” because of the ­millions of pounds required to override regular restrictions. 

Planning permission for the development in Oxfordshire was granted in 2021 but work never started. 

The plot was later marketed for £7.5million with the permission attached and has been sold — with Texas Hold ’Em singer Beyoncé, 44, and 99 Problems rapper Jay-Z, 56, believed to be the purchasers. 

The listing stated the property is “totally unique”, adding “The site for the new house is at the head of a long drive that meanders through beautiful countryside to a magical woodland lake. 

“The start of the drive is on the edge of a sought-after village and is within striking distance of Soho Farmhouse. 

“Permission has been granted to create a large contemporary dwelling that part-cantilevers over its own lake, has incredible room volumes throughout, will be exceptionally light and have stunning views over the countryside. 

“The position and the permission are unrivalled.” 

Beyoncé, Jay-Z and their children live in California but have made several trips to the area. 

Stars Jeremy Clarkson, Claudia Winkleman and David and Victoria Beckham live nearby. 

But locals have concerns about an influx of A-listers. One 71-year-old, who has lived there for more than 60 years, said: “My grandson will think this is wonderful that they are coming here. I think it will change the village.” 

It was a chilly Sunday in November 2000 when the gods chose to smile on Ken Wallace. The retired teacher was sweeping his metal detector across a hillside in Leicestershire’s Welland valley when a series of beeps brought him up short. Digging down, he found a cache of buried coins almost two millennia old. He had chanced upon one of the UK’s most important iron age hoards, totalling about 5,000 silver and gold coins.

More than 25 years on, I’m staring at Ken’s find at the civic museum in the nearby town of Market Harborough. The now gleaming coins are decorated with wreaths and horses. They’re about the size of 5p pieces, but speak of a wild-eyed age of tribal lands and windswept hill forts.

Hidden riches are something of a local theme here. The treasure was unearthed close to the Leicestershire-Northamptonshire border, in a sloping, sheep-dotted landscape where the River Welland ribbons eastwards in no special hurry. The town (“people just call it Harb”, one of the museum staff tells me) is the main settlement in this stretch of the valley. I’ve come here on a short winter visit to see why the area – hills, villages, Harb and all – gets described as an unsung alternative to the Cotswolds.

The town itself has ancient Saxon roots and is easy to like, with a head-turning mix of Jacobean, Georgian and Victorian architecture. I stumble on Quinns, a cracking independent bookshop tucked down an alleyway, then devour a curry bowl at a lively cafe called Two Old Goats. A board on the street lists notable town residents through the ages, the most recent being rugby giant Martin Johnson. I read this, then turn and immediately see him on the pavement 10 metres away. It’s unclear if this clever routine is something he does for all visitors, but he’s hard to miss in any case.

The real pull of the Welland valley is the countryside, a slow-moving world of hushed green dales and drifting red kites. On local advice, I head to rural Foxton Locks – Britain’s highest combination of staircase canal locks, where 10 adjacent early 19th-century locks transport boats up and down a 23-metre hillside – for a gawp and a wander. “It takes 50 minutes for boats to get from one end to the other,” says volunteer Malcolm, who seems delighted to have a visitor to talk to. The neatly painted locks rise up handsomely beside us.

You need a decent woolly hat to go gongoozling (that is, canal-watching) in December, but there are rewards to be had. The skies are already fading to a wintery grey when I climb past the locks to the upper towpath. The narrowboats I see are moored up, their chimneys smoking and their roofs decorated with bums-out gnomes. I walk the path for an hour of rippled quietude, passing little other than moorhens and blackthorn sloes, then return the same way.

Back at the locks I stop at tiny canalside pub Bridge 61, where I find a crackling log grate and a row of Camra certificates. The barman pours me a Widebeam bitter from Langton Brewery. “Local ale,” he says. “From three miles up the way as the crow flies.” Proof, it turns out, that beer doesn’t have to travel far to hit the spot.

My base is nearby Medbourne, one of numerous placid, calendar-pretty villages that stud the Welland valley. Medbourne has a clear stream, a lovely pub – the Nevill Arms, where I spend the night in a four-poster and enjoy exactly the kind of warming, candle-lit dinner you’d want from a country inn in winter – and cottages built of tough, reddish Leicestershire ironstone.

The next morning I meet local author and poet Tim Relf for a three-hour footpath ramble in the hills. Crossing stiles and ridge-and-furrow fields, he leads us to a spot above his home village of Drayton, from where the valley’s rolling green folds reveal themselves to the full. “You can make out six churches from here,” he says. He’s right. Their medieval spires punctuate a view that tumbles out for miles in all directions.

Drayton itself is home to the smallest of these churches, a stone chapel with pews that seat about 25 people. It once spent time as the village bakery and still has a bricked-up serving hatch. “The vicar likes joking about the fact that Bethlehem translates as ‘House of Bread’,” Tim smiles.

Close by, they’re used to far bigger crowds at the hilltop Nevill Holt Hall. In early summer, the Grade I-listed hall draws thousands of opera and music lovers for its annual arts festival, though when we pass it on this midweek December morning its trimmed lawns and topiary are as quiet as everywhere else.

We finish in Great Easton, another village of thatched roofs and wide lanes. It has a little cafe, aptly called the Great, where I refuel on coffee and sticky spiced ginger cake before heading to Eyebrook reservoir on the village outskirts. It’s a glorious spot for winter birding – teal, wigeon and great white egrets in the shallows, a 200-strong flock of lapwings billowing overhead – and completely uncommercialised, with a tiny car park and just one other birdwatcher. He’s excited at seeing five smew a little earlier. I give it an hour and don’t see them, but still leave feeling enchanted.

Even a short trip needs a finale, which comes in the form of the extraordinary Harringworth Viaduct. I’m staggered when it comes into full view. The viaduct is a bona fide marvel of Victorian mega-engineering, a colossal 82-arch span stretching right across the valley. Glinting beneath it is the River Welland itself, looping and languid. It seems improbable that such an attractive valley should be hiding in plain sight in the middle of the country, but there’s not a tour bus to be seen. A treasure, indeed.

The trip was provided by the Nevill Arms in Medbourne, which has doubles from £140 B&B